Cairns!

This past weekend I traveled to the tropical northern part of Australia (weird that the north is warmer). We stayed in Cairns where the Great Barrier Reef is right off the coast and the rain forest is just a drive out of town. It is not a big city, centered on tourism, and everything is within walking distance which is nice. Our hostel was right in the center of town and had a walk in pool right next to the bar. The weather was gorgeous! Nothing but sun, and mid-80s temperatures.

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Day One
Our first full day in Cairns started bright and early as we had to check in at the marina by 7 am. We took a catamaran out to a beautiful part of the reef called Michaelmas Cay. The reef here was shallow and the water was so clear, perfect for snorkeling. On the way there, our crew told us about what things we might see while snorkeling or diving. One asked, "What do you think the biggest thing you will see on the reef today will be?" In my head I thought, oh please don't say shark. He answered, "Tourists. That's right, the don't bite so feel free to touch them. But if they are female be careful where you touch them as they may get aggressive." They assured us that if we did see a shark it would be just a reef shark no bigger than a human and they tend to swim away from people. I skipped the first part of snorkeling to learn how to scuba dive. We had to learn all of the hand signals to communicate, how to get water and out of our masks, and how to equalize our ears. When we first got in the water, we held onto a rope and put our faces in to get used to the breathing. At first, I was somewhat freaked out as it feels really unnatural and you have to tell yourself to only use your mouth to breathe. After a while though you get used to it and diving is amazing! Some fish were not shy at all and would swim inches away from my mask! I saw tons of different types of coral, fish, giant clams, and a giant sting ray! This location was only 30 miles away from where Steve Irwin was killed. We ate lunch on the boat and went to our next location, a deeper spot further out called Paradise Reef. This was my second dive so I was used to the equipment and the scenery was amazing! Just like out of Finding Nemo! Everything was so colorful and there were fish everywhere. After, we got biscuits (cookies) and tea as we cut the motors, put up the sails, and cruised back to Cairns. We laid out on the deck getting some sun and watching dolphins swim with the boat.

Day Two
This was our free day and we walked around town, going to the markets and checking out the waterfront. The beach there is so different. Because it is dangerous with deadly box jellyfish and salt water crocs not many people make use of the shoreline. Instead, the town has its very own man-made lagoon to swim in. After, we went to relax and lay by the hostel pool. That night, we joined a pub crawl that took you to all the bars in town via a double-decker party bus. What a night! We had two 40 yr old birthday parties and a bachelorette party (known as a hen party) in our group! And one guy invited his mom and boss to try and set them up (on a party tour?). At each bar the group played a game. To break the ice, each girl was given a nut and each guy a bolt and you had to go around the bar trying to find your match. The group was dominated by French and English... you could tell who was who. It was a ridiculous night to say the least.

Day Three
After chugging water and trying to soothe a headache at 6 am, we were picked up in a bus to head up to the rain forest. We took a ferry over a river filled with crocs and were told the last girl to decide to go for a swim never came back. Once in the rain forest, you can't see much of anything besides trees from the road. The shrubbery is so thick, we would be driving next to the ocean and only get a glimpse of it every now and then. In the wet season, people can get stuck either going in or coming out because parts of the road would be completely underwater, more than a bus could get through. I thought there would be somewhat of a town centre where all of the buildings are, but it is just one long road with a shop or two off on a little road to the side every km or so. We could not see a restaurant across the road because of the trees. It was beautiful though. We went ziplining through the canopy. Here they call it "flying foxes". We learned that on our first stretch of zipline we passed more trees than we would if we went from the top of canada to the southern end of North America. Pretty crazy. We also saw the nutmeg tree that the man who wrote Alice in Wonderland had been smoking when he came up with his story. Flying through the trees, I could not help but sing the rain forest song from zoo camp to myself. We actually saw a wild cassowary and babies! It is a giant predatory bird in the rain forest, google it. It took 20 years, but I have officially been to a place more humid than Columbia, SC! You could work up a sweat just sitting outside. We spent all day at Cape Tribulation and headed back to Cairns around 6 pm.

After an AMAZING weekend, we were up at 4:45 am to make an airport shuttle for a 6:20 am flight! We were exhausted, but it was definitely worth it. I watched the sun come up over the ocean right before I put my Ipod in and snoozed all the way back to Sydney.

80s prom

Just for fun, last night we threw an 80's prom night. The outfits were fabulous and I thought I would share some pictures!

the cool guys

date pictures

awkward prom pics

great dresses!

Zane and I

the group!

Jump out of a plane? OK!

The bird's eye views of the beach, mountains, and towns all the way to Sydney were amazing. It was so peaceful and calming. That is, until the Plexiglas door separating us and the outside of a moving airplane was flung open. My whole body was shaking. No turning back, it was GO time.

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Ok, so skydiving has been on my bucket list since I was old enough to know what that meant. But, I never knew when or where I would have the guts to do it. As I called the night before to confirm, Zane assured me that this was the best way to do it. Don't think. Just sign up, and go.

Me and a group of seven of my friends walked to the sky dive pickup point at 7 am. We couldn't help but giggle nervously while we walked. I decided to bring along the playlist on my Ipod that I used to listen to before soccer games to get pumped up.

We then proceeded to sign our lives away on papers warning us of injury "and mortality". Just what you want to think about. But, we signed our own forms and were "witnesses" for each other. We were handed special suits and jackets and sent off for training.

Basically, we learned how we would be connected to our tandem instructors and that the fanny pack looking thing around our waist contained a life jacket in case of a water landing. Perfect. Then we learned the proper way to throw yourself towards the ground at a height of 14,000 ft.

My instructors name was Leigh, and she was my size. I immediately thought "Great, I get the little one. Why can't I be strapped to one of the big strong guys...." But, I was relieved when I found out she has been jumping since she was 13, over 7,000 jumps. Quite a hobby.

We loaded up the bus that drove us to the airport. Up until this point, I hadn't felt nerves, I guess because it hadn't hit me that I was actually doing this. Seeing the little airplane with "Skydive" painted on the side, it all hit home. On of my friends, Kevin, started to sing the song from Armageddon as we walked toward the plane. Very funny. I took a few breaths, said a few "Oh my God"s and took my seat inside.

The flight up was a crazy mixture of emotions. The views were stunning, and looking out over the ocean was so peaceful. But, the second I looked away from the window at all the people and gear inside the plane hearing "5 minutes to jump!" my whole body started shaking and I couldn't help it. Leigh kept talking to me to keep me calm and my friend sitting next to me, Katie, kept saying "Kelsey, breathe..."

Leigh double-checked all of our equipment, and told me everything was good to go. The door of the plane flung open, this was it, the first of my friends disappeared into the sky. Four more went, I couldn't believe how fast they dropped. One of my friends let out a big "OH SHIT!" Leigh scooted us closer to the door, I looked out (not down) and concentrated on taking deep breaths. I crossed my arms, held my head back, and jumped.

It is so hard to explain what the first seconds of free fall feel like. The stomach-dropping sensation you get on a Drop Zone, I never felt it. It never really registered that I was dropping 19 stories a second, it felt like I wasn't moving, the wind resistance was so intense. We did some flips and spins. My mouth got so dry but I couldn't help from smiling. I could see all the way to Sydney! The beach, and the mountains seemed so close together.

After a minute of falling, Leigh pulled the chute (around 4,000 ft). Then, as we calmly soared across the sky, I took in the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. She then let me take the reigns and steer the chute.

As we came in for our landing on the field, I held my hands under my knees and picked my legs up. We, very smoothly, just slid into the field on our bottoms. After getting unhooked, I could hear the squeals from my friends who had landed. We ran and hugged each other, not believing that we had actually done it.

Birthday in Australia!

April 14, 2010. The day I turned 20 in Australia.

This will go down as one of the greatest birthdays ever!

I got a package with some of my favorite treats from the family :)

I ate dinner and had a strawberry daiquiri at one of my favorite restaurants (Outback Steakhouse, ironic?)

I had a Disney themed birthday party with my Australia friends where we all dressed up as characters.

My friends all signed a card and sang me Happy Birthday.

I tried absinthe, a liquor that is illegal in the US. Don't worry Mom, not the kind that makes you hallucinate.

The dance floor at our local bar/club was filled with Disney characters for a night.

Disney Group Shot!

Me- Alice in Wonderland

zane- Wall-E

Before the party, at Outback!

New Zealand

So everyone got back from their Easter break travels this week. It was great to hear all the stories. Some went to the Great Barrier Reef, some road tripped the coast, some had family visit, and some (like Zane and I) went to New Zealand! We went on a week long tour trip around the South Island of New Zealand, with two days to explore for ourselves.

New Zealand is the prettiest place I have ever seen. Everywhere you look while just riding in a car looks like a painting. Everything is so green and beautiful. We traveled in a nice tour bus with leather seats and TVs, and stayed in hostels (ranging in quality) at each overnight stop.

Day One

We explored the city of Christchurch on our own before loading up the bus. We went into the cathedral, which was beautiful, we checked out a local market, went to a park, and ate souvlaki (a Mediterranean dish...yes I am expanding the collection of foods I eat). After lunch we headed to Flock Hill Sheep Farm. There, we learned about different wool and the process of herding and shearing. The dogs are so well trained, they will jump on the backs of the sheep to get to the front of the herd to turn it around. It was pretty cool to watch. Then we took turns using a shearers technique to "wrestle" a sheep to the ground. It was harder than the boys thought it would be. Dinner that night was lamb, vegetables, and a special NZ dessert. The first of many meals containing lamb (I was glad to have a different meat by the end of the trip). That night, we were relaxing in the lodge when the farmers came in wearing nothing but trash bags and handed us some to make outfits out of. We had a trash bag party.

Day Two

We traveled on the bus, again with amazing scenery, to Fox Glacier where we got suited up to hike on an actual glacier. On the way, we stopped in the town of Hokitika, the jade capital of New Zealand or N-Zed as they called it. We got to go in the jewelry shops and watch a carver at work. Our tour guide warned us not to wear jeans to the glacier because it would be very uncomfortable if they got wet. The next best alternative many of us had were shorts. Now, I can say I hiked a glacier, in the rain, in shorts. All of the glacier guides called us the "shorts club" and high-fived us. Even though it rained, it was still an amazing experience. But, by the time the hike was over I couldn't use my hands or feet and the guide had to help me take the gear off. Much colder than the weather I had become used to in Australia.

Day Three

The day's drive was full of scenic stops. We stopped at a lake that literally reflected the mountains behind it, colors and all. It was gorgeous. We also got to see the ocean, the Tasman Sea to be exact. The water was so pretty, you wanted to jump in until you remembered how cold it was. We also stopped at a beautiful waterfall that was "magic". If you stared at the waterfall and the looked at the trees, it seem that everything was moving or flowing like water. At all of the places with fresh water that we stopped, we could fill up our water bottles. They say the water from the glacier streams is better than any you can buy in a bottle. We ended the day by arriving in Queenstown and exploring, preparing ourselves for the next day.

Day Four

Queenstown is by far one of the coolest places I have ever been. The main street is lined with shops to go in and book an adventure. Vans and buses pick you up from these shops and take you to your chosen death-defying stunt. Not all of them are that extreme, one choice was to ride horses through the land used in Lord of the Rings. However, our tour guide told us that you could not leave Queenstown without "scaring the shit out of yourself at least once". Zane and I chose white water rafting and the canyon swing. The canyon swing was first. I don't think I have ever been as scared as I was on that platform getting hooked up. Zane was fine, and he went first, flipping off the edge. You can literally jump off of this thing any way you want, backwards, upside down, in a chair, blindfolded... I let the guys talk me into going backwards. Now let me explain how this works. You plummet towards the earth in a free fall, much like in a bungy jump, but instead of bouncing back up, you then swing across a canyon. And one key part of the experience is the workers doing their best to scare you. They will push you over the edge then pull you back or say "Oh wait did we hook you up right?" Just what I needed. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved it and could not stop laughing once I had jumped, kind of like your first scary roller-coaster ride. But, while I was standing there, knowing what was behind me, I was shaking uncontrollably. The video is hilarious. I wasn't sure if I would scream, but I did, loudly. After that rush to wake us up, we went to go rafting. I wasn't able to get pictures on the river but it was again one of the coolest things I have ever done. We got to see beautiful nature while floating along the river, and then paddle our way through grade 4 rapids! No one in our boat fell out, but we did get plenty wet. After showering and warming up from the days activities, we got ready to hit the town! Our tour group arranged for us to go into an "ice bar" where literally everything is made of ice: the bar, the cups, the chairs, tables, sculptures, etc. They give you Eskimo jackets, Ugg boots, and gloves to wear. After that, we went to a bar where if they played our tour group's "theme song" called Holiday, the floor "turned to lava" and we were not allowed to dance on anything but tables, chairs, or the bar. It was really funny. Our last stop was at World Bar, where your cocktail comes in a teapot and you pour it into little cups. Overall, Queenstown was a blast.

Day Five

This was the day where the scenery during the drive was indescribably breathtaking. We drove through a gorgeous mountain range and valley to end up at Milford Sound. We made many photo op stops. That day and night and the next morning, we spent on a giant sail boat cruising the sound. The weather was great for us, but we also heard that it is cool to see with rain because of the thousands of waterfalls that appear. The sound is home to penguins, seals, and the world's rarest dolphins. While it wasn't the right time to see the penguins, and we didn't see seals, the dolphins came right up to the boat and same along the side. It was incredible.

Day Six

Another awesome road trip took us to Lake Ohau. On the way we stopped at a fruit stand (delicious!), and the home of the world record holder for largest sweater ever made. It was bigger than me standing with my arms out in a "T". In the winter, Lake Ohau is home to New Zealand's biggest ski/snowboarding resort, and in the summer they wakeboard on the lake. After a chilly polar bear dip in the lake, we were able to warm up in the hot tubs under the clearest sky for stargazing in New Zealand. They covered the sky. Dinner that night was lasagna, finally no lamb! We spent our last night hanging out with some really cool people we had met on the tour, from the US and Europe. Some are also studying in Australia and we have planned to visit each other.

Day Seven

We made the final drive back to Christchurch, stopping at the Church of the Good Shepherd, the most photographed building in New Zealand. It is a tiny, one-room stone church, but still holds services! Back in Christchurch we celebrated our last night together with a karaoke bar and a mechanical bull! I was sore the next day from hanging on for dear life.

We had an awesome trip! New Zealand was AMAZING!

Aussi Facts

Me again, trying to avoid working on econ and philosophy this time... just thought I would share some fun terms and things I have learned living here thus far!

• They spell it Aussi, not Aussie as I thought.
• If one shouts "Aussi, Aussi, Aussi!" the response is "Oi, Oi, Oi!"
• There are at least 3 drinking songs that everyone knows and sings while riding the bus to bars. One is about Yogi Bear.
• In the spring, residents here where ice cream buckets on their heads with eyes drawn on them so that the Mag-pie birds won't swoop down and (literally) take a chunk of their head off (protecting their eggs).
• Want to sound Australian? Just shorten everything and add a "y"
• They eat spaghetti on toast for breakfast
• Easter is a huge deal, carnivals and wine festivals are thrown in the towns
• Haviannas (sp?) are the rainbows of Australia. Everyone has them.
• When making drinks, bartenders are required to measure the liquor in a shot glass before pouring it in.
• You will not find a can or bottle of coke for less than $2.50
• There is not an Australian equivalent to the Cheez-It
• They have very odd potato chip flavors such as Honey Chicken and Sweet-Chili/Lime
• The chips used for dipping in salsa (tortilla chips) are called nachos and Doritos makes them, plain Doritos?
• They have a very limited amount of frozen pizza products at the store. My friend wants to visit America just to try a "Bagel Bite"
• The toilets have 2 options. Half Flush and Whole Flush. To save water.
• They say to eat vegemite with toast, butter, and cheese. I do not advise it.
• There is Rugby Union, Rugby League, and AFL (Australian Football League), all with their own different rules. None of them like American Football.
• They do not know where SC is in relation to other states.
• There are no college sporting teams like at home. But, many support the local rugby team.
• Surf past the blue flags, swim between the red and yellow.
• Beer is around $40 a case. expensive.
• You can go to "uni" for 4 years and be a lawyer. The usual is 3 years.
• There are very few intersections and tons of roundabouts.
• Terms:
• budgie smuggler- speedo
• septo- derogatory term for Americans (like septic tank)
• Abbo- aboriginal, can be derogatory
• wanker- pronounced wanka, a fool/idiot
• mate- friend boy or girl
• brekky- breakfast
• goon- cheap boxed wine, the choice of students.
• grog- any type of alcohol
• chips- both french fries and potato chips
• magnum- a very popular brand of ice cream/popsicle
• toilet- bathroom
• sunnies- sunglasses
• Uni- college
• heaps- large amount. Used without "of" as in, "That will be heaps fun!"
• Ute- truck
• Cheers- thank you
• Arvo- afternoon
• mozzies- mosquitoes
• bottle shop- liquor store
• Woolies- grocery store called Woolworth's
• schooner- glass of beer
• kook- surfer who doesn't know how to surf
• bin- trashcan
• stubby holder- koozie
• esky- cooler
• Uni- college
• first year- freshman (2nd- sophomore, etc)

Weekend in Sydney

For my first overnight trip in Australia I went to Sydney for the weekend. I can get on the train about 3 blocks from my dorm and in an hour or so it goes straight into the heart of the city. We did not realize until half way into the trek that our hostel was a good 30-45 minute walk from the train station. It would have been nice to have stayed closer to all the sights, but it was actually cool to see a quite, neighborhood side of Sydney. We stayed in a YHA hostel in the area called Glebe. The neighborhood was really interesting, with European-looking architecture and tons of little restaurants. The main point of this trip was to hit all the touristy sites in Sydney. My friends and I purchased a "See Sydney Card" for $135 which allowed free entry into over 40 different attractions in the city. Because Sydney is so expensive, after just 2 attractions the card paid for itself, so that was a good find!

The first night we ate at a local pizza joint in Glebe that was BYO (bring your own drinks). So, the boys went down the street to buy beer from a bottleshop and then brought it to the restaurant to have with their pizza. What we call "normal" pizza at home is hard to find here! Many places only offer toppings like Hawaiian or Veggie, or some other weird combinations... and for a picky eater like me, finding a pizza place that offered pepperoni was amazing! The portion sizes are also so different. A large here is only a little bigger than an adult's personal pizza at some US restaurants! Afterwards, we met some friends at their hostel which was bigger and much more modern than our own. We hung out at the bar located right under their hostel.

Our hostel was small, with not the nicest amenities, but the people there were so cool to talk to. One of my "roommates" was an elderly woman that has traveled all over the world. She has been to Oktoberfest and the running of the bulls! She called the hostel her "base" in Australia because she doesn't actually own a home, but is from Australia.

The first day was full of sight-seeing. First, we went to Sydney Tower to check out the views from the 2nd tallest building in the southern hemisphere. We decided to add a little more adventure to the day by signing up for the Skywalk. This is where they put you in a special suit, harness, and shoes, and you go walk on the glass roof of Sydney Tower! Our guide surprised us by pushing a button that made the already see-through roof we were standing on extend out farther over the streets below us. I was definitely more awake after that. Next, we went over to Darling Harbour to visit "Wildlife World". I watched a man extract venom from the most poisonous spider in the world (who just so happens to reside in our area of Australia), and an even crazier man stand beside the water to demonstrate how Rex the huge salt water croc would try to eat him. We moved on to the more fuzzy animals where I got to go into koala habitat and pet them. One named Charlie actually woke up and came down the tree to greet me. After the wildlife park, we took a cruise around the harbour with amazing views! We got to learn the history of Sydney's harbours (Darling and Sydney Harbour are not the same) and get some great photos! Next it was time to meet my friend, who is studying at USyd, at the aquarium! They had so many underwater tunnels that you got to see all the fish, and sharks, from every angle! Fun Fact: I learned that sea turtles will wedge themselves upside down to keep from moving while trying to sleep. That night we went out to Kings Cross which is the big club scene/red light district equivalent. It was quite a sight. Most of the clubs have a cover charge of at least $20, so we just walked around and watched the insanity. I don't think I'll be going back there.

Day 2- We went for a ride on a jet boat around Sydney Harbour. Again, it was a great way to wake yourself up in the morning! This was not your ordinary tour. It was more like a thrill ride where they gave you ponchos because the driver would make hair-pin turns of 270 degrees creating a wave that would then drench you. After drying for a bit in the sun, we went on the official tour of the Sydney Opera house. Fun Fact: It took 12 years to build and the design you see now was originally thrown out of the group of designs considered! Also, the winning design was inspired by the modern architecture of the JFK airport. On the inside they have many little theatres for productions, and some larger ones. The main concert hall, however, was smaller than I expected it to be. I think it only holds 2,700 people. After that, we took a bus to see beautiful, but crowded, Bondi Beach. The water was gorgeous! And it just so happens that a pro surfing competition was taking place that weekend, which was so cool to watch! We got there just in time for the finals! We also got to meet the family of one of the pros who is only 15 years old competing against world champions! He actually got 2nd place! After a fun day at the beach, and sun-burnt noses, we took a train back to Wollongong and went to bed. It was a great weekend!

Jumping on the glass roof way above Sydney