Sydney Mardi Gras 2004

united grrrr
san fran airport grrrr
red carpet lounge reasonable
stupid us customs and immigration even though i was only in transit grrrr
okay so I arrived late and have vowed never to fly united ever again. seriously it’s no wonder they are in chapter 11 bancruptcy protection.
i had of course forgotten to send jo the flight details and so she was waiting folornly at sydney airport for me having taken her morning conference call on her mobile. bless did I ever mention I loved that girl? she’s a star.
We nipped back to Balmain for a quick brunch (although quite what meal it would be for me i’m not really sure) at Jo’s favourite local cafe and i was lusting after the cook/server immediately. welcome to sydney :o)
Whilst Jo rushed to work to catch up on the morning i had made her miss i pottered around Balmain and acclimatised to the sudden onset of summer (although Jo and Michelle kept telling me it had cooled down)
That evening we headed out for food and drinks with Jo’s work mates before heading into town and started where I left off last year at Crown and Oxford for drinks at the Colombian. I really do think it’s my favourite bar, it’s friendly and full of cute guys.
Jo had said she bet me $5 that I would pull within the first 24 hours sadly despite the horny guys I knew better as I had come less than single this year.
So I crashed and burned (jetlag) fairly soon afterwards and we headed back to Balmain for some much needed sleep in a lovely flat bed.
Saturday we hit bondi after a garage sale to get rid of a few extra sofa’s since the girls were moving to Darlinghurst the following weekend (yes to two blocks down from taylor square on the day of mardi gras).
So after some sun and fun in bondi we headed back for another meal out (i’m convinced no one eats in or cooks for themselves in oz) and then more drinks.
On the way back we stopped for pizza in paddington and realised we had completely forgotten about shop! damn so I had missed herb and the boys in drag for the second year in a row.
Sunday was the build up to harbour party (azure) and then after arriving at the party a bit of a blur of retro music including Celine Dion – I drove all night, Barry Manilow – Love is in the air and Randy Crawford – One day I’ll fly away. All very very surreal and yet we danced to all of them. Also bumped into Tony and the boys from last years harbour party but missed Bettina and Margi. All in all a very fun afternoon/evening marred only by the guys asking to borrow a crack pipe at the end of the evening – like do we look like we smoke crack? Next year we have decided just to hire a yaught and moor off the party like the other beautiful sydneysiders who had failed to get tickets had done.
So without any of the after parties or other fun of last year (fnar) we headed back to Balmain for some hard earned rest.
Monday I managed to wander around Balmain and do some mundane grocery shopping and the like, although it seems much more glam to be doing it in Balmain than Balham. Also a quick trip into town to ensure I remmebered the bus route for when the kiwi boys arrived.
Monday night was spent in front of the TV with popcorn and the Oscars. Noozleland sweeped the board and we were dreading the kiwi’s arrival by this point. When the nice australian man Adam Elliot won his and thanked his beautiful boyfriend Dan we all laughed heartily. It’s amazing the storm in some of the papers caused by that the following day. As Mr Elliot pointed out everyone else was thanking their wives and partners why should he be any different?
Tuesday was another trip into Sydney for relaxed shopping and coffees whilst trying to catch up with Gary from Christchurch who was over for a conference for the start of the week. Failing to catch up with him I returned to Balmain. A few cosmo’s later and Michelle and I were more than a little merry. By the time Jo got home we were watching ‘The Bill’ and giggling so we decided food would be a good idea and went for a meal in Balmain. Another bottle of wine later we were all more than merry and stopped for ice cream at Gelatisimo where the two boys behind the counter made a play for one (or all) of us we weren’t quite sure. Neither of them was over 18 though so none of us were that fussed.
Wednesday was the arrival of Dave from Wellington. So after a wander around town and a coffee or two we checked into the lovely Macquarie Hotel. Tanya the lovely lady from accommodation however had some bad news in that the wonders of internet bookings and real systems did not match up and we may not have a room for the entire period. Not good when I was trying to stay out of the girls way pending their move to Bourke Street. Still not to worry. We figured we could wing it with friends if we got really stuck.
Staying centrally meant we had plenty of time to wander up and down Oxford St and Pitt St without the hassle of a bus ride or train journey in.
So after meeting up with Dave we ended up at circular quay for a brief sunbathe and to soak up some of the view. You still can’t beat the view of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. It’s one of the best sights and most recognisable too.
Thursday was Pam Ann and the Imperial Having seen her on a tiny stage in the corner of the 2 Brewers it was quite a shock. She had an entire stage to herself and a group of dancing boys :o) She was also sponsored up to the preverbial hilt. We followed the show with a trip to The Imperial where the boys watched dodgy caberet in the back bar and I caught up with Bettina and Margy in the front bar.
Friday was… wagamama?
The day of Mardi Gras arrived and Gary and I wandered into town despite the rain. We headed over to Jo’s new pad to see the place. They were moving in so we helped a bit and dried off. Then wandered for beers to The Colombian. We made some new friends and got merry. A few beers later and we got frisky (but not as bad as last year. We went back to the hotel to get showered and changed before heading back up the road. Our new mates were shocked to see us back so soon – they expected us to be shagging or something 😉
Then we met the others at Daves cousins new pad conveniently located above Starbucks on Oxford St a few paces from our favourite bar! The rain was torrential but we ventured with others to the roof terrace to watch the parade every now and then instead of out the window. Talk about rain on the parade!
Back to the hotel for another change and then hailing a cab (you would think that was easy but oh no…) before the maddness that is Sydney Lesbian & Gay Mardi Gras.
More to come.

Sunny Sydney

Okay so here it is the review of my last 3 weeks – so a bit of a long read…
I arrived after a flight fraught with anticipation. Time for a quick shower and headed out to The Imperial in Newtown to try and catch up with Herb and the other four Wellingtonians who had come to Sydney in Drag!

Harbour Party

Again the most excellent event I’ve been to (more details here). Lots of cool outfits. We walked down from Elizabeth Street through the botanical gardens which was stunning in itself. I never really saw much of them last time I was in Sydney.
We arrived and wandered down to the party to be greeted immediately by Bettina & Margi. Sue too and a number of other friendly faces from 2 years ago. Jo and I made lots of best new mates. Including Tony and his flatmate Duncan.
The crowds seemed much larger than in the past (and it transpires they sold more tickets due to popular demand).
We partied hard with the cool DJ’s keeping the crowd happy until midnight when we moved onto the after party at The Midnight Shift on Oxford St with Tony and his crew
The following morning (nearer afternoon actually) we headed back to Jo’s house in Balmain. We planned to hit the beach but unfortunately jetlag and lack of sleep got the better of me so I ended up crashing on the floor. Jo and Tony watching videos.
That evening we watched a bizarre norwegian movie called ‘Get Ready To Be Boyzvoiced‘. I’m not sure if it weas because I was still a little elevated from the previous nights escapades or not but it was a fantastic parody.

Blue Mountains

Jo and I had receovered enough from the excesses of Sunday night to plan a trip on Tuesday to Wentworth Falls and the Blue Mountains. It was stunningly beautiful (and photolog will be updated soon) We then ventured onto Echo Point to see the three sisters. As with most attractions of this type they look stunning but don’t turn around or the tourism will scare you. Echo point is being redeveloped currently and it’s a bit scary.
Finally after an amble through the rainforest and a trip down the scenic railway at Katoomba we took off to Leura for dinner. I could quite settle down theree I think. Open a little shop selling cheese or something. It’s nice and quaint.

The Kiwi Boyz

Todd and Dave arrived on Thursday morning, closely followed by Gary. Later we were joined by Warner and then the token Aussie from Melbourne, Paulli.
Since Toddster and Dave arrived first we collected out tickets to the main event and then wandered to Kings Cross to check them in to their respective hotels. Dave staying virtually opposite where Scally was last time in Potts Point.
A disco nap later and we were off to start the partying. We hit Darling Harbour and Wagamama‘s for a bite to eat (yes they are everywhere) before meeting Gary, Cheryl and Scott at the Establishment in the CBD. Free Champagne – now you can’t go too wrong with that!
Moving onto Oxford Street and The Colombian to meet up with Toddster, Warner and Tony. Good fun was had by all.
Another trip to the Shift for more fun and frollicks and a great lay (oops I meant lei obviously – it is mardi gras after all) I have no Idea how I ended up with a pink lei but I’m sure Gary or Dave will enlighten me one of these days 😉
Way too much alcohol later and it was heading back towards Potts Point.

We dragged ourselves to town though and discovered Gowings. Lot’s of cashola later and I was the proud new owner of a pair o trainers, boxers and assorted gadgets.
We headed to Pitt Street for some nibbles and I managed to bump into some of my best new mates from Harbour Party (shouts to Duncan and his London mates). This is weird though as I never bump into people in London. Funny how that works.
Bridge Climb
A quick trip home to change Bridge Climb headquarters.
Awesome! it really is the only word to describe the experience. Signing our life away and taking the breahaliser test (hence the lack of alcohol with dinner) We changed into our ‘tomorrow people’ jump suits before being laden down with assorted safety gear and a quick training session.
Heading on out into the warmest night to date (it was above 30 degrees and still – I was glad I had stripped to boxers under the suit) to take in spectacular views of the bay. (pics available soon).
Essentially you walk up one side with views of Sydney Opera House and the central CBD before crossing over under ‘blinky bill’ and heading on down the other side.
Great company and fabuolous views.

After that we were all a little desperate for beer and luckily for us Cheryl and Scott where in a pub up the road so we wandered to meet them. They closed at 11 (just like home doh!) so we wandered through the boy racers around the rocks up to Oxford Street and …. The Colombian (I see a pattern emerging here).

Mardi Gras¹

Okay well where do you start? Well for a change we started at Town Hall to meet up with Paulli and Dave. Jo and I had been a bit leisurely that morning before realising we had a lunch date with the boyz.
We soon however headed…. yes you guessed it to Oxford Street and…. yes we did end up at The Colombian (by far my favourite bar of the trip). On the way we took in Hyde Park and the lower part of Oxford Street and it all seemed so quiet – a bit too quiet like the calm before the storm.
Cafe Comity was a tad busy but Paulli managed to secure us a table and after munching we moved onto the Colombian for a few rounds They had moved from glass to plastics in anticipation of the crowds so we ditched the cosmo idea and drank beers and vodkas. It was a very hot day and after 4 drinks we were all a little merry. A few temporary tatoos later and we staggered home to change for the evenings events, we left Paulli entertaining the locals (which he did well by all accounts!).. Todd and Warner had arrived and left in the time it took us to have 4 drinks – lightweights!
Jo and I made the mistake of a little retail therapy on the way home. Beer and shopping! not a good combination. 6 feather boa’s later and lots of sparkle we were showering, glittering and eyelashing before heading to various parties. Jo headed to meet Joe B in Bondi where I wnet to meet the boyz at Cheryl and Scott’s in Rose Bay – lovely barbie on their patio overlooking the bay and Sydney’s Northern CBD. Much vodka and redbull later we headed to see the parade.

Weird to be watching the parade and not partaking this time around. I knew plenty of people in it though. Tony, Duncan and Todd to name a few.
I headed back to Daves so he could change into something appropriate. Whilst their we were joined by Gary who had been visiting some of Sydney’s ‘beautiful people’ on his way – purely by accident you understand.
Gary was already very merry by the time he arrived so I felt obliged to keep him company whilst Dave pottered and showered and uhmmed and ahead over outfit decisions.
One hectic cab ride later and we were outside Fox Studios. We wanted to be inside though and finding our way in proved traumatic. Eventually though we arrived at the party.
Less best new friends than the previous weekend but plenty of real friends to make up for it. The party had sold out earlier that day so there were literally thousands of people there 15,000+ It seemed like everyone I knew was there. Gary and I became playmates for the evening which was excellent until around 5am when I lost him in the crowd 🙁
I spent a while wandering before seeing dodgy UK popstars rejects on stage and deciding it must be time to get the hell out of there. A timely SMS from young Mr Pannett and I was heading off to Potts Point.

Oh and one final point (as Mr Springer might say) I saw the following statement on the Mardi Gras site and thought about rewriting my references to Mardi Gras then decided what the heck! Everyone knows it’s a Lesbian & Gay event.

¹ For many of us, being visible in a world which sometimes acts as if we don?t exist, is what this event is all about. So please remember when writing your stories, that we?re not the Sydney Mardi Gras, but the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. And this year we have something special we?re celebrating: ?25 years of gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer culture?. We?d like you to celebrate it too ? please consider using the full title and tag-line.

Recovery

Whoever named them recovery parties needs their head examined.
Spent most of the day in bed by all accounts watching crap US tv. I’ve never seen Jerry Springer before – and I’m hoping never to again 😉
Jason the chef boy is quite nice though – and much better than dodgy old Jamie Oliver.
I nipped home to change before meeting the boyz at Wagamama’s (yes we are a predictable bunch). In fact we are so predictable I think you can write the next part yourselves. Insert the following words in te correct order. (Oxford headed We Street to drinks for). A change of plan as the Colombian was not letting more people in until later so we ended upstairs at Stonewall.
By all accounts I was a bit of a muppet again!. Toddster reckons I have no career in lap dancing!

True Recovery

A few text messages in the morning and I was heading to Circular Quay to meet for brunch. As it turns out it ended up just being Gary and I . It was a very very relaxed day strolling in the water along the beach. Eating and drinking as necessary. If the restaurant at Cabbage Tree Bay had given us the bottle of wine we probably would have stayed all night. As it was they refused and we headed on back to Circular Quay instead.
Our first mistake was to have beers. Our second was to have more. We had a bar tab and were trying to get the gang together for more.
A few beers later and the Colombian beckoned (see I told you we liked it). Crown and Oxford never looked so familiar.
A few PDA’s later and we had attacted the attention of some new best friends. Some of the other boys from noozleland arrived and the plot thickened. This is a family service so we’ll skip straight to the happy but sore head the following morning. We won’t mention Colin or the other forms of PDA that were happening. One of the highlights of my trip I must say 🙂 I enjoyed that!

Rest & Recuperation


Okay well the recycling although necessary was totally uncalled for at 6.30am in the morning.
I got up early and wandered for breakfast at Fundamental in Balmain followed by a stroll down to the Ferry Terminal. I spent the rest of the day being a tourist at Circular Quay taking pictures of Sydney Opera House. View the photo’s here, catching ferries and buses with strolls on beaches and surf watching.
Jo had been working again so I caught up with her afterwards for vietnamese food in Balmain. Very relaxed and chilled with yet more beer.
We wandered back for a sorely needed early night.

A relaxing few days following the Kiwi exodus to Wellington and Melbourne.
Got up reasonably refreshed after the early night and spent the day mooching around until hitting Cargo Bar in Darling Harbour for beers with Jo’s mates from work. Thai food and yet more Tofu. What is it about Tofu in Australia? It tastes like polestyrene and has the texture of cooked spooge. Who on earth thought it would be a good meat alternative?
The following evening was drinks and a few bands with Petra and her beau Dave – also a few other assorted friends of Petra’s. The Cat & Fiddle was the venue and one of the bands was The Grand Silent System from Melbourne . They were so good in fact I bought a CD afterwards. I left Petra with supplies brought over from the UK, who would have though Heinz Tomato soup would be so in demand?
Friday Jo skived work again and spent another lazy day. We had planned on a quick trip to Melbourne to see Paulli in his naturall habitat but with the F1 being held there flights were a tad sparse and very expensive. So we did as little as possible (well actually I lie as we took in the excellent M.I.L.K. exhibition and a quick tour around the Opera House by none other than Joe B’s brother Richard. Can we not go anywhere without bumping into people we know? If you can’t make it onto the real tour why not take a virtual one?
So I say lazy day but it was fun filled and then later meeting for drinks at the local and heading to (round of applause please) The Colombian. We were joined this evening for debauchery by Joe B and after a bit of table dancing we headed to Shift for a very quick boogy.

Party Time

Michelle, Kylie & Mark, Ric and I had breakfast with Jo for her birthday. Michelle had organised it as she was flying to Munich and missing the party 🙁
Lovely company and excellent views over the water. Balmain it has to be said is very clapham but very nice.
By midday Jo and I were moving furniture and mowing lawns before hitting every store in Balmain buying decorations and other party essentials like sparklers, fairy lights, party poppers and mirror balls.
The theme for the evenings entertainment was formal but not quite normal. (I might steal this for my next bash). Since Michelle was heading out the three of us hit the champagne to get us in the mood whilst preparing vats of cosmopolitan and jugs of fruit punch.
We had a quick breather on the veranda before the house was suddenly a sea of people wearing dinner jackets and shorts. Way too much alcohol later I crashed and burned. The excesses of the previous weeks catching up with me. Jo’s 30th was a blast though – the police might beg to differ after they were called to deal with the noise 😉
The birthday girl did well though – Tiffany darling!

The following day was a hungover blur for Jo and I but we managed to make it to Glamarama so I could work on my tan (I know it was a bit last minute and all but I thought I ought to try and get some sun before leaving Sydney).
I had arranged to meet Bettina and Margy for dinner and we started with drinks too – always a bad move. We caught up lots which was lovely. Our choices of restaurant were either too full or closed so we ended up at The Clock on Crown St. By coincidence this was the restaurant we went to 2 years ago the night before I left. Talk about deja vu.
After dinner I ambled along Crown to where it meets Oxford St. Which is of course the location of the Columbian. I felt I ought to go in for a last drink in what was the most popular bar of my trip. I didn’t stay long though as I wanted to catch up with Jo on her actual birthday. When I arrived back at Jo’s she was mid conversation with Paul her brother so we had a quick catch up too. I had a weird moment when his daughter Amelia giggled in the background and all I could think was it being 11.30pm she should be in bed. Of course it was only 12:30 in the afternoon back at home so that was fine –
Jo had apparently said the same thing.

Moping

No sun so no beach. I resigned myself to going home without a tan. I seem to have spent most of my time in the colombian and no time on a beach this time around. I had plans to meet up with Gary for beers at the airport as his flight to Christchurch was leaving around the same time as mine to London. We both looked like we had been travelling for hours (obviously too much partying for both of us). What with spilt beer and dodgy gate number/seat number dramas I was feeling like a muppet.

So that was that – a not so short review of my last 3 weeks or so in sunny Sydney. I’ve had a great time and am looking forward to next year already :o)
Hopefully I’ll be a sydneysider by then 😉

*LONG UPDATE ALERT* (from Sydney)

*LONG UPDATE ALERT*
My eyes started to feel much better by Tuesday night so I put my glasses on and went into Oxford St to meet Brad and the gang at The Albury to watch Pam Ann. Unfortunately the rest of sydney’s gay population seem to have had the same idea so there was already a line at 9pm and they where not letting anyone else in. So Brad and I decided to go for drinks in the bar next door – soon it too was packed and we went for a wander with the others in search of pizza.
Brad gave me a lift back to Redfern where I am staying which was nice – he really is much better off now he has moved back to Oz than he ever was in London.
Wednesday was mostly a shopping day – with an outfit to find for the Mardi Gras float we trolled up and down Oxford Street. We had already seen some trousers in Daily Male which are a bit sparkly [and very silver] but had to go check out the competition. An awful lot of the shops look like all they seel is outfits for Mardi Gras – either that or the Sydney scene is normally much camper than the London scene
After all that shopping we ended up at Cafe Comity for a well earned rest and drink – this country is so civilised – not quite so much as Singapore but…
In order that we did not spend the entire day shopping I dragged scally up the AMP Centrepoint Tower for some tourist sight seeing – he is too wuss to do the harbour bridge walk with me :o( something about being scared of heights. So as part of our centrepoint ticket – bearing in mind all we anted to do was go up and have a look at Sydney we got a ‘skytour’ thrown in. Talk about tourist trap aghhhhh. Okay so how many little films can you watch about australian history before you become tempted to throw yourself off the tower – should you ever make it up there.
We wandered around this ‘guided’ tour for what seemed like hours before we finally made it up the tower itself. The views though where well worth it – and I recommend anyone visiting makes a trip up. Sort of like the twin trade towers or the empire state in New York really.
Wednesday night was Barbeque night *lol* no really though Bettina, Linda and Margy had the barbie all fired up and raring to go – the steak was fantastic and the beers went down a treat too. Ice Poles for desert and hey presto I could have been a local [except when I went to the bottle shop for beers he automatically handed me Fosters]
Thursday was one of those mornings – well actually it stretched into the afternoon but in general we all sat and watched trashy daytime TV [which is as bad in Oz as anywhere else] and then watched the channel seven daytime movie – really trashy one about a ranger searching for some lost kid with the woman from terminator showing as little acting skill as possible yet again. Scarily it had the same terminatoresque voice overs too.
Okay so then we spray painted the $13 trainers silver to match the sparkly trousers and went off to do some more touristy stuff! I dragged scally to the Opera House which was looking a bit jaded actually. Looks fantastic from afar but when you get up close it reminds me of the Civic Centre where I grew up in Crosby. You know the sort of thing a concrete communal space with a concert hal and library with unfinished concrete walls and stairwells and dark wooden finishings here and there for effect. Allegedly the Opera House is due for a refurbishment which will be good. I never realised though that the entire thing is tiled!
So a bit more shopping followed this tourist extravaganza and we picked up a sparkly black shirt to go with the sparkly silver trousers. Oh and lots of body glitter and a couple of stetsons. In for a penny and al that! Oh and then suprise suprise it was time for yet another party. Thursday night being the Arrivals Party – a good excuse to get all the foreigners in one place. We met up at the Oxford first and then went to flag a taxi to Fox studios [seems to be the place to have all your Lesbian & Gay events] were we met Daniel a rather nice American whom we chatted to for most of the evening. The music was pants but that didn’t stop me having fun and it was after 4am before I knew it – so staggered back home around 5am this morning.
Off now into town to go and see if I can change my flights and stop over in Singapore for a couple of days on my way back – my neice is missing me already!
Also caught up with a few people today – chatted with Adam a friend of Spencer’s whom I am meeting tonight for a meal with his partner and also Jo my friend who moved out here recently and chatted to Andre who works for AOL out here – I realy want a job out here [No Sheena I am not joking]. So erm the next update will no doubt be after the parade and party so Happy Mardi Gras 2001 and look out for the Albion Street Centre 2001 a safe sex oddessey float and the two sparkly english boys handing out packs of condoms and lube 😉
*/LONG UPDATE ALERT*

WARNING: long post (from Sydney)

WARNING: long post
Okay well today is Tuesday and it has been non stop partying since arriving in Sydney on Friday night.
Bettina who I am staying with [and her sister Linda] is wonderful and so generous. She picked me up from the airport and took me out into town after dropping my bags off at their house. We ended up at the Imperial after a troll down Oxford street. The Imperial is the bar in Priscilla Queen of the Desert where they start out from. It is a wierd mix of small bars and a club area downstairs but not a place I would recommend highly.
Saturday B and her lovely other half Margi took me to Bondi for breakfast and then tried to show me how to body surf – I was not very successful I must admit . Followed by a trip to the shops. It was ‘Shop yourself Stupid’ a charity shop-a-thon here in Sydney for AIDS charities. So lots of shows, drag artists and the like on street corners and on the back of trucks. Ooh and a cute boy in a shower cubicle on Oxford Street doing a bit of dancing with not much on. Bought a nice new shirt with Velcro fastening which went down very welll that night when I met up with David and we went out for drinks with Kim and Matt. We got stupidly drunk – well actually the four of them where stupidly drunk when I arrived at Scally’s hotel room and I just played catch up.
Matt, Scally and I then ended up at Oxford street and eventually I headed off home.
Sunday I was not too well – a bit of a cold – I know how do you get a cold in sunny Sydney? Anyways stayed in bed for a bit with Max the cat and then got up and helped Bettina with her hair. Margi had started it with strips of blue fabric. Linda and I then had a rethink and did Bjork style bunches with the blue lame? [shiny blue stuff]. It looked fantastic but I do not think I will be opening a salon in the near future!
They managed to source an extra ticket to the Harbour Party – a very difficult thing to do by all accounts as tickets had long since sold out and the lines to actually buy them in the first place had started at midnight the day before they went on sale.
On our way to the party a car pulled up and a guy came up to us looking puzzled and then decided he did not recognise me. It turned out he did I had just had my hair shaved and was wearing my contacts. Brad I used to know in London – he went out with a friend of mine [James] – I thought he was living in Adelaide so had not bothered trying to contact him for the trip. Turns out he is living in Sydney and was on his way back from the airport – he now works as a trolley dolley for Ansett! He was also going to the harbour party so we arranged to meet up and catch up later – wierd co-incidence or what?
So I ended up having a fantastic night – overlooking the opera house and the harbour bridge with 3,500 assorted fags and dykes partying under the stars. It was truly wonderful. I cannot thank the girls enough or Brad for that matter
Seeing Brad was realy wierd – I will be posting that one to Meg‘s Strangely Familiar site when I return!
Yesterday was another lazy day really – went on the farry across to Manly with Scally and had loads of fun in the sun – after a quick meet up with Kier and Liam who are also over. Then went back and got changed and over to scally’s hotel again. Met Fran – yes another of the London crowd who is over for Mardi Gras and went out for Dinner and drinks. Scally and I ended up at Stonewall where he pulled within minutes and I danced myself to exhaustion on the podium [no change there for me then].
Woke up with swollen sore eyes and had to take a trip to the doctors – I have an opthalmic bacterial pathogen so am on antibiotics. Was supposed to be meeting with Brad today but have decided to stay in the garden instead and read. Then will meet up later at the Albury to see Pam Ann. We usually see her in the 2 brewers at home so it will be wierd to see her in her home town ofr a change – she has flown over for a one off Mardi Gras Special.
Scally and I need to sort out costumes for Mardi Gras too as Margi has arranged for us to be on the 2001: a sex oddessey float. So we will be participating instead of spectating – can’t wait. Hope my eyes are better by then.
Also gonna try and change my flights on the way back to spend some more time in Singapore and catch up with Naz.
Sorry for the extremely long update today but I have been busy enjoying myself offline for a change
Happy Happy Happy – and so blissed out it is untrue – I wanna move to sydney woo hoo.
local time of post – 12:46 – lunchtime – and hot as hell