Farewell, Australia

We flew to Sydney for our last few days in this incredible country. It seemed a fitting farewell, in this iconic, unique and vibrant city which marked the very start of Australia as we know it.

Our exceptionally cool, dashingly handsome and extremely generous friend, Kev, let us stay in his studio flat for two nights and took us round the city for our grand, sightseeing finale.

We felt at home walking through the Botanic Gardens with the infamous views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We climbed the Sydney Tower Eye, watching a 4D film (complete with real bubbles and sea splash) and took the lift (ok, so we can't claim to have "climbed" anything) to the dizzying heights of the tower.

From up high, it hit me just how big a space Sydney occupies. As far as the eye can see, there were sprawling suburbs and thriving industrial units. We had got so well acquainted with such a minuscule part of this colourful metropolis, it had tricked us into thinking it was so much smaller.

We followed Kev to a podcast recording for 'Football Fans Down Under', and was challenged to eat 2kg of sausage and mash in the process. It was brutal and the sausages were grisly, but, ever the hero, Kev managed a brave 1kg of stodge, which would come back to haunt him later. Amazing what men will do for football.

Rather than let Kev digest his heavy belly, we decided upon a two hour coastal walk from Coogee beach to Bondi in the breezy sunshine. It was alive with happy locals and tourists soaking up the afternoon sunshine and the perfect way to spend our last day.

Each city has it’s own vibe and character, but at the heart, the people and the soul are all the same. The Australian people are a particularly friendly and helpful bunch and their dry sense of humor and open honestly gives them the edge.

Still, it's not always smiles down under. As I popped to a public loo on our walk, there was an unusual stand off between two drunk Aboriginal women and a polite, embarrassed queue of white people. The white people, apart from me, avoided looking at the drunk pair who were pushing in and shouting at each other. And, in turn, the drunken duo didn't seem to acknowledge or even see the queue of people. For all the love I have for Australia, this is where it fails.

As I'm penning this, I'm seeing flashing images of Julia Gillard (you can be forgiven for not knowing that this is Australia's Prime Minister) being physically dragged into a car on Australia Day in the midst of a protest about the treatment of Aboriginal people. Perhaps this will be the turning point they need.

These things aside, as a country, Australia is full of brilliance and endless surprises. There's something around every corner and down every road, however long it may take you to find it. And I was surprised myself, surprised by just how much I loved it.

From dodging kangaroos in a campervan to watching the march of the world's smallest penguin; from hiking through empty, red gorges to snorkeling with sharks and turtles; from watching the world's greatest New Year's Eve celebrations, to sailing around peaceful, paradise islands. Australia is a feast for every sense.

Until next time, Australia, thank you.