Snorkeling!

Heres a few more photos from my weekend in the Whitsunday Islands!

Cute look huh?

I look like I'm dying of illness... which was true.

Snorkeling!

Out to dinner on Saturday

looking at the approaching storm

Sailing in the Whitsunday Islands

By Mooloolaba Beach

Nikki's Birthday Dinner Gang

Tuesday night Me, Jess, Tahlia and Elli took Nikki out for dinner for her 21^st Birthday! We had every intention of taking her to this Irish Pub in Mooloolaba near the beach so she could have a birthday beer. Unfortunately,  Jess had class til 8pm so we didn’t get to leave until 8:20. Businesses in Australia are usually open around 9 and are open til ‘late’. Well, we quickly figured out that ‘late’ in Australia is about 6 for some stores and 8 for serving food. Who even eats dinner by then? I’m so used to being able to go to restaurants in the US and order until 11:30! So, naturally we didn’t get to eat at the pub. We walked around asking other restaurants, but they were all closed as well. We ended up eating at this pizza place where the ‘chef’ lays on a couch and watched Bones on DVD when he doesn’t need to help people. The food was good atleast, but not quite the Birthday we’d hoped for Nikki. We had a cake for her to eat there though so that was good. Then we went back to her place and her Roomie Elli had made her a cake from scratch! So we of course enjoyed that as well. It was a pretty successful birthday and she loved it because she doesn’t usually do much of anything on her birthday.

Nikki and Elli with the home made cake Elli made her

Thursday we were going out to celebrate Nikki’s birthday. I was feeling quite sick from a head cold and wasn’t in the party mood. But, It was my friend’s 21^st, So I put on a happy face! At the end of the night, which ended up being very very long and exhausting for me, She had had a great birthday night!

The bday sign Me, Talz and Jess made with our 'kindi' artwork

Friday, I nursed my sickness by getting plenty of Kleenex and pills for the weekend and by taking a short nap.  At 2pm Jess, Nikki and I caught our airport transfer to Brisbane for our weekend in the Whitsunday Islands. Once at Brisbane Domestic, we went up to the check in counter, gave them our itinerary and got our tickets…. No ID necessary! Please tell me how safe that is?! No passport, drivers license or anything. Sketchy! When going through security, we got to leave our shoes on and It wasn’t quite as intense at MSP! Then we hung out, ate some hungry jacks (the Aussie version of Burger King, same logo and everything!). It was pretty tasty. Then we boarded for our 4:50pm flight to Proserpine, Queensland. 

The flight was only about an hour and fifteen minutes, but it would have taken 19 hours to drive there. Once arriving, it was raining of course, and we got a transfer to Nomads hostel in Airlie Beach. We were so exhausted by the time we got there. It was all of our first times staying at a hostel so we didn’t know what to expect. It was pretty cool, our room had 3 bunk beds, we all chose the bottom, and prayed we didn’t have any roomies! After putting our bags down, we set out for some dinner. We ate at this small café thing but everything was connected- the bar, pool tables, entertainment of live music, and tables for eating/drinking- all under these huge canopies between the buildings. It was a cool setting and a lively town at night. Too bad we wanted to simply eat and sleep, we were exhausted. After dinner we headed to bed around 10:30! Lame, I know.  Unfortunately at about 1am we got company. A couple came in, pretty sure just as surprised to see people as we were. In the morning we found out they thought they were getting a single room for a super cheap ‘hostel’ price. They didn’t know they had roomies. To top it off, they were probably in their forties… weird.

The marina where we caught our sailboat

Our sailboat! 'Camira' is an Aboriginal term for 'of the wind'

Saturday morning we woke up and headed to the bus stop around 7am! We were off to the marina to sail the Whitsunday Islands for the day! Go figure, it was sprinkling and very overcast already. Sick as a dog, I was trying to stay positive, knowing this was going to be an experience of a lifetime and I didn’t want to waste it being in a bad mood! We got out boarding passes and climbed aboard the Camira sailboat. It was purple! Us three, along with three others our age, were the only young people, otherwise they were all adults and couples. We got morning tea, which is coffee, tea and dessert, and then set sail! To start, the boat was motor and hydraulic powered to get out of the marina and into the wind. After a bit, we picked up two additional people at Daydream Island and then the motors were off and we were sailing for real! It rained on and off, me being me and hoping for sunny weather didn’t bring a jumper (sweatshirt) or anything, got wet and froze. I used my towel for some warmth but it didn’t do too much, being in a bikini and dress.

Whitehaven Beach from a distance

My "sickly" self and Whitehaven

Our first exciting adventure was snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef!! We all had to wear stinger (wet) suits because its jellyfish season and 3 people in the last 2 weeks have gotten stung when not wearing suits. Then we got our sexy masks and flippers and learned some basic motions in case we need help. Then be boarded the small transfer boat and we were taken to the reef near one of the islands. The turquoise blue water was so warm! Thank goodness! Snorkeling was AMAZING! There were so many different kinds of coral and anemonies, and huge and small, colorful fish. I hope I get to go again! After a half hour or so, we climbed back aboard the Camira and tried to warm up.

Just chillin on the trampoline

The gorgeous Whitehaven beach on the Whitsunday Island

Our drinks from "the bar" on board. Not the best tasting in the world...

 After sailing for a few hours more, we came across Whitehaven beach! It was a strip of pure white sand 7 km long and so bright! With sand that is 98% pure white and so fine that you could make glass straight away from it, shine your diamonds and even polish your teeth! The Camira dropped us off and the crew cooked lunch while we spent an hour on the beach. The colors were picturesque! So many colors of blue, tan, white and green. The sand was so soft and it exfoliated our feet just by walking on it. I shined my necklace, to test out the theory, and was amazed! It actually worked!! After about a half hour of taking in the beauty, snapping pictures and wading in the ocean, it began to downpour. I had to stand in my bathing suit for a half hour in the cold down pour, shaking and turning purple from being sick and cold. It was miserable. All I wanted was sunshine for this trip! Finally we got to board the Camira again, I tried to warm up, and got lunch! Chicken, sausages, steak, fish and plenty of noodle salads and coleslaw. They opened the bar- beer and mini wine bottles, and had other beverages. The meal was good!

The water was so warm

So many colors!

A storm was brewing!

Turquiose-Blue Water ~ Most beautiful water I've ever seen!

We continued to sail around, it rained off and on and we got to sit in the ‘trampoline’ part at the bow of the boat when it stopped raining and I was able to sit outside and not shake from the cold. Later, fruit, cheese and crackers were served! I LOVE fruit so I was all over that! We sailed around for what seemed like forever, sometimes through quite choppy water from the storm. We sailed back to the marina around 5:30pm and got our transfer back to Nomads. We had all planned to shower, get ready and head out for a night on the town! We didn’t think we would be so exhausted! I was sick, tired and physically exhausted from shivering all day. So, we showered, tried to look presentable, and just went out to dinner. I got a cheeseburger! I was so happy because it was the first cheeseburger since I’d been there, made by Aussies, and not stuffed with something weird! It was delicious. Then we walked around Airlie beach a bit and headed back to our room and I passed out almost instantly.

The marina from the hill

Part of the Airlie Beach Lagoon

 Sunday we woke up at 7:30 and headed out for some breakfast. Then it was a day for shopping, naturally because it was raining! We hoped to do the beach…. Nope! After walking around, shopping, and grabbing some lunch, we walked along the beach. We got to see all the sailboats out on the ocean and spotted the ‘Airlie Beach Lagoon’ so, we checked it out. It was this swimming pool type area that was really neat and next to the beach and ocean. Wish we had something like that back in the states. We took some photos and then it was time to catch our transfer back to Proserpine.

Our Hostel for the Weekend

We got checked in again, with no ID, and went through security, without having to take off shoes or even take out our liquids. People were able to bring their own water etc. through security…. Way more lax than usual! The only thing that made me feel safe was the random explosives check, jess was the chosen one! Our flight ended up being an hour late, so we missed our airport transfer back from Brisbane. The last one was set to leave at 8:50. We landed in Brisbane at 8:30, didn’t get off the plane til 8:45 and basically had to run to catch it. We made it, and got back to Sippy Downs no problem, but very exhausted.

Even though it was a rainy weekend and I was deathly ill, it was an experience of a lifetime and so incredible. There are no words for scenery like we saw. It was a great experience with fun friends. Can’t wait for the next adventure!

A religious Experience

So, tonight Nikki and I went with a friend we met surfing last weekend, April, to church. It was at Calvary Christian Church. They had tacos for us beforehand... yum! I was curious to see how it was in compared to a catholic mass. First of all, it wasn't really a mass. You walk in and its very modern, felt like a convention room setting. There was a stage with hardcore concert lighting. It started with a 'rock band' type performance with a whole ensemble. Kind of overwhelming and it didn't seem like church. Great singers, but I didn't know any of the songs. Then I got to see baptisms. In a Catholic mass, baptism is usually with infants, and everyone gets quite dressed up, theres usually one or two at a mass. Here, everyone was uni age or older and very casual. Some wore swim suits under T's and shorts. Instead of a priest pouring holy water and oil over your head, you step into a small pool and are completely dunked under. It was so different than what I'd seen before, but interesting. Then the pastor, probably late 20s early 30s, came out to speak. He was charismatic and I really liked what he had to say. He was passionate and knew how to speak so everyone could understand the message. Of course it was more informal and passionate than a Catholic service. We sang some more, prayed and then after an hour and a half it was over.

Then they had a sausage bbq and cake afterwards. Sausages are like Brats only thinner and taste better. Its what all the Aussies eat at bbqs and they put them on a slice of bread with either tomato sauce (Ketchup) or barbeque sauce. Onions are optional. Met some nice people there. One guy in particular was so fascinated that Nikki and I were from MN! He loves the Mighty Ducks movies and was so excited we were from where they were filmed and have been to the places in the movie. He also wanted to know about skating and was excited because MN is home to the Miracle Man and the Miracle on Ice. Quite an interesting conversation. We hung out a bit, ate and then it was time to head home. Over all, it was a different experience at church, one very different than I am used to, but pretty good.

Nikki and I watched a little TV with her roomie Elli and learned that: A) Aussies have no idea what root beer is.(a crime!!!) and B) they don't really have kegs here. I've also learned that Aussies dont say the letter 'H' like we do in America. They say 'Hay-ch' with the hard H sound. so funny to listen to. Also, when saying money or how much something costs, they say for $2.50- Two dollars fifty. kinda different. It is so annoying having so much change here. Coins are $2, $1, .50, .20, .10 and .5 SO many coins! very inconvenient, their notes (dollar bills) are much prettier, more colorful and impossible to tear because they're plastic. Some of their foods are english words, yet others are in spanish (Sultanas) means raisins/grapes. Weird how they mix languages. One thing I won't understand while im here is how most Aussies don't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. HOW is that possible!? 

While here I've so far eaten a few foods native to Australia. 1) hot cross buns (no its not just a song!) I had chocolate chip ones. delicious! they also come in fruit ones (by fruit they mean sultanas, by sultanas they mean raisins) 2) Vegemite... if you like salt, you'd like this! I don't care much for seasoning, so i wasn't a fan. I prefer peanut butter and/or jelly on my bread. not the type of flavor I usually go for. 3) Tim Tams...SO DELICIOUS. They are cookies. long and thing filled with chocolate, I love the caramel, and various others. wonderful with hot chocolate. Still on my list are meat pies and gelato. Can't wait! Kangaroo.... I won't do it! Saw Tahlia's roomie Julian eating it on thursday... nope cant eat it!

Well, I think thats all I've got for this Sunday night. Good Night!

Yet another Week

The past week hasn't really been anything too special. Classes as usual, hard at work on 3 essays and just being lazy. Thursday was St. Patrick's Day, so Jess, Tahlia, Nikki, Elli and I decided to get a little dressed up and check out the nightlife. It wasn't near as exciting as I had hoped unfortunately. Jess decided to draw clovers on all of us with make up and tie a piece of cloth around my neck... i felt like a 'chip'n'dale' mixed with Fred from Scooby Doo. Interesting. Tahlia was the ribbon queen, tying ribbons everywhere on us. She loves dressing up so I just let her run with it. Anyways, the weekend was spent in the library trying to finish up a paper thats worth 1/3 of my grade. Nikki turns 21 on Tuesday so I'm trying to be proactive and get my assignments done so I can celebrate with her. Other than that, we're in the planning stages of our intrasemester break (spring break as us Americans say) travels! Planning is exhausting, but hopefully we get things figured out soon! This weekend coming up, Jess, Nikki and I are off to the Whitsunday Islands! We leave friday and will just hang in Airlie Beach, Saturday we have an all day sailing trip that will take us to Whitehaven Beach, and Sunday we get to explore Airlie and then return home. I am sooo excited to go. I'll keep you more than updated on how that goes!

I'm still not used to the fact that people drive on the left side of the road (I still look the wrong way when crossing the street), they walk up the left side of the stairs...so awkward, and I definitely am not used to the metric system. kg, km, liters, and degrees celsius is not very adaptable! Counters are benches, the trunk of a car is a boot, hair bangs are fringe, they don't have the same candy and chocolate as in America (they have snickers, kit kat and milky way but taste completely different) Cadbury is Australian made so thats what most chocolate is ( Picnics are delicious, a mix between kit kat and snickers), they say 'reckon' frequently, thank you is 'cheers' and they 'ring' their 'mates'. Also, one of my favorites (because lots of people here dislike redheads for some reason) is Wranga. Some of the language here is definitely worth bringing back to the US. 'Heaps' for instance is better than 'lots'.  At uni, you call your professors by their first name, unlike the US where we refer to them as professor or Dr. I'm still getting used to that. It seems so informal and at UND you'd get yelled at and they'd say "I didn't go though 8 years of higher education to not be called DR!"

Its amazing how fast time is flying here! I'm loving every minute of it and can't wait until my big excursions begin! Tonight Nikki and are taking advantage of the Red Frogs Service. Its a group affiliated with our uni and they come pick up uni students for free, bring them to a Christian church for a free dinner and then mass. Its not Catholic for me, or Lutheran for her, but I think Christian is as good as we're going to get. I haven't seen a single Catholic church since I've been here, mostly Anglican churches. So, hopefully its a good experience so we can make it more regular (who could pass up a free nice dinner right?).

Buh Bye for Now!


Here are some picture of me feeding elephants and kangaroos at the Australian Zoo! Just got them from Nikki :)

 (Mmmm Watermelon! They just suck it right out of your hand)

Amazing Trip!

Mojo Surf Camp on Arrawarra Beach

It was a stressful and busy week at uni, so Jess, Nikki and I were lucky to have plans already! We were off to Mojo Surf Camp at Spot X on the Gold Coast. We got very little sleep on thursday night and woke up bright and early to catch our 6am bus. Luckily we were able to take a snooze on the bus. A pit stop for brekkie at Mackas (McDonalds) was nice and then we were off again. The ride was about 6 hours, with an hour time difference once we crossed into New South Wales from Queensland.

The weather was overcast, but we were optimistic. A weekend of surfing and forgetting about the stressors of uni was just what we needed. When we arrived, many other groups of people were there. We got our wristbands, a tour and then settled into our dorms.... not so nice but it was to be expected. Lunch was ready for us and then we hung out, got on our swim suits and were ready for our first surf lesson. We got some instruction, the basics, before we left camp from our main instructor, Sugar. Yes, thats the name he gave us, so we went with it. Then it was time to grab our boards and head to the beach! First of all, they are very tall for a very short me. We learned how to 'look cool' when we carry them however i definitely did not look cool because my arms were too short to carry the board the 'cool' way. They were also very awkward to carry. We hiked to the beach and set down our boards for further instruction. Learning how to properly stand up on them was first, then how to steer, different ways to get up, when to paddle and what to do if you wipe out. Then, we were off to the big pacific!

There were many instructors in the water with us telling us when to paddle, to get us started, and how to catch our first wave. Surprisingly, i got up on my first try and rode all the way to the beach!! I was so pumped! It was downhill after that though, with a streak of wipeouts and ocean drinking. I got up a few times the first afternoon, but the salt water was burning my throat and eyes, so it was hard for me to concentrate. Surfing is hard work! Learning when to start paddling and when to stand up were the hardest parts for me. I hoped day 2 would be more successful. After our 2 hour lesson, we were wiped, and got a shower and some dinner. It was a lazy night with meeting new friends and hanging out.

Saturday we woke up early for brekkie, and were ready to catch some waves by 10! I decided to try to catch my first wave of the day, unassisted... I nailed it and rode it to the beach! It was a positive start to my day! During our 2nd two hour lesson, we got some advice on how to avoid drowning in the big waves. It didn't work very well for me. I got swallowed many times. The ocean is very intimidating especially when you have a giant board that overpowers you attached to your foot. I twisted things, hit my head on the bottom, got tangled in the board cord, and came away with many cuts, bruises and board rash. The highlight of the lesson, though, was when one instructor told me i was ready for the green waves. White waves are the small, already broken waves. Green waves are the big ones that have yet to topple over. I was so nervous, but he said he wouldn't let me die, so i went for it. 1st try..... complete wipeout! I swallowed a gallon of salt water and got knocked around alot. But, i was determined! So, he took me out again and try 2... was amazing!!!! I rode a huge green wave (and looked like a pro doing it) all the way to the beach! I was so proud! That was the last time i did that though because i failed on my 3rd attempt and was exhausted after that. Surfing is alot of fun, but very tiring too.

After our lessons, we hung out on the beach, had lunch, showered and hung with friends. After dinner we all had some fun. The second night was more lively because we had more sleep under our belts. We went out on to the beach during the night to look at the stars..... A-Maze-ing! It was so gorgeous and you could hear the waves rolling too.

We woke up Sunday for our last lesson... a horrible surfing day for me. It was not my day, so after drinking enough salt water and having no energy, I decided to live up life on the beach! I took some photos and had fun with Jess, Nikki and some new friends, Emily, April, Kieren, Karli and Amy. We had lunch and then packed up for our bus ride home. We were able to stop in Byron Bay on the way home, for about an hour. It was a cool place, wish we had more time there. I got some homemade icecream! Strawberries and cream, and a scoop of snickers too! It was amazing. Then we boarded again for the rest of our 6 hour ride back home. We arrived back at USC around 7pm and I was completely exhausted. My left eye was throbbing from a cut and bruise I attained while surfing on Saturday. I think my long fingernails were the cause...

Overall, it was such a fun weekend filled with laughs, new experiences, friends and relaxation. Now, back to uni for week 4 and lots and lots of paper writing and homework. At Mojo, they had people taking pictures friday and saturday of us surfing. They got some good ones of me, so when I have those, I'll be posting them as proof I can surf!!