Christmas week in Sydney

Dec 20 - Nothing quite prepares you for that first sight of Sydney Harbour, even if it is through the window of a Qantas plane. It's a ripper view - stunning headlands and rocky coves, gorgeous sandy bays, sparkling blue water and, for good measure, the magnificent Harbour Bridge and iconic Opera House. Jaw-dropping just about sums it up.
Shuttle bus picks us up at airport and heads out to the North Shore towards Manly. We are staying in Queenscliffe-Freshwater area in lovely accomodation - a Balinese-type home with swimming pool which owners Adele and Darren have built behind their home.
This looks just the ticket for our week - taking in Christmas Day and Boxing Day - in Manly and Sydney. Nice to find they have left some goodies in the fridge too - very thoughtful. We already know that we are going to love our time here.

Dec 21 - Get to know Adele and Darren and their two daughters Brae and Tate and their two twin pedigree dogs Bonny and Missy. Family and the two adorable and very friendly canines make us feel extremely welcome (the terriers become regular visitors to our temporary abode).
Take a 15-minute stroll to Manly Beach, walk the foreshore, watch the surfers strut their stuff on some big breakers and then head to the wharf to catch the ferry into Sydney.
It's a 25-minute journey - and, just like jumping on New York's Staten Island ferry offers you the finest view of Manhattan, so too this sea voyage into Circular Quay lets the harbour uncover her best secrets. Now we get close up to the Opera House on our left, with the gigantic bridge looming ahead of us. An added bonus is the weather - blue skies and wall to wall sunshine.
Take a walk to The Rocks area. The site of the city's first European settlement, it was once the haunt of drunken sailors, prostitutes and criminals - an area riddled with vice and disease. Today it's a different story. With many of its historical buildings preserved, it is thriving thanks to the tourist dollar. Pubs, cafes, shops and art galleries cater to the masses.
Decide to join a free three-hour guided walk around Sydney. Run by Justine, a student and native of the city - she works on a tips only basis - the tour proves so informative, arming us with great knowledge on what to do and see and how to get the best out of the city without spending a king's ransom.
Tired, but exhilarated, we head back to Manly for more staggering harbour views - it's dusk now - but in plenty of time to take a dip in the pool, catch a few cold ones and grab a Chinese takeaway.

Dec 22 - Spend most of the morning trying to sort out accommodation for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. We are planning to see 2011 in on the banks of Sydney Harbour close to the bridge. Everywhere seems chocfull, but eventually we find a small place in Manly itself - just three minutes walk from the beach.
Happy that we have got somewhere to lay our hats for a three-night spell, we decide on another visit to the city - this time wandering through the Royal Botanical Gardens (lush), the Museum of Contemporary Art (hit & miss) and onto the concrete steps of the Opera House (hot).
Three little South Korean children stop John and ask him if he has time to be interviewed about sport. He is happy to oblige and their eyes light up when he talks to them about soccer and rugby - they know all about Ryan Giggs (South Koreans are football crazy), but not Ryan Jones.
Interview over, they thank John and bow to him. It's we who should be bowing to them - they made our day.

Dec 23 - Our apartment is in residential area and, just like home, everyone in the area is preparing for the big day. The Christmas decorations are out, the lights are twinkling at night, the office parties are in full swing - Santa's Grotto is alive and kicking Down Under.
Back in Sydney (we have been lured once again by its charms) we are toying with the idea of doing the Bridge Climb, which consists of putting on a headset, grey jumpsuit and attaching yourself to a chord and doing a three-hour climb to its very summit.
Two of our great friends back home - Charles and Liz - have been there, done that and got the T-shirt (well done both of you, it's a real achievement) and we debated long and hard about following, quite literally, in their footsteps. In the end we decided against it because the prices to 'conquer' the bridge had, in our book, shot up dramatically over the Christmas/New Year period - a bridge too far you could say.
Instead we took the cheap (in other words free) option, walking across it from one side to the other and back again, which again offered great city and harbour views - but it was hot work.

Christmas Eve - It's the big day tomorrow and we get an invite from Adele and Darren to join them at their home for breakfast. Knocked out by such a kind gesture and readily accept. Decide on Christmas Eve trip to mega-famous Bondi Beach (it's held a record-breaking 35,000 on its sands on Christmas Day before now) and already the backpackers clad only in swimmers, bikinis and Santa hats are pouring off the buses and heading towards the surf and sand.
Good luck kids, but it's not for us (we haven't packed our swimmers or Santa headgear. That's our excuse and we're sticking to it), so opt for walk along clifftop with magic views south across to Tamarama and Bronte beaches, among others. Quite a panorama.
On the way back stop to peer across at top surfers riding the Bondi rollers and down at the swimmers doing lengths at Bondi Icebergs club where ocean comes crashing into saltwater pool and bow-tied waiters serve up fresh seafood and wine to patrons.
Feeling a tad Bondied-out, we head for the altogether gentler experience of Watsons Bay - another fine clifftop walk gives us views across both North and South Heads - and a delicious fish and chips in the basket lunch at Doyles on the wharf before returning to the city by ferry (the Watsons Bay one this time).
Back in the city we decide to split up (only temporary folks, honest). Chris manages to book the day's final one-and-half-hour guided tour of the Opera House (culture), while John (in the interests of history) decides on his own (no guide necessary) tour of some of Sydney's oldest watering holes.
Chris loves viewing the interiors of the various auditoriums for opera, dance, concerts and theatres and gets opportunities for photos from some of the best balconies.
John loves the Australian Hotel, Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel and the Hero of Waterloo.
Everone happy - and thirsts for culture and history (okay drinking) whetted - and reunited, it's back to Freshwater for a meal in a cute little Thai restaurant before finally tumbling wearily into bed.

Christmas Day - What a way to start it. Absolutely spoilt rotten. We join Adele, Darren, Brae and Tate for a superb breakfast of delicious cooked ham, smoked salmon and scrambled egg, champagne, fresh fruit, toast and coffee.
We bid our goodbyes for the day - they are having family over for lunch and party later - and we, for the first time in our lives, are going to spend December 25th on the beach.
But first we phone home and speak to Hannah and Emma, Chris's mum, Pauline, and Emma's boyfriend, Jack, on Skype. They are on top form and just finishing off their Chinese meal - a Christmas Eve tradition for our family in Swansea.
We then load up the Esky (cool box) - Adele and Darren have loaned it to us - with smoked salmon, tiger prawns, champers and other goodies that we bought at the local farmers' market the previous day. Swimmers, towels, sun umbrellas and chairs too (again thanks to kindness of our hosts) and picnic in tow it's off to Freshwater Beach. It's 11.15am and 30C. There are plenty of like-minded families already camped on the sands, and the surf is up.
Spend gorgeous summer's day (bizarre to write that) just chilling out, taking a couple of dips, watching the surfers do their thing before tucking into our Christmas Day picnic. Yum, yum.
Think about the girls and what they will be doing soon (we are 12 hours ahead) - a little bit of hiraeth creeping in now - before heading back to apartment.
Adele and Darren's party still in full swing and they invite us to join them for drinks on their patio, which we do.
Just before turning in for the night we Skype the family again at the home of Chris's sister (Joy) and brother-in-law Alan. Able to see Beth and Jon's new bundle of joy, Leah, and big sister Ella, who was clearly enjoying opening the presents that Santa had brought.
We too were happy with what Santa had brought us - a day to remember on the other side of the world, despite missing being with all the family.

Boxing Day
A lie-in. Bliss. Not such a nice day - overcast and with a sprinkling of fine rain. But today is the start of the world-famous three-day Sydney to Hobart yacht race and, as it's on our doorstep, it's too good an opportunity to miss.
Darren drops us off near entrance to national park on North Shore. Walk the rest of way (perfect for blowing away the cobwebs) and pick our spot to see start of race.
We are not disappointed as hundreds and hundreds of boats of all sizes and description flood the harbour to see off the competitors taking part in one of the toughest races - the Bass Strait is notorious - on the ocean.
It starts from the Heads at 1pm and we have a top vantage point. After about an hour the yachts, with masts of all colours, are well out to sea and on the way to Tasmania.
The rain has stopped now and we'll head for Manly Beach this afternoon - and a quick dip (John's up for a bit of body-surfing). Tomorrow we'll be saying our farewells to Adele, Darren and family. We are heading off inland to the Blue Mountains for three nights before returning to Australia's top city for New Year's Eve and the promise of the most spectacular fireworks on Planet Earth.