Well, I trust you are all back into the swing of work and things are going well for you all in 2006!! I'm still in Manly and have been staying at the guesthouse the whole time although tonight and tomorrow I have to stay at the hostel as there are no rooms at the hostel!! Not good - never mind.

So since I last wrote I have drunk far too much with the Kiwis and Scottish lads and generally been having lots and lots of fun. Been to the beach, been to the pub, and been into Sydney with the lads where we managed to get lost and find a fab pub that did brilliant food - so of course we ate!! It would seem that Singi doesn't go anywhere without eating so it seemed only right!! We wandered around Sydney, went and had a few drinks in Darling Harbour and then made our way back to Manly.

And that was the general itinerary for the whole week. Until yesterday!

I met up with Dad and Eve and we went and had Pancakes on the Rocks, which was, as always, fab!! We then made our way to the bridge office in preparation for our climb. I was so nervous - it takes 3.5 hours to complete and I must have gone to the loo 3.5 times before we left to ensure that I wouldn't reach the summit and need to pee!! Dad just kept laughing at me - however, the laugh was soon on him.

We donned our very sexy jumpsuits, and left all our possessions in the lockers and got our headsets and started the climb. There were 12 of us in the group and Annette the guide was lovely. She was soo informative - it must take hours to learn all that stuff. We climbed 1639 steps to the summit. The ladders going up were virtually vertical which was a bit scary especially as Sydneys busiest highway runs beneath you and the trains go next to you - aaaaaahhhhhhh!! So we climbed and climbed, and Dad made us laugh. He was 'scared'. I kept walking without holding on and he kept telling me to hold on. He wouldn't look down and was very funny to watch. I'm sure he will regale everyone with stories about his intrepid climb and how he wasn't scared at all - don't believe him!! We had photos taken along the way, and when I receive them from Dad I will post them on my website for you all to see. It really was a fantastic day and I would recommend it to anyone. I would even do it again - but at night next time - how amazing would that be.

So I got back to Manly and went up to the guesthouse as it was Singi & Scottys last night so we had a bit of a party. It just won't be the same without them - they were (and are) just fantastic - and I know I will stay in touch with them. I feel a Scottish Hogmany coming on...!!

Today we woke with huge hangovers, and waved the boys off. I am so sad today it's unbelievable - I really could just fly home today. I miss you all so much.

However, I won't be cos I have now booked up the next 3 weeks of adventure. I am off to Alice Springs on 17th and then spend 3 days out in the Bush to see Ayers Rock, The Olgas and Kings Canyon which I'm looking forward to. Then back to Alice for a night before flying to Melbourne for a couple of nights and then onto Newcastle to stay with Felicity & Erin (my bestest Road Trip buddies!!) for a week where erin assures me she will teach me to surf - that'll be interesting!! From there it's back to Sydney before I fly to NZ. By then I really will feel like I'm on my way home.

Anyway, love you all lots, some more than others even if they don't miss me.

xxxx