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Big Day Out
Vibes

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All good things must come to an end... What goes up must come down... Don't wear tight shorts to a rock concert - all gooey and prissy little sayings to patronise you after the fact.

We've flown back from New Zealand's South Island and are back for the long Anzac Day weekend before heading out of Sydney for the last time on our way to Perth via Victoria and South Australia.

Before we go, we have two all day concerts - Big Day Out and Vibes plus some farewells to be had with all the wonderful friends we've made while here.

We've struck gold in the accommodation department - a hotel in the Rocks less than a stones throw from the Lord Nelson called Hotel Palisade. A basic room for A$100 a night, and shared bathroom facilities, but a quiet bar and a roof terrace with a to die for 360 degree panorama of the city!  If ever you visit Sydney, stay here...

Saturday 26th: Big Day Out

Sunday 27th: Vibes

After each event we ended up on the roof terrace of the Palisade - and this pattern we repeated on our last night in Sydney after a fantastic bank holiday day out with the full compliment of our Sydney friends - Alison, Burnsie, Jamsie and fellow leavers Tom Plum and Vee.

On this evening we wander down to the Rocks looking for a drink. We end up in a beer Keller of all places, where Mr Plum sets about ensuring we all down a few shots of schnapps and a few steins of Bavarian lager. This gets the party going and before long, we're having a good chortle as the reminiscing begins.

After some well timed fireworks (in our honour no doubt), dinner is at an Italian where we'd previously been turned away due to their running out of pasta... this time they have a full menu and we take over their back yards.

Now, back at the Palisade we have a stash of beers ready and waiting - so to the roof terrace it is. Here we get on to a discussion of the "Charlie's Angels" movie premiere that Vee and I had attended the year before... Vee sets the scene - Vee and two other colleagues, Sue and Steph we're in very posh cocktail dresses, I was decked in a Dinner Jacket and patent leather shoes.  "The event was a charity gala held in the Odeon Leicester Square - we sat with Leo Sayer behind us and Prince Charles in front of us. And we saw Lucy Liu and Drew Barrimore too..."

There's a brief pause as Vee gathers her thoughts... And Tom Plum, looking deadpan adds:

"Nice... ...I once saw Norman Wisdom down The Swan in Wycombe"

We fall about laughing. Tom looks bemused.

All too soon its time for the crew to leave - we all head downstairs and begin to say fond farewells when Iso asks me for the key to our room.

"You've got it haven't you?" I ask.

"No, I left it on the bed for you" she replies. 

We gradually look more and more mortified - its 2am, we're locked out of our room and there are no staff around until mid morning. And we have a plane to catch to Melbourne at 9am...

Well, we try (gently) to break in. Tom attempts to climb onto the window ledge and Jamsie tries to pick the lock. Alison laughs.

We find the room next door open - its the laundry room, full of bales of dirty sheets but blessed with spare mattresses - and a bag of fresh clean sheets!

So we make our bed and lie in it. A memorable end to a memorable time in one of the Worlds great cities.

Farewell Sydney - but not goodbye...

Farewell and thanks to:

Alison Brown - great friend and confidante. Thanks for looking after me when I first arrived - too many good days out to count.
Paul Burns - the most laid back flatmate on the planet. Thanks for overlooking the liberties taken during our cell mateship.
Paul James - You is Taliban and I want nothing more to do with you. Keep it real!
 

We hire a car the next day and hijack Tom - who's supposed to be heading up to Brisbane - and drive South towards the state of Victoria.  Here we plan to surprise our good friend Phil, and rescue him from fruit picking hell.

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