Byron Bay was the last stop before Sydney that I deemed absolutely vital, but given that it's still 790km north (nearly 500 miles) I thought it prudent to have a couple of stops along the way.

The first was Nambucca Heads. Absolutely nobody got off the Greyhound bus there...it looked very quiet. But I wanted a couple of days there to spend solidly watching TV and reading the paper (on the beach. Nice!) ahead of looking for work in Sydney. This photograph shows a storm brewing. Perfect weather for my TV viewing!
I also stopped at Newcastle....mostly because it meant I would arrive in Sydney at a sociable hour, but also because my sister worked there as part of her science post-doctorate a couple of years ago and I wanted to see what it was like. Unfortunately I only saw it in the dark, but with free wifi along the whole of Beaumont Street and a dorm room all to myself it certainly served a purpose.

On the morning of 11th April I boarded the bus at Newcastle, and by early afternoon I was knocking on the door of my new houseshare that I'd managed to sort out while I was on the road. I hadn't realised we would enter the city via the Harbour Bridge and my first view of the Opera House took my breath away. It felt like a symbol of a place I've wanted to get to for well over a decade.
I spent the first few days catching up with people that various friends had put me in touch with, then my birthday came along and I spent it at Manly, a suburb (with a glorious beach) to which you catch a ferry. In the evening my lovely new housemates took me to a local vegetarian restaurant. Then it was time for the work meetings. I lined up five and got immediate work out of two of them. I am now freelancing in rolling news and breakfast television. Woo hoo!!
I spent the first few days catching up with people that various friends had put me in touch with, then my birthday came along and I spent it at Manly, a suburb (with a glorious beach) to which you catch a ferry. In the evening my lovely new housemates took me to a local vegetarian restaurant. Then it was time for the work meetings. I lined up five and got immediate work out of two of them. I am now freelancing in rolling news and breakfast television. Woo hoo!!