We finally landed at Sydney at 6:35 in the morning. We managed to finally get out of the airport at 8:35 because it took us 2 hours to get through Customs and Immigration. We met our Dad who was looking very bored after having to stand and wait for 2 hours and we made the 30-minute trip to my Dads bungalow in the town of Manly. My dads house was brilliant because just down the road was the beach and it was near most things. We went into my Dads house sat down in his beautiful looking garden and had a nice drink in the sun. At that point I thought to myself, just think of everyone back home sitting in the freezing cold where it is wet and windy. We are sitting in paradise. I noticed the weird length of the grass at that point on the floor. It was very thick from the grass in England.
Billie, my little sister woke up about half an hour later and we met her for the first time for 2 years. It was the first time we had ever spoke and she was very shy to start off with but once we went through our first day she started to get to know us more and became a lot more open. She was really just like me when I was that age. She always had a lot of energy and was always hyperactive. She would never keep her mouth closed because she was always talking and she was very big for her age.
On our first day we went for a big breakfast in Manly high street with my Dad, Leanne (my Dads partner), my sister, Ken (my nans partner) and my Nan who had been in Australia for 3 weeks with Ken before us and was enjoying it very much. She did not live in Australia but in the sunny town of Chelmsford! After having Breakfast we went back to my dads house, got our gear on and went down to the swimming pool which was also just down my Dads road.
I was amazed when we went swimming at how good my Billie could swim. She was only 3 and she was brilliant at swimming for her age. She could swim without anything to help her. My Brother and I did go for a swim but because of the long flight we where extremely tired and in need of a rest.
I also met some of my new parts of the family because my Uncle moved out to Australia nearly 4 years ago and is now happily married but I do think the only reason he married was to get an Australian Passport to stay out there. He had also a daughter who was my new cousin. I was quite amazed when I suddenly realised she was my cousin. I also realised how annoying she was on my first day. I was staying in this country for 4 weeks! How was I going to get on?
My holiday went on and we did some really exciting things. My Dad, my brother and I went to see Australia V England in the 5th Ashes Test, which was brilliant considering we won finally. We went to see all 5 days of the test and although it was really good it was extremely tiring because of sitting in the sun 5 days running and also we where getting up at 7:30 in the morning and going to bed at 12:00 at night. |
Another thing we did was we climbed up the Sydney Bridge, which was the highlight of my holiday. Seeing the view from the top and the climbing was a real fitness test. I was quite annoyed because I was unable to take my camera or camcorder up the bridge because they would not allow it encase it was to drop out of my hands and fall into the busy road below.
I became very fit while I was in Australia because I played football with my Brother and my Dad most nights and we played a lot of cricket. We also went on the occasional run. My Dad used to be the best player in the football team when he was my age at St Thomas More, the same as my brother was at my age and probably still is now. I sometimes feel that I have done wrong because I have not followed the same ways as my Dad and my brother. When I was playing football with them and watching them play I could see that they where both brilliant players. My Dad could’ve went extremely far in playing football after being scouted for Wolves who where one of the top 6 teams in Division 1 at that time but after some of his friends started smoking and going into pubs that was when his fitness dropped and he was forced out of the football team. He stopped playing for his football club Southend Manor and stopped playing football all together. He is now playing football for a football team called De- in Australia and although he is 40 is excellent for his age. He had a couple of problems a couple of years ago after his cartilage went in his left leg which put him out of football for nearly 2 years and then he also had to have his whole knee re-constructed.
My time in Australia every time I go is always enjoyable and I have so much fun. My Dad does spoil my brother and I and it’s so good to see the family who are not just round the corner and not just up the road. I do miss them very much and whenever I am able to I will always travel the long distance just to see them. I am so happy to see them when I do and now with my new little sister I can never wait to see them again.
Although I do not see them much I am so lucky that I can travel the distances that I do and see the different things that I see. My life could not get any better.
