So on the thursday evening, me and Sarah hopped on a greyhound bus ready for our 13 or 14 hour bus journey to get to Sydney. we left at about 7 in the evening and got there around 8.30 the next day. It was a pretty rubbish nights sleep and the seats didn't recline very much, but we managed!
so we headed out into Sydney, first stop was some food and coffee to wake us up after the coach journey which we had at the station, then we had to catch a train to the suburb where our hostel was - Kings Cross - well known for its nightlife and red light area (but the hostels are cheap!) It wasn't bad though, the hostel was fine and we got a room to ourselves that night which was great. And we both had bottom bunks - you have no idea how nice it is to get a bottom bunk after weeks of climbing a ladder to get to bed each night!
Anyway, after we'd dumped our bags, we caught the train to Bondi junction (near Bondi beach) and from there caught a bus to Coogee beach, approx 6k further up the coast. We went there because there's a nice cliff top walk you can do between there and Bondi. We had a lovely sit on Coogee beach for an hour or so, enjoying being in the sun and by the sea! After some lunch, we headed off for a gentle stroll in the sunshine. 
When we got to Bondi, we timed it so that we'd be there in time for the drag racing. When I first heard we were going to watch drag racing, I immediately thought of cars, but since it was Mardi gras weekend, it was guys in drag doing a series of races on the beach in dresses and 4 inch heels. It was a bit depressing seeing some of the guys dressing up looked better in a skirt than I do, but other than that, it was a fun couple of hours. We watched a 3 legged race, a handbag flinging competition, sandcastle building, and other such events. 
The next morning we met up with our friend Katy and went on a free walking guided tour of Sydney which was a great way to get an introduction to Sydney. We learnt some of the history of the place, and saw the main sights of the city. It was really good and the guide was really enthusiastic and informative. It was pretty surreal to see the opera house and the bridge! The botanical gardens were full of giant fruit bats which was pretty cool to see, but they're becoming a pest in the gardens so the council are playing loud industrial noises in the middle of the day to disrupt their sleeping patterns so they'll go somewhere else to sleep. 
After lunch overlooking the harbour, me and Anna, my friend from NZ, headed off to Oxford Street, where the gay parade was due to be held later that evening. We had been told it's a good idea to get there early as so many people show up, if you want a good seat, you need to go well in advance. So me and Anna headed over there. It was pretty hard getting from Hyde Park to Oxford Street (its just like being in London!) because of all the barricades for the Mardi Gras and we were sent on a big diversion to get there, but we got there and managed to battle to the front of the railings to bag a good spot for the parade. Sarah and Katy joined us a little later with some supplies of wine and nibbles so we were set to go for the evening! The Mardi gras was brilliant! Such a huge parade, there were so many different floats, it went on for hours! The costumes were amazing, so colourful! It was a great night!The next day was pretty dull as we were stuck on a coach for 14 hours on the way back - it was a loooong drive, but worth it!
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