Sydneyside

I have just returned from a long weekend in Sydney and am suffering a severe bout of Mondayitis.
Across the Ditch to see The Cure, it's rather a case of Friday I'm in Love, Monday I am losing the will to live.
Well, perhaps that's a touch melodramatic...
But heading to work on a cold Auckland Monday morning is made all the more dejecting when just two days ago I was basking in 25 degree heat, under a cloudless sky, perusing market stalls and enjoying iced drinks on the waterfront.
Bliss.
I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
Staying with my former flatmate and darling friend Evanje, I managed to fit in all my favourite activities in just 48 hours.
Of course, I realise it was not a fair and accurate portrayal of what life in Sydney is like. I'm sure plenty of Sydneysiders struggle to go to work on Monday morning.
But I can't help but sit here now and pine for the sunshine, the shops and the gorgeous boys I left behind.
Sigh.
My trip also made me realise how much I miss living in a big, established city. The sense of history ingrained in the streets and ease of access to, well, everything.
Geek though this makes me, I miss readily available public transport.
It seems I am not the only one feeling this way.
Upon my return, I note that Herald readers are debating the merits of life in New Zealand following the release of two reports last week.
The studies found that many Asian students think New Zealand is boring, unfriendly and old-fashioned.
Reading the feedback, some interesting points are made - as well as some truly ridiculous, xenophobic remarks from idiots - the key one being there is plenty to do in New Zealand if you're the outdoorsy, adventurous type.
If you're not, it seems you're rather up the proverbial creek without a paddle.
Leaving a bar on Oxford Street at midnight on Saturday, I was stunned by the numbers of people out and about. It was busier than mid-afternoon on Queen St.
As we cabbed over to Kings Cross, the numbers didn't die out. There were people everywhere.
Yes, a lot of them were young and on the razz but likewise a lot of them weren't. Some were older. Some were sober. It was a sight you just don't see in Auckland.
Of course it is a question of numbers. New Zealand has just four million people living here, with a little over one million in Auckland. Sydney has 4.3 million people.
But it's made me think. Perhaps a lot of New Zealanders don't want to be out socialising in the small hours.
Perhaps they're saving themselves for a big tramp or surf the next day. Maybe that's why they choose to live here.
If you do want that big city life (as I am currently realising I do) perhaps it's time we chose somewhere else.