Stayed in Sydney a total of 7nights. The hostel I stayed in, Maze on Pitts Street, had free pool table, free drinks tokens for local bars and great music playing (when I arrived Netsky essential mix). The hostel was easy to make new friends as everyone was drinking and I ended up going out 5nights in a row. Sydney is lively ever night of the week with bars open to at least 4am.

In Australia alcohol is expensive, in Sydney it was £4-6 for a pub beer (425ml, called a schooner). Even in the supermarkets 6 bottles cost minimum of £14. The cheapest way to get drunk is called Goon, it is bottled 'wine', 2l for £10. However, it is not really wine. The white boxes list eggs, nuts and fish (yes, fish!) in the ingredients, red boxes lists eggs. Grapes are not even listed.... I'm sticking to beer. 



Sydney is a large city, similar to London and organised in blocks like New York. The Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Darling Harbour end of the city is very impressive. The Opera House looks incredible in real life and the build changes from every angle you look at it. I could not however live in Sydney as its too busy and the central business district lacks character.

 

For me I preferred the activities away from the city, for example the Blue Mountains. Another activity I'd recommend is the ferry from Circular Key to Manly beach ($14 return). Manly has a lovely sandy beach, many people surfing and is much more chilled out than the city. 

 
 
 

I did meet some great people, which is what kept me here so many days. I became good friends with Lee, an American with Vietnamese/Cambodian origin. We spent 3days
together, where he showed me the sites, took me for a Mongolian beef steak stir fry and a Vietnamese beef noodle soup. We had beers and played pool together too. I really enjoyed my time with Lee.

 

 
 
I meet Silvia, from Italy, in the blue mountains. We later spent a day together in Sydney where we looked around the Botanical Gardens together, where at night time hundreds of huge bats filled the sky. We later saw the city lights at night, with the Opera house and Harbour looking
impressive.

 
 
 

 

I also meet up with an old school friend at Bondi Beach. Great to catch up.

Now traveling up the East Coast, currently 270miles north of Sydney.