The JaYmes Escape

1) The emergency telephone number is 000; the international access code is 0011.
2) Burger King isn’t called Burger King, it’s called Hungry Jack’s. But they still sell whoppers and have the same logo.
3) Australians don’t generally eat Kangaroo or Crocodile, or drink Fosters. These are things they just export to the rest of the world with a sly chuckle.
4) There are only five terrestrial TV networks; despite the fact that three of them are called Seven, Nine and Ten.
5) The towers on Sydney Harbour Bridge don’t actually have any functional purpose; they’re there only to make it look safer.

Sydney was a proud and fine Olympic host in 2000; let’s hope London can live up to the promise and match that enthusiasm for 2012. Please Mr Blair, can we now finally build Crossrail?

With the exception of one crazy freak day when I first arrived, Sydney has rewarded me with fine weather. Today’s clear skies had me jostling with thousands of cameras on Mrs Macquarie’s Point to capture one of the world’s best known sunsets. A selection of Sydney photos is now online along with the last of my stay in Auckland.

Some things I miss about New Zealand – Kiwi hospitality, coffee in bowls, big mountains, boysenberry jam, all public places smoke-free (sorry smokers but it’s great).
Some things I don’t miss about New Zealand – Hot dogs on sticks, losing the rugby, rain, Auckland’s Classic Hits 97.4, Stagecoach buses.
Some great things about Sydney – Weather, nightlife, beaches, cheap internet access, big landmarks and great public transport.

It was the hangover from hell for a three and a half hour flight on a deserted 767 and then the first new country I’ve seen for five months. Maybe it’s Kings Cross, Paddington and Hyde Park or maybe it’s the filth, hoodlums and grumpy people, but my first impression of Sydney is that it reminds me of London. Is this a good or bad thing? Only time will tell.

My last few days in Auckland are a bit of a blur. After coming back from my Coromandel trip I watched the Lions suffer a humiliating defeat by the All Blacks. I never really liked rugby anyway. Then I just seem to remember a lot of card games and NZ alcohol of various forms, a quiz night at the Dogs Bollix and a big game of Poker with monopoly money.

Some things I’ll remember from my time in New Zealand – Flying ‘Supaman’ across the Buller Gorge, Climbing through ice holes on the Franz Josef Glacier, Serving drinks at The Tap Room in Christchurch, Losing my hat on the TranzAlpine, Running around naked on a beach near Takaka, Parliament from the public gallery in Wellington, Watching the sun rise at the East Cape lighthouse, Walking around a volcano at White Island and hanging out and working in Auckland.

Thanks to everyone who participated. I’m not going to make a long list of names. You know who you are.

OK, so it’s June, but down here in the Southern Hemisphere they’ve started celebrating what they call ‘Midwinter Christmas’. The supermarkets are decked out with Christmas trees and the like, and Christmas hits replace the usual tat on the soundsystem. Apparently some people eat turkey and Christmas pud today, the 25th June. It’s all a bit of a lighthearted joke but it does liven up the season a bit.

The first Lions v All-Blacks test match is tonight.

As an NZ swansong I took advantage of the pleasant-ish weather yesterday to spend a day and a night out on the Coromandel peninusla, a scenic holiday area a couple of hours drive from Auckland. Whilst there I saw Cathedral cove, where a high rock tunnel links two beaches through a cliff, and Hot Water beach, where volcanic activity produces hot water below the sand.

Photos of the Coromandel trip are online along with a few more from Auckland.