First night in Sydney - and it's hot and humid! Lovely tropical feel about the place. Just been a short thunderstorm. Staying in luxury serviced apartments - shame only one night. Off to Blue Mountains tomorrow. It's so nice to be free - no more camper van!

Spent last 2/3 days in New Zealand not doing much in Christchurch. Before that went to see the "little blue penguins" in Oamaru (Australians used to call them fairy penguins, but for some strange reason that name is falling out of favour). Everyone goes through to a grandstand looking out over the sea, then at dusk these little "rafts" (that's the technical name) of absurd little penguins come into shore, and they all tentatively huddle together on on side of a gravel track. On the other side lies their (man-made) hollows, and safety. They dither for ages - you can almost see them shoving each other forward, each trying not to be the first to go. Eventually they waddle across - yellow-eyed penguins (see previous entry from Joanna) look like old men going for a walk; little blue penguins just look comical. Got back to camper van about 11!

Choices of cereals this evening:

• Pippa - Cheerios


• Katy - Cornflakes


• Joanna - Special K


• Jenny - Sultan Bran


• Andy - Fruity Weet-Bix

Photo is of a new friend Katy made in a park near our campsite in Christchurch!