City slickers/ beach bums

The next day Stuart and Avis (Neils parents) arrived from the UK luckily they brought some nice weather with them!!

Sunshine could only mean one thing.........time to hit the beach. We met up with Kelly at Bondi where we had a day chilling on the packed out beach. Films crews were there so look out for us on the next episode of Bondi rescue.......Mikes the one with the spartan body running down the beach Mitch Buccanon style - NOT!!

We waved Louise, Neil, Avis, Stuart and the kids off the next day as they left us in charge of the fort!! We did a stirling job of keeping away any robbers, not locking ourselves out and not burning the place down!!

We had good times around the pool baking our white bodys away!! The 1st annual Killara swimathon/ water aerobics/ synchronised swimming contest was held. Laura was ahead at the end of the first days events of synchronised swimming and aerobics but it was a near white wash on day two with Mike steaming ahead in the swimming races if it wasnt for Laura's unnaturally fast lengths of swimming legs only it would have been embarrasing!! Mike feels Laura may have cheated somehow but without officials these suspicions could not be confirmed!!! However next year Mike feels that a team of judges and more concrete rules should be employed for our second annual event (location TBC)!!

Friday night at the rocks was a cool place to hang out after a day at Manly beach!! Their was a cool night market and we watched live music (and random maybe drugged child dancing) in the square. Laura was on a mission to try every food on sale in the market!! Mike was quite happy to be along for the ride on this one!!

We took the late train home and embarked on our usual middle of the road walk back from the station which Laura insisted on to avoid the dark bushes full of deadly spiders!?!

Saturday January the 9th was the opening of the Sydney festival half the city was closed off to cars and loads of entertainment was put on over the city.......all for free!! Hats off to Sydney for putting on such a well organized event for its citizens (and us travellers) all for free- very impressive!!

We walked around the streets wathcing the various acts, breakdancers, BMX riders, floating balloon women thing (see pics), Laura showed off her hula hoop skills, Mike refraned from taking part as far too many children were present and remembering the embarrassment caused by showing Laura (and family) how its done on the Wii fit the previous xmas!!

We set up camp later in the park with a picnic and readying ourselves for the main act appearing at 10pm...........The Reverend Al Green!! He was well worth the wait!! The single best live act Mike has seen. He worked his audience perfectly between performing his classic songs like Lets stay together he also performed some other classics by other soul legends like sitting on the dock of the bay...

The warm up acts are definately worth a mention too. Ross Dewberry started things off with a set all the way from the UK. Hidden republic the black arm band were an aboriginal act who made a great entrance to the stage from amongst the trees of the park creating smoke and light effects.

On a high from the concert we headed back into central and mt up with Kelly once again and her Irish pals. We had an awesome night dancing away til closing time!! This led to us missing the last train so we had to hang around for an hour for the first train Sunday morning (5am) This was no problem as the city was still buzzing with life!! Laura enjoyed the show when we were evacuated from the train station and the ozzy firemen came to our rescue!! No smoke, no fire and we eventually got the train at 5.15am and to bed by 6am just in time for sunrise!!!!