Since visiting Sydney in 2003 I’ve been longing to return. In the intervening years I’ve visited more cities and for a time considered Chicago to be my new favourite – understandable given my love of architecture. As I flew over Sydney Harbour I quickly realised I was wrong.
I’ve long held two ambitions. The first: to return to Australia before this decade is out. The second: to welcome in a New Year on Sydney Harbour before I turn 30.
Having arranged my flights into and out of New Zealand before I had decided upon a full itinerary – departing from Wellington rather than an airport further south – meant I had little time to really explore the South Island.
From Nelson I reluctantly headed back to Wellington, cursing myself for not having an itinerary that continued south. However, Wellington will remain the most memorable city of this trip, although perhaps not entirely for the right reasons.
Before the tan disappears I’d like to record my short journey across New Zealand and Australia. There is much to say, so over the next few days, I shall try to describe how I ended the previous decade down-under.