Sydney, Australia

Sun pouring through the balcony windows, the breeze, harbour and the opera house; it's another great day in Oz. After 90 minutes of humiliation in the gym, I had a little wander round the area with Chad and we finally made our way out to the Opera House itself. It's design still so modern and fresh, looks as though the thing could break away from it's foundations and happily sail away. I remember seeing Roy Orbison play there about this time back in 1976, fantastic, still hitting all the scary notes in those wonderful songs, in that wonderful place. Well, Roy's long gone but the SOH stands graceful and proud. Hats off to them both.

We ended up at Doyle's Seafood Restaurant for lunch on the harbour. I don't think there's a bad piece of fish in this country, but Doyle's is famous for some of the best. On that trip to Oz in 1976 I met a girl in Melbourne who would become my wife and along with seeing Roy, we had a meal or two at Doyle's here in Sydney. They say you can't go back, but every now and again you can. I wish she was here with me now.

I met a guy and his girl in the lift this afternoon who came to Sydney from Hong Kong just to see the show. That's so flattering and it's good to know that music still affects people that way. I wonder sometimes if the kids are as moved by music as we were, there seems to be so many other things pulling at their sleeves, not to mention their dollars, and music is only a small part of it now. To us it was everything.

The Sydney Entertainment Centre is the site of a 28-day run of shows Mark and Guy had done as Dire Straits. We returned tonight to a sold out house for a show that sounded great and was fully in control round every corner at all times. We moved Trawlerman's Song to the middle part of the show tonight for a change and brought back Rudiger which works beautifully in a big house. Matt Rollings sounds like he was born to play the accordion, gets better every night even though it's a new instrument for him. Look at it this way Matt, if it all went to hell tomorrow you'd be assured a future in busking. Brothers In Arms was particularly moving tonight and that's in no small part due to Matt's bellows and reeds.

It's been a good few days here in Sydney and I won't let another 29 years get by before I return again. I'll bring that girl from Melbourne back with me and take a table for two at Doyle's.

So long,

Richard