Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Last final done! One week left :) :(

This has been such a weird day. I slept in. That was nice then I tried to study a little bit but I just struggled focusing! I headed off to my final. It was nice to see the kangaroos on my way to my last final in Australia. :)

I took it. I believe it went well :) I guess we shall see. I stopped on my way back and talked to Kat, Juls and Pierre. It is so weird... I guess it is setting in... my life is about to change back just as fast as it changed.

I cleaned my bathroom and my room. I took down everything from my walls. I packed most of my stuff. It is funny... I feel like I have been here so long and done so much, but at the same time I feel like I just got here.

The change is already starting. Leah is gone. Marnie is gone. Jordan is gone. Britt, Spencer, and Hunter are gone. Lisa, Jake, and Pierre leave in the morning. Katja is here but she is with Pierick most of the time the last few days. It is so weird. I guess in a way it is good that everyone is kind of leaving one by one. (kind of lonely and missing my friends and family at home if you couldn't tell)

Tomorrow I have no plans. I will probably go to Mooloolaba and hang out at the beach for the day then we are doing zumba at night. Then Thursday maybe I will do Mooloolaba again haha It is weird having free time! I am getting drinks and maybe food with Zoe and Diana at 5 then maybe meeting with Raph and KAtja after. Then Friday my room gets checked at 930am and my stuff is chucked into Katja or Jaksen's room for the night.

Saturday morning we leave for Frazer Island. The island is home to endless white beaches, unique sand growing rainforest, creeks, lakes, dingoes, and lots of sand!! haha We are planing on driving all the way to the top of the island. We will also go to the champagne pools and the Maheno shipwreck. It should be really beautiful. I am a little nervous about the cold... but I am sure it will be good. :)

Anyway I think I will stop lamenting for now and figure out some dinner then maybe hit the gym... God knows I need to do that! this 5 month vacation has me so off track! I need to start lifting again and get some sweating in and I will be back on the wagon in no time :)

Rainbow Beach + Carlo Sandblow

For Lindsey's last day in Australia we drove up to Rainbow Beach. I was excited to share it with her! I think the sandblow is just incredible!!!!


We had perfect weather for it! Warm enough... but not hot... no rain.. perfect tide height... it was great!


After taking a wrong route we found the walkway to part of the sandblow. We made our way all the way down to the beach. The tide was at a good spot we could walk back up the beach to where we started. We even saw some very brave 4-wheel drivers.



After that we made our way back to the car and drove to the top of the sandblow. We hiked in and bam! there we were. I was just as impressed as before. Lindsey was impressed too. She wasn't very impressed at first, but it really does get to ya! We even had a mini photo shoot haha




We walked all the way down to the bottom... and all the way back up ;)

After that we went to the beach for a bit. Lindsey built a sandcastle thing and I took a walk. It was such amazing weather!


After all that we headed home in time to pack and watch a movie with Lisa before heading to bed.

The next day (today) I took Linds to the airport at 630 am. After that Katja and I went to the grocery store and post office then dropped off the rental car. Then.... I took a nap haha

Tonight we went to dinner with  a big group. It was very fun. We also saw a movie. It was the Pixaar movie about the brain. It is very good. Go see it :)

Now time for sleep... I have my last final tomorrow!!!! Woohoo! :)

I am more and more ready to go home all the time. I love it here but I miss my friends at home.

- Cheers ya'll :)

Monday, June 22, 2015

Eumundi markets + Noosa + Coolum w/ the girls

Jaksen gave Katja and I little going away gifts. It was so thoughtful. :) A little boxing kangaroo and an Australian flag. It is a great little gift take home :)


We went to the Eumundi Markets. It was really fun. We walked around and found some great little Aussie gifts for people at home!


Then I took them to Noosa... it was good for lunch but we couldn't find a parking spot for the walk :( So we decided to press on and we stopped at Castaway Beach. It is still my favorite. They were not as impressed as I am or even my parents. I get it. There is less to offer... not shops... just beach. I love it. So... anyway. We then set off to Coolum where... again... they were not as impressed. Lindsey said she liked it  lot but I guess it just isn't Katja's thing. Her camera stayed in the car.


After all that we headed home. I was ready for some rest... we have done so much in the last few days!

Lone Pine + Mt. Coot-tha + Glasshouse Mtns w/ Linds and Katja

As always I love this place :)




Lindsey loved it too :)





We even saw a BABY!!!!!! So Cute!!!!



We stopped by Mt. Coot-tha on the way home.


Then Glasshouse Mtns for sunset.


Saturday, June 20, 2015

Straddie and Brissy at night with Katja and Lindsey!

We decided to go to Stadbroke Island. It is soooooooo pretty! I love this place and I am so glad I got to share it with Katja and Linds.










Thursday, June 18, 2015

Back to the Sunshine Coast + First 2 Final Exams!!

I hate it but we had to leave Cairns :( but at least we got a good brekky!!


And crepes?


The market is pretty cool :)


Then we caught the plane back to Brissy.


We were so tired when we finally got home.... shuttle... plane... train... bus... ugh. Sleep was my friend!

The next day I had my first final. Obviously I had been studying a lot! ... Well.... anyway... I studied that day ;) I put in a good study time then I had my first exam. It is so weird. All exams are held in the sports center or the auditorium. They are so strict. No bags. No hats. No bottles with labels. Only water. No anything. It was so crazy. Anyway the exam actually went pretty well I think :) I guess we shall see.

Then next day I had time to show Lindsey around more. We walked around campus and found kangaroos :)


Then we went to Mooloolaba with Katja for coffee :)


AND the Aussie burger!!! :) YUMMMM!


That night I taught zumba and started studying for my 2nd exam the next day.

Wednesday we woke up and Lindsey headed to Mooloolaba for the day and I studied. Well I attempted to study. I also had lunch with Katja... and coffee...


Anyway I studied enough and headed for my 2nd exam. It went pretty well too I think to be honest! :) I also saw a bunch of kangaroos on my way to the exam so that is always nice!


After the final I headed home and we planned out Lindsey's last 4 days... Tomorrow we set off for Stradbroke! :) My favorite!! :)

- Cheers!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Cairns - Day 5 Daintree Rainforest/ Crocodile adventure!

This trip went by so fast!!! It is already our last day and we have a Daintree Rainforest tour booked!


We drove up to Daintree on a really pretty beach drive. When we got there we got to be a part of a smoke ceremony. It is for welcome and purification.




Then we headed off on our first hike for the day.



I was a little cool but mostly the water was too high and it was a little too dangerous for swimming.


After that we hopped on a vehicle ferry across the Daintree River. This is the oldest Rainforest in the world!! HOW neat! :)


Then we hopped out for another hike.


The top of the picture below is a strangler fig. It gets it's name because the seeds are dropped in bird droppings onto other trees. Then  the Fig slowly grows down to the ground. Eventually it strangles the host trees and the host tree dies leaving only the fig. Nature is so crazy and so cool! :)





We even licked ants. They we lime green and very sour. Don't worry the ant doesn't die. It is more of a lick and release.



After that we headed to the closest beach. We grabbed some lunch and set off again!


On our drive back we even stopped for ice cream!!! Now this is my kind of tour yall! ;) It is all 100% natural and homemade. There were some very strange flavors!!!


We even saw a Cassowary!!! They are so rare to see and we saw one right as we got off the bus to go to the lookout! We almost didn't stop because it was raining a bit. He asked if anyone wanted to get off anyway and we were like 'of course! why not?'. We are sooooo lucky!!!



The lookout was very pretty too :)


After that we made our way back to the Daintree river. This time we took a Crocodile cruise across.


And yep! We saw some Crocs!!




We saw lots of other wildlife too :)





After a packed day it was time to hit the road home to Cairns.


We sang pretty much the whole way back. A girl plugged her iPod in and her music was so good! :)

After a big day we ate dinner and took a nap. We got up ad went out. I felt like we couldn't not go out at least one night!?!?! So off we went. It as fun. Dancing and music! :) A good time was had by all!