Family

The fam have arrived!

Sadly, even though I was 45mins early to the airport, I managed to wait in the wrong arrivals hall and so our reunion was a little disjointed, but eventually we all found each other. Arrivals was packed as everyone was coming to meet their friends and family who were flying out to Australia and there were lots of smiling faces and tearful reunions going on around me. 

Once we were finally together again we hopped in a cab to get away from the thronging masses as quickly as possible and arrived shortly at the hotel. They were all very pale and jetlagged and just, well... squishy! You forget how much you body changes throughout the seasons, and comparing their pale English winter skin to my Australia summer skin was absolutely hilarious, no offence guys. 

After they had showered and unpacked I took them down to Coogee to let them thaw out a bit. It was a boiling hot day and they just kind of melted onto the beach in the heat. This was Moo's reaction to this sun...

Squinty mole rat

As per my usual routine, I made them do the Coogee to Bondi walk that afternoon too. Sadly, after only about 20mins, this was the state of them... I felt a bit mean.

Ella was dying of heat exhaustion, my Mum was simply just really over tired, my Dad had blisters already, and we'd totally lost Hannah. Brilliant. However, we eventually found some water and some plasters (and Hannah) and finally made it to Bondi where we had an early supper at Lush. Needless to say, they pretty much went straight to bed after that!

The next few days were a little more successful as they slowly acclimatised and got over their jetlag. We explored Sydney and did very touristy things like visit Circular Quay and the Opera House and stuff as my Dad and sisters have never been to Australia before and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

We beached, and shopped, and visited some family friends and desperately tried to feel Christmassy in the heat! Sadly the weather wasn't all that great for them as it's was quite overcast and muggy some days, but still a hell of a lot better than the English winter.

Finding it very hard to get it into my head that it's the 23rd December....!

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Sydney Running Festival

The city was in chaos today as it was the Sydney Running Festival and there were people running EVERYWHERE. There's an organized 10km run, half marathon and marathon and they all end at Sydney Opera House. My bar is in prime location as all the runners run past on their home straight! Getting to work was a right pain though because all the buses stopped on Elizabeth Street and I had to talk down to Circular Quay, darting across the running routes and dodging speedy runners.

Coming down into the harbour

Home straight!

400m to go

Looking out from my bar towards the last leg of the race along the Quay

When I got to Searock it was dead as everyone was being very conservative as it was 10 o'clock in the morning, however things soon picked up a bit as everyone wanted to celebrate and have a drink. Endless runners came in with their medals, looking very pleased with themselves. I happened to notice that most of them were only the 10km runners though... perhaps the half and full marathon runners take their sport more seriously! Anyhow, it was fun to join in with the celebrations and the atmosphere down in the harbour was amazing.

Tally also dropped by for some drinks and I managed to wangle her some oysters for a quarter of the price they usually are! She's celebrating her last week in Sydney as she leaves on Saturday and so she's benefiting from the perks of having a friend who works in a bar...! 

Going to be so sad to see her go but I'm not jealous of her returning to the British winter...

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Off To The Races

Harry (the same fella from this post) took Goose and I to the races yesterday. He works for Coolmore in the Hunter Valley and can get free badges for the members enclosure, and so invited us along. We snapped up the offer as soon as he asked and I asked for the day off work and Goose and I donned our best fancy dresses and headed out for a day at the races!

Royal Randwick Racecourse is just next to my halls, but sadly the entrance nearest to us wasn't the members one and so we had to trek all the way round to the other side. It was boiling already by 12pm and we eventually gave in and took our heels off as it was far too hot and slummed it in bare feet when we couldn't be seen by anyone. Not the most glamorous start to the day....

Stopping for a photo opportunity of the racecourse on our way

When we finally got to the gate we scrambled back into our heels and called Harry to come and meet us with our passes. Here he is looking very important...

Once we got in he took us straight to the members enclosure where we met his cousin, Lucy, and her two friends, who he'd also got passes for. We bought some drinks and sat with them in a nice bit of shade for a while. It was unbelievably hot and everyone was in such a good mood, drinking and chatting and enjoying being so close to the action. Harry tried to explain some stuff about racing, but we were more concerned with people watching and revelling in the  novelty of being somewhere so posh!

Harry being loud and important

Harry and Bean at the races

Hedging our bets... I'm obviously not convinced yet

The members enclosure was amazing because it was right in front of the finish line and we could see all the action on the big screen. Plus it was so close to the bar behind us and the fence where you could watch all the horses parade by was just 50m in front of us - ideal location due to requirement of minimal walking in heels.

The finish line is where the two Rs meet in the middle

The stand behind us with all the bars, betting stands and boxes

I introduced Harry to a friend I met when I went out to dinner the other night who's heavily involved in racing. He was with two friends as well, and one of them's dad used to manage Coolmore! Whatta the chances. I think Harry enjoyed having some proper men to talk some serious race talk with...

Our VIP passes

Fed up of being papped by Goose

Later on we followed Harry up millions of escalators to the members box at the top where we could watch the races from some proper seats. We met loads of his friends from Coolmore and stayed up there for a while, soaking up more posh vibes. The views from up there were amazing, out back was an incredible view of the city in the distance, and then out front we could see right across the whole racecourse and over to UNSW.

Harry's a wee bit sunburnt...

When we went back down, Goose and I decided it was about time to finally place a bet, and so we each put a fiver on the No. 11 horse called 'Hawkspur' in Race 6. We didn't really have a clue who to choose so Harry gave us a little tip to pick that one as he had a hunch it would do well. We watched the race and at first, No. 11 was coming nearly last, however Harry's hunch was right and in the last 200m he suddenly zoomed forward to the front and promptly won! Goose and I were OVER THE MOON and it completely made our day to win $60 on the only race we bet on! Harry saw our faces and quickly reminded us that this was how gambling addictions began... us? Gamblers? Never...

Our winning ticket covering in excited-wine-spillage

Perhaps a bit drunk....

By the betting stands

Collecting our winnings!

We hung around for a few more drinks, and then after the last race finished we left with the crowds and ambled back through the streets with everyone else back home. Lots of people stopped off in various pubs and bars but Goose and I headed back to halls to grab something to eat and have a little nap before we all headed out into town later. 

End of the day

We had such a fun day and it was all for free! Still can't believe we actually won on that race haha. Harry's going to be up at Randwick quite often now as the Summer racing season has started and so this will probably become quite a regular thing. Better buy some more nice dresses!

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