Hazey Days: Sydney

Firstly Merry Christmas from Aus!

What revelation? What a top place, much more of a normal city than Melbourne but then its heart is the stunning harbour. You can see why Sydneysiders are really proud of it, it’s hard to beat’

We arrived about midday and our friends Ewhen and his wife Ann arranged for us to have dinner at their yacht club – the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

This place makes the Royal Windermere look like a garden shed. It has its own wine cellars, a couple of restaurants and some of the best views in the harbour. Also there was Duggie and his partner Liz. We’ve met, sailed and partied with Ewhen and Duggie quite a few times before at the European “Coppers Cup” sailing competition that’s held in the Netherlands. Great night.

We’d told Ewhen the dates we were in Sydney and he’s sorted out a few trips for us – absolutely fantastic, I only hope we can repay their generosity if they come “up north” sometime.

The following day, Christmas Eve, Duggie took us for a sail in his boat around Sydney Harbour – heaven – blue skies, decent wind, fantastic location. Just to be able to sail towards the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House was fantastic. He picked us up at Middle Harbour Yacht Club, a slightly more modest affair but still great and what a location.

Some of the boats preparing for the Boxing day start of the Sydney-Hobart were out practising, enormous sailing machines – just look at the size of the crew in the picture. This is a big, very tough, world famous race – hope to see the start on Boxing Day.

Neither of us had realised just how big the harbour area is, it’s like a slightly smaller version of the Clyde with lots of bays and creeks to explore, and better weather

We all went to Bondi Beach for Christmas Day – “along with a million other pommies” as Ehwen rightly said, but it had to be done. The beach was packed but we found a corner and sorted out our Barbie, along with suitable hats that Jen and Bobbie had found – revenge for the Vietnamese hats we subjected them to! Three courses but the Mr Kipling Mince Pies don’t travel too well. Another great day, even I got in the water for a swim, well thrash about in the waves at least.