After departing PiPi, the island tourist meca of Asia, I headed for Malaysia
and my flight from Kuala Lumpa to Singapore.

Singapore was really not what I thought it would be. Its stunning in its shopping, of which the entire island is almost one big shopping mall, and give them a few years and that might become reallity. However I never got to see the upside, cos appart from shopping, and marvelling at the ultra clean streats, there dosnt seem much to do for a wandering mind like mine.

After three days I was in danger of turning into a couch potato after the full on energy of Malaysia and Thailand, so with much relief I departed for Sydney Australia.

Sydney apart from being one of the most beautiful harbours in the world, is also the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. This was the reason I came to Sydney, to see if I could find a crew spot on one of the most famous offshore race from the Australian mainland to the island of Tasmanina to the south. I had been putting my name out on the net for a while, however due too a really disasterous race in 1993, a lot of requirements, such as two thirds of the crew racing together before the race, was not helping my cause.
Historically the weather for the Sydney Hobart is always rough. In fact when some friends took a paticularly rough ferry crossing to Tasmania, the ferry crew said the weather is only ever this bad when the yacht race is on. The weather going bad on a yacht race is not something I really concern myself with, its just something you have to deal with at the time, and sometimes its actually a lot of fun. But this year, watching the carnage of the super maxis, and all the smaller boats run for shelter, maybe it was a good one to miss.

The start of the race is on Boxing Day, and what a spectacle it is. Everyone who is anyone with a boat, is sipping beers lolling around on Sydney harbour long before the 1pm start gun...after which 120 high perfomance sailing yachts harnessing the north wind are chased out of the harbour by 2,000 gas guzzling launchs....and the beer drinking continues.

I spent the early part of the morning taking all manor of public transport, to get myself to the South Head of the harbour. With the city as a backdrop I wormed my way to the front of the crowds, and hung out in the sun as the crowds swelled till it seemed the cliffs must surely sink into the sea. As the yachts dissapear round the harbour mark and set spinikers for the run to the south, a mass of people scurry round the walkways trying to get one last look.
Luckily my destination that afternoon was a meeting in the Crusing Yacht Club Australia in Rushcutters bay, only halfway back along the harbour, meaning I could delay my arrival back into the city centre till the sun started to drop past the western horison, avoiding most of the crowds, but still getting the best views...

As it turns out, Asia was a bad place for a holiday just after christmas this year. I feel very fortunate to have escaped the Tsunami's that struck, devistating much of the landscape I had enjoyed just days before...
...so wraped up in the events of Sydney, I didnt even realise what had happened till the next day when i glanced at a newspaper stand. And one email that did come my way asking if I was OK, I assumed was talking about the harsh weather expected for the Sydney Hobart yacht race that I had been attempting to particapate in.

So in a matter of two weeks I feel like I missed out on two rather large hits delt up my mother nature, so whoever was looking out for me....thanks.