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!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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 :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)