Kuranda Rainforest, Barron Falls, Port Douglas, and Mossmans Gorge

On Sunday, our last day in Cairns :( we rented a car and went exploring for the day! First, we drove up to the Kuranda Rainforest and walked along a long path that led to the Barron Falls. It was a beautiful waterfall that came down a huge gorge. We took lots of pictures and then walked back to the car! Then we drove into Port Douglas, about an hour away to visit their Sunday Market. It was so amazing, there were vendors everywhere selling handmade crafts, jewelry, furnature, fresh fruit, chocolates, coffee, anything you could ever imagine! I bought some really cool jewelry and we ate lunch at this awesome little cafe (with gluten free wraps!!) soo delicious! After lunch, we walked back to the car and headed to Mossmans Gorge. It was a really pretty gorge with huge rocks and lots of swimmers! It was a really cool view and we wished we had more time so we could jump in! After visiting the Gorge, we headed back down to our apartment on Trinity Beach to get showered before our flight back to Sydney. Once we got to the airport, we had an hour wait to get on our flight, then a three hour flight into Sydney. After examining the train schedule, I realized that if we took a cab to Wolli Creek we could make the train at 840 back to North Wollongong. This is, if our cab driver knew anything about driving or directions! He got lost three different times, took us to three different train stations (none of them being Wolli Creek), sped the entire way flying over speed bumps and swearing, he barely spoke a word of English, and could not follow directions he got from anyone on the street. I was honestly scared for my life! FINALLY, after missing our train, we arrived at Wolli Creek and thankfully we were alive! After all that, he tried to charge us 33.00 for our ride! I couldn't believe it. He made us miss our train AND he was trying to charge us for his poor sense of direction! I was so angry and I told him that we were not going to pay that. We could get to Central Station in Sydney for 20 dollars and that was farther away than Wolli Creek. First he dropped it to 25, then down to 20 after much complaining on my part :) I was not in the mood for this guy and he definitely knew it! After getting ripped off by our cab driver, we had to wait fifteen for a train that didnt even go to North Wollongong. Then, after waiting 45 more minutes at the next station, and switching trains, we were on our way back to North Wollongong! After a 7and a half hour journey, we were finally back home!! The Leonards are staying in Cairns for a few more days and then coming back to Sydney on Wednesday. Kay and I are going to go up and stay with them on Wednesday night to explore Sydney and go out for my birthday dinner :) then, head back here at some point on Thursday. Thursday night, I am planning to go out to dinner with a bunch of my friends and then to a club in town called Hotel Illawara where they have Retro Night every Thursday. It should be a blast! I can't believe I am finally turning 21! I am kind of sad that I won't be home to celebrate with all my friends, but I'm excited to be here and spend time with all the awesome new people I've met! Only one more month until I head back to Vermont. I can't believe how fast it has flown by! I will write again soon!

Trinity Beach and Cairns!!

Thursday morning, Kay and I caught a train to Sydney where we met Martha and Jayme and caught our flight to Cairns. When we arrived, after our three hour flight, we were shuttled to our beach front apartment on Trinity Beach, about 20 minutes outside of Cairns. Our apartment was beautiful and we had a deck with an amazing ocean view! Our first night there, we got settled, went down and checked out the beach, and grabbed dinner to bring back to the apartment. We were all exhausted! Kay and I watched a movie and crashed early! We got up early the next morning to go scuba diving and snorkeling with Reef Experience. We had breakfast on the boat and drove about 45 minutes out to The Great Barrier Reef. It was 86 degrees and the water was 84 degrees; it was the perfect day! On our trip out, I got really seasick and dizzy. I sat out on the top of the boat and tried to sleep until we got there. Once the boat stopped, I felt a lot better! I put on my wet suit, flippers, and goggles and got ready for my first dive. They put a weighted belt around my waist and an air tank on my back. I felt like I weighed 500 pounds and I was going to sink as soon as I dropped in the water. I got in and began to practice using my airtank and going under the water with my instructor, Alex. I was secretly scared to death and I couldn't get my breathing right. It is so unnatural to breath solely out of your mouth; I always felt short of breath or like I needed to come up for air. Alex held my hand through most of my dive and I ended up having an amazing time! We dove to 25 feet and saw beautiful coral, hundereds of different types of tropical fish, and lots of other wildlife! It was gorgeous!! I don't think any words could explain what we saw! After my dive, we snorkeled around and saw lots more of the reef before lunch. Then we got back on the boat and ate and suntanned on the top of the boat. Then, all of a sudden, we heard rescue,rescue, rescue!! Immediately, a rescue diver and a rescue boat raced out to the last group of divers. A woman had a pain in her ear and shook her head. When she did that, her regulator had fallen out and she had inhaled so much water, she was frothing and puking. They called a rescue helicopter, but luckily once they got her on the boat and helped her, she was doing ok and she didn't have to leave on the helicopter. It was really scary and we were all glad she was ok!! After that long delay, we went out to our second destination on the reef and I snorkeled again! It was so much fun! Then, we got back on the boat again for wine, and cheese, and fresh fruit on our way home as the sun was setting. It was the perfect day :)

Sydney Herald Half Marathon!

I feel like I haven't written in forever! I've been crazy busy trying to get all my end of the semester work done and plan my last trips! Soo I have lots to write :) This past weekend, I went to stay with friends and run the Sydney Herald Half Marathon! The race started at 7:30am on Sunday morning, which was early, but it was a beautiful morning! I got to see so much of Sydney as I ran and I finished the race in 2 hours and 2 minutes. When I got to the finishline, my friends were all waiting! It was so amazing to have them there when I finished for hugs and support! I'm so lucky to have met such awesome people throughout my time here! I love my I-House family! Also at the finishline were Kayla's parents, Martha and Jayme Leonard! It is their 25th anniversary this year and they celebrated it by coming to visit Kay in Australia! It is so great to have them here!! I left for a quick shower and a nap and then met back up with them for dinner at this awesome pub in The Rocks. We had an awesome dinner and some wine to celebrate :) and listened to live music. Then, we caught a train home and I went straight to bed; I was so tired and sore!! Martha and Jayme came back to Wollongong yesterday to walk around the town, the beach, the campus, and attend the farewell ceremony. I can't believe that I am already attending farewell ceremonies, it seems like I haven't been here long enough to be leaving and I still have so many things I want to do!! Kay and I are heading back to Sydney tomorrow to meet her parents and catch out flight to Cairns in the afternoon. We're going to scuba dive and snorkel the great barrier reef, go to the rainforest, and soak up as much sun as possible!! I'm really looking forward to it! When we get back, we only have two weeks of school left, so I'm going to have to work hard to finish all my final papers and study for my final exams! For my last trip before I head back to Vermont, my friend Sarah and I are going to fly out to the Gold Coast to stay with my friend Emily from high school. It should be a fun trip for the end of the semester and it should still be really warm up there, so we can get nice tans before we head home :)

Weekend!

I just finished up classes for the week and I am looking forward to a weekend in Wollongong! I haven't been here for the weekend in over a month! I am looking forward to getting lots of work done and relaxing! Sunday, I'm going to the Comedy Festival in Sydney with a bunch of friends. It should be a blast! After this weekend, I'm running a half marathon in Sydney, going to Cairns to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, and then the last weekend in mu is my 21st birthday!! My classes are done June 2nd and then my friend Sarah and I planned a trip to go to the Gold Coast to visit my friend Emily over study break! I have exams June 19th and the 24th and then I'm flying home June 25th! It is such a bitter sweet feeling to be coming to the end of this experience. I have had the time of my life, seen so many extraordinary places, and met lifelong friends! But it will also be so great to go home and see all my family and friends and go back to Saint Mikes to finish my senior year!I can't believe time has flown by so fast!

Back in Wollongong...

Yesterday morning, I got back from a beautiful weekend in Byron Bay. We enjoyed the sunshine and I think I even got some of my tan back that I've been missing so m
uch! The Mardi Grass festival in Nimbin can hardly be put into words. It was the most hippie/crazy/amazing day ever. I loved people watching and checking out all the crazy shops, live bands, and street performers. We sat in a little park area and watched a band we really liked called April Maze.then, we headed back to our hostel in Byron Bay, where we had a cookout, drank wine, and played cards before heading out to the bars. I was only out for a short time, before going back to lay on the beach and look at the stars. It was a really beautiful night! Sunday, we were all tired, but we had to check out of our hostel by ten am. So, we headed down to sleep on the beach all morning! After lunch, we went on a sea kayaking. Adam and I shared a kayak and we were the last to leave shore. After watching everyone crash, I was nervous but excited! We got in our boat and started out! I took a few big waves to the face, but thankfully I shielded Adam so he stayed nice and dry ;) We made it all the way out to the group without crashing! My arms were tired, but we kept paddling looking for dolphins in the water. Unfortunately, we didn't see any dolphins, but we saw lots of fish, a sting ray, and some ridiculous surfers! After waiting awhile for dolphins, we were unsuccessful so we headed back to shore. The leaders told us that we needed to wait for a wave, then paddle as hard as we could, and ride the wave into shore. Now, when I say "ride the wave into shore" it actually turned more into eating shit/drowning/nearly dying. When the wave came our boat just went straight down and I crashed into the water. Sand in my hair, bathing suit bottoms off, and water up my nose, I swam up gasping for air. Adam described the look on my face as priceless, but once he realized I was alive he went to retrieve the boat. I made it to shore finally and took off my helmet and unzipped my life jacket. All I wanted was to go back to the hostel and shower and change. After a shower and some food I felt much better! Then, we went to the beach bar and had a glass of wine and listened to a live band while we waited for the bus to leave. After a ten hour bus trip back, I made it to Sydney and took a train back to Wollongong. I had a really awesome weekend and loved Byron Bay and Nimbin!