I think it’s high-time I filed an update. I haven’t touched the laptop for a couple of days, now.

After typing my last blog entry, we went out for some Japanese food. I’ve had Japanese food before, but (as the photos we took show), Ichi Ban Teppenyaki in Parramatta is very different to your average Japanese restaurant abroad. A chef comes and cooks your meal on the hotplate in your table, before serving it to you by throwing at you: eggs, rice, the lot! Our chef really was a great sport and made the evening a lot of fun for us!

Tuesday was to be the day that we would go and climb the mighty arches that define the most prominent landmark in Sydney: The Sydney Harbour Bridge. We got given a slot at precisely the time that we had in mind, which left some time in the morning to grab a tasty lunch at Sam’s in The Rocks and take a look inside (and on top of) the South-East Pylon of the bridge. Mrs Johns was particularly excited to see the Tyne Bridge’s big brother, which was engineered in Middlesbrough.

Having been breathalysed, dressed up in a grey suit that would not look out of place in Spock’s wardrobe, had sunglasses and a cap attached to our suits, climbed and descended the "simulator" and been issued with a radio, we were told that there would be a brief delay. After the brief delay, we were informed that we would not be climbing due to a road traffic authority decree. We were later to learn that there had been a bomb threat.

To their credit, the BridgeClimb staff were very good and helped us rearrange our climb for yesterday afternoon. We made the most of the couple of hours that we now had free that afternoon to go up the Sydney Tower (it was a day for high things) and mooch around the City.

We caught the twilight o’clock ferry to Manly, to meet our hosts for dinner. We were taken to the Ribs and Rump Grill at Manly Beach. This is, we learned, one of the establishments that Martin Johnson and his band of merry men frequented when they were Down Under last November. There were autographs, photographs and signed shirts on display. My favourite was the one by Jason Leonard who declared that the Mixed Grill beat him. I spotted this after polishing off an entire mixed grill. Stick that over your touchline and convert it!

Anyway, yesterday, we got to do the bridgeclimb. The weather was great and the conditions were perfect. Three-and-a-half of your Earth hours, it takes from the time you check in ‘til the time you get presented with a certificate to say that you’ve survived climbing the Eastern arch to it’s peak, crossing the eight traffic lanes and then descending the Western arch. I forget how tall the arches are in metres, now, but one statistic did stick in my mind: four-and-a-half seconds! Not one for those with a fear of heights. Oh no! Astounding views of one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Also on yesterday’s agenda was the taking of compulsory tourist shots of a certain opera house. Very nice it is too.

We would up the day with Aussie mate, Sean. He filled us in on the last couple of years over a few schooners of Toohey’s Old and a meal in Chinatown. It’s always good to catch up with him.

Now… if you’ll excuse me, we have a ferry to catch…