Update - Kirsty

Hi everyone! Sorry that we've been quite slack on the blogging front, but I can confirm that we are alive and well. There is a different pace to this part of the trip as we setlle into routine, begin to have our favourite hangout spots and make local friends. We have tried to maximise our time here with various outings but just haven't got around to penning (or typing!) them down on the blog! So here is my update...

I've moved out to the 'Sutherland' area of Sydney. It's about a 45 minute train ride south from the city centre on the edge of the National Park. This part is affectionately known as 'the Shire' but also had a bit of a reputation for being quite introspective with many inhabitants never having made the journey into explore Sydney! Tragic! But alas, I have found it to be a lovely part of the world. I'm living in the suburb town of Engadine and it definately has a different feel to the big city. It has wide streets, houses are mostly bungalows with gardens and pools and lots of hills (to keep my cycling fitness up!). It's about 20 mins to the beaches at Cronulla where there begins a coastal walk incorporating many little quiet beach spots. All these coves and beaches (including the aptly named Shelly beach) have 20m length rock pools which remain filled when the tide is high. I have to say, I'm not yet converted to the salty, seaweedy and wavy length swimming in these rock pools- it's much harder work so I'm sticking to the chlorine pool in the town! I have however made a few trips to te beaches with the family and by myself. Jumping the waves, reading and just enjoying the sea breeze. As you can assume from the last sentences the weather has picked up and the dreary pre Christmas rain has left us (for now). The days have been a pleasant 25-30 degrees and the odd evening thunderstorm which is like nothing I've seen before! We thought we'd seen rain in Asia, but here within 30 mins the street had become a foot deep river. 

I'm living with a family and helping out with their 4 beautiful girls- aged 7,5,4 and 2. I have quickly had to brush up on my Disney princess stories, and barely a week goes by where I haven't visited fairlyland after eating magic beans and growing fairy wings. I've taken the little two on various outings including to Darling Harbour in Sydney on the train. It took alot to persuade the 4 year old that although the train was very long and fast, we had not visited England, but gone to central Sydney! Local library story times and playgrounds are amongst the other outings.  I've also been making the most of my spare time and reading lots! I'm currently enjoying Bill Bryson's 'Down Under' (a travel book) which recounts many places we have visited already with some humourous anecdotes of his own. It also inspires me to visit more of Australia, highlighting lesser known spots. The overall feel I'm getting at the moment from it is just how vast this continent is! So we shall have to see how much I can fit into my time here. 

I've been going back into the city about once a week to meet up with Marie and Katie, and outings have included Paddington markets on a Saturday (lots of stalls with arts and crafts), Coastal walks, the symphony concert in the Domain and last Saturday I went to 'Tropfest'- the largest short film festival in the world. So that's me for now. The next few weeks promise a trip to Canberra and a continuation of the sports fest with another Melbourne trip- to the Grand Prix!