A Hostel to Rival Hogwartz...

(Meaning to rival the hostel in Dunedin, not Hogwarts itself. My trip would probably indefinitely prolonged if that were the case.)

Built in the early 1900s with big, wide staircases and lots of windows, the hostel here has a big stone terrace with (I kid you not) a fountain, a huge, airy kitchen with windows on three sides, a 100 ft long ballroom (turned common-room, with comfy couches clustered throughout and tables on the raised sides) and a dedicated reading room just off it. Which is awesome - this hostel seems pretty quiet (the one out in Bondi was really loud. Surfers are stay-up-late and sleep in type people, it seems. Normally you could go back to your room for some quiet, but I was sharing with three *exceptionally* loud Irish night owls, making this all the more lovely.)

Also.

There's parrots! Well, maybe. I have not yet tried to identify them (any birders out there? :p ) They are white with curved yellow crests sitting out of the back of their head, and they make parrot noises and hang around in the trees by the terrace.

I took the train from Sydney (well, bused from Bondi to Sydney, train from Sydney to here) to Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains (well, I haven't seen any mountains...) Again, props to the Sydney transit system... I'm a few hours from Sydney but its still part of the city's rail system... it would be like Translink running hourly trains to Hope!

There's a lady here from Edmonton, and one of the not-Irish people in the dorm last night was from Moyette! That was a new one. (If you're wondering where that is, its a tiny little island northwest of Madagascar administered by the French overseas department).

Bondi Beach was lovely,

Saltwater pool at Bondi Beach

as far as beaches go, but super hot and humid! Also they had some cool rocks. It is a much more pleasant temperature, here. :p

And a banana and a container of nutella waiting to be eaten :) (okay, I'm not going to eat the whole container of nutella in one go haha)!

By the way, sloths inhabit the jungles of Central and South America.

Edit: its not a parrot. Its a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo!