The last couple of weeks

We're ticking off the days until our belated honeymoon in Vanuatu so have mainly been pottering around Sydney. We've been up to a few exciting things. Ben got some free tickets to the races. Australians love gambling. There's a big furore over rules around 'pokies' (fruit machines) at the moment. Whole rooms in pubs are devoted to them and the government want to set limits on them to stop problem gamblers losing all their money. In one go anyway.

But the races were a fairly familiar set up to the UK. Women in nice dresses and hats, women in not so flattering dresses and badly applied fake tan, steadily increasing levels of drunkeness. And horse racing.  So we spent a sunny afternoon at Royal Randwick, just down the road from our house.

Ben was pleased to see the Call to the Post.

After a very disappointing afternoon on the betting front, we had reached the last $2 of the betting limit we had set ourselves, and won nothing. After 'studying the ground' Ben decided we should put our last $2 on an 44/1 outsider.

Tension in the stands before the race

It only romped home!!!!!!!!!

We went home in profit with our first ever $100 note. Ben also went home with a sore nose from when I accidentally high fived him in the face during our celebrations.

Sydney is looking very pretty at the moment. The blossoms are out and there's lots of street festivals and bits and bobs going on as the weather starts gettting warmer. We watched men in drag singing cabaret recently in a museum. Not sure what festival that was. And there's a big noodle market in the main park. There's also lots of artworks on display and light installations.

The weather being warmer also means we've been able to head to the beach and swim in the sea. Still pretty bracing, as they'd say in my home town. Apparently Ben thought it was a lovely temperature. We nipped to Clovelly and Bronte beaches - both a 20 minute bus ride from home.

This one of Ben's bare chest is for Tim.

Koalas. Bananas.

Apparently the Aussies love outsize versions of things. So I'm told. Cowboy boots, kangaroos, koalas. I've only come across the koalas so far.

This one was good. In the blue mountains.

This one was a bit weird. I think they got the ears a little wrong.

Yep the ears are definitely wrong. Here's a real one we saw in Brisbane.

Things are looking up on the banana front. When we arrived they were getting on for $19 a kilo (about £14). Look at this...!

Still not many takers though.

A trip Up North!

Last weekend was a bank holiday here in New South Wales. Not that they call them 'bank holidays' - but you know what I mean. Monday off work! Yippeeee.

We decided to make the most of it by hiring a car for a couple of days. The 2nd day was spent driving to Ikea, so I'll spare you the details of that. Needless to say there were billy bookcases and hot dogs. And a receipt as long as my arm. Same as in the UK.

Now - onto the exciting stuff. Our first UP NORTH here in Sydney. The north side of the harbour extends in a peninsula about 40km north, up to a point called Palm Beach. So - astride our trusty steed (a Hyundai Getz) we got up nice and early for a drive up there.

The drive got off to a good start as we got to tootle over the Harbour Bridge. And very nice it was too. Take a look...

Thanks to Mrs Weatherley on 'steady-cam' there.

As mentioned, the peninsula extends about 40km and is known as the Northern Beaches. A string of lovely beaches and coves accompany the drive. It really is beautiful. Now, for those of you who are fans of Australia's number 2 soap export Home and Away, Palm Beach is also known as Summer Bay. Anna was excited to see Alf's shack.

Alf wasn't in...

Palm Beach itself is absolutely beautiful. It's pretty posh, with the most amazing beach houses. Apparently it's where Sydney's great and good have homes. I don't blame them. Here are some snaps.

We had some lovely fish and chips there too. The first we have had since we got here. They were worth the wait. Mmmmmm.

Also - whilst pottering back to the car we stumbled across the best vehicle we've seen since we arrived in Oz. Now - it seems the aussies are in love with their Utes - just like in neighbours. I've started a new 'Ben's Top Ten'. This time 'Top Ten Utes'. There'll be a blog post about it at a later date - but here's a sneak preview of the current Number One.

After spending a couple of hours in Palm Beach we decided to drive back down the coast road and stop off at some of the other lovely beaches and coves. These beaches are all really famous with the surfer types as they each have their own type of surf. Apparently. Here's a selection of them:

Whale Beach

Whale beach again

Avalon beach and another one in the background

It was a bit blowy...

There were loads of other beaches that we didn't get time to explore. We'll be back when it's a bit warmer. Get ready for photos of me in my speedos!