Last week in the Land Down Under

This will be my last blog until I get home on Wednesday.  I am just going to give a quick update of what I have been doing/going to do until then.  On Monday I flew into Cairns and got to go snorkeling and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.  I also went hiking in a rainforest and went to a bunch of beaches.  On Saturday I arrived in Alice Springs, which is in the middle of Australia and in the outback.  I am going on a two day tour and am excited to see some Aboriginal art.  On Tuesday evening I fly back to Tassie to get my two BIG suitcases and to say my last good-byes.  Then at 6:30 a.m. on the 17th I leave for the States.  I should be arriving in Indianapolis around 6 p.m.  Once I am home and bored I will update this and tell you more about my adventures and upload lots of pictures!  Cheers!

New Zealand!!!!

Last week I traveled to the great country of New Zealand with Shelley. We flew into Christchurch (where they have had some pretty big earthquakes the past couple of months) and then took a bus the next morning to Queenstown or also know as the Adventure Capital of the World. It took about eight hours to get to Queenstown, but the scenery on the way there was absolutely beautiful! For lunch we stopped at Lake Topeka and it took my breath away! I have seen many beautiful places, but this definitely beat them all! The aquamarine water was brighter than the sky and with the snow capped mountains (Mt. Cook) it look ever prettier.

In Queenstown we stayed at the Base hostel and it was close to the beach. It was just a pebble beach, but it was packed everyday. The water was so clear and it was relaxing to listen to the water, while gazing at the mountains. The weather was perfect too and I even got a nice little tan before we left.
While in Queenstown we were busy trying to fit in as much as possible into each day. We went bungy jumping on the tallest bungy (134 meters) in Australasia called the Nevis and it was over a canyon. Then our adrenaline was really pumping so we decided to go on the World’s Highest Swing together. Shelley sat backwards, while I hung upside down attached to her. It was over a canyon too and it was a great view!

The next day I went river surfing down a river where Lord of the Rings was filmed. River surfing is where you lay on top of a body boarding and you swim through rapids and whirlpools. I had a blast, but it was a bit of a challenge! We also got to jump off some cliffs into the river. The water was freezing so we wore wet suits, which helped. Later that evening we took the gondola up to the top of a mountain that overlooks the entire city. We went a little bit before sunset and the city looked amazing!

On our last day, we went on a tour of the Milford Sound. Milford Sound is a fjord land and some call it the 8th wonder of the world. We started out on a bus and we really enjoyed our guide because he had quite the sense of humor! Along the way we stopped at a rainforest and got to explore. We also stopped at this freshwater river to refill our water bottles and we were introduced to the Kui bird. These little critters are jokers and they like to get on top of people’s cars and will just ride as they drive off. They also like to get on you and play games with you. They were funny to watch. Once we arrived to Milford Sound we jumped on a boat and had lunch as the cruise began. On the cruise we saw lots and lots of waterfalls, seals, penguins, dolphins, and the beautiful fjords. Our boat also stopped at the Underwater Observatory where we got to see what kind of animals and fish live in the water. We went down 60 meters and through the glass windows we saw the fish, starfish, coral, and so much more. After the cruise we jumped back on the bus and headed home. On the way back we watched a movie called Boy and it is about a Maori boy growing up in New Zealand.

The next morning we caught the bus back to Christchurch and did some exploring there. We did not get to do much because we had to get up at 4 a.m. (2 a.m. Australia time!) to catch our flight back to Australia. We had the best time and both of us agreed that this was our favorite trip while being abroad. I did not want to leave! The scenery was amazing, the air was so fresh (freshest in the world!), and we made a lot of new friends. We met people from England, Brazil, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and even the U.S. (they knew Butler and Gordon Hayward! It was fun talking to them and they were from Washington State).

The next morning (Sat. the 6th) I had my last exam and then I started packing for home and my last week of travels. I am going to Cairns (where the Great Barrier Reef is ) for 5 days and then Alice Springs (outback) for three, coming back to Tassie on Tuesday and then leaving for the States on Wednesday morning. On Sunday, I said my good-byes because heaps of my friends will be gone when I come back on that Tuesday and it was very sad. We also had a pretty big thunderstorm that night, which did not help. Shelley leaves for the U.S. on the 8th and then Stew leaves for Sydney on the 10th to stay with a friend before he leaves on the 19th.
I have had beyond a great time here and it will be very bittersweet to leave. I have met some amazing people and have seen some great things while being here and I will miss it all!
Random:
-A person from New Zealand = Kiwi
-Popular phrase in NZ = Sweet as
-When we arrived at our hostel in Queenstown it was Halloween and they gave us pumpkins to carve, but we didn’t do it and heaps of people bagged us out because we didn’t and we were American.
-Our roomie from Brazil carved his first pumpkin and he did a great job! He also plays the ukulele and liked to serenade us.
-Bungy Jumping began in NZ and the first one ever made was from a bridge and we saw it after we did our big one and it looked soo tiny!
-We didn’t get to see a kiwi bird, which was disappointing. Every time we went to places that had them, they were closed.
-I had sooo many people think I was Canadian while in NZ… Shelley and I think that my “southern accent” throws them off so that is why they say I am Canadian
-At the beach there were these little black ducks that would dive underwater and stay for a good amount of time and then come up and fly away…They were crazy!

-We saw LOTS of sheep and also quite a few ostriches and these little deer from Africa.

Melbourne and Wine Glass Bay trips

Last week I spent some time in Melbourne with Shelley and we had a great time! Then, over the weekend we went camping with a group at Wine Glass Bay (east coast of Tasmania). I am just going to tell a few things about these trips because I leave for New Zealand tomorrow and I want to update everyone before I set out for another adventure! I have been busy with exams too and I only have one left!!!!

What we did/saw in Melbourne:
-St. Kilda Beach
-Lygon Street for Shelley's B-day dinner (street filled with Italian restaurants!)
-Went on the Great Ocean Road tour
-Twelve Apostles
-Bells Beach (where giant surfing competition is held)
-Rainforest
-Saw koalas and birds in the wild
-London Bridge
-More, but I cannot think of right now...
-Victoria Market (GIANT)
-MCG (Melbourne Cricket Grounds, where footy games are played, giant)
-Lots of free transportation, which was great!

In our hostel we met people from France, Italy, Germany, and Wales. I tried to practice my French from High School, but failed.

Wine Glass Bay:
-Left Sat. morning and made our way to the east coast
-Went 4W driving
-Our friend Froggy has a new 4W vehicle and it has its own water pump in it, so you can fill up water bottles and such!
-Stopped at a local place and got some mussels and oysters for dinner
-Found camp, near Friendly Beach along with a friendly wallaby that chilled with us and later a possom
-Cooked the mussels and oysters along with steak, chicken, and snags over the fire and then had s'mores for dessert Yummmmmm!
-On Sun. we played some cricket, which is hard to hit because the bat is weird...
-Hiked to Wine Glass's beach which took about 3 hours all together to hike there and back
-Great time and beautiful weather!

On Wednesday Brenna left and now there are only three Americans left. :( Our little family is slowly leaving one by one. Shelley leaves on the 8th and then Stew heads up to Sydney on the 10th. I plan on traveling after we get back from New Zealand before I leave on the 17th.

Melbourne



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Melbourne bound!

Shelley and I booked out flights to Melbourne today and will be there tomorrow until Friday! We are soooo excited! Supposedly Melbourne has some really good shopping and places to eat. Then on Saturday, some of our friends are taking us to Wine Glass Bay (one of the world's best beaches) to camp at for the weekend. This is going to be a great and relaxing week before my exams next week.

On Saturday we went to the Education Ball and had a great time. Then on Sunday we went out to dinner because Paige was leaving the next day. It sad to say good-bye.

Tonight, we celebrated Shelley's Birthday since it is on Wednesday and she wanted to see everyone before we left. Stew made us some buffalo wings (Aussies do not like spicy foods so it was good to have some spiciness) and homemade mac n cheese. It was delicious! We just hung out and played some games with all of our Aussie friends.

Now I need to get some sleep so I can pack in the morning and head off to Melbourne!!

Done!...well, almost

Yesterday was my last day of class!!!!! I have next week off and then I have my first exam on Oct. 26th. My teachers told me what to expect for the exams, which made me feel so much better! They grade very hard here, but now that I know what to prepare for I am not so nervous. I am starting to plan some trips around the mainland and cannot wait to hit some beaches! The weather has been in the upper 60's and lower 70's, but by the time I leave it will be in 80's/90's. I plan on going to the Great Barrier Reef and by the time I get up there it will around 100 degrees.

On Saturday we are all going to the Education Ball. It is at a place in the city and there will be a live band and food.

On Monday, Paige is leaving us. It will be really weird without her! We have become like a family here and it will be sad to see her go. I come home Nov. 17th. I leave Launceston at 6:30 am and arrive in Indy at 6:30 pm (still on the 17th) Whenever I get home I cannot wait to get a McDonald's sweet tea and some Taco Bell!!!

Random:
-mozzie = mosquito
-popular phrase: are you keen?
-mail is called the post
-I have read 16 novels plus two thick readers (like text books) this semester! Also tons of articles to go along with the novels...
-They do not have Tootsie Rolls here and when I tried to explain them everyone thought they sounded nasty haha
-the crosswalks all have buttons that you have to push and when it is time to go they make this sound that immediately makes you want to walk and reminds me of a video game