SYDNEY

After months of waiting... it was finally time to go to Sydney and meet up with our friends Jocelyn and Rob who were flying into Sydney from Ottawa for their Australian cruise!!

Jocelyn and I had been counting down the days for the past 3 months?! Daryl and I had an early start as we were flying a low budget airline that requires you to check in a minimum of 1.5 hours prior to take off. We were there in plenty of time and boarded on schedule. Daryl was dosing while we waited to take off and I was listening to the hyper teenagers in front of us. After 40 minutes Daryl woke up and asked if we were in Sydney yet... we were then advised that we had to get off the plane because there were mechanical issues and they did not know how long it was going to be.

Jocelyn and Rob were due to land in Sydney at 10:15 and I had told them that we would meet them at the international airport info desk.... We contacted Air Canada to see if we could get a message to them... I sent two text messages to Joce's blackberry hoping that she would turn it on again when she landed...

Daryl suggested that one of us book an emergency flight and go ahead to meet them in Sydney. We booked a flight with Qantas - that flight did not have any delays and I got to Sydney at 11:30.

Joce and Rob had gone ahead to the hotel - after all they had already spent enough time in airports and I remember the long flights all to well;P I didn't know if I should take a cab, airport shuttle or take the train... I was a little afraid that I might get lost. I decided to inquire about the train and it seemed quite straight forward. It was a 27 minute train ride to our hotel which was a block from the station. AND I got a beautiful view of the Harbour Bridge on my way there! The camera was with Daryl and I was trying to look like I wasn't a tourist! I got plenty of photos later....