The trip back and the run up to New Year

The trip back from Mudgee was interesting. We chose a different route through Rylstone, where the first shop we saw advertised " guns and ammo", Zoe was not amused. We did try to sell her on the idea of a 100 acre plot where she could run some chalets, a camping site and a cookery school, whilst David could organise a track for four wheel drive vehicles, but she wasn't interested . We even suggested that she would have plenty of room for horses, but she still wasn't interested. We drove back down Bell's Line of Road, which was very scenic and offered some spectacular views.
We stopped at Mt Tombah, botanical gardens for a photo opportunity before getting home late in the afternoon.
Strangely all of us were very tired and the afternoon and evening passed quietly and watched Salmon Fishing in the Yemen which we all enjoyed.

The last day of the year dawned and Rosemarie and Zoe went off for a facial and a pedicure before the evening. I stayed at home to work on a talk for Tasmania and David went for a surf and then took the dogs out. All in all it was a quiet day.

We were picked up by a limo Zoe had organised and were taken into North Sydney. All the roads to the waterside were closed even at 6.00pm and we had to walk the last 500 metres or so. It was clear even at 6.30 that there would be thousands of people joining in the celebrations. The restaurant, Aqua  
Dining was at one end of the old Olympic swimming pool and was right behind the harbour bridge.
A truly spectacular setting.
As luck would have it the restaurant was closed when we arrived but Zoe knew that they would open at 7.00 on the dot, so we spent some 10 minutes or so watching customers come and ring the door bell for admittance only to be told the restaurant would, open in five minutes.
As soon as the doors were opened, we were there, our names were on the list and there was great excitement when on the second name check we were led to a table outside with a clear view of the bridge, looking down on the pool where hundreds of children were swimming. What we don't realise in Britain is that there are two firework displays, one at 9.00pm for the children and one at midnight. The children swimming in the pool had booked seats in the stands to see the 9.00 show after which they had to go home.
Our meal started with tempura courgette flowers stuffed with mozzarella, and a wonderful wine. In fact all the food and wine throughout the evening was wonderful. As Zoe had indicated the swimming stopped at 8.30 and at 9.00 the lights were dimmed before we had the first firework display of the night. In fact if that was all you had been able to see you would have gone home deeply satisfied. After the courgette flowers we had scallops and Moreton Bugs, duck and venison all with superbly chosen wines.
At midnight we were treated to the most fantastic firework display which brought tears to our eyes. It is one thing to see the display on television but quite another to see it first hand. We may never come again for New Year but every time we see the bridge or the fireworks at New Year, we can say, "We were there and had the most wonderful evening." An indelible memory.
After the display and the Happy New Year wishes we left the restaurant, where we had been treated like royalty, the food was delicious and beautifully prepared and the staff we attentive and very friendly. We walked back to where the hire car had dropped us to be picked up for the return journey. To get back to the car we had to make our way through the thousands of people waiting to catch a train home.
We were dropped home at about 1.30 made some phone calls and opened another bottle of wine, which we sat and drank, sitting outside until about 4.00am, another first, you could never sit outside in Cornwall on New Year's Eve in short sleeves.
We had the most fantastic of New Year Eve's, neither of us could have asked for more and we are more than grateful to David and Zoe for giving us this opportunity as a present. We will never forget this very special day in Sydney.