It is not often one gets on what one thinks is a bus to paradise, only to find one has been thrown under the bus, but that is how things feel like at present. Whereas when I was on the crowded bus to Bondi and first came round the bend and saw the sweep of the bay, the blue sea, even the buildings, several of us travellers, including me, exclaimed. Here it was a lovely spring day and we could head for a busy and bustling iconic and exciting beach, but tempted though I was I stayed on till the end of the line, for I had read, if I walked up the road a bit and then looked over the sea, I just might see something special.
At first I thought I must be in the wrong place, a scrabby fence, that did not look safe and a wall, I was capable of falling over, seemed the only thing separating me from the rocks below but the first Australian passing by assured me she had just seen one and that she sees them regularly when walking the dog. So I hovered and looked and looked, when another Aussie, shouted there's one, I moved next to him and then I saw a different one, the smooth curve of a back and the plume of spray as the whale graced back into the water. And then I suddenly spotted one further out jumping up, another whale beside it. I almost jumped over the wall with excitement, yet for the next hour, until I gave up and joined the others on the beach, only a little sign of breath out to sea, told me there must be more whales passing by. However, I was over the moon. It has taken the whole of my life, but I have seen whales in their natural habitat and I did not have to pay for a boat to miss them. After that I was content to mostly just sit and enjoy watching everyone else brave the fierce undertow in the water, which explains the huge Baywatch type life guard presence. But having almost drowned in similar seas in France as a teenager, I was content just to paddle. But I have been to Bondi beach and I have seen whales, that is worth remembering on a very depressing and wet and sad day in the UK.
My first picture is how almost everyone imagines Sydney, my second reminds me there is another side to the town. I had to go back to the train station on route to Bondi, before changing onto the bus, and there to my surprise lots of trains buffs, were getting on "old" trains and the brass band was playing. Who knew.
