New Zealand-Hobbit Holes Rolling Green Hills

Now I know we went to New Zealand about two weeks ago but it has been crazy here the past few days. Katie and her friend came to visit the day after I got back room New Zealand and I have been trying to spend as much time with my Aussie friends before I have to go home.

Our New Zealand trip however was beyond amazing and it was a great way to end all our trips that we have done while being here. It started in Saturday, April 6th when we flew out of Gold Coast at about 7 pm. We didn't land in Auckland until about 1am because of the time difference. We ended up bargaining with the taxi driver to drive us to our hostel for about half the price it would of cost and we got there at about 2:30am. We drank the bottle of New Zealand wine that we got in duty free in our hostel and then went to bed.

The next day we woke up early and walked around the city of Auckland. We went to Queens Street Wharf Harbor in the morning and then went to the art gallery in the afternoon. We then went to Imperial Lane for lunch and had these amazing gourmet hot dogs. After our day in Auckland we got on the train and went to go pick up our SPACESHIP. The spaceship was going to my our humble abode for the next 3 nights. That night we drove about 3 hours toward Rotoura. We found the most amazing camp sight to stay at that night call Lake Okareka. There were no lights around and it was extremely peaceful. Sara, Hayley and I just laid in the back of our spaceship and gazed at the stars. It was crystal clear. You could see the galaxy so well and we must of seen about 5-6 shooting stars.

That night in the spaceship was very interesting. We couldn't figure out how things worked, we had no water, and we were starving. We all fell asleep and around 1am we all woke up again because it was not comfortable sleeping 3 girls in 1 bed. We rearranged ourselves and ended up sleeping the rest of the night. That next morning we woke up and got dressed. We had to brush our teeth and wash our faces with the lake water. Boy was the interesting! After we were all set we drove to The Lord of the Rings tour outside of Rotoura. That tour was so awesome and so much fun. After that we went to a geothermal activity area. We saw a volcano, craters, and geysers. It was so cool!

After that was over we drove towards Lake Taupo. On our way we saw possibly the most beautilful sunset ever. The sky changed some many colors from blue to orange to yellow. It looked so nice with the moutains silhouetted in the background. We were all speechless. That night we stayed at a more popular camp sight. It had a kitchen, running water, toilets, showers. It was like a castle compared to the first camp sight. When we got there we cooked ourselves some dinner. We had grilled cheese and pasta. (Basically we lived off carbs) After dinner we had some wine and played some cards. We then finally went to bed, but that night it was it freezing. When we woke up the next morning, we finally showered for the first time in a long time. It was by far the best shower I have ever had. After the shower and we headed up the mountains to the skiing lodge located on an active volcano. We had some coffee and sat at the window looking out into the most beautiful scenery. It was so gorgeous and peaceful.

When we all finished our coffee we got back into our spaceship and went into the town of Taupo. Taupo was such a beautiful town. It had the lake in the center and the water was such a pretty blue and green color. We ended up going to Hukka Falls, but before we saw the falls, we ate lunch in our spaceship. Hukka Falls was so pretty. The colors were amazing and it was such a beautiful day out. After we saw the falls and soaked up some sun we went to Lake Taupo Bungy. Bungy jumping was definitely the highlight of the trip.

When we got to a Taupo Bungy we filled out the paperwork and did all the necessary things before hand. After that we got in line and quickly after that we all were ready to jump. I was the first to go. I was so anxious-nervous but super excited at the same time. We could not have picked a better place to jump at. The surrounding area was beautiful and it was over the Lake. Once I was all strapped in and the bungy cord was attached, I wasted no time. The guy counted down from 3 and with no hesitation time at all I jumped when he said "go". I went plummeting downward right into the lake. I got dunked under and went bouncing right back up. It was really an amazing feeling that is indescribable. Once we all got to the bottom we had to walk back up the hill. We viewed our pictures and videos, purchased what we wanted and then headed back to the spaceship.

That night after being in Taupo we drove towards Waitomo. We stayed at this very dodgy camp ground in Te Kuiti. We figured since we were 3 of the 4 girls in the whole camp sight, the only way to get through the night would be to drink. So we ended up going to the bottle shop and got some bottles of wine. We went back, ate dinner, and drank in our spaceship. That was the most fun night that we had on the trip. After finishing 4 bottles of wine and playing every game we could possibly think of we headed off to bed.

The next morning we woke up and went to see the glow worm caves. This cave was so unique. We toured the cave and finished off the tour with a boat ride through the darkest part to see the glow worms all lit up. After that tour was done we were decided instead of heading back to Auckland, we would go to a beach. We found a beach on the way back to Auckland and called Ocean Beach. (Original right?) This beach was stunning. The mountains were in the background, the sun was shinning on the water, and the sand was black. Black sand beaches are something that are unique to New Zealand, and we got to see one. We ate lunch when we go to the beach and set up our spaceship bed. We all laid in the back relaxing and just enjoying our last few hours in the spaceship.

Finally we had to pack up and head back into Auckland. It took about 2 hours to get there and when we did we had to first drop off the spaceship. Once we were done with that we hopped on the train and went back into the city. We checked into our hostel, put our bags down, and went exploring the nighttime in Auckland. We found this really neat bar right on the harbor. There was where we tried 5 different samplings of New Zealand beers. Some of them were very good, while others not so much. At around 10:30 we were exhausted and headed back to our hostel and went to bed shortly after.

The next morning we woke up at about 3:30 and checked out. We had to catch the bus to the airport. While we were waiting for the bus, a taxi came by and offered to drive us. We told him that we did not want to pay $70-$80 like they would normally charge so he gave us the same price it would of been for the bus to take us. Once we got to the airport we had to go through security and border protections. We got on the plane and we all pretty much slept the entire ride home.

When we landed in the Gold Coast, our friend Katie came and picked us up. We all came back, showered and went back to sleep for a few hours. New Zealand was such an amazing trip and a great way to end all the exploring. The scenery was absolutely amazing and breath taking. It was so green and so many rolling hills. I am so thankful that I was able to experience New Zealand. I now understand why it is on so many people's bucket list of places to see.

I can't believe I am heading home! Scary how time goes by so quickly. I can remember clear as day, the first day I arrived in Australia. Wow have things changed. This was the most amazing thing I have done in my life and I hope that I can some day return to Australia, but if I can't, at least I can say I was there.

Well I still have a few hours left in Australia, so I am going to do what Australians do best...DRINK!!! Might as well enjoy the last few hours and go out with a bang!!

Cheers!!

Easter Weekend

Over this Easter Weekend, my friends and I decided we aren't just going to sit in our rooms and do nothing, but rather go out and explore.  Since everyone else went home for the holiday break, it was just us Americans left.  One of our friend's Katie said we could borrow her car this weekend, so we took advantage of that. 

On Friday Sara, Hayley, Chris and myself drove up to Noosa Heads in the Sunshine Coast.  It should of only taken about two and a half hours, but instead took almost 5.  There was so much traffic with people trying to get away for the holiday.  We did however, have a very interesting car ride up there.  When we got there we just parked, grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed straight for the beach.  We relaxed and slept on the beach for a few hours and then got back in the car and headed home.  When we got back to school we had some dinner and then just went back to our rooms to relax some more. 

On Saturday we decided to go check out Nimbin and see what everyone was talking about.  Nimbin was a very interesting town, definitely something that cannot be described very easily.  This small town is up high in the mountains and it is literally one road that is not very long.  It is an EXTREME hippie town.  Walking around you can definitely tell who are the tourists and who are the locals.  After about two hours there we headed out because we had seen everything, twice.  As we were driving out we saw the Nimbin candle shop and stopped there to check out that place.  They made some pretty cool looking candles there. 

On Easter Sunday we went hiking in a rain forest.  It rained, so it was a perfect day to see the rainforest in the rain.  We hiked this one trail with a bunch of waterfalls.  The trail was 4km long (about 2.5 miles).  At the one waterfall that we got to there was a rock pool below it.  We tried going in but we didn't get past our knees because the water was so cold.  The trail was a lot of fun, but a lot of uphill.  After we hiked for 2 hours we got back in the car and went to get fudge.  I figured this was my Easter treat to myself.  Afterwards we went back to school and had dinner.

We have off again tomorrow, but I have some school work to get done.  This is our last week of classes before finals start.  Sara, Hayley and myself leave for New Zealand on Saturday until Thursday.  We are going to have so much fun, I cannot wait.  We are thinking of renting this van to drive/stay in.  The one we looked at has 2 beds but sleep 3 people and there is a mini stove, microwave, and additional storage under the bed.  We shall see how that goes.  Sounds like fun, and something that I would never do back home.  Once we get back from New Zealand, Katie and her friend are coming for a few days to experience the Gold Coast.  After that I have a final and then I leave to come home.  Crazy how time is flying by.  Looking forward to coming home and seeing everyone, but sad to leave everyone here.

Well Happy Easter everyone!!

Cheers!

Greatest weekend in Melbourne

This past weekend Sara, Hayley, Jess and myself all went to Melbourne. We had the best time ever, and I can't speak for them but I think that Melbourne was by far my favorite weekend here so far. We did and saw so much and I hope that one day I can go back and doing it all over again.

The four of us flew out of the Gold Coast late Thursday night and we got to our hostel at about 1 in the morning. We would of gotten there earlier but we had this taxi driver who did not know when to stop talking. He also did not understand anything about America but he definitely thought we were a stupid,rude country, and he definitely believed that his country was much better. He drove so slow as well because he tried telling us about all these places to go to that night (mind you it was 1 in the morning). Finally when we got rid of the taxi driver we checked into the hostel. The four of us all shared a room, but none of us got sleep that night. We had to leave the window open because there was no air conditioning and I swear that every form of transportation in Melbourne was going by our window all night long. Trams, trains, taxis, drunk people, buses, cars, you name it. It was so loud and we probably got about 3 hours of sleep if we were lucky.

When we woke up on Friday morning we went to the rental car place and picked up our car. We hopped in the car and headed straight out to the Great Ocean Road. It was about a 2 hour ride out to the start of the Great Ocean Road. We drove through Geelong and stopped for morning tea in Tuquay. After that we went to Bells Beach, which is a famous beach in Australia. It was not very warm so we didn't get to go swimming or anything but we did see all the surfers in the water. We then got back in the car and drove on. The Great Ocean Road was absolutely stunning. Words cannot describe how amazing it was. The water was the most beautiful green and blue combination. As the waves would curl you could see rough it and with the white foam on top it was absolutely gorgeous. We eventually stopped in Apollo Bay for lunch were we split this delicious pizza. After that we got back in the car and drove to our next stop, the 12 Apostles. The 12 Apostles were amazing to see. There are only 8 that still exist today, however, more are forming, but it does take years for them to form. After we took our pictures and had enough of the cold, windy weather we got back in the car and drove 3 hours back to Melbourne. For the rest of the weekend we were staying our friend from Bond, Anna's house. She was not there for the weekend but her family was absolutely amazing. It was her mom Jenny, her dad Ron, her sister Julia, and her brother Will. They were the friendliest and most hospitable people ever. Jenny cooked us dinner every night and provided breakfast for us every morning. All of us had our own beds to sleep in and she also gave us all bath towels. They also gave us their cards to use for public transportation so we didn't have to buy the cards. Ron also drove us places and picked us up from the train station. We honestly could not have asked for a better family to stay with.

After we got to The Lane's house on Friday night we sat down and talked for a while and then we ate dinner. Jenny fed us pumpkin soup, pasta, salad, fruit and ice cream. It was delicious and so nice to have a home cooked meal. After we ate dinner we washed up, watched an episode of Summer Heights High and went to bed.

Saturday morning we woke up at about 7:30 and ate breakfast and got ready. We had to leave their house at about 8:30 to get the rental car back in time. Once we dropped the car off we just stayed in the city and explored. Our first stop in the city was Queen Victoria Market. We ate and drank our way through the market and then we went shopping for a while. After we shopped all morning we were hungry again and decided to get lunch a the market. We got the freshest bread ever, these amazing dips, roasted red peppers stuffed with cheese and the creamiest Brie ever. We also got a bottle of champagne which was made in Victoria, and for dessert we had homemade doughnuts. After we ate lunch we started walking toward Flinders Street. On our way there we found this alley way with all these amazing painting. It was really neat to see. Once we got to Flinders Street we walked up it a little and found Federation Square. We sat there for a while people watching and looking at all the amazing buildings around us. After about an hour we walked down to the river were we stopped to get drinks. We got a jug of is very refreshing drink with fresh fruit in it. After our drinks we went to the Eureka Skydeck 88. This is the tallest viewing platform in the Southern Hemisphere. We went up 88 floors in under 40 seconds and boy was the view amazing. It was really cool it see. After we did that we got on the train and headed back to the Lane's house.

For dinner that night we had roasted vegetable and this pasta dish with ground meat and other vegetables in it. For dessert, the girls and I had gotten some fruit at the market that day and we made a fruit salad and had ice cream and chocolate cake with it. After dinner Sara, Jess, Hayley and I all got ready because we were going out that night. Ron drove us to the club and once he dropped us off we went to this grassy memorial area where we pre-drank. We finally went into the club around 11:30 and we were there until 5 in the morning. Yes we shut the place down! They had to kick us out.

We woke up on Sunday morning at about 10. We ate breakfast and then Ron was driving us to Brighton to show us the school where Summer Heights High was filmed. We took some pictures and walked around the school. After that Ron dropped us off in St. Kilda. This is such a cute artsy town with a bunch of cafe and shops. We ate lunch at this one place where I had probably the biggest burger I have ever seen in my entire life. The burger had on it: lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, bacon, egg, pineapple, pepper, and mushrooms. It was DELICIOUS. After lunch we walked around a little and went into some shops. Then we went to the beach in St. Kilda, but of course once we stepped on the beach it started to rain lightly. It was also really windy so it was not a good beach day. We did walk the beach though and took some pictures. After walking around for a little we stopped to get some frozen yogurt and split it between the four of us. Eventually we made our way back to the Lane's house. We made pizzas for dinner and had fruit and ice cream for dessert. After that we packed our bags and got ready for bed. We had to leave extremely early Monday morning.

We woke up Monday morning at about 4:15 in the morning. The taxi came to pick us up at 4:40 and we got to the airport at about 5:15. We started to board the plane about 15 minutes after getting to the gate. We slept the whole plane ride home and eventually made it back to campus before 8 in the morning. (We gained an hour with the time difference). Once I got back to my room I fell right asleep and then woke up for my class.

Melbourne was honestly the greatest weekend ever. I loved it so much and can only hope to make it back there again one day. After experiencing it first hand, I now understand why Melbourne is considered the most livable city in the world. It is such an extremely clean city and the people are all so friendly.

This weekend is Easter and then the following weekend is when Sara, Hayley and I leave for New Zealand. That is going to be another amazing vacation. The 3 of us are thinking of renting a van where we can sleep and cook. We thought this would be an adventure in New Zealand so living in the car and staying at camp grounds could only make it more of a memorable experience. We wanted to rent a car anyways to get around so it only makes sense, rather than spending money on both the car for the 4 days and the hostel for 5 nights. I cannot wait for New Zealand but at the same time that means that my time here is winding down. I cannot believe that come Sunday I only have 3 weeks left. This really has been an amazing experience and I am so thankful that I have been able to come here and do everything I have done. I am looking forward to coming home to see everyone, but it will also be sad to leave my friends here. Good thing I still have 3 weeks to live it up and continue to experience Australia.

Cheers!

Mission M1...Complete!

This past week my parents came to visit me in Australia!! I never thought they would be able to travel around the world to visit me for a week. I am so thankful that they did and it was so nice to have them here with me. They arrived on Sunday morning around 11. When they got here I showed them my room and then we went to Burleigh to get lunch. Afterwards we went back to their apartment and they took a nap while I watched TV for the first time since I have been here. Later that night we went to Main Beach to eat dinner.

Monday they went to Currumbin to see the kangaroos and koala bears and after that I gave them a tour of Bond campus and then we went out to dinner in Broadbeach. On Tuesday we went to Brisbane. We tried to climb the bridge but it was already booked up, and then we tried to go on the Ferris wheel but it was shut down, so we did the next best thing...eat and drink. We went to all of the historic hotels in Brisbane and had some Australian wines at each place. That night we went to dinner at one of the hotels and I had kangaroo while my parents each had a steak for dinner. On Wednesday I did not see my parents at all. They went south to Byron Bay and Nimbin and were there all day. On Thursday my parents went north to the Sunshine Coast to Mooloolaba beach. Later that night we went out to dinner in Main beach again. On Friday we spent the entire day together. My parents, myself, Sara and Hayley all went to Tamborine Mountain. We first did the Skywalk which is a trail above and through the rainforest. Then after that we went to a winery where we had lunch and tried about 5 different wines. After lunch to went to some of the lookout areas and saw some of the most beautiful views. We then went to Fudge Heaven and had some of the best fudge ever. After that we went shopping in the town and finally headed back to the Gold Coast. Before we left Tamborine Mountain though we stopped at this bar, Eagle Heights, and went out back. From there you could see the entire skyline of the Gold Coast. It was absolutely beautiful. We also stopped at Palace Versace to have a glass of wine. We ate a quick dinner and then headed back to Bond. Saturday my parents and I just hang out by their pool and near the beach. It was such a relaxing day, and then later that night we went to dinner at one of the restaurants in the Palace Versace. The restaurant overlooked the water and it was beautiful and so relaxing. They then dropped me back off at Bond and we had to say our goodbyes.  They had to get home because they had to wake up early the next morning to drive to the airport.

They left Brisbane around 10 in the morning on Sunday and now they are home safely. It was just a great week with my parents, and to top it off it was sunny all week! It was sad to say goodbye, but I will be seeing them in a month when I come home. I cannot believe how fast the time has been going here, but I am looking forward to seeing everyone when I get home.

Tomorrow night I leave to go to Melbourne and then the following weekend is Easter and we may be going back to Byron Bay and Nimbin. Then on April 6-11 we are going to New Zealand. When I get back from New Zealand, Katie and her fiends are coming to visit for the weekend and then I will be going home a few days later! Scary how time is flying but I am enjoying every minute.

Cheers!

We're in Sydney Once

So this past weekend my friends, Sara, Hayley, and Chris all went to Sydney. I got to see Katie while I was there so that was awesome. I stayed with Katie all weekend and boy did we have a blast!

My friends and I arrived in Sydney on Thursday and took a taxi to Katie's apartment in Sydney. We then wondered around the city and later that night we went to the casino with Katie and the other people in her program.

Friday morning we woke up early and went into the Sydney Harbor to see the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Even though it was raining we had a great day. We all took lots of pictures and I toured the Opera House and learned all about the history and information about it. Later that night we went out this bar at Darling Harbor which is another harbor in Sydney.

Saturday morning we woke up early again and went to Manly Beach which and walked this trail to a rock pool, where I went swimming for a little. Saturday was also Mardi Gras, which is a huge gay and lesbian pride parade where everyone dresses up in bright, colorful,and crazy outfits. We all went to the parade and while we were waiting for it to start something hilarious happened. Sara and I were standing in the front and these two Asian girls come over to us and we thought they asked us to take their picture, but they were actually asking us to take a picture with us because they thought we were a lesbian couple. After the parade we went to this party and met this extremely fun bunch of people who live in Melbourne. Sara and I got their names and are going to try and meet up with them again when we go to Melbourne in a few weeks.

Sunday morning we had to be at the airport by 9:30 cause our flight was at 11. When we got back to the Gold Coast it was still only 11 in the morning because of the time difference. We all slept for a few hours to try and recover from that long and exhausting, but extremely fun weekend.

This Sunday my parents are coming and I am so excited. The weather seems to be a little less rainy so I hope they have good weather while they are here. Time is flying by and I cannot believe that I only have a little over a month left here. I really am having a great time and this weekend should be fun to stay in the Gold Coast and hang out with all our Australian friends. I can't wait to book my trip to Melbourne and New Zealand though. It is going to be a blast!

Cheers!

Me with the Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbor Bridge

Darling Harbor

It was raining of course

Sydney Opera House from the Harbor

Mardi Gras

Rock Pool

Inside the Sydney Opera House

Great Barrier Reef

Wow! This past weekend was truly the most amazing experience of my life. My friends and I went on a 3 day trip up north to the Great Barrier Reef with Sunset Safari tours. Words cannot describe how beautiful it was to see one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Friday:
It all started very very early Friday morning when our taxi picked us up at 5:15 in the morning to bring us to Surfers Paradise which is where we took the first bus to Brisbane. Once we got to Brisbane we transferred buses and met our tour guide, Harry. He was an awesome tour guide and was so helpful and nice. We drove about 6-7 hours more north to the Town of 1770-Agnes Waters. We arrived there around 2:30 in the afternoon. We checked into our hostel and my friends and I headed into the town of Agnes Waters. We sat at a coffee shop for a few hours before heading back to our hostel. When we got back to our hostel we got back on the bus and headed up the road a little. That is where everyone on the tour ate pizza and we watched the sunset over the water. There are only a few places in Australia where the sun sets over the water and we got to watch it in person. After watching the beautiful sunset we went back to the hostel and just played some cards before heading to bed. The next morning we had to be up for breakfast at 7 and at the boat by 8 to sail out to the Great Barrier Reef.

Saturday:
Saturday morning we woke up at 6:30 in the morning got dressed and ate breakfast. We then boarded the boat, Lady Musgrave. On our way out to the reef, we were briefed about how to scuba dive. The boat ride out was also super rough and not a smooth sailing ride, but I did not get sick thank goodness! After about an hour and a half boat ride we arrived at Lady Musgrave Island, which is the second most southern point of the Great Barrier Reef. It was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! The water was so blue that you could see right through it. Pictures do not even do it justice with how beautiful the reef really is. Once the boat docked on the pontoon the captain did the one fish feeding a day. All these fish were swimming right up at the boat and that was so cool to see. After the fish feeding we were allowed to go snorkeling. My friends and I put on our flippers and masks and went snorkeling for about an hour. We took pictures with our underwater cameras and we saw some of the coolest underwater life ever. At around 11:45 Hayley and Chris got their wet suites on and went scuba diving first. Then at 12:30 Sara and I went scuba diving. Lot me tell you, scuba diving was by far the coolest thing I have ever done. I saw so many different types of fish and I was so close to all the coral. I was a little nervous to scuba dive but it was so awesome and I would easily do it again! The instructor was so calming and extremely nice and she was so close if anything would go wrong. We got to scuba dive for about 30 minutes and after we dove, we took another boat to Lady Musgrave Island here we had a tour. On the island I got to hold a sea cucumber. It was not what I expected but I learned some fun facts about them. They have a livings fish inside them that get in through it's but, and this sea cucumber squirts out this sticky liquid that Aborigines used to put on the bottom of their feet so that they could walk on the coral without hurting their feet. After we went back to the pontoon we snorkels for a little more and then headed back to the Town of 1770. On the boat ride back we all sat up top and fell asleep with the sun shinning down on us. It was extremely relaxing!

When we got back to the land, Harry picked us up and he took us farther up the road to this monument. This monument was where Captain Cook landed and found Queensland (the state of Australia I am in). Harry also told us about koala bears and that their name means "without water". These animals don't drink water and only eat of eucalyptus trees. Although there are over 400 types of eucalyptus tress in Australia they only eat of 7 of them. Also they way that their body processes the trees makes them seem drunk which is why they are constantly sleeping and very lazy animals. I also learned that the word kangaroo means "I don't know".

After looking at the monument we went to the top of the road to this lookout place and we could see the sun starting to set and it was absolutely beautiful. We finally headed back to our hostel where Harry had a BBQ for us with hamburgers, sausage, chicken, pasta salad, potato salsa and many other delicious foods. After dinner my friends and I played cards with some of the other people on our tour with us. There were 4 Americans (me and my friends), 2 French people, one guy from Chile, one woman from Canada, and 2 people from Ireland. Everyone was extremely nice except the people from Ireland. After a few games of cards we all went to bed.

Sunday:
Sunday morning we woke up to have breakfast at 7 and then after hanging out for a little a bunch of us walked into town to buy some postcards. We ended up leaving Town of 1770 around 10 in the morning. Around 12 we stopped at this really good Chinese place for lunch and also stopped to get the most delicious ice cream I have ever had. It was homemade ice cream with real cream and macadamia nuts. It was DELICIOUS! We then got back to campus around 7:30 at night and ate dinner here.

After an extremely long and amazing weekend I was exhausted and just went to bed after dinner. I will never forget this weekend I just had. It was absolutely amazing and I am so thankful that I got to experience and see everything I did. Our next trip that we are planning is going to Sydney for Mardi Gras.

Take a look at some of the pictures from my weekend at the Great Barrier Reef. It was the best time of my life!

Watching the sun set at Town of 1770 in Agnes Water.

Lady Musgrave Island

sun set-Town of 1770

My favorite fish! Beautiful multicolor fish.

Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef

Sara and I getting ready to scuba dive.

All geared up!

Me ready to dive!

Breathing under water!

Great Barrier Reef

View from Lady Musgrave Island

Top of the boat

Monument where Captain Cook found Queensland.

Sun shinning on the Ocean

Hayley, Chris, Tour Guide Harry, Me, Sara

Sun Set from the Outlook with the bus driving away.

Tour group (Left to right): Hayley, Woman from Ireland, Sara, Harry (tour guide), Chris, Me, French couple, Canadian Woman, Guy from Ireland, guy from Chile.

Australia Day and Cyclones

This past weekend was an experience that will not be forgotten. My friends and I rented a car and drove about an hour south to Byron Bay to celebrate Australia Day the proper way. It all started on Saturday morning when we woke up early and went to Surfers Paradise to pick up the rental car. Since I am the only one who is 21 I was the one who was in charge of driving. This was such a great experience. The drivers seat is on the right side of the car and they drive on the left side of the road. I thought this was going to be so difficult, but it actually wasn't difficult at all. It came pretty natural once I sat down in the driver seat.

We arrived to Byron Bay around 11 Brisbane time, 12 Byron Bay time. Byron Bay is the most eastern point in Australia and that is why they are an hour ahead of time. Once we got there we went to grab something to eat and then checked into our hostel. Let me tell you, a hostel is an interesting experience. It is a combination of living in a dorm and going camping in a cabin. Our room however, wasn't too bad. We had a balcony and a bathroom that was shared among 6 total girls, 4 of them being me and my friends. After we checked into the hostel and got all settled, Sara, Hayley, and myself went to the liquor store and got a bottle of wine. We sat outside on our balcony and had a great time. Even though it was raining, we decided that was not going to stop us from having fun. So we went to our other friends hostel where a bunch of people were there to celebrate Australia Day. Later that night we did a bar crawl and we got free drinks, free pizza and VIP access to 3 different bars. We had so much fun and it was such an experience.

On Sunday we had to check out of our hostel at 10 in the morning. We tried to go to Nimbin but because of the rain and the fact that Nimbin is in the mountains the roads were too flooded to get there, so we just headed home. Thank goodness we got back when we did. There is actually a cyclone happening right now. It is pretty much like a hurricane but not as dangerous. The wind is extremely strong and it has been raining for about 5 days now.

The winds are around 20-30 MPH and all the rain had caused MAJOR flooding. The lake on campus is completely overflowing and covering benches, walking paths, and the steps that take you down to the lake. We were supposed to have classes today but since the weather conditions are not good or safe the school canceled classes. My professor even emailed us saying that she lives up in Brisbane and it is worse up there than it is here in the Gold Coast and class might be canceled again tomorrow. It is supposed to rain the rest of the week but it seems like Friday it might finally be nice again. Just in time for the weekend!

Well wish me luck with this weather. Happy Australia Day! Cheers!