Australia Day One

Don't worry, I won't number them all the way up to 365! So I dropped my bags off at the flat and Elissa took me to Maroubra beach for fish and chips. We sat on a step watching the waves breaking and the tourists surfing, and noticed we'd attracted the attention of some of the local seagulls. Having eaten all we wanted, I threw a chip, just to see what would happen. Three or four of them dived after it, and a couple of seagulls flew down from further up the beach. A few chips later and we had a crowd of about 30 seagulls (the one pictured isn't one of them, though). One was squawking in a particularly high pitch, and another seemed to be pushing all the other gulls back so the high-pitched one had first go at the chips. As the seagulls got closer and closer we began to think better of the whole thing. We gathered up the rubbish and flinged the remaining handful of chips onto the beach, where there was much squawking and fighting, and then we disappeared up the beach, being followed by a combination of wry smiles and horrified looks from the folks sat on benches nearby.

Then Elissa drove me round the coast to the kitesurfing shop. When we walked in, there was a man in an afro wig and a facemask waiting to greet us! I asked if it improved his balance, and he said it made him look good cause everyone else would fall about laughing and he'd stay up on his board. I'm hoping to take lessons with them, they seem like a nice bunch.

Today's plan is shopping and seeing the middle of Sydney. More on that later!