Our first real day exploring Sydney has been a resounding success...what a great city! Our early start of 8am (weird to think that it was still 11pm last night back home) was a real struggle, but struggle we did and we made it in time for the bridge climb. Since it's opening as a tourist attraction in 1998 over 1 million people have climbed the 1,439 steps and walked the 1.8kms to the summit of Sydney Harbour Bridge (these are stats for the round trip). The summit is 139m above sea level and, after a good hour and a half's climb/walk, we reached our goal. The views were stunning, from Sydney Opera House to the Blue Mountains over 100kms away in the distance. Our guide, Mel, was excellent and even organised an impromptu performance of 'Happy Birthday to You' at the top, albeit a day early. Despite originally having a lifespan of only 70 years (this has recently been extended to 300 hundred years - hey it was finished in 1932 - you do the 'Math') the bridge built at the cost of 16 lives and with over 1 million rivets to it's name is something of a national symbol and climbing it was, for once, something I was glad Jen talked me into.

I went for lunch with an ex-colleague of mine from my MP days - Guy Baynes. He hasn't lost any of his boyish good looks and sparkling repartee (!) and we shared a couple of old anecdotes and grievances before departing - me to the Opera House and him to work. We agreed to meet up for a beer tomorrow night. Guy has been the custodian of all our guidebooks for Aus/NZ and South America as well as our 'Teach Yourself Spanish' book. We have no excuses for not starting now. Cheers for looking after them, see you tomorrow.

The opera house was built in the 60s and the estimated cost was $7m (AUS). The Scandanavian designer who won a competition to design it went so overbudget that the government took control of the building resulting in him leaving before it was finished. To this day he has still not seen it completed. Maybe he was some sort of Anti-Australian corporate spy as the eventual cost to the Aussie taxpayer was a whopping $103m (AUS). Remember this was in the 1960s!! He's now 87 so I guess he'll never see it, as he declines the annual invitation sent via the Australian government.

After the opera house we jumped on the ferry to Manly, and spent some time on the beach watching a bloke with a metal detector (he found $3 in the half hour we were spectating - it's all action here you know ) and some surfers with varying degrees of ability. All good fun. After an amazing hot melted chocolate drink we just made it back for tea of Bangers and Mash! Tonight we're off to the cinema to see the Matrix Reloaded as we (well H & R) found some cheap tickets and stop off at a bar to see in my birthday with a cheeky half. We have no plan for tomorrow except to go out, have a few beers and go dancing. Should be great fun. Also should have some pictures up at somepoint tomorrow.