We are in Sydney. After an epic four-day journey across oceans, mountains and the formidable Australian customs department (our tent pegs are now shiny and soil-free) we all reached the first stop of many in our Down Under Blunders.

All thirteen members are safe and accounted for, and enjoyed the journey immensely. Mike and Lucy conclusively dominated Chris and Rich at Battleships on the plane, while Jonathan and Chao battled it out in some Kung-Fu game or other. Thanks Virgin, for the awesome flights. Food wasn’t bad, either.

We also enjoyed a tremendous twenty six hours in Hong Kong – partying in Lan Kwai Fong, sailing across Victoria Harbour in the Solar Star, and much more. Huge thanks to Lucy’s dad for putting us all up there.

Great fun was had on our first Sydney morning. Pancakes on the Rocks (for the lucky ones) is always the best way to start an Aussie holiday. A quick wander around Circular Quay where Mike FINALLY bought the silly hat he’d been raving about for weeks, and Chris nearly got thrown into the harbour, followed by a barbeque on Coogee Beach and a night out in the pub down the road completed a tremendous first day. There was almost no eco-chat whatsoever, and the attempt at sculpting Endeavour out of sand on the beach was quickly trodden on, and replaced with sea monsters.

P.S. – Apologies for all the short posts that are going to be following us around on our trip – all these new and wonderful places are far too interesting for us to want to spend time on the internet.

We’re off to explore!