Ciarán O’Connell, JOE.ie’s intrepid backpacker says goodbye to friends and family in Adelaide – and encounters his first kangaroo – before heading cross-country on a marathon 24 hour road trip. He hits the heady heights of Sydney where there’s Cock ‘N’ Bull and craic aplenty as he lives it up in the bars and on the beaches.
Dear JOE,
As I finished last week I was just wrapping up my time in Adelaide to make the marathon 24 hour road and train journey to Sydney.
Over my last few days in Adelaide I spent my time meeting up with friends there and with past roses from my days as an escort in the Rose of Tralee – all the while sampling the local night life. We hit some cool spots and had some great nights out – it was a great place to use the Irish accent as there weren’t many Irish around the city and even the local old ladies just wanted to stop and listen to you talk.
Before I took on the day-long trip to Sydney I spent one last day with my cousin Sean and his family. They ended up taking me for a drive north of Adelaide into the country where we visited the site of the world’s biggest rocking horse – I kid you not, we even got to climb it! I got to see my very first Kangaroo too which was cool but unfortunately it didn’t do much except for just sit there. Still, that’s a box ticked and a photo taken all the same.
Ciarán’s first encounter with a kangaroo
After saying goodbye to everyone I hit the manic 24 hour trip cross-country all the way to Sydney and on arrival I met up with some of the boys from home whose place I was going to be crashing at for the first few days I was there. Over the next two days I got in some of Sydney’s famous sights including the massive Coca Cola sign in Kings Cross, a few beaches and of course the world famous Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
Through my own luck (or maybe it was the luck of the Irish) I’d managed to arrive when there was a big celebration planned in the city that meant a day’s boozing and eating around Sydney harbour’s edge and surrounding parks. The town was full of people filling cars with picnic baskets, eskies and loads of drink and getting down to the parks early to get their spot for the day. Many of the locals had started drinking once they got there so as you can imagine the atmosphere was rocking with friends and families laid out in the January sun enjoying the weather and the atmosphere.
We arrived fully loaded of course – there are no real food or drink places in these parks – and it was here that I was finally introduced to the backpackers’ favourite and infamous Australian “GOOON”; basically a 4-litre box of wine! As the day went by the box was emptied and homemade entertainment was breaking out all over; sporadic singsongs were starting and stopping all around us reminding me a little of the Oxegen campsite but without all the tents. Even though the decibel levels were rising it was still a very laidback atmosphere with everyone sitting around and chatting and it was a great way to meet new people as well as fellow travellers.
A quick but impressive fireworks display ended the evening’s celebrations. It was amazing to see but once again it was followed by the rather dissapointing sight of the locals packing up and heading home as soon as the fun and firewworks were over, something I’ve noticed about the Australians since I’ve been here. Yes, they certainly like to drink and to party but they start early and finish early, unlike the countless Irish here who can’t find – or don’t have – the off switch and drag a night out for as long as they can. And over here you really can drag the night out as long as possible as some bars and clubs are open 24 hours. In fairness though as you walk through the streets late at night you do still see the lights and hear the music of the private parties dotted all over the many apartment blocks and skyscrapers throughout the city.
The next day we headed straight to famous Bondi beach which was full of surfers and I got my first sight of the famous red and yellow surf rescue lifeguards. The evening was wrapped up when we caught up with some friends who we’d met the night before. We continued the Irish celebrations and headed to the famous Tea Gardens and the Cock ‘N’ Bull Irish pubs in Bondi Junction, both well known haunts to anyone who’s been to Sydney.
Right, that’s about it for this week. Next week I leave Sydney and grab a flight north to the very wet and humid city of Darwin, where I’ll be visiting Kakadu National Park and watching some jumping crocs.
See you after kid
Ciarán O’Connell
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