Sorry I have been off line for a few days.

Sunday 19th Oct. Today we return to Sydney. Fond farewells to JimAly and Shelly over coffee at the breakfast bar. Everything used to be free here when it was first opened as a facility for all the impoverished visiting grooms but because it became abused by the surrounding populace who started to drive in from Scoon to have a free breakfast they now charge for the grub. Easy drive (after the first 20km all on dirt roads) In the area surrounding Scoonthere are lots of stud farms and between them we are told that they produce 6000 foals a year. I have never seen so many horses all ept in beautifully groomed paddocks with post and rail fences. Stop at supermarket to shop for supplies for the next week. All the essentials such as tonic water (bought the gin at the airport)coffee and six packs of beer. Also stop at a vineyard in the hunter Valley in the mistaken hope of being able to buy some half decent local wine at sensible prices. Wishful thinking as it is geared very much for the tourist with swanky restaurant and dolly birdsin the house uniform handing out tasters. we buy a couple of bottlesof Chardonnay $20. each (£10) Stop at a supermarket wine shop where the same wine is $13. a bottle. Much happier. One thinks of the Hunter Valley as one of the major Australian wine producing area but from the main road running through the region on the way to Sydney one only sees a few vineyards and the most striking thing is the very extensive open caste coal mining which has totally reshaped the landscape. Arrive at Sydney Lakeside Holiday Complex at Narabeen in the late afternoon without any navigational trouble so your scribe and she who must be obeyed are still on speaking terms. The holiday complex contains Chalets/Villas and a large caravan parking area. we have a two roomed Villa overlooking an inletfrom the sea (Tasman Sea). Very comfortable with all mod cons. For the benefit of my world wide readership I should perhaps explain that the main purpose of our visit to Oz is to attend the World championship of the Internation Mounted Games Association.which are to be held at the Pittwater Rugby Ground here in Narrabeen which is maybe 20 miles north of Manley. The ponies have been provided by the host country so all the competitors (except Australia) will be riding on borrowed ponies. The disappointment is that only 11 countries instead of the original 17 which were hoped for will be competing. Ireland and Scotland are two of the defaulters which is a poor show, I think they blame the economic situation but Iam not convinced as they would have had to enter at least a year ago before the s**t hit the fan in the economic world.



Monday 20th Oct. I have to get the car (Toyota Camray?) back to Budget in downtown Sydney by 10am but we are somewhat late in getting started this morning and as you may all know the navigator is hardly sweetness and light before noon. She is put to the test after we have crossed over the bridge into centralSydney and we are a hour late in returning the car. Manage to blag my way out of having to pay for an extra day. The return journey to Narrabeen will be by ferry and bus. The ferries run from Circular Quay close to the Opera House so we walk there via Hyde Park and the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Oper House. Have unch beside the Quay. Seafood salad - expensive and not nice. The 40 minute ferry ride $8 each was interesting and I was pleased to see Sydney Harbour Heads - the entrance to the harbour from the ocean. Manley is nice and will try to visit it again later in the week. Eat your heart out Geoff McNicol. I am getting stuck into Vegemite but it ain't as good as Marmite. Dinner this evening at the Pittwater RSL Club which is a Returned Servicemens Club (a bit like our Ex-Servicemens Clubs but much bigger. better equiped and many many more fruit machines which provide all the profit to keep itgoing. Am afraid i am going to be a bit stingy on the photos for a day or two as Iam having to pay £5 an hour for the internet link here. Cheers for now.