Today was stinking hot. And humid. I woke far too early and enjoyed a bacon sarnie for breakfast/lunch followed by an absolutelty divine chocolate cake laced with raspberries. Will someone please explain how Dion is not someone’s wife yet? A PhD student with a great sense of humour and the ability to bake and cook circles round Delia – and she reads comics. My thanks to mein hostess for the last couple of days!

Dion gave me a lift to the station via a milkshake and chips at a cafe and I suffered the sweltering journey – more uncomfortable than Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, I swear – before arriving at the Town Hall stop in Sydney and strolling to the xBase backpackers’.

After checking in, I walked to Hungry Jacks and wolfed down a $5 meal and several refills of Coke. I desperately needed the fluids. Got to love a country with free refills on soft drinks.

Back at the hostel a lovely American girl called Sarah fed me spaghetti so she could use up some of the food she would otherwise be chucking out – and gave me a Dean Koontz book I’ve not read yet. Thanks, Sarah! Enjoy the WWOOFing in Byron Bay!

I’d booked into the same hostel as Delphine and Sophie who I met in Tasmania, and I met Delphine in the lounge for a natter. Lovely to see her again, though we were both exhausted. With any luck we’ll catch up again before I shoot off back to Canberra.

At that time I intended to crash in bed, but Lorna (an Italian girl in my otherwise German dorm) convinced me to go out for a beer. It didn’t take much convincing, I’ll be honest.

The bar at the hostel was closed for two nights, so we started walking towards the harbour. After five minutes, I stopped a random man and asked if he knew where there was anywhere open to get a drink. I chose my source of information well – the man turned out to be a Geordie so was obviously very capable of locating alcohol.

We ended up not far from the Bridge in the Oldest Pub in Sydney. As we enjoyed our single bevvie, the rain started. It had been threatening on the walk down with flashes, flickers and sheets of lightning showing through the clouds and buildings. The rain was torrential, flowing down the gutters and splashing up onto the pavement.

Fortunately, most of the walk back was under awnings so we didn’t get as wet as we otherwise would have, but it still makes you wonder why this place has water problems. In fairness, this is one night of rain after two days of scorching sunshine, but still. The rain was welcome, though. Ignoring the amazingly loud thunder which would disturb my sleep if I cared, the air is now a lot less humid.

I woke up fairly early considering the late night with Dion and the morning to early afternoon was spent chilling out and enjoying Dion’s baking and cooking. Not a bad way to while away the time!

Around 3pm, two of Dione’s friends turned up and – along with her sister – we went for a walk in the woods and mountains which back onto her house. It’s hard to believe people can live this close to such spectacular scenery as we hiked across streams and up tracks into the mountains.

Our guides weren’t 100% sure of the directions once we reached the summit, though, so we spent quite a while clambering over rocks and falling down before settling on somewhere slightly shady to drink wine and guzzle little tarts. All very civilized! And more fun than following some silly trail.

After munchies, we started our walk back trying to beat the sunset – and failing. By the time we fought our way through the brush and onto the trail it was starting to get a little hazy and about a kilometre from the house we were navigating by moonlight. Two if our group marched “point” (that is, they were faster than everyone else) and when we caught up with them they were armed with big sticks. It seemed some kind of animal had wandered onto the path, then stopped and growled at them. Understandably they were a little perturbed by this.

We survived the trek, getting back to the house around 8pm – it had been a long afternoon. But what a way to chill out afterwards – outdoors in a spa pool with bubbles and 35-degree water to soothe away the aches and wash the scratches. Accompanied by vodka and cranberry juice with raspberries floating in it. Then some wine. And more wine. And then some wine. I believe more wine may have been involved.

At around midnight I had to excuse myself as I was nodding off in the tub. I went upstairs, collapsed in bed and sat up till 6:30am messing about on the internet and following the Premiership goals. I’m English. Deal with it.

I got up early this morning to get some things done before the 10am checkout. Basically, this involved checking my email and failing to buy breakfast. Oops.

Before I checked out, I handed out the usual cards and asked Anita if she would donate the value of her meal to BDCF once she had some cash. Everyone happy!

Then a rush to get a train from Kings Cross down to Central and a panicked dash to get the connection to North Wollongong. A very pleasant and scenic journey for around 90 minutes before arriving at the station to meet Dion, who I met in Sri Lanka. Lovely to see her again!

Dion’s a smart cookie PhD student with a ton of work to do, so after a bite to eat in the university canteen we managed to get my laptop online so I could update blogs while she studied.

I then discovered a nice student union bar ($5 for two drinks – about the least I’ve paid in Oz anywhere) before we picked up one of Dion’s colleagues for dinner in a very nice Mexican in town called Amigos. The meal I ordered – Bandito’s Basket – was big enough for two very greedy people but I did my best and managed to get through maybe 2/3 of it.

Then off to another bar on the coast (though it was too dark to see the see) where we nattered until midnightish and headed home.

All in all, just nice and chilled. After a week or so of almost constant motion from hotel to hostel to new city to airport, the next couple of days are going to be nice and chilled. Dion’s got a couple of walks and visits planned, but I get a room to myself (no dorm!) and a guide to take me places. All good!