Having booked our lifetime pilgrimage to Sydney Mardi Gras nearly a year ago, it came round with astonishing speed. Cashing in our airmiles to get the flights (did we really spend that much on the credit card?), we booked our trip mainly on the internet, to take in Bangkok, Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore on a three week jolly. I go into a bit of a Judy Chalmers in my travel information below...

Mardi Gras in Sydney itself was overwhelming. The parade of 150 floats at dusk, the huge crowds lining the route and the ENORMOUS after-party at Fox Studios was enough to make our heads spin. If wall to wall beautiful people, muscles of the rippling variety, 19,000 revellers on dancefloors the size of a small country aren't your thing, then the world's biggest gay event just isn't for you.

From a surprisingly smallish gay scene, an enormous event planned to absolute precision unfolded before us, with an international influx of LGBT tourism to challenge this Olympian city.

Fortunately for us, and maybe unfortunately for RB, our hotel room overlooked the parade route, which meant that we could enjoy it with the comfort of nibbles and bubbles without having to endure the swirling masses below. Of course, my photography skills didn't quite meet the exacting requirements that darkness and balconies demand, so I apologise for the quality of photos. Of course, if I'm honest, I was on holiday and really didn't care!

Sydney itself is a city of dreams - and our week there was just enough to sample the delights of this pretty metropolis blessed with beaches, bars and fabulous shopping.

We've brought a little piece of our holiday back for you - our trip to the zoo with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, our cruise around Sydney Harbour, a few bad photos of the parade and a little bit about everywhere we went. It's probably a bit smug, but it was an experience the memories of which will last longer than my already peeling tan.