We were invited to go to Sydney for Lily’s twenty first birthday celebration and so we flew down on Friday February 6 on a 9.30am Virgin flight from Sunshine Coast Airport and returned Sunday on a 3.00pm flight.
In order to get to the airport in time, we had the alarm set for 4am and left home at about 4.20. We stopped in at Gympie shopping centre to charge but unfortunately the centre wasn’t open until 8 so we sat in the car and waited.
We arrived at the airport at 8am and dropped the car at the Sunshine Coast Park ‘n’ Fly. They drove us to the airport in our car which is a little different to what we have experienced at other venues.
Since we didn’t have any luggage to check in and thinking that there would be a check-in portal in the waiting area, we went in through security and went looking for the portal. Of course there wasn’t one so we had to go out, check in through the luggage check-in area to get our boarding pass and then come in through security. It all wasn’t a big problem because we had plenty of time.
The flight to Sydney went as one would expect and when we arrived at Sydney Dax, Selena and Lily were waiting at the exit. Dax and Selena had driven up from Canberra that morning and Lily came down from Newcastle by train and found her way out to the airport.
It was time for lunch so we went to a shopping centre to satisfy our hunger. While eating Lily suggested that a movie would be a good way to pass the afternoon and suggested that we go and see Marty Supreme. It went for two and a half hours so it certainly filled the afternoon. I thought it was a good way to pass the afternoon, although the movie was a little too long.
That then made it time to go and check into our accommodation at The Oasis on Beamish which is in Campsie. Dax arranged this accommodation for us because it was quite near where they stay when they come to Sydney. It was quite a suitable place to stay in the middle of Sydney.
We had to have all of our meals out so they met us at around 6pm and we walked up to a restaurant they some times and frequent which was not too far from the Oasis. It turned out to be a Malaysian restaurant. I ordered some sweet and sour prawns which was a new experience and they were really good. They even made the rice taste good.
Saturday morning it was off to another restaurant for breakfast. It was called XS but I can’t remember which suburb it was in. It can’t be all that far away from the Oasis or their house because Jeremy, Lily’s cousin ran there. Fortunately one of the staff members took this photo so we could all be in it.
After breakfast, we went to another shopping centre and spent some time (and money). We decided that for lunch we would buy some bread and a few condiments and go back to the house where Dax and Selena were staying. The house belongs to Selena’s sister, Annie. It seems to be the house the family stays in when they come to Sydney. Very convenient for all.
So we had some lunch there and then were transported back to the Oasis for some R&R which was very appreciated. In the afternoon, Lily went to the unit where she and her friend from Canberra were staying for a couple of nights because they were going to a music function on Sunday and travelling their separate ways on Monday.
Dax, Selena and Jeremy picked us up some time after 5pm to make our way to the venue for the evenings function. It was much closer to the city in the suburb called Surry Hills. So it was a good drive to get there and almost as good to find a parking spot. We found an on street sparking spot not far from the venue and walked to there.
We arrived a little early at the SANG, a Korean restaurant where the function will be held. We had to wait outside until they were ready. This must be common because there were many groups of people waiting outside obviously small venues in the area. I will write about the function in another entry.
Our function was organised for between 6 and 8pm and they had another function coming in at 8 so we had to leave for them to clean up and prepare for the next function.
We were back at the Oasis by 9pm and ready for bed. Sunday morning we checked out and were picked up at 9am and taken for breakfast at Flower Power. It is associated with a plant nursery and is very popular, even though it was raining. Check the breakfast burger on Jeremy’s plate, the triple pancakes and Dax’s plate. Very pleasant environment and agreeable food.
At around lunch time, Dax and Selena took us out to the airport at around midday so that they could go back to Canberra at a suitable time. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 3.05pm so we sat and passed the time in the waiting lounge.