benjiwa

Okay so this weekend just past I loaded my gear up and trekked out to the boonies to catch a flight from out remote state ( ) of WA at 5:30am to Sydney. Apart from being 6 foot 4ish and crammed into a seat for a 5 foot tall person it was a pretty uneventful flight. Watched Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino and the most of th movie Beautiful Creatures.

Landed at around 11:30am and after some confusion found where my friend was parked. Swear we walked past each other half a dozen times Made it safely out of the airport and we drove back to hers from where we caught the initially very confusing train network to the little backpackers/hotel I was to stay at.

Immediately offloaded the gear into my cell of a hotel room, which smelt like someone had died in it (sorted this out with half a can of deodorant) and then decided we needed some lunch. We walked around for a while, with m continuously taking photographs like a giant tourist before deciding on The Windsor Hotel as our lunch spot.



Stuffed ourselves on burgers and fries, washed back with a nice cold cider. Soooo delicious.

Then back onto adventures in walking! Wandered our way towards Darling Harbour with me sweating my mind out in all black clothing. Seriously the one time I go to Sydney, a place that's supposed to be like 10 degrees and freezing all the time its 30 degrees and im dying.





As such after our tour of Darling harbour we nipped back so I could change into shorts and then caught the train out to Circular Quay. For those of us in WA that's where the Opera House is. Went and photographed the Opera House and from its paths the Sydney Harbour Bridge as well. Stuck around for happy hour at The Opera Bar for some more ciders and then wandered around on the opposite bank where we found this mind blowing macaroons store. Each different macaroon was like an exercise in food-orgasm so many mind blowing flavours and such intense tastes!




After that we went our separate ways so we could shower change and meet up for dinner.

A quick dinner of fish and chips and beer at The Orient in the Rocks area of Circular Quay and the a night of drinking and dancing at Argyle Bar. Soooo many Sailor Jerry's. I had completely forgotten how amazing that stuff tastes until I was drinking it all night Managed to tip my bartender well enough that he started selling us 2 for the price of one which was brilliant. Kept doing rounds between myself and michelle interspersed with lots of dancing until about 1am when we both felt the exhaustion (myself having been up since 3am the day before) and called it a night. But not before the obligatory maccas run

After a brutally short sleep I managed to drag myself out of bed for 10am meet up at the ferry for a day trip to Toronga zoo! After a mildly nauseous ferry trip we arrived and caught the free shuttle to the top of the zoo. I got some absolutely great shots of the animals and t the same time was giving an impromptu photography lesson to my friend Michelle who have brought along her own camera.



My favourite photographs had to be of the Koalas and some frogs. Got a lot of decent shots of most of the other animals as well including some awesome lizards, snakes, and a rock wallaby.




About halfway through the day my leg just about gave out as I have bad joints and had been walking almost none stop on very little sleep for 2 days. So we called lunch and hung out in the food court for a bit while I recovered. After that we went and checked out Elephants and Seals and lots of other creatures including meerkats and some VERY stinking mountain goats.



Slowly made our way back down the hill looking at enclosures until we reached the ferry and headed home on the 5:15pm trip.

So while Michelle hogged my hotel bed and put her feet up (her roommate at home had the only keys and was out so she chilled with me) I got myself all prettied (sort of) for the SGAU Ball! Biggest bundle of nerves. Was very nervous to meet some many new people all at once, however I figured with an open bar everyone would be pretty relaxed. Around 7 I said goodbye to Michelle and very nervously made my way downstairs to the function room.

Greeted at the door by the very lovely, friendly and recognizable Puffin who initially was confused as to who I am as my picture on the site doesn't feature my blue hair After some explanation and laughter I got my name tag/sticker thingy and went inside.

Straight to the bar.




I wont give a complete run down but I got over my nerves once I realised how amazingly friendly and warm and open absolutely every single one of the attendees were. I have infinite love for al the SGAU crowd for how friendly and accepting and approachable they all were, a lot of them actually coming over to me to introduce themselves to the semi-shy newbie.



I don't have a highlight of the night as the whole night was simply amazing and a testament to all the hardwork by Puffin, Exkyu and Countessa.

It was such a fun night and so good to meet many of the members I have seen posting on the site and actually get to converse with them. So interesting to learn about them and what they do. Absolute Gems all of them.

Our Australian members are the most amazing and loveable people, the best sense of humors. it was hilarious to watch and be a part of a night of such drunken debaucherous fun. You should all go and send our AU SG's and the Australia Hopefuls some love on their sets. Not only are they amazingly sexy and confident ladies, they are also some of the most fascinating, intelligent and fun ppl you will ever meet or talk to.



It was awesome getting to meet and talk to some members who seemed initially to my newbie self to be a bit legendary. Some with memberships going back almost 10 years.

Spent an hour or so hanging with the bad ass Christina who was DJing on the night and talking all sorts of things which was fantastic.

As the ball wound down I wound up partying on with TFOK, Diessel, Kyuss and B(?), drinking Fireball Whiskey and gate crashing an Alison Wonderland event.