So, after four weeks of travelling around Australia, we’ve made it to Sydney, the place where we met when backpacking almost 11 years ago. Then, after four months of living and working here, we set off on a bus up the East Coast which started its journey over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was only fitting, therefore, that our return to the city was over the very same bridge but in the opposite direction – we weren’t expecting to arrive in a massive thunderstorm, however, with lightning all around us!

We’re staying in an apartment hotel just off Darling Harbour, one of the main entertainment and nightlife areas – very touristy but quite fun all the same. It’s also a spitting distance from Pyrmont, the suburb where we lived when we were here previously so it’s been great, if not a little strange, to be back on our old stomping ground.

Sydney itself doesn’t seem to have changed much apart from some pretty major building work going on – it’s still a fantastic city with lots to see and do. After checking into our apartment (and dealing with a slight issue with the car hire drop off – Hertz Sydney shuts at 4pm on a Saturday and we didn’t know about it – whoops), we went for a bit to eat around Darling Harbour. By this time the rain had stopped and it was buzzing with people. This being Australia on a Saturday, there was also the obligatory free firework display across the harbour!

We’ve packed a lot into the last couple of days – we’ve been to the beach in Manly (Wills absolutely loved it), had breakfast in the café outside WakeUp!, the hostel where we first met (hasn’t changed a bit), discovered a fantastic kiddies park in Darling Harbour (with water fountains, massive slides and climbing nets), been on lots of ferries to and from different bits of the city, got soaked attempting to watch the St Patrick’s Day Parade, visited the Sydney Fish Markets (and saw giant tuna being landed with Wills asking questions about every different type of fish), revisited the apartment block where we used to live (we’d forgotten what a lovely area it was) and wandered through the Botanical Gardens. I’ve also managed to sneak out for a few beers to catch up with an old uni mate who now lives out here!

Only three nights left in Australia, but we’ve still got lots left to pack in to our time here!