Sydney-aahhh.

Our first day was magnificent, sun-filled and fuelled by regular caffeine stops to keep us awake (thank god Sydney has got better at coffee these days!). I was still blown away by the sheer coincidence of seeing my old friend Pavi at the train station at Sydney airport. Pavi was one of my first mates in London and had a huge influence on my early days in the city (all of you who have been to the Phoenix bar in Charing Cross road are experiencing Pavi's legacy) Four years ago he moved to a new and happy life in Japan. He had just got off a plane from Tokyo I spied him over Dave's shoulder as we had a weary jet lagged hug on the platform. The chances of bumping into him are literally one in a million.

When we finally rolled into Coogee Bay on the 317 bus the sun was blazing and the water glinting all blue-green and beautiful. Our hotel rocked- the window from our room opened out to a view over a roof top of the Coogee Palace dome and the ocean beyond. After ditching our luggage we giggled and played in the surf. At one point a wave sent D literally tumbling over me. Got very sunburnt on the face (we only had SPF 20). Sydney well and truly confirmed capital of the buffed and tanned bod with lots of pretentious joggers wearing pedometers. In the evening ate posh kangaroo steaks-extremely yummy with baked pumpkin and pear. Slept to the sound of waves-bliss.

Day two-the tourist day. Opera House, Circular Quay, closed Government house, Botanical gardens filled with fruit bats. Chatted to an old Aborginal fella on the Quay, and bought some music off him. He was from up North and his music was a weird mixture of trance techno and didgeridoo. Beers on Manly beach, and then the biggest tropical thunderstorm we have ever experienced. See dramatic pictures!