Day 91 (Sydney)

Up before the crack of dawn again this morning, but for the FINAL time! We awoke from slumber in our cabins in Narrandera with mixed emotions about the day ahead. For me, I was excited to get to Sydney and reach the end of the OzBUS portion of my journey - I was looking forward to the sense of achievement of having stuck with it when the going got tough for me (which is did a bit from time to time). But on the other hand I was sad about what the end of the trip would mean for the friendships that had been forged along the way. Some of the crew have become like my right arm so the thought of leaving them was quite upsetting.

Our only scheduled stop along the way was for a brief spell in Canberra. We pulled in there for an hour or so, grabbed a bite to eat, used the toilet facilities and were on the way again with an additional passenger aboard. Wombat's girlfriend's father..very random! He gave us an impromptu description of the sights as Wombat drove around (with what may have been the first genuine smile I saw on his face). It was nice to have things pointed out, though it reduces what I've got to see in Canberra considerably!

After that stop we were back on the road...limited toilet stops as we needed to push on to make it to Sydney while it was still bright enough to get a decent photo at the Opera House. We drove, and drove, and drove, and drove...we got to Sydney and it was bright, we got lost in Sydney and it got dark. We managed to end up quite lost and with Wombat tired as hell from the mammoth drive the Opera House photo was abandoned :(

I was gutted. That photo, though it may seem insignificant to some people was what acted as a proper close to the trip for me. To never get it, it sucks and at long last I could see where Todo was coming from with his "I'll be deflated if I don't see Everest" comment! But while clouds blocking a mountain will stop you seeing it, a dark sky with a glowing Opera House is better than no sky and no Opera House.

I suppose I could have said something, but realistically I wasn't going to kick off about because at that point we'd been on the road for hours and everyone was dying for the toilet (who supplies a bus for 12 hour drive days without a working toilet when there are little or no places to stop for a toilet?). So rather than finish things properly we were bussed to the hostel and turfed out there. A bitter disappointment for me. I'd filled out my comment card already so couldn't voice my disgust at how the trip ended, not cool guys, not cool at all!

As it was Richard's birthday I turned my frown upside down and went to join everyone at the Gaff for some celebratory drinks and foods. It turned out to be a great night, and the upset about the photo faded somewhat. I can do a funny photoshop of the Opera House over the picture we got in Canberra..not the same but at least it's something I guess?