Almost there....but no quite over just yet!!

Well good evening to all my faithful followers, I hope this balmy Sydney evening finds you well!  I hate to say this but it is almost time to go and I sit in Fred's house while the boys sleep at 11pm and we are being picked up for the airport at 2.30am by the ever patient and wonderfully kind Cath, to begin our 24 hour journey home.  That's 24 hours where a lot (or a little) can happen, and knowing me it will be the former. But not before a spattering of today's goings on....

To pick up where I left off I checked out of the apartment and started my journey from iconic Sydney harbour the outskirts, via a cab to circular Quay and a ferry to Paramatta.  So I arrived at the bustling port with bags in tow, found the right wharf and saw I had 30 mins to kill before the ferry left.  I took a few last pics and after going through to the waiting area, sweet talked the guard on the ticket barrier into looking after my bag whilst I nipped back out to grab a coffee, whilst firstly chatting to a man who commented that my bags were as bright as my trousers (he's not wrong there) and then to a lovely elderly couple from Sydney who said they had come into the city to watch the Last Night at the Proms in the bloody Opera house the night before!!! So whilst I, one of the most patriotic people you are every likely to meet, sat outside the iconic landmark (I sometimes forget it is actually a theatre) they were inside singing Jerusalem and God Save the Queen with hearty gusto!! Gutted.  If I'd known I would have go tickets.  But as those of you who follow me regularly will know, I have a magical knack of missing events by the smallest of margins, and this was the smallest yet!

Still, I had enjoyed a wonderful last night and after bidding my farewells, I grabbed my bags and waited for the ferry to board.  Well, I took my eye off the ball for 2 mins and all of a sudden it was an OAP stampede of epic proportions.  Something tells me its Paramatta is popular with a certain age group.

I soaked up the harbour view from deck one last time and headed out and away from the hustle and bustle of the city, through the suburbs and into the river land, passing beautiful houses and condo's, little tucked away beaches, the cutely named Kissing Point and finally the waterway narrowed and the boast slowed as the pilot navigated the shall and narrow Paramatta river, very tranquil and relaxing.  If you were able to tune out the couple next to me who incessantly babbled on for the entire 90 minute journey, about what I cannot recall other than them bleating on about Bear Gryls being bowed legged and a fake, as he only carries a small backpack and a knife whilst his camera crew (who are ex SAS apparently) do all the heard work and the fact that the male talker wanted to jump of every bridge we came.  Crack on sunshine, before I or Bear Gryls SAS cameraman, pushes you off one.

Cath was waiting for me at the stop and we chatted about mine and my Pops adventures of the last 3 weeks, and before we know it we were all reunited at Fred's.  It was so good to see my Pops and he looked really well, and it sounded like him and Fred had had a blast.  We were off out to dinner a bit later and Fred lent me his Ute so that me and Pops could go to his favourite place - Wenty Leagues - a sports club come bar / restaurant (times 5) / small casino that seemed to be the meeting place for all of the world! We chatted about his time there and he told me they had been going back in time to when they were teenagers, reminiscing on old times, reliving memories and making new ones.  Then Pops got quite emotional about coming home and not seeing Fred again which gave me a tear in my eye too, but never say never Pops, we thought last time would be the last time.  Who knows what the future holds.

We sat and chatted, then headed back to meet Cath who took us to a fab little Thai place called Thai Taste (does exactly what it say on the tin) and we rattled off what we wanted to the rather sweet waiter who just nodded at all the numbers, not filling my with confidence that we'd get what we had ordered.  Oh she of little faith, the gorgeous food arrived (in dribs and drabs but that suited me as it meant I couldn't eat mine, and everyone elses, all at once) and we nommed away, all washed down with pop (except for my Pops who plumped for coconut water and was pleasantly surprised by it, just hope it wasn't Malibu in disguise...) as it was a BYO alcohol and we had forgotten the crucial BYO...

It was then back to Wenty for a final hurrah with a band playing, stranger danger all around (there were some strange lurking fella's of certain ages, one who creepily resembled Norman Bates from Psycho) and a lot of people watching, washed down with a couple of drinks, keeping Fred out till 10.30pm, way passed his bedtime!

And so home we came to lay our weary heads before being picked up for the airport in 3 hours from now!! And like I say a lot can happen on a 24 hour flight, a fair amount did on the way out so there will be one more post, fear not!!!!!!

So once again it ain't over til it's over and for now it still remains TTFN..... xxxxx