Sydneeeezy

Oooooooooeeeeeeeeooooooooeeeeeee goes the shark siren through the loudspeaker on the lifeguard tower.  

"A BULL SHARK HAS BEEN SIGHTED IN THE SURF.  ALL SWIMMERS AND SURFERS ARE ADVISED TO RETURN TO SHORE."

Damn.  I had just made it out past the surf for my second session of the day when the siren went off.  The people surfing around me and I all looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and turned to paddle in.  Nobody seemed to be too frantic so I waited for a decent wave to come and rode it to shore.  And not all surfers went in, so when it looked like the lifeguards had herded the shark (which I did not actually see) far enough out to sea I paddled back out, making sure to surf a little closer to other people.

Yes, this is just another typical day in the life of a Sydney-sider.  Whereas I do not yet consider myself a Sydney-sider yet, I am enjoying the hell out of this city.  Good surf, beautiful beaches, great night life, cool people, efficient public transportation... what more could you ask for in a city?!  The only problem with Sydney is that it is outrageously expensive, which is why tomorrow I start my job search.

Yes, I have decided to give life in Sydney a go and not return to the Sunshine coast - at least for a while - but who knows what will happen.  Life works in mysterious ways.  And while I think that 2013 will be the best year yet - happy new year by the way - it is bound to be a bit odd (sorry, I can't resist terrible puns).

Speaking of the New Year, mine was pretty epic.  We anchored Rutea just off Taronga Zoo, across from the harbor bridge and the opera house to ensure good seats for the fireworks.  During the day the anchorage filled up with more and more boats - some little, some big, some full of good looking young people and some not so much...  I made friends with a few guys on a sailboat and drank beers with them all afternoon while I waited for my good friend Emma to arrive from Brisbane.  She made it to the boat around 10 PM and then we started the serious partying.

Our seat for the fireworks... not bad!

The fireworks off the bridge, the buildings and the barges around the harbor were quite impressive, as was our NYE dinner that Mom and Dad pulled out all the stops on.  After the fireworks there was a mass exodus of drunken boaties.  We, however, stayed put and managed to go through many bottles of champagne before getting to sleep sometime in the wee hours of the morning.

For the next few days Emma and I palled around the city.  I looked at this time as my "vacation" because I intend to get a job ASAP, but in the meantime we hung out at Bondi beach, explored Oxford street, got drinks at The Rocks and generally cruised around Sydney taking in the sights.  Of course Rutea was at anchor all this time and it was a bit tricky sharing the dinghy among four people, not to mention having sandy feet as we walked through the posh neighborhood of Woolwich.

Emma and me having a grand time at Bondi where, at least that day, there were no shark sightings.

But times they are a changing.  Emma flew back to Brisbane yesterday and Mom, Dad and I are currently sailing down the harbor from Manly to Birkenhead Point, where Dad landed us a slip.  Although I am bummed to be leaving Manly - where it is a short walk from the anchorage side to the surf beach side - I am really stoked to be going into a marina.  This means that we will have access to water and showers, and I will be able to get on and off the boat at my leisure.  No more calling for rides back to the boat at midnight...

And so, play time is over.  Time to buckle down and start the hunt for a job or, at the least, start doing projects on Rutea.  I seriously doubt, however, that the good times will stop.  Oz is too much fun for that!