Topsy Turvy!!!

Today, I am going to talk about ... The events of today. However, I will apologise in advance because  I am also going to disrupt the chronological fluidity by regaling some experiences from New Years Eve. It has been far too traumatic and upsetting to even think about it until now but I feel that as each day passes, I am getting stronger and more hardened to the embarrassments that must be endured by the novice traveller. I also take some comfort from the fact that you may all learn from my mistakes and avoid looking a complete idiot when you travel across the world, transcending culture as well as time.

We had packed and repacked the cases the day we were due to leave, ensuring that our cases did not exceed the 30 kg weight and that our hand luggage did not exceed the 7kg weight allowed. Packing your life into cases which are limited by weight (and various other irritating dimensions!) is pretty stressful as it is. I had also scrutinised the airline websites for the rules re LAG in hand luggage - (that's liquid, aerosols, gels to those of you who aren't familiar with the jargon) to ensure that I was not breaking any rules. All toiletries in 100ml packets. All in clear resealable 20cm bags.

However, I was stopped at Heathrow and scanned. Hair cutting scissors can be lethal when used in a threatening manner! They were confiscated and I was mortified and embarrassed. No scissors over 6cm long allowed!!!

Most of you are already familiar with the puking pains of dear Becky on the flights so I'll not bore you with that again - suffice to say that she used up her quota and everybody else's quota of brown paper bags!!!! It's actually quite impressive, the weight those things can withstand!

In Singapore, as we checked through the hand luggage, I was pulled aside again. A stern faced guard took me by the arm and walked me over to another area. He asked me to open my hand luggage. Oh God! Fear overtook embarrassment at this point. Hot flushes, the lot! Apparently, nail scissors can be quite lethal when used inappropriately, even if they are smaller than 6cm. They were confiscated and I received a naughty stamp and had to sign something - why me?????

Anyway, back to today. We went into Sydney to sort out a bankers cheque to pay for the car tomorrow. While we were in the bank, we also managed to sort out car insurance. It includes full roadside assistance etc etc and reasonably priced too!  The bloke in the bank was lovely, like all of the Aussies we have met so far, incredibly friendly and helpful and brilliant at hiding his amusement at our ignorance. How they stifle their laughter is beyond me. Perhaps the lopsided smile is a slight give away. No, seriously, we have been truly blessed with the help and advice we have been given.

After  this, Nath and the girls were hungry. Because, don't forget, jet lag causes burger urges. It was off to Hungry Jacks for lunch (that's Burger King) to you!
I kid you not ...
Nath and the girls had a Hungry Jacks for lunch on Sunday (I had a strawberry and honey smoothie), Monday saw my kids and beloved chomping on a Macdonalds, Tuesday the pattern continued with a Macdonalds and today......it was Hungry Jacks again. Well, if you can't beat them, join them. I also partook in the absolute filth that is the burger. Yes, I do feel absolute shame! Worryingly, they do not!!

We navigated the train system very well today. We even smiled smugly to ourselves as we watched tourists desperately try to locate a seat that faced forward. Oh small things!!!

We visited Sydney opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour. We took a ferry across the harbour and visited Sydney's Madam Tussauds. Well, lets face it, it's the only way I'm ever going to get my photo taken with the beautiful Leonardo di Caprio, Jonny Depp and Mr Die Hard!!! Nathan, well, he put his arm around Einstein!
...... OK, geek he may be, he also had time to see Nicole Kidman and Marilyn Monroe.

We bought a car!!

So, where was I? Well, let's begin by explaining the early hours of this morning, which, thanks to Bex, were pretty traumatic! 'What more vomit?' I hear you cry. No, much more exciting than that.

Erin came into my room at about 2am and said that she couldn't find Becky. Now bear in mind, we are staying in a tiny one bedroom apartment. Erin said that Becky was not in her bed or under her bed or in the toilet. I knew that she was not in with us. Maternal instinct and panic set in as I shouted her name at the top of my voice. Not sure what I thought this would achieve. Suddenly, we heard a tiny knocking sound and found a distraught Becky standing outside the apartment - she had no idea how she had got there. So now you can add 'sleepwalking' to the list of Bex ailments! As you can appreciate, this was pretty upsetting at the time. Nath and I were both paranoid that she might do it again so we built a complex obstacle course of dining room chairs in front of the door to keep her in!

7.00am arrived and we got up and breakfasted, showered and left to go to the RTA for a third time! (Oh well, I guess they do say third time lucky). This time, our paper work proved to be acceptable so we were able to set the wheels in motion. We then located the nearest Medicare centre to register for healthcare. 'Complicated' is an understatement. I have told the girls that they are not allowed to be ill until I have figured it all out... That could be some time!

Shopping for clothes for Erin was our next endeavour. This proved to be tricky; Nathan and Erin have very different ideas of what is and is not fashionable!

We then took a trip to a garage, intending to purchase a Kia Sportage. I looked longingly at a beautiful row of brand new Suzuki Swifts in a wonderful array of colours but Nathan was not having any of it! We needed a big car. However, the Sportage is a monster! It is a truck! It is a juggernaut. In short, I hated it. Fortunately it cost more than Nath wanted to pay so we looked around. Finally we settled on a Mazda CX5. It is a 2 litre petrol, 180 bhp. Or, more importantly, it is a lovely silver colour - titanium.

In a scene reminiscent of Monty Python's Life of Brian, Nath conducted some superb haggling. We even got a free koala with it! Not really! That was a joke!

Nath looked at the same car in auto trader in the UK and he reckons we paid about £3000 less than we would have paid for the same car in the UK. So that felt pretty good.

Finally for today, Nath has 'man flu' and apparently, Nathan has discovered that jet lag causes uncontrollable burger urges.

Talk again soon,

Lots of love.

Monday 6th January 2014

Hi all!

Well, I hope you are impressed! Me - blogging! No longer a technophobe. So, for those of you who are following the adventures of the Lewis clan, here is the next instalment.

Today consisted of logistical horrors! We had to sort out various bits and pieces with the RTA. (Motor registry) We also arranged an appointment with the bank to open account and collect cards etc. on arriving at the RTA, we're told that we need proof of address - we have none - and forms of identification with our full names on. Passports and bank cards. Unfortunately, bank cards only have our initials and surnames - not good enough! We need bank cards that have our full names on! Joy! Luckily everyone here is so helpful and friendly. We return to the apartment to acquire proof of address and learn that we'll need to get a train into Sydney to make our bank appointment. No one drives into Sydney!!! Apparently it is impossible to park. Thank goodness we discover that before setting off!

Train ride was an interesting cultural experience. Worried about Bex chundering everywhere, we feel that it is essential that she sits in a seat which faces the direction in which the train is headed. All of the seats seem to be facing the wrong way. We wander up and down the aisles desperately looking for a seat that faces the right way. Eventually, we manage to find one. Imagine our complete embarrassment when commuters alight the train at the next stop and simply rotate the seats to face their chosen direction. Doh!!! God knows what the Aussies thought as they watched us trying to find an appropriate seat!

Anyway, the cost of public transport is cheap and the trains are really frequent so no waiting around. Arrived in Sydney just in time and legged it to the bank - you'll realise that we seem to be pretty good at arriving at places by the skin of our teeth and legging it quickly.

Will continue to keep you all updated!

Lots of love.