I’d never really paid much atention to the English winter, other than complain, but returning from Australian summer made me realise how different the seasons can be. Its not just the cold or the short days but mainly the relative lack of light during the day that made the first week feel heavy.

Bar the obvious thing like the beach and the sea I’m really missing the journey. Getting up in the morning and defining the course of the day is so liberating. I’m also missing people packing my shopping for me in the supermarket; in England we just don’t get the service.

Its not all doom and gloom though. Going running and rowing in the crisp winter countryside is something I can imaging missing as much as I miss the Sun now.

The hotel we kind enough to look after my bag and point me in the direction of a bus for the peak. The first set of bus stops I couldn’t figure out so I just started walking up the hill. At the next stop I flagged down a bus and asked which service to get for the peak. I was told the 15 and sure enough one turned up five minutes later. I had expected it to stop at the peak train station but to my surprise it tool me all the way to the top. I later found out that this route is much cheaper than the train.

I mooched around for a bit, enjoying the views and a Starbucks before heading inside the main peak building. Basically all the buildings at the top are malls of some kind but this one has the highest viewing deck and for a couple of quid its worth it. It was clear up there and damn windy near the edge but the view was spectacular.

Heading back into town I took a wonder around times square, nothing special just more shopping malls. I collected my backpack and headed back to the airport express station. There I was able to check-in for my flight, amazing and it meant I got to have the rest of the day knowing my pack was taken care of. In another stroke of luck I found the Star Ferry pier within walking distance from the train station.

For about 20p I got the ferry across to Kowloon. Within moments of landing I felt as though I was in another world. Things were far more hectic and I was getting hassled every five minutes; the same guy asked me if I wanted hash 3 times. There were even more malls on this side and the harbour one in particular made me get the same claustrophobic feeling I had in the large casinos in Vegas.

Not really knowing where to go or what to see I headed for the Nathan road, one place I’d read about. On the way I passed the Peninsular Hotel, the one with the green Rolls Royce’s, and I had flash backs of the Roger Moore Bond movies. At the start of the Nathan Road I found the Chung King apartments, a real melting pot of ethnic groups, travellers, markets and guest houses. Can’t say I felt overly safe  so I didn’t hang around. The rest off the road was more shops. I found rest bite by dipping into Kowloon Park. At one end I found fountains and sculptures, the other a large outdoor pool under construction. Other than the park I mainly found interest from wandering the side streets. I was going to stop off to get some food but after seeing some of it being prepared I lost my appetite.

I waited on the Kowloon side until 7 encase the light show I’d heard about kicked off. It didn’t and I debated heading back. But not wanting spend hours at the airport I wandered further along the waters edge where hustlers tried to get me to have my picture taken against the skyline. I wasn’t interested until I saw one with the light show in the background. I asked what time I”d have to be around for this to be in the photo and was told 8. With that nugget of information I legged it in search of something to do for an hour. I wandered through an art exhibition at the symphony hall then onto the art gallery shop and finally into Starbucks for another mocha. It was good to take the load off my feet and relax for a while, I’d still not eaten anything bar some chocolate all day.

A little before 8 I headed to the viewing platform and found a spot with a clear view. The Symphony of Lights was composed of lights on the cities buildings changing to the sound of tinny music. Had it been set to a dramatic classical score and not synthesised rubbish the effect could have been grand; as it was it impressed for a few moments.

Getting back to the airport was pretty seamless. I particularly enjoyed the return ferry crossing, this time on the lower deck, gazing out over the water at a skyline that is larger than life. Hong Kong’s an awesome place and as cities go it kind of tops them all for man made every thing. Would I spend more than a day there, hmm, give me three and I’ll let you know if two was enough.

After wandering around the shops for a while I utilised the free airport wifi. Finally an announcement said that boarding would begin in 10 minutes, 30 seconds later a 40 meter line of Brit’s had emerged! Personally I chose to sit and take my seat after they’ve finished faffing. I lucked out again and upon presenting my boarding pass got my seat upgraded to World traveller Plus, thank you British airways!

After packing my backpack I took one last wonder round town before I was picked up by an airport transfer bus I’d booked. The traffic was heavy and the air sticky but I was glad to be going slow so I could take my final looks at the city. We drove over the bridge and over the top of Circular Quay.

Getting through the airport went without issue and before I knew it I was sat on the plane. I wasn’t too sure how long the flight was but had decided to stay awake and watch films. It turned out to be a long flight, made worse by some git in front of me slamming his chair back on my legs. I politely asked him to move it up a few inches several time but he just got irate and started arguing. I was very close to slamming him into the seat in front but I thought it wasn’t worth the hassle. I hope he enjoyed the knees in the back of his back!

Getting to Hong Kong island from the airport is simple as, I walked straight out of the terminal and onto the airport link train. In 24 minutes I was at the end of the line and looking for a way go get to the hotel. Unfortunately the courtesy bus had finished running some time ago so. I opted for the tube over a reasonably priced cab as I’ve had a crack at most tube systems in other cities and wanted to experience this one. What followed was frustrating hilarity. It starts with three lifts; I’d taken one from the to the top to find the taxis and was told the tube, MTR, was below the level I got on at. Getting back on the lift it randomly goes up before going down. Back on the first level I have to change lifts to take the one for the MTR, a level below. Now these lifts are slow and I’m carrying my full pack so I wasn’t amused. Finding the ticket machine I found out I it wouldn’t take $500 notes, the only type I had. So it was back up one lift, then the other to get change from someone at an info desk. Then reverse the process, again, to finally get back down. In total it took me a good half an hour of up and down just to get to through the barriers.

The MTR station, Central, is a good 20 minute walk underground and my final stop, Causeway Bay, another 10 minutes on the tube. From there I walked underground to the Times Square exit. I’d planned ahead and put a screen shot of a map Google map to my hotel on my camera for reference. It took some wandering and gut instinct directions to find the road. I walked to the end of the directions and couldn’t see anything. I spotted a road sign which pointed out the numbers in each direction and figured that I’d been walking in totally the wrong direction. I found the hotel not far from where I set out and by this time it was midnight. Thankfully the hotel was stunning, all gold and marble in the foyer. I must have looked a right state stumbling in late and sweaty and half expected to be thrown out. My room was a dream, the nicest place I’ve stopped in all travels and with a good view over the racecourse. Ah a comfy bed for the night!

Unfortunately the pool didn’t look to clean and although some people braved the murky water a few of us clambered over to the rocks for a swim in the harbour. The spot was unreal, I was swimming with nothing obstructing my view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge but a few boats.

The day continued with drinks, swims, food and good conversation until the sun started to set. For my last night in Sydney it couldn’t have been more picture perfect. The city was a black silhouette, a feather of cloud spread out across the harbour separating the red and gold colour of the  sun from the blue sky in front of it. From the other side of the harbour the sound of the New Year’s Day festival grew louder and before I knew it it was dark.

Saying my goodbyes I walked back to Mosman Junction where I had a short wait for the bus back to Manly. Back at Jac’s apartment I ran into Matt’s friend who he’d let use his room. She was an English teacher taking a break from working in Oman. We had a good chat about the celebrations over a couple of tea before I had to start packing my exploded backpack.

The boys had woken up late so decided to skip the planned round of golf in favour of an early set off so after breakfast we tidied the house and packed up the car. Three hours in the back of an A3 was long enough and I was glad that the traffic hadn’t been as bad as on the way down.

Dropping Sandy of I said my goodbyes to him and his family. I couldn’t thank them enough for helping me out. Higgsy then kindly drove me back to Jac’s place in Manly. I’d grown to like Higgsy over the week, he and Sandy make a funny team, so I hope I’ll see him if he visits England.

In Manly I freshened up before doing a mad dash around town to pick up supplies and scope out the bus times. I was in luck with the buses as the ran ever 20 minutes or so and didn’t look to be getting too busy, although people were already setting off with picnics and chairs in hand.

I loaded up a back pack with a small picnic and a book then donned my running shoes and set off. The first bus I took got me to Mosman Junction, with it also being a bus to the city it soon got pretty packed. Leaving the bus I walked round the corner, expecting to have to walk the mile or so to the zoo, and found a bus waiting. I was glad I’d purchased the $6 explorer pass instead of a single and jumped on.

The bus dropped us off as close to the  zoo as he could get due to traffic restrictions causing tail backs. From there it was a ten minute walk down to Bradley Head. For all the talk of there being limited space and entry restrictions I found non. I think arriving at 7pm was the perfect time, not too busy and not too long to wait. As soon as I stepped on to the grass bank I knew this was the place to be, the view of the harbour was what I’d imagined it would be when I spotted the point from the ferry a few weeks ago. I was about to set up camp among the throngs when I spotted a path that appeared to lead to the beach. I followed it for a while an as I did heard someone point out a spot as being the perfect place, they continued on but thought it was  worth a look.

A side path led to a group of people standing on the top of the cliffs. The view was spot on and although there wasn’t room for a group of people there I spotted a rock to the side just big enough for me. Bar a few branches from the over hanging tree the view was unobstructed. I could see people camping out below me and all along the cliffs to the left. The beach looked like another good option but I though the tide might, as it later did, leave people high and dry. Getting up to survey other possible spots I got speaking to one of the group up slightly higher than me. One man said he’d scouted out this spot last year and set up camp 6am in the morning. I saw no need to move on based on that statement.

For the first few hours I sat reading a book, listening to music and watching the sun slowly sink in the sky. By nine the sky was a gradient of deep blue down to oranges and yellows. A counter appeared on a bridge pylon an the kids firework display kicked off. I was blown away, I thought it would be a few fireworks but no this display went on for 10 minutes from barges all along the river. The bridge wasn’t used but it was still magnificent.

To kill the remaining hours I dozed on the rocks as the moon set behind the bridge. I’d listen to my iPod and gaze at the stars or play patience, without it I would have been bored. I’ve forgotten to mention the boats moored in the harbour. In front of me, for as far as the eye could see, were hundreds of boats, from small to large, many moored up together. With all the people on the sea and shoreline you could hear and feel the party atmosphere growing.

Before I knew it it was nearly midnight. The countdown timer appeared on the bridge and all of a sudden the whole sky lit up. Its hard to describe just how big it all was. There were a number of barges letting that let off rockets in sync along the harbour. One was immediately to my left so I got a real impact from the sound. Every so often fireworks would come off the bridge or the city buildings. It really does have to be seen to be believed or taken in. The last couple of minutes stick in my mind the most as the bridge cascaded sparks from the road deck and the whole horizon appeared to be sending fireworks into the sky. Its was perfect and precisely how I’d imagined it to be. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to stay on and witness it.

After the display I made my way through the crowds to Cremorne to a party I’d been invited to by some people I’d met Christmas Eve. It ended up being an early morning finish.

I used a 10 foot mal which was  like a bus. I went in a straight line but because it took so long to turn I kept missing waves. I caught one good one and rode it all the way into the beach. No much joy after that and I ended up getting battered by the surf and feeling exhausted. I returned to the beach with my eyes stinging from the onset of a migraine and gave the board to Chris. I passed out until the boys finished.

I spent most of the day on the sofa and after rest and another long sleep I felt better in the early evening. With an hour left with the boards I thought it was worth giving it another go. This time I took the shorted board, still some 8 foot. The tide was going out so the waves were very “dumpy”, meaning that the faces are steep and the wave crashes down quickly. I caught a few but the either dumped me off or I nose dived down the face. Sandy said I was either brave or stupid as I went down one as it was classed as a “day ender” if it had gone wrong. Luckily I was just plain ignorant and was just glad to have caught a wave.

Having enough of getting bashed about I took the board back in and joined Sandy and Higgsy in some body surfing. That evening Chris and Paul headed home. We got fresh fish and chips from the co-op and sat looking over the beach. Just before the sun set we spotted dolphins swimming across the bay. From there we headed to the RSL for a final drink. Higgsy and Sandy hit the pockies (slot machines) and I watched resisting the temptation to burn pineapples (yellow $50 notes). we had a good laugh as the tried to beat the machines. We got speaking to a couple of teachers from south Sydney. Being from the south they got labelled as Shire people by the boys and the two groups started winding each other up, it was pretty funny.

After watching a bit of cricket I took a walk to the shops. I noticed on the way I felt a bit light headed and my throat started to hurt. By the time I returned I was feeling pretty giddy so made lunch and lay down on the sofa. For the rest of the afternoon I just felt worse and worse. The boys returned with some surfboards on the car and my heart dropped. All week I’d wanted to surf and now I felt rotten.

We all sat watching the cricket and the boys started on the beers. As I wasn’t drinking I offered to collect some pizzas. The fresh air did me some good but I couldn’t manage much of the food.

With no sign of any real swell at Mollymook we took a drive round the headland after breakfast. The headland happened to be a place Tom and I had stopped the week before so I found it quite surreal. No joy with the swell their either but we did find a nice beach and want back to collect snorkelling gear.

The water was crystal clear, the clearest sea I’ve ever swam in. Within minutes we’d spotted a sting ray and various camouflaged fish. The water was pretty chilly so we couldn’t stay in long.

In the afternoon we headed to the local bowls club where the Mighty Aussie’s attempted to take on the Stinky Pom’s. I’d not played before but soon got into it. The other Pom’s were on fire and helped us win both sets. The Aussie’s looked to be going the same way as their cricket team but they took defeat  gracefully. I had one interesting moment where I bowled a fast one and the ball split in half. No one had seen that happen before but it was hilarious.

For dinner we headed to the nicest looking restaurant in Ulladulla. Sitting outside we enjoyed views of the harbour over good wine and damn fine steak.

We headed out of the city on the road Tom and I had driven a few days earlier. The traffic was heavy and progress was slow; it took us a good 4 hours to get to Ulladulla, the main town near Mollymook. Needing refreshment we headed for a cafe. I was introduced to a full on Aussie burger, stuffed with meat, egg and bacon.

The boys had to dash to make a booked round of golf so I went back to rented apartment. I was going to take a walk but the weather had other opinions. I was about to step out the door when heavens opened and thunder and lightning started up. There were a couple of strikes close by, close enough to make me jump.

Needless to say that the weather put pay to the boys round of golf, they only made it to the third hole. With time to kill we watched some cricket, the second test until the weather was good enough to let us play for real in the drive way.

In the evening we headed out to The Returned and Services League or RSL as its known. In England we’d know it as a British Legion but over here they’re much bigger and profitable (mainly due to gambling) clubs. While having a few drinks I was amazed at the variety of ways you can bet. There’s one game called Kino that flashes numbers up Bingo style and entices people to bet a number of ways. We played our own version between us that the boys called Kino madness.

We had to wait for an age to get seated for dinner and after sitting down and choosing our food faced another long queue to order and pay. In the end we got frustrated with all the waiting, over an hour by now, so we raided the salad bar.

Having enough of the RSL we got the courtesy bus to Ulladulla and tried to get into the Marlin. Unfortunately over here you need ID to get in most places and Sandy didn’t have his. With this being the only place to go in town we bought some beer and headed back to the apartment where we ended the night with games of shit head Unfortunately the looser got Drambuie shots; this was mainly Higgsy who ended up pretty wasted.