Sojourn in Sydney, Day #2 of 6: Australian Barbie

A really bad stomach overnight (which I attribute to watching Voyager), in conjunction with the heat and general exhaustion from packing and flying (I never sleep before travelling) led to a very long day of general unconsciousness. I knew I was wasting the wonderful opportunity of being in Sydney, but I was also there to rest. So between eating and watching the Australian Tennis Open, I just kept crashing. And proud of it too.

Was awoken by Scottish Dave and Fionnuala returning home from work both looking at me utterly amazed. It really seemed as though they had forgotten my arrival yesterday and had just seen me for the first time. I really expected them to stammer “Look – it's Steve Goble from London! But-but what on earth are you doing here in Australia... inside our locked house???”

In fact, it turned out that Scottish Dave had got home from work early that afternoon, but had been unable to gain entry due to my having his key. Apparently, he claimed, he'd rung the doorbell, banged the door and shouted for me to let him in, but I had slept through it all.

Why had he thought that I was in?

That evening Scottish Dave and I went to an indoor Sausage Sizzle with our old Aussie friend Kevin, and his mate Ian. (artist/horror writer) For me, seeing Kevin again really made the trip. David and Fionnuala I had expected, but the news that I would see Kevin was a complete surprise. The three of us wasting time together really did feel like ordinary everyday life again. I think Dave, having now been here for nine months, was grateful for the link with 'the motherland' too.

That evening, Kevin led Dave, Ian and myself down the road to view the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge at night. I'm always a bit apprehensive of calling man-made buildings a 'view', but Sydney's clear skyline really was something special.


So Kevin points down at the harbour.

Kevin: “There. That's where the first British settlers first landed and planted the Australian flag.”

Scottish Dave: “Kevin, there was no Australian flag at the time. They would have planted the British flag.”

Kevin: “Which at the time was the Australian flag, David."

Fig 1: The Australian Flag.

(day #1 here)
(day #3 here)
(day #4 here)
(day #5 here)
(day #6 here)