We took one last stop on the way to Sydney in Batemans Bay and stayed at a campsite near Murramarang National Park for a night. 

The best thing about the area is that the kangaroos come out to play when dusk falls. They hop about people’s lawns and every green space they can find. The roos in the campsite were so comfortable with people that they let you pet them. It was hilarious to watch them interacting with each other!

The next day as we approached Sydney, I saw the Harbour Bridge for the first time. It’s amazing!

We settled into Sydney life just in time for Christmas. The day we arrived, we headed straight to Manly Beach - it’s a fabulous beach with great waves. I tried out my surfing skills again but boogie boards are definitely the easier option! Strange to be at the beach two days before Christmas!

On Christmas Eve we decided to go ice skating to get in the cold Christmas vibe! There was a lot of falling and grabbing onto people that I didn’t even know! I did it in real style! It was great craic once I got the hang of it!

We made our way over to Bondi on Christmas morning for mass. The whole church was full of Irish wearing GAA jerseys!

It was classic to watch all the different county jerseys making their way into mass! After mass we headed back and after playing the usual Christmas day games like charades, we had a barbie for dinner which is what most Aussies do Christmas day.

It was strange to talk to family and friends at home at the end of the day when their Christmas day was just starting!

We went into Sydney city centre on Stephen’s Day and walked through the Rocks, one of the oldest parts of Sydney. This was the first colonial settlement in Australia. From there we went to the Opera House. It is like being in a postcard standing in front of this amazing building.

Over the next few days we spent lots of time at Manly beach! Very stressful! Then it was time to plan New Year’s Eve.

New Year’s Eve is such a big event in Sydney. About a million people gather near the Harbour Bridge every year. At around mid-day we settled on Bradley’s Point, which is opposite the bridge on the north shore, and got a good spot with a perfect view of the bridge.

The place was packed by late afternoon. The first fireworks display kicked off at 9pm. It was amazing to watch the fireworks going off in various locations in Sydney.

At midnight the main display began. Unbelievable, is the only word I can use to describe it! It was worth the wait!

With the dawn of the New Year, it was time to find a permanent place of residence! We began house hunting in Bondi and within a couple of hours had found an apartment which is very near the beach – brilliant!

The waves are class so I must start trying to surf again! I’ve been thrown into the shore a couple of times nearly knocking over lots of people on the way! So swimming there isn’t for the faint hearted!

They shoot a show called ‘Bondi Rescue’ on the beach, so I hope I won’t be appearing on the show getting rescued!

There are fab beaches all the way along the coast. The coastline along the coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee is seriously impressive.

I’m going to be staying in Sydney until March so it’s time now to get a job again! It’s a very hard thing to do when you live so near to the beach!

Happy New Year everybody!