The sun has set in Sydney, bringing our second full day here to a close. Already I feel vastly more aquainted with this city than I ever expected; perhaps it’s the informality, perhaps its the fascinating & unusual past, but it seems clear to me why so many people come here and unexpectedly find themselves at home.

We arrived on Tuesday night, on a Quantas Airbus A380. This is an aeroplane that cannot be overstated. The worlds largest airliner, the A380 truly is a beast. But it also offers a fantastic flight to even the budget traveller. One of the innovations, known as Skycam, was a tail-mounted forward-facing camera you could view from the seatback screens, showing an excellent view of what was going on outside. The meals were delicious, snacks frequent and the entertainment on offer for the seatback was sublime. It is possibly the only way 21 hours in a chair could be considered enjoyable.

On arrival in Sydney I recalled how often in this position, I’d been preparing to practice the native language. It was the first of numerous times here I’d have to remind myself that this time I was in a land where English was the first language, so I didn’t need to recall Rosetta Stone flashcards. Then, just to put a clog in it, our cab driver was Malaysian.

For this stay, we’d be residing in The Strand Hotel/Hostel; named such I presume because it was probably considered a hotel when first built some hundred years ago, but is really more at hostel standards these days. It may be basic, yes, but the showers are good and the beds are comfy enough. We noticed every time we opened a window there’d soon be a cloud of very odd little flies buzzing about soon after. Unsure of the taxonomic classification I dubbed them “G’day Flies”: as they just seemed to amble around in circles, neither landing nor bothering anyone or anything. Just laid back, in true Sydney style.

Our first day was surprisingly adventurous. We saw the Circular Quay (that of Opera House and Harbour Bridge fame), the Royal Botanic Gardens, Darling Harbour & many more. We topped the day with a meal at the Hard Rock Sydney, then came home on the Monorail. Day two was a lazier start, but we took a Free Tour led by a nice chap called Matthew. These walking tours are funded through tips direct to the guide and take you through the city in a way that’s fascinating and friendly.

Lastly, I should note that most of this has been largely unimpeded by the fact I seem to have had some sort of cold/sore throat thing going on for some days now. Hopefully it will hurry up and leave me in peace to enjoy this amazing experience!