Australia part deux.
Sunday 8th feb 09 - Sydney

We are now on our 5th living accommodation in 2 months. And its going well. We went from the huge house in rose bay where we spent xmas and new years, to our friend Michaels house in south Bondi. He had gone to India for a few weeks and said we could have his bed and housemate Tim. We love, love, loved this house so much, it was a small 3 bed semi 5 mins from Bondi and Tamarama beach. With a modest and unloved back garden complete with weathered sofas, broken golf clubs, and a rusty chopper! Ollie was in heaven here and spent his days painting, sewing and drawing while I spent my time at various yoga classes in the area, and also bleaching my hair at some point!
Then we moved back out to Ollies aunty Mandys house in Killarney heights, which is north Sydney. Its beautiful out there, the only problem being that it is literally the end of the line! Buses don’t go any further and its a nightmare without a car, which over the 9 days we stayed drove me (no pun intended) slowly insane! I did a babysitting job over in North Bondi and it took me 2 hours to get back, 3 buses, 2 trains and a lift! Aaargh! But we got swim each morning in their pool and ollies youngest cousin, Georgie (12) taught me how to swim! I have now mastered a slightly uneven breast stroke (with goggles) and a pretty passable freestyle (frontcrawl).
After this we moved to Elizabeth bay in the city to ollies other auntys (Ginny) house. Lizzie bay is super cool and despite being just off king cross, where the hookers, strippers, and ‘im not quite sure whats’ like to play, it is a world away from this with little cafés and a gorgeous bay full of boats.
Her home was the penthouse apartment of a building which looked like a 60’s b&b. You climb the tiny staircase up 6 flights, in which time your eyes slowly got used to the psycadelic carpet and the smell of moth balls. When you reached the top you arrived at an incredible set of super porn star doors which were zebra print laminate with sliver horn handles. Appropriate for two lesbians in their 50s I thought. But when you entered, the flat was enormous, white, minimalist and designed to within an inch of its life, ie not a door handle to be seen. The balcony was equally as modest and was only half the size of the entire flat, disappointing I know.
We had a nice time here but after reading the “warning”/welcome note, which specified such things as “don’t touch any of our clothes, drink our vintage wine, or have any parties of any sort whatsoever” we were pretty on edge and Ollie spent his entire time sitting on his hands for fear of breaking one of their many ‘ancient’ statues, or trinkets.
Anyway we had a lovely first week there but unfortunately george (ollies grandpa) was taken ill and ginny and louise had to cut their holiday short by 3 weeks and return to Sydney which meant we had to vacate the premisies rather swiftly.
So now here we are, staying in a rather lavish retirement village courtesy of George.
We have no tv or internet, and the radio only picks up cricket so I feel I have something in common with the other residents and find myself having, what my mother would call ‘senior moments’ more and more. Slightly worrying I know!
I only have one more week here as I fly up to Byron Bay next Saturday, but I am trying not to think too much about the fact that I have to leave my boy here for another 6 weeks.
He is working 3 days a week now in an antiques shop in Queens Street, which is incredibly quaint and full of antiques and art dealers. I think he is enjoying learning about antiques from the guys he works with, and the various experts who come in from day to day, and has made friends with an artist whos paintings are sold in the shop too.
I have just finished a 10 day nannying job over in North Bondi. For a little girl called Leila (2yr 7mnths) im not going to talk too much about it as it was pretty standard really lots of going to play on the beach and in the park etc. It was good fun, tho I was pretty tired after 10 days as the travelling too and from their house was frustrating and long!
We have managed to get about a fair bit since we arrived nearly 2 months ago, we have: seen several art exhibitions, been to a gig, the opening night of Sydney festival, jazz in the park, theatre in the park, sun baked and swam at 4 or 5 different beaches, visited Toronga Zoo, been in the local paper, dyed my hair brunette (incase you hadn’t heard!) both got jobs, and moved 5 times!
So now I am trying to enjoy my last week in Sydney before I start my yoga course next Monday.

Hope you are all well, please let me know what you are up to as we are missing home.
Lots of love
Sally and Ollie.
xx