Oh what a weekend! I don’t know how Ben keeps up with that Donkey. Basil has not stopped all weekend. There were supposed to be some updates for you throughout the weekend but the moment I took my eye of Basil he was off on another adventure.

As I was getting ready for the Australian Business Women’s Conference & Expo early on Saturday morning, Ian and Basil were having a look at the surfing conditions via Coastalwatch. The report wasn’t good but as Ian said “How good does it have to be to teach a donkey how to surf?”

I was grateful that Ian had managed to convince Basil to head surfing with him. Cosidering the result of Basil’s last experience at a female-focused conference with Liz Strauss I was pleased they were going surfing. If he had wanted to come with me to the expo I still hadn’t worked out how I was going to explain him to the organisers.

Basil is quick to pick up most things and surfing was no different. Ian was very impressed and managed to snap this before Basil decided that he had been there done that and to make it complete all he needed was the t-shirt.

Unfortunately in the car on the way to the beach Ian had dropped something about the business women’s expo being at Royal Randwick racecourse. So when Ian asked Basil what he wanted to do after surfing there was just one idea on Basil’s mind “Fillies”.

Thankfully Basil was more interested in fillies of the 4-legged variety than the 2-legged ones I was talking with at the conference. I did get a call from security though. One of the ground staff had found Basil trying to chat up a nice 2-year old Bay filly - there was something about Basil telling her that “once you’ve had a Donkey you never go back”. I just didn’t want to know the details.

Thankfully Ian hadn’t gone far after dropping Basil off and headed back to pick him up. Ian knew just what to do with him to keep him out of mischief. Keep him busy and tire him out was the plan.

Apart from the Opera House one of the most significant landmarks in Sydney is the Harbour Bridge, and one of the most popular things to do for both locals and visitors is the Sydney Bridge Climb. Small groups of climbers are taken by a climb leader from the southern pylon to the very top of the arch and then back down the other side. The views of the city are outstanding either day or night, and Basil managed to snare a last-minute spot in one of the highly sought after night climbs.

Being scared off by heights I haven’t been on the climb myself (but Ian has) and even thought Basil tried his best to convince me to come with him I wouldn’t budge. So off Basil headed in his standard gray climbing uniform (he said it was just his colour) and joined a small group. I don’t know who his climbing partners were but here is a shot of them all at the top of the bridge with the lights of Sydney behind them. And Basil’s recommendation “If you ever get to Sydney you just have to do this. Even for an unfit donkey like me it was a breeze.”

With Basil’s time here in Sydney drawing to a close it was time to get him home, sit with some friends and show Basil some good Australian hospitality around the BBQ.

Tags: australia, travel, tourism, basil, sydney, opera house, bridge climb