What an adventure to virtually end my Australian travels. It was an amazing last trip...once I got there. I woke up at 3:50 am to take the 4:15 train. Unfortunately, New South Whales is undergoing trackwork and so I had to get off the train and transfer to a bus for the remainder of the trip to the airport. No problem, I had time. Except the bus was 30 minutes late. I started panicking when it was around 10 minutes late but the only 2 taxis to drive by already had passengers. So, when I finally got to the airport and sprinted to the check-in, I had missed it by 7 minutes. Unfortunately the airline I was flying with only offered 1 flight per day to Cairns and so I had 2 options. I could pay a fee and take the flight the next day and miss my white water rafting trip. Or I could check with another airline and try and get a new flight yet that day. Since I was really looking forward to my rafting trip I opted for a new flight - at a heafty cost.
My first day in Cairns was rather uneventful. I walked around the city to get a feel for my surroundings and spent some time lounging at the lagoon identical to the one I described in the Whitsundays. I went grocery shopping to compensate for my new plane ticket by sticking to a diet of PB and J for every dinner. I also enjoyed the night time markets and strolling along the Promenade which became my favorite escape spot. The promenade is a boardwalk that ran the length of the ocean for quite a few kilometers and ended in the harbor. It was something you would see in a movie. I wound up running along the promenade almost every night because it was so peaceful and inspiring. They also had outdoor workout stations so I could do sit ups, pull ups and various other exercises outside under the stars. It was amazing.
I was up bright and early the next morning for my rafting trip. This was my 4th time white water rafting but perhaps my favorite. The rapids were more intense which always gets the adrenaline pumping and increases the thrill of rafting. The weather was beautiful too so the water felt great. I requested to sit in the front since I knew from previous experience that was the most intense seat. We also got to do a few extracurricular activities like cliff diving and hopping out of the raft to swim a few less intense rapids. My group was a lot of fun and I was definitely glad I decided not to take the flight the next day and miss it.
The next day I went to the Atherton Tablelands. Not my favorite part of the trip, but neat to explore the rolling hills nonetheless. The most exciting part was the two waterfalls we toured. I was able to actually swim through one and the pressure exerted by the waterfall was incredible. The other one was cascading with huge boulders and ledges so we were able to hike up the waterfall.
The third day was my snorkeling trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. It was another beautiful day so the boat ride out there made me feel like I was at the Ozarks. We got out to the reef and after sitting around for several minutes I asked when we could get in the water. The crew said whenever I wanted, so I was the first to hop in. They said there is always one guinea pig; I told them I preferred to think of it as trendsetting. They said they'd be sure to let the sharks know that. I had quite a few problems with my mask flooding but eventually got it worked out and spent about an hour snorkeling through schools of fish and taking tons of pictures. It's amazing all the different types of coral and everything. I hopped out of the water and took a glass bottom boat tour so I could see more of the reef. Then after lunch (which ironically was seafood) I hopped back in the water while they conducted a fish feeding show. Thankfully none of the bigger fish mistook me for lunch. Afterwards it was time for my adventure snorkel. I got in a dingy and headed out to the outer wall of the reef where about 15 of us plunged into the middle of the ocean. It was a tough swim along the wall because the water was so choppy the waves kept flooding our snorkels with water. We had a marine biologist explaining the different fish and types of coral we saw which made it nice to know what I was looking at. This lasted about another hour and by that point I was ready to be done with snorkeling.
My final day was spent at Cape Tribulation. We spent the morning hiking through the rain forest and learning all sorts of fun biology facts. Don't ask me to repeat them. We also went for a swim in this beautiful creek called Mossman Gorge complete with rapids. Once we got there our guide said "now is the time to relax, stop worrying, and just strip off your clothes and go for a swim." I thought he was joking. He was not. Next thing I know we're all awkwardly trying to change under towels in a small area amongst a group of strangers. After living in hostels, though, a little bit of modesty goes out the door. Afterwards we stopped for lunch at this beach resort where I had the most amazing buffet lunch. I even took a picture of the dessert for you, Grandpa, because it was the first food I had eaten in quite a while worthy of a picture. In fact, I had two desserts because they were so good! After lunch we went for a wonder along the beach. Unfortunately, it is now the season of the box jelly fish; these jelly fish are only a few centimeters long but deadly if they sting you. So, swimming in the ocean was not an option. The final activity of the day was a crocodile safari where we saw 6 crocodiles ranging from only 2 feet to 14 feet or so. We even saw a cobra in the trees.
That night I asked my hostel what time I needed to go to the airport. They assured me that the 8:45 shuttle would give me plenty of time to check in for my 10 am flight. The check in line was out the door when I arrived. Finally at 9:40 I walked up to the counter sure I had missed my flight and ready to call up the hostel and demand compensation for the new ticket I would likely have to buy. What scared me even more was if I couldn't get on a new flight how I would manage to get home and take my final the next morning! The lady checked me in, though, and even checked my luggage for free (I only travel with carry ons but was over by 2 lbs so that was a relief because it's quite expensive to check a bag without indicating that on the ticket). After I got my boarding pass I walked to the security line, which was equally long, and wandered how I was possibly going to make my flight. I talked to those around me also trying to make a different 10 o'clock flight as well and one girl informed me she had never seen the airport like this before. At 9:50 an airport employee came and instructed all of us on my particular flight to come to the front of the security line. I asked what the deal was and she said that the airport had booked too many major flights to depart at the same time and couldn't handle it. So, I guess the airport at least recognized the mistake and pushed back the departure time a bit. Fine with me! Must not have been pushed back too long, though, as I was the last to board the plane! The train ride home wasn't much better because the place where I had to change trains did not have working screens telling me when trains were departing and to where. Since it can be as long as an hour in between trains to back home, I hopped on the one waiting at the platform instead of deciding to figure it all out. We passed several familiar stops and I relaxed a bit, but 30 minutes later realized it was definitely the wrong train as we started heading to the Eastern suburbs of Sydney. So I had to run and grab a new train back and then wait about 45 minutes for a train back home. My two hour train ride turned into a 4 hour ride. At least I made it.
Overall the trip was a great time. My roommates in the hostel were a lot of fun and I was able to go out with them each night which made traveling on my own not seem lonely. Funny how a 29 year old Irish guy, 28 year old German guy, 26 year old Swiss guy, and 21 year old American can all have such a good time together. I liked traveling on my own because it forced me to meet new people and was great because I could do everything that I wanted and then still have people to socialize with at night. And nothing like traveling on your own to teach responsibility and inevitably life lessons (like not assuming a bus can be on time). It again reminded me how much I enjoy foreigners and how much we can learn from each other. Sadly, this will probably be my last Australian post. I hope everyone has enjoyed keeping up with my adventures and I can't wait to see you all in the coming weeks!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Great Ocean Road and Penguin Parade
Last Friday I woke up at 2:55 am to finish gathering my stuff and walk to the train station. A friend and I took the 3:30 am train into Sydney for my flight to Melbourne (southern coast of Australia). The plan was for my 4 friends already down in Melbourne to pick me up from the airport at 7:30 when I got in. After many distressing phone calls and text messages, 9 am rolled around and still no one. In fact, the girl I had ridden the train with took a later flight and had already arrived at the airport so I decided to just take a taxi with her into the city. Wouldn't you know it, 10 minutes into the taxi ride my friends call and tell me they are on the way. Once I finally met up with them we took off for the Great Ocean Road, the most beautiful scenic drive in the world. And it definitely lived up to that billing. I think one girl summed it up best when she said "wow, God is really good. Just look at how amazing this is. I could never think this up." The scene changes from farmland to beautiful views of the ocean. Then it turns into these rolling hills like we were in Scotland or Ireland. Finally you drive through a forest before coming back to the ocean. We stopped at several lookouts along the way to just admire the beauty. We also spent a little time hiking with a small but nice waterfall as our reward. After that we attempted to tour Australia's oldest lighthouse, but it was closed. All was not lost, though, as we spotted a whole clan of wild koalas. After spending time taking pictures one of the girls asked "I wonder if koalas stay in the same tree or move around?" Not 3 minutes later we saw a koala on the side of the road. We got out to take pictures and the koala proceeded to walk within about 2 feet of us on its way to another tree. Fortunately it was only about 8 feet up so we all got great pictures with the wild koala! To top it all of, the same girl jokingly commented "I wonder what it would be like to see a baby koala?" Just 5 minutes later we spotted a mother and baby koala in the tree. Now it was starting to get creepy haha. We got out to take pictures and the koalas actually climbed down the tree towards us. We thought perhaps the mother would be hostile in protecting her baby so we jumped in the car. The mother koala (with the baby on her back) proceeded to circle the car and gnaw on our tires. We were being held hostage by a koala! After a few minutes she moved on, though, so we opened our doors and sat just a mere few feet away from this adorable baby koala. The culmination of the trip was the 12 Apostles, rock formations existing because of the ocean water corroding the cliffs until sections break away. It's the most famous icon of the Great Ocean Road and we planned it so we arrived in time for a beautiful sunset. We drove back to our hostel and checked into our room complete with an oceanside view. Not a bad first day!
The next day we took our time driving back to Melbourne. We stopped at Bells Beach where Australia holds its annual surfing competition and watched some surfers for a while. Then we moved on to an actual beach where we could lounge and enjoy (if you can call your body going numb enjoyment) the water. We got back to Melbourne and checked into our hostels as our group had shrunk from 5 to 3 as two flew back that night. We decided to venture to the Italian district for an amazing Italian dinner followed by gellato. I then left those two and met up with the girl I mentioned earlier whom I had taken the train with to hit the town. We went to a club where the bar was in the middle of an alley. A little dodgy for Americans, but I later realized that's just how Melbourne is.
The next morning that same girl and I went on the penguin parade tour to Phillip Island. We had some interesting foreigners who made the trip pretty fun. We stopped at a sanctuary to feed more kangaroos and pet wombats and koalas on the way there. Then that night we sat on the beach and waited until groups of wild penguins made their way in from the ocean to their burrows. The penguins are actually Little Penguins, the smallest species of penguins in the world, so we were really fortunate to have a group waddle like 6 inches away from us because they were kind of hard to see. After severals groups make their way up the beach you can walk around the boardwalks and watch the penguins "socialize" with each other. We also saw penguin mating haha. It was really neat to see these animals in their natural environments with no human intervention and just witness their antics.
The final day we just toured the city. A neat city, but I'm told it's more of a European taste. I did play my first slot machine at a casino and lost $1. We got drinks for playing, though, so I maintain that I came out ahead on that trip! The best part is that my parents will get to share this experience when they come!
The next day we took our time driving back to Melbourne. We stopped at Bells Beach where Australia holds its annual surfing competition and watched some surfers for a while. Then we moved on to an actual beach where we could lounge and enjoy (if you can call your body going numb enjoyment) the water. We got back to Melbourne and checked into our hostels as our group had shrunk from 5 to 3 as two flew back that night. We decided to venture to the Italian district for an amazing Italian dinner followed by gellato. I then left those two and met up with the girl I mentioned earlier whom I had taken the train with to hit the town. We went to a club where the bar was in the middle of an alley. A little dodgy for Americans, but I later realized that's just how Melbourne is.
The next morning that same girl and I went on the penguin parade tour to Phillip Island. We had some interesting foreigners who made the trip pretty fun. We stopped at a sanctuary to feed more kangaroos and pet wombats and koalas on the way there. Then that night we sat on the beach and waited until groups of wild penguins made their way in from the ocean to their burrows. The penguins are actually Little Penguins, the smallest species of penguins in the world, so we were really fortunate to have a group waddle like 6 inches away from us because they were kind of hard to see. After severals groups make their way up the beach you can walk around the boardwalks and watch the penguins "socialize" with each other. We also saw penguin mating haha. It was really neat to see these animals in their natural environments with no human intervention and just witness their antics.
The final day we just toured the city. A neat city, but I'm told it's more of a European taste. I did play my first slot machine at a casino and lost $1. We got drinks for playing, though, so I maintain that I came out ahead on that trip! The best part is that my parents will get to share this experience when they come!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Sailing around the Whitsunday Islands
I left off with my plane ride to Airlie Beach. The airport, if you can call it that, was one of those dirt strip runways with an outdoor gate that made me laugh when I stepped off the plane. The inside consisted of only 3 booths, all offering transport to the nearest form of civilization that was 30 km away. I hopped on a bus/taxi on my way to Airlie Beach, not exactly sure where I was going since I had booked nothing and was truly running this one like a real backpacker. The taxi ride to town was only $15 which was a huge relief given the distance. I got off in the heart of the town, err rather single strip of shops and accommodation, and wandered around until I met up with some friends an hour later. It took three hostels before I finally found one that had any free rooms. I was starting to freak out at this point too because I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do if there was no vacany anywhere. I checked into my room which was consisted of 5 sets of bunk beds and a bathroom. And I must say, hostels are my new favorite thing. Granted sleeping in the same room with 9 other people isn't always the most convenient, especially when you have a loud snorer, but I met some pretty cool people from all over the world. My roommates were from England, Canada, Holland, Italy, Chile, and the US. Some were just on holidays, others were taking a 6 month backpack trip. After a refreshing shower I met up with my friends for dinner and a chance to witness the nightlife. Unfortunately I had a terrible headache and ended up heading to bed early.
The next day I had decided to lounge around while my friends went on a snorkeling trip. I quickly realized, though, that Airlie Beach is exactly what it advertises itself as: Gateway to the Whitsundays. "Airlie Beach" is hardly an appropriate name given that there is no beach there - minus the crappy, rocky beach that had a maximum capacity of twelve people. Instead they have this lagoon which was actually pretty cool. It was very similar to the one I described in Brisbane with sandy areas around it to lounge. And it looked out onto a harbour filled with sailboats anchored in the crystal blue water. I decided pretty early, though, that it would be an expensive and disappointing vacation to just hang around the lagoon so I did my research and booked a two day sailing trip. After my friends got back from their snorkeling trip we all met up for a barbeque at the lagoon. And by barbeque I mean a real, American barbeque complete with hamburgers - not sausage! I was feeling much better this night which was good since we were partially celebrating my birthday before my friends left.
I woke up bright and early at 7am not feeling so hot from the previous night. I made my way to the bus stop not thinking to grab breakfast and about an hour later we had finally been transported to the harbour. We spent roughly 2.5 hours sailing on the calm, turquoise waters to the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. We rode a dingy onto shore since boats cannot get too close to the reef and snorkeled for about 20 minutes while I awaited my big scuba dive. I'm not sure what freaked me out so much about the idea of scuba diving whether it was the potential encounter with certain animals, being so far underwater and possibly drowing or what. But I was NERVOUS. The dive was just the instructor, myself, and a mother and her daughter who had just done their first dive a few days before. The daughter said she had been really nervous as well for her first dive but ended up loving it so they were sympathetic and did their best to reassure me. We put on the gear and I about fell over the tank and weights tied around my waist weighed so much. We practiced our breathing in shallow water and went over the signals and other information before he took off the weights and deflated the jacket so we were completely weightless under water. He said the only other similar experience is being in space. We started off shallow but worked our way down to 8 metres which is about 26 ft under water. For every foot that you descend you need to equalize and make sure the pressure in your ears adjusts. I think that was what scared me the most was that I was not doing that properly. It was incredible to swim directly over the reef, though. It's not like they always portray it with these vibrant and florescent colors. For the most part it is very bland in color, although some sections of coral are actually those bright colors. Still, to be able to examine the intricate details of the formations was incredible. I also swam through tons of schools of tropical fish, although admittedly not all were cute. I was glad when we resurfaced as my head was starting to hurt from my mask, but I am extremely grateful I made the decision to go diving if for no other reason than to say I went scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. We boarded the ship for a buffet lunch (and I was pretty hungry by this point) and for the sail back to shore. It was while I got to sit on the edge of the boat with my feet dangling off and the waves splashing me that I realized I was grateful the catamaran boat I had wanted to book had been full and instead I had to book this sailboat. Two new friends had arrived at this time so after a shower I met up with them so we could cook a delicious pasta dinner at the hostel. We were all exhausted, though, and decided to call it an early night.
I was supposed to wake up at the same time the next morning for my second day of sailing but must have improperly set my alarm. Thankfully one of my roommate's alarms went off at 8 since I had to be at the bus stop at 8:10. I rushed to get there and unfortunately ended up having plenty of time where I could have grabbed breakfast and actually brushed my teeth. My two friends went on the trip with me and we were not excited to see an overcast sky. By the time we got to the harbour and boarded the boat, it had started to pour. I was not a happy camper at this point as I sat drenched and cold despite the rain jacket the ship provided. We took off and the rain thankfully stopped which improved my mood. I met some more incredible people this day from Austria and Germany. Since it was so windy, we were actually able to turn the motor off for most of the trip and just sail around the islands. My friend Etienne and I even got to raise the main sail! Our destination for the day was Whitehaven Beach, the third most beautiful beach in the world. Unfortunately my pictures do not do it justice because of the overcast skies. Imagine a postcard of a tropical beach, though, and that's exactly what this was (they actually base a lot of postcards off of it). The beach was pure silicon so it never gets hot and squishes beneath your feet like a cotton ball. We had an amazing picnic lunch of chicken wraps and fresh fruit beneath the trees before lounging on the beach and going for a swim. I even got a chance to play my first game of cricket here! We loaded back on the boat for the sail back home and this was when I fell in love. The water was so choppy that waves were actually crashing over the front and sides of the boat. It was amazing to just sail and listen to the waves crash and admire the beauty of the islands in the distance as the sun peeked out from the clouds. 2.5 exhilirating hours later we docked and headed back to our hostel for a short nap. We went to a mexican restaurant to celebrate my birthday and then had a few drinks while I got to watch the Cubs game! Unfortunately they blew it and that started to sour my mood. Even more unfortunate was how exhausted we all were which meant another early bedtime.
I can say without a doubt this trip was the most memorable experience I have had in Australia. This was exactly what I had envisioned my study abroad experience would be like and I am so grateful for the experience. It made it hard to come back to Wollongong, but I am eagerly awaiting my next trip in just 12 more short days!
The next day I had decided to lounge around while my friends went on a snorkeling trip. I quickly realized, though, that Airlie Beach is exactly what it advertises itself as: Gateway to the Whitsundays. "Airlie Beach" is hardly an appropriate name given that there is no beach there - minus the crappy, rocky beach that had a maximum capacity of twelve people. Instead they have this lagoon which was actually pretty cool. It was very similar to the one I described in Brisbane with sandy areas around it to lounge. And it looked out onto a harbour filled with sailboats anchored in the crystal blue water. I decided pretty early, though, that it would be an expensive and disappointing vacation to just hang around the lagoon so I did my research and booked a two day sailing trip. After my friends got back from their snorkeling trip we all met up for a barbeque at the lagoon. And by barbeque I mean a real, American barbeque complete with hamburgers - not sausage! I was feeling much better this night which was good since we were partially celebrating my birthday before my friends left.
I woke up bright and early at 7am not feeling so hot from the previous night. I made my way to the bus stop not thinking to grab breakfast and about an hour later we had finally been transported to the harbour. We spent roughly 2.5 hours sailing on the calm, turquoise waters to the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. We rode a dingy onto shore since boats cannot get too close to the reef and snorkeled for about 20 minutes while I awaited my big scuba dive. I'm not sure what freaked me out so much about the idea of scuba diving whether it was the potential encounter with certain animals, being so far underwater and possibly drowing or what. But I was NERVOUS. The dive was just the instructor, myself, and a mother and her daughter who had just done their first dive a few days before. The daughter said she had been really nervous as well for her first dive but ended up loving it so they were sympathetic and did their best to reassure me. We put on the gear and I about fell over the tank and weights tied around my waist weighed so much. We practiced our breathing in shallow water and went over the signals and other information before he took off the weights and deflated the jacket so we were completely weightless under water. He said the only other similar experience is being in space. We started off shallow but worked our way down to 8 metres which is about 26 ft under water. For every foot that you descend you need to equalize and make sure the pressure in your ears adjusts. I think that was what scared me the most was that I was not doing that properly. It was incredible to swim directly over the reef, though. It's not like they always portray it with these vibrant and florescent colors. For the most part it is very bland in color, although some sections of coral are actually those bright colors. Still, to be able to examine the intricate details of the formations was incredible. I also swam through tons of schools of tropical fish, although admittedly not all were cute. I was glad when we resurfaced as my head was starting to hurt from my mask, but I am extremely grateful I made the decision to go diving if for no other reason than to say I went scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef. We boarded the ship for a buffet lunch (and I was pretty hungry by this point) and for the sail back to shore. It was while I got to sit on the edge of the boat with my feet dangling off and the waves splashing me that I realized I was grateful the catamaran boat I had wanted to book had been full and instead I had to book this sailboat. Two new friends had arrived at this time so after a shower I met up with them so we could cook a delicious pasta dinner at the hostel. We were all exhausted, though, and decided to call it an early night.
I was supposed to wake up at the same time the next morning for my second day of sailing but must have improperly set my alarm. Thankfully one of my roommate's alarms went off at 8 since I had to be at the bus stop at 8:10. I rushed to get there and unfortunately ended up having plenty of time where I could have grabbed breakfast and actually brushed my teeth. My two friends went on the trip with me and we were not excited to see an overcast sky. By the time we got to the harbour and boarded the boat, it had started to pour. I was not a happy camper at this point as I sat drenched and cold despite the rain jacket the ship provided. We took off and the rain thankfully stopped which improved my mood. I met some more incredible people this day from Austria and Germany. Since it was so windy, we were actually able to turn the motor off for most of the trip and just sail around the islands. My friend Etienne and I even got to raise the main sail! Our destination for the day was Whitehaven Beach, the third most beautiful beach in the world. Unfortunately my pictures do not do it justice because of the overcast skies. Imagine a postcard of a tropical beach, though, and that's exactly what this was (they actually base a lot of postcards off of it). The beach was pure silicon so it never gets hot and squishes beneath your feet like a cotton ball. We had an amazing picnic lunch of chicken wraps and fresh fruit beneath the trees before lounging on the beach and going for a swim. I even got a chance to play my first game of cricket here! We loaded back on the boat for the sail back home and this was when I fell in love. The water was so choppy that waves were actually crashing over the front and sides of the boat. It was amazing to just sail and listen to the waves crash and admire the beauty of the islands in the distance as the sun peeked out from the clouds. 2.5 exhilirating hours later we docked and headed back to our hostel for a short nap. We went to a mexican restaurant to celebrate my birthday and then had a few drinks while I got to watch the Cubs game! Unfortunately they blew it and that started to sour my mood. Even more unfortunate was how exhausted we all were which meant another early bedtime.
I can say without a doubt this trip was the most memorable experience I have had in Australia. This was exactly what I had envisioned my study abroad experience would be like and I am so grateful for the experience. It made it hard to come back to Wollongong, but I am eagerly awaiting my next trip in just 12 more short days!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Whirlwind tour of Brisbane
Well it's been a whirlwind of a past 10 days. Be sure to grab some form of hydration because this post could cause fatigue due to its length and I apologize for that, but there's a lot to tell! Last Thursday (Sept 25) I flew to Brisbane to meet family friends Nathan and Erin Johnston and their adorable 3 year old daughter Lizzie for an absolutely amazing couple of days of sightseeing and Australian hospitality. Nathan and Erin used to work at State Farm and were really close to my cousin Kristi which is how I know them. Here's an example of a major difference between flying in Australia and America. I simply scanned in my flight code and it printed my boarding pass. After going through very primitive security, I handed the lady my boarding pass and walked on to the plane without ever once even showing a single form of identification. I sat next to this fascinating man on the plane who used to work for the United Nations. He said he was actually sitting in a seat and it wasn't until somebody came and claimed they had the same seat that he and the flight staff discovered he was on the wrong flight! No one checked his boarding pass, just tore off the edge and he walked on to the plane. I made sure I kept my flight information for my other 2 flights in a safe place once I realized anybody could take my place if they had my code. I arrived in Brisbane and was greeted by Erin as soon as I stepped off the plane, another difference from back home. We drove to this restaurant on a cliff for drinks and snacks since neither of us had lunch. Next we picked up Lizzie from day care and did some grocery shopping for one of the best dinners I have had here: Buffalo chicken sandwiches and strawberry shortcake for dessert!!
The next morning I woke up to a breakfast of fresh fruit, cereal, and scones before taking off to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast had been described to me as the Vegas of Australia, but I would liken it much more to Miami with its gorgeous beaches, high rise condominiums, and rich, beautiful people. On the way down we stopped at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where I got to feed and pet kangaroos, one of the items on my Australian To Do list! I also got to feed an emu (giant bird that has a similar body structure to an ostrich.) I even got to hold a Koala! We kept driving down the coast and stopped at this restaurant famous for its meat pies. These are similar to chicken pot pies, but come in lots of different flavors and are topped with mashed potatoes and gravy. We finished the drive to the Gold Coast (only a little over an hour in total) and drove to the Q1 Tower where Nathan and I went up to the 77th floor observatory. It's the largest residential building as well as the 20th largest building in the world. We had an amazing 360 degree view of the coast and Surfer's Paradise as well as the city with its high rise buildings and winding rivers in the middle. After that we went on an aquaduct tour. We started off on a bus ride through the city and saw where they hold the "Indy 300" (yes, same idea as Indy 500 but the street is commercial). The bus then went right down this ramp and turned into a boat so we got to view the city from one of the rivers where we passed some spectacular houses. I had noticed that there were very few "nice" houses in Australia and also that everyone drove fairly nice cars. I learned the reason for this is because property in Australia is outrageous with ranch houses even in the suburbs selling for $500,000 so people just buy nice cars instead. Anyway one of the houses we passed sold for $188 million dollars and another had its own helicopter pad on the water!! Definitely Miami-esque. After the aquaduct tour we walked along Surfer's Paradise beach then drove back to Nathan's parents' house for a steak and chicken dinner with fruit pies for dessert from the same place that sold us the meat pies. I also got a surprise of Dr. freaking Pepper which I had mentioned to them I was addicted to back home but could not find here.
Day 3 I woke up early for french toast and more fruit. Erin, Lizzie and I then decided to spent the morning in Brisbane. We drove to the city and walked along Queen Street mall for a bit of shopping at this gargantuant outdoor/indoor mall. Then we took rivercat and rode up and down the river that divides Brisbane so I could see the city. We got off at South Bay where they hold all sorts of markets. They also built this huge pool with manmade beaches right next to the river so Lizzie and I went swimming for a while before taking the rivercat back and walking through the city a bit more. We got back to their place and Nathan's family came over for the Grand Final which is the Aussie Footy Rules version of the Superbowl. That night his younger sister took me out to Octoberfest (in Australia, in September haha) with some of her friends. We had some really good albeit expensive German beer and sausages before going to one of the nightclubs so I could experience Brisbane night life. Later that night I got to experience my first kebab which was DELICIOUS! It's like a chicken wrap but they grill it so the tortilla is toasted.
The next morning I woke up for eggs and American Jimmy Dean sausages before packing up the car and heading north for a day at the beach. For any of you who have seen the tv show Yes, Dear this is how I felt packing up the car as they had about 12 different bags for Lizzie haha. We drove about an hour north to Bribie Island for a relaxing day building sand castles and enjoying the sunshine. Nathan even taught me how to body surf where you lie on your stomach and ride the waves in to shore. Another thing to cross off my To Do list! On the way back we stopped at the Glass House mountains for a little hike through the bush and to just admire the glory of more nature. Once we got back to Brisbane we drove up to another lookout to watch the sun set over the city and see Brisbane all lit up. We went back to the house and ordered pizza for dinner. Nathan's family then came over and surprised me with a birthday cake! That was really special since I was feeling a little disappointed about not being home for it.
Monday morning I woke up early and rode the train into town with Nathan and Erin and wandered around the city for a couples hours (I bought a Cherry Coke at the same store that sells Dr. Pepper) and then met up with them for morning tea and to say good bye. Nathan's dad drove me to the airport where I boarded the plane for Airlie Beach. I think I will cut off at this point before anyone loses interest and continue the rest of my adventures in another blog including two days of sailing and scuba diving!
PS - when I got home I had an email that said Lizzie missed me and wanted to send me an email. They had also scanned in a picture she had drawn for me :)
The next morning I woke up to a breakfast of fresh fruit, cereal, and scones before taking off to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast had been described to me as the Vegas of Australia, but I would liken it much more to Miami with its gorgeous beaches, high rise condominiums, and rich, beautiful people. On the way down we stopped at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where I got to feed and pet kangaroos, one of the items on my Australian To Do list! I also got to feed an emu (giant bird that has a similar body structure to an ostrich.) I even got to hold a Koala! We kept driving down the coast and stopped at this restaurant famous for its meat pies. These are similar to chicken pot pies, but come in lots of different flavors and are topped with mashed potatoes and gravy. We finished the drive to the Gold Coast (only a little over an hour in total) and drove to the Q1 Tower where Nathan and I went up to the 77th floor observatory. It's the largest residential building as well as the 20th largest building in the world. We had an amazing 360 degree view of the coast and Surfer's Paradise as well as the city with its high rise buildings and winding rivers in the middle. After that we went on an aquaduct tour. We started off on a bus ride through the city and saw where they hold the "Indy 300" (yes, same idea as Indy 500 but the street is commercial). The bus then went right down this ramp and turned into a boat so we got to view the city from one of the rivers where we passed some spectacular houses. I had noticed that there were very few "nice" houses in Australia and also that everyone drove fairly nice cars. I learned the reason for this is because property in Australia is outrageous with ranch houses even in the suburbs selling for $500,000 so people just buy nice cars instead. Anyway one of the houses we passed sold for $188 million dollars and another had its own helicopter pad on the water!! Definitely Miami-esque. After the aquaduct tour we walked along Surfer's Paradise beach then drove back to Nathan's parents' house for a steak and chicken dinner with fruit pies for dessert from the same place that sold us the meat pies. I also got a surprise of Dr. freaking Pepper which I had mentioned to them I was addicted to back home but could not find here.
Day 3 I woke up early for french toast and more fruit. Erin, Lizzie and I then decided to spent the morning in Brisbane. We drove to the city and walked along Queen Street mall for a bit of shopping at this gargantuant outdoor/indoor mall. Then we took rivercat and rode up and down the river that divides Brisbane so I could see the city. We got off at South Bay where they hold all sorts of markets. They also built this huge pool with manmade beaches right next to the river so Lizzie and I went swimming for a while before taking the rivercat back and walking through the city a bit more. We got back to their place and Nathan's family came over for the Grand Final which is the Aussie Footy Rules version of the Superbowl. That night his younger sister took me out to Octoberfest (in Australia, in September haha) with some of her friends. We had some really good albeit expensive German beer and sausages before going to one of the nightclubs so I could experience Brisbane night life. Later that night I got to experience my first kebab which was DELICIOUS! It's like a chicken wrap but they grill it so the tortilla is toasted.
The next morning I woke up for eggs and American Jimmy Dean sausages before packing up the car and heading north for a day at the beach. For any of you who have seen the tv show Yes, Dear this is how I felt packing up the car as they had about 12 different bags for Lizzie haha. We drove about an hour north to Bribie Island for a relaxing day building sand castles and enjoying the sunshine. Nathan even taught me how to body surf where you lie on your stomach and ride the waves in to shore. Another thing to cross off my To Do list! On the way back we stopped at the Glass House mountains for a little hike through the bush and to just admire the glory of more nature. Once we got back to Brisbane we drove up to another lookout to watch the sun set over the city and see Brisbane all lit up. We went back to the house and ordered pizza for dinner. Nathan's family then came over and surprised me with a birthday cake! That was really special since I was feeling a little disappointed about not being home for it.
Monday morning I woke up early and rode the train into town with Nathan and Erin and wandered around the city for a couples hours (I bought a Cherry Coke at the same store that sells Dr. Pepper) and then met up with them for morning tea and to say good bye. Nathan's dad drove me to the airport where I boarded the plane for Airlie Beach. I think I will cut off at this point before anyone loses interest and continue the rest of my adventures in another blog including two days of sailing and scuba diving!
PS - when I got home I had an email that said Lizzie missed me and wanted to send me an email. They had also scanned in a picture she had drawn for me :)
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Canberra
Well, the day started off on a rough night. I was apparently so exhausted from a week that involved 2 midterms, a presentation and a 4 page synopsis of the presentation that I slept right through my alarm. I was supposed to wake up at 6:20 since the cab was getting here at 6:40 to take us to uni. My friends called me at 6:47 at which point I got ready in 4 minutes and darted off for a day in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The international student office sponsored a trip for 54 of us international students. It was about a 3 hour bus ride. First we went to the Australian National Museum which was a joke. I was INCREDIBLY disappointed. I didn't feel like I learned anything. At least the architecture was cool! Next we spent two hours at the Floraids which is this big annual festival they have during September where they grow these magnificent flower beds where the colors of the flowers outline different pictures. They also have all sorts of little market shops and live entertainment. Right across from that was another museum focused solely on the history of Canberra. I felt like I learned a lot more there. Canberra is one of only two country capital's in the world (the other is Brasilia) that is entirely planned. It has this gorgeous lake running through the middle and all the main buildings forming a triangle across the lake. The last stop was a tour of the parliament house modeled after Great Britain's where the federal government sits and makes legislature. I'm glad I can say I went, but I would not want to spend more than a day there. It definitely does not hold a candle to Washington DC! oh AND I was told Canberra is the only place in Australia that sells Dr. Pepper but I never got a chance to go to the grocery store to look! :(
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Sydney Harbour Cruise and a show at the Sydney Opera House
Last Sunday Campus East (where I live) sponsored a cruise on the Sydney Harbour. It rained all day so we were all wondering how this evening was going to turn out. Luckily, the weather cleared up as soon as we boarded the ship - err yacht. Yep, the boat was not at all what I expected with its 3 stories. We departed in time to see the sun set over the Opera House. We then cruised around the harbour for spectacular views of Luna Park (think Navy Pier or Coney Island), the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and eventually the Sydney skyline in all its nightime splendor. After an incredible dinner of pizza and Heineken beer was served, the bottom story was turned into a dance club. Thankfully the trip ended without any incidents since it was open bar all night. Afterwards four friends and myself decided to try out the Sydney night life. We found an Irish Pub featuring a cover band playing Irish tunes. The pub was 95% Irish people and we had a blast. There were no jigs, but plenty of dancing and singing along to the songs.
Tuesday night our study abroad program sponsored a trip to see The Narcissist at the Sydney Opera House. When we got to the train station we inserted our tickets so we could go through the gates but the machine took them. It turns out, they are programmed to know that round trip tickets can only be inserted into these machines twice before they are disposed. When we switched trains, though, we stopped to get a bit of food so that through off the sensors. We ended up having to find an employee to come open up the machines so we could search through the bins for our tickets since we needed them for the ride home. Unfortunately English was not his native language so communication was a definite issue. We finally got to the Opera House right as they started to ring the bells to signal everyone needed to get seated so unfortunately we missed out on a chance to explore and take pictures. The Theatre was not at all what I expected. It turns out there are 5 different performing centers and ours seated roughly 800 - a lot smaller than I would have expected. The study abroad program hooked us up, though, as we had front row seats! In fact, at one point in the play the actor spit out his pretzel and it hit my friend. The play turned out to be hilarious. The premise was an older man and woman, still single well into adulthood, made a bet who could find a partner first. The man was gay, though, and they both ended up going after the same man along with several other twists. One ironic part was when they revealed that one of the characters was histrionic (simply put: a drama queen) which was one of the personality disorders I just happened to have been tested on earlier that day in my abnormality of psychology class. Each time I go back to Sydney the shock and awe diminishes a little bit, but I know one day I will look back and really marvel at these incredible experiences.
Tuesday night our study abroad program sponsored a trip to see The Narcissist at the Sydney Opera House. When we got to the train station we inserted our tickets so we could go through the gates but the machine took them. It turns out, they are programmed to know that round trip tickets can only be inserted into these machines twice before they are disposed. When we switched trains, though, we stopped to get a bit of food so that through off the sensors. We ended up having to find an employee to come open up the machines so we could search through the bins for our tickets since we needed them for the ride home. Unfortunately English was not his native language so communication was a definite issue. We finally got to the Opera House right as they started to ring the bells to signal everyone needed to get seated so unfortunately we missed out on a chance to explore and take pictures. The Theatre was not at all what I expected. It turns out there are 5 different performing centers and ours seated roughly 800 - a lot smaller than I would have expected. The study abroad program hooked us up, though, as we had front row seats! In fact, at one point in the play the actor spit out his pretzel and it hit my friend. The play turned out to be hilarious. The premise was an older man and woman, still single well into adulthood, made a bet who could find a partner first. The man was gay, though, and they both ended up going after the same man along with several other twists. One ironic part was when they revealed that one of the characters was histrionic (simply put: a drama queen) which was one of the personality disorders I just happened to have been tested on earlier that day in my abnormality of psychology class. Each time I go back to Sydney the shock and awe diminishes a little bit, but I know one day I will look back and really marvel at these incredible experiences.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Blue Mountain Hiking
My study abroad program sponsored an "adventure weekend" trip this past weekend in the Blue Mountains. We arrived right before dinner on Friday night and met up with 4 other uni's this study abroad program coordinates in the Sydney area. On the menu for dinner? Lasagna. Luckily I didn't mind because this was REAL lasagna with delicious garlic bread. In fact, the food all weekend was absolutely delicious. I even got tacos! After dinner we watched an Australian movie starring Aussie's own Heath Ledger. Poor guy. The rain did not stop all night which forced our morning activity of rock climbing to be moved to an indoor climbing gym. It was not quite the same experience since you can go to an indoor climbing gym anywhere, but since I had never even done that it was at least a new experience for me. Still, I had heard the abseiling/repelling was one of the thrilling parts of the weekend so I was a little disappointed. The afternoon more than made up for it, though. We loaded on our rain gear (thanks Mom for making me bring some!) for a 6 mile hike through the "Grand Canyon" of Australia. The hike was absolutely AMAZING. Since it had poured for almost 2 straight days, the water was rushing off the cliffs all around us. I have never seen so many waterfalls. The hike also included hopping rocks to cross creeks and in some cases even trudging through them. It concluded with a strenuous climb of roughly 200 stairs formed from rocks.
We woke up bright and early the next morning for one final tour of the Blue Mountains. This day was a little more of a traditional tourist visit, hiking to various lookouts for panoramic views of the entire mountain range and more waterfalls. We went on a ledge walk to get a close up view of the 3 Sisters, a famous mythological story here about 3 beautiful Aboriginal sisters turned to stone by a witch doctor and waiting to be returned to human form. We also took a breathtaking cable ride down the mountain. The scenery was truly majestic and I feel very blessed to have been able to spend the weekend hiking through such a beautiful and tranquil area.
We woke up bright and early the next morning for one final tour of the Blue Mountains. This day was a little more of a traditional tourist visit, hiking to various lookouts for panoramic views of the entire mountain range and more waterfalls. We went on a ledge walk to get a close up view of the 3 Sisters, a famous mythological story here about 3 beautiful Aboriginal sisters turned to stone by a witch doctor and waiting to be returned to human form. We also took a breathtaking cable ride down the mountain. The scenery was truly majestic and I feel very blessed to have been able to spend the weekend hiking through such a beautiful and tranquil area.
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