Saturday, February 13, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Landed Down Under!!!
Well! finally made it to Aussie!!! safe and sound on Saturday. We landed in the Brisbane airport and the views from the plane were amazing! it was SO hot when we landed, 92 degrees! We landed in Brisbane and then flew two hours to cairns (which is really pronounced 'cans'). We got to get of the plane from a ladder onto the tarmac, it was so cool, I had always wanted to do that! We then had to haul our collectively 130 pound luggage like 100 meters (metric system) to the van that waited for us. Thought my arms were not going to be joining me on the bus, and i probably lost the equivalent to a few liters in sweat.
We rode to the hostel, the Bohemian Resort, and lugged our luggage to our dorm style rooms, which was a flash back to freshman year but cooler, cause I mean its Australia! We all went out as a group to dinner at a restaurant where we got our first Australia sense of food, we all got the hamburger of course, you should have seen the other items on the menu... However, what came out of the kitchen was more like a burnt meatball between two pieces of bread covered with plants from the garden outside. It wasn't too awful, because I think I was beyond starving at that point, I would have eaten anything.
The next day the blue group (me!) got to go on the day trip to the Great Barrier reef, which turned out to be the most picture perfect day ever, not a single cloud in the sky and a steady temperature of 85 (haha yup it was February!) We got to scuba dive the reef which was the most amazing thing i have EVER done! The variety of coral species was outstanding! things I have never ever seen before and so many colors and coral everywhere! We were able to touch giant clams and coax huge groupers in for a pet! and I even got to see a Morey Eel!!! (kept my distance because I think he might of been hungry). I also saw a yellow spotted ray and a box jelly (yeah they are deadly). After diving we were able to snorkel around for a couple hours, which meant I was the last one back in the boat. We had to rent "stinger suits" which are these really attractive bright blue hooded and gloved skin tight suits to prevent jellyfish stings.
The next day we had a jungle tour, where we got the chance to see the island that Steve Erwin died off the coast of. We got to lick green ant butts, yeah.... They taste green applely, not bad. We drove around crazy windy roads with rock jungle tree vines everywhere on one side then cliffs on the other side. We got to see AMAZING views and walk through Gossamer Gorge and swim in a river! We then went to a sort of zoo slash wild bird area, that had a couple of koalas and a snake which I had my picture taken with. It also had a huge area to walk around feeding and petting kangaroos, I even got my picture with one giving me a little kiss. We traveled to the Daintree river where we took an hour long cruise and got to see a baby salt water crocodile, along with a few species of king fishers (type of bird related to kookaburras) and a bunch of mangrove species. We then made our trek back to Cairns while stopping to get homemade ice cream and snap pictures of crocodile island. we also stopped at Cape Tribulation where I had my first encounter with a lovely species of spider called the 'golden orb'....which can get to the be the size of a hand! yea I'm just glad I saw it as I was leaving the bathroom!! This beach was the most amazing place I had ever seen, if you could jump into any beach themed post card you would end up there! It was truly breath taking!
Today we traveled up the coast a little to a nursery that helps plant fruit trees for the endangered bird, the cassowary, which is a close a relative of the dinosaur. and is super funny looking, has black hair reassembling an emu and a horn! we then went out to eat at a pub and got to eat kangaroo and crocodile burgers, which both were delicious!
We went to rainforest station and got the chance to hold a kola and throw a boomerang:) the kola, though cute, smell horrible and even pooped on someone! Thank goodness i was after them so they could clean his bum off. While there we also got to watch native aboriginal dances and listen to the didjeridu.
this almost concludes our week long orientation in Cairns, but we have had a blast exploring the night life and finding our favorite bar, called the wool shed where you can dance on tables and even have a rack to hold your drinks while doing so, we have definitely planned to come back.
No worries, until next time :)
We rode to the hostel, the Bohemian Resort, and lugged our luggage to our dorm style rooms, which was a flash back to freshman year but cooler, cause I mean its Australia! We all went out as a group to dinner at a restaurant where we got our first Australia sense of food, we all got the hamburger of course, you should have seen the other items on the menu... However, what came out of the kitchen was more like a burnt meatball between two pieces of bread covered with plants from the garden outside. It wasn't too awful, because I think I was beyond starving at that point, I would have eaten anything.
The next day the blue group (me!) got to go on the day trip to the Great Barrier reef, which turned out to be the most picture perfect day ever, not a single cloud in the sky and a steady temperature of 85 (haha yup it was February!) We got to scuba dive the reef which was the most amazing thing i have EVER done! The variety of coral species was outstanding! things I have never ever seen before and so many colors and coral everywhere! We were able to touch giant clams and coax huge groupers in for a pet! and I even got to see a Morey Eel!!! (kept my distance because I think he might of been hungry). I also saw a yellow spotted ray and a box jelly (yeah they are deadly). After diving we were able to snorkel around for a couple hours, which meant I was the last one back in the boat. We had to rent "stinger suits" which are these really attractive bright blue hooded and gloved skin tight suits to prevent jellyfish stings.
The next day we had a jungle tour, where we got the chance to see the island that Steve Erwin died off the coast of. We got to lick green ant butts, yeah.... They taste green applely, not bad. We drove around crazy windy roads with rock jungle tree vines everywhere on one side then cliffs on the other side. We got to see AMAZING views and walk through Gossamer Gorge and swim in a river! We then went to a sort of zoo slash wild bird area, that had a couple of koalas and a snake which I had my picture taken with. It also had a huge area to walk around feeding and petting kangaroos, I even got my picture with one giving me a little kiss. We traveled to the Daintree river where we took an hour long cruise and got to see a baby salt water crocodile, along with a few species of king fishers (type of bird related to kookaburras) and a bunch of mangrove species. We then made our trek back to Cairns while stopping to get homemade ice cream and snap pictures of crocodile island. we also stopped at Cape Tribulation where I had my first encounter with a lovely species of spider called the 'golden orb'....which can get to the be the size of a hand! yea I'm just glad I saw it as I was leaving the bathroom!! This beach was the most amazing place I had ever seen, if you could jump into any beach themed post card you would end up there! It was truly breath taking!
Today we traveled up the coast a little to a nursery that helps plant fruit trees for the endangered bird, the cassowary, which is a close a relative of the dinosaur. and is super funny looking, has black hair reassembling an emu and a horn! we then went out to eat at a pub and got to eat kangaroo and crocodile burgers, which both were delicious!
We went to rainforest station and got the chance to hold a kola and throw a boomerang:) the kola, though cute, smell horrible and even pooped on someone! Thank goodness i was after them so they could clean his bum off. While there we also got to watch native aboriginal dances and listen to the didjeridu.
this almost concludes our week long orientation in Cairns, but we have had a blast exploring the night life and finding our favorite bar, called the wool shed where you can dance on tables and even have a rack to hold your drinks while doing so, we have definitely planned to come back.
No worries, until next time :)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream...
Spent the day heading all around LA's wonderful sites :) went to Newport Beach and down the Pacific Coast Highway (they drove on this during on the Bachelor!) and to Balboa Island where we had lunch, well I got breakfast naturally... :) We stopped at a nature preserve and took some beautiful pictures of birds and the water, I should probably let you know this was all happening while I was wearing flip flops, sunglasses and no coat! in the beginning of February where it was roughly 70 degrees and not a single cloud in the sky! :) We then traveled to Huntington Beach where we watched some surfers and got a little sun. Drove into Newport and along picture perfect roads all while passing AMAZING enormous homes, I can only hope to one day view the interior of :P It was an great day, but of course there had to be adventure it is the Greenwood's after all :)
As we were window shopping in Laguna Beach and people watching (saw quite a few characters, a women clearly wearing a shirt as a dress with heels, and another women looking like she escaped from some sort of hippie carnival) we went back to the car to find that it was leaking radiator fluid all over the side walk. We got in and prayed it would not over heat on the way to the gas station. We then realized when we got the the gas station that as Uncle Ray was pouring water into the radiator we were watching it free flow down the little hill out of the car....realized then we need a mechanic! took the car to a shop and walked around the beach, and watched the waves until we got the call that the car needed to stay over night and we were stranded in Laguna. We had to call and get a ride back home. :)
Had an amazing day and I hope this doesn't make everyone who just got snow on the East Coast too jealous :P
Tomorrow around midnight California time I will be flying to Australia!!! :) Pictures to come!
As we were window shopping in Laguna Beach and people watching (saw quite a few characters, a women clearly wearing a shirt as a dress with heels, and another women looking like she escaped from some sort of hippie carnival) we went back to the car to find that it was leaking radiator fluid all over the side walk. We got in and prayed it would not over heat on the way to the gas station. We then realized when we got the the gas station that as Uncle Ray was pouring water into the radiator we were watching it free flow down the little hill out of the car....realized then we need a mechanic! took the car to a shop and walked around the beach, and watched the waves until we got the call that the car needed to stay over night and we were stranded in Laguna. We had to call and get a ride back home. :)
Had an amazing day and I hope this doesn't make everyone who just got snow on the East Coast too jealous :P
Tomorrow around midnight California time I will be flying to Australia!!! :) Pictures to come!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
LAX
Here i am in LA :) the weather is really nice, a beautiful temperature of 60 degrees! WAY better then the snow and freezing snow of home :)The flight was really easy, nothing eventful I slept and read pretty much the whole time. I am hoping that my cold goes away before Thursdays' flight to Australia! :) Goodbyes in the airport to my family were pretty rough, but it's only a see you later, not a goodbye :) I am SUPER excited to be getting to Aussie soon! I can't wait! It still has yet to hit me that I'm on my way to the trip of a lifetime to a place i have dreamed about my whole entire life, and the fact I'm finally fulfilling a dream! :)
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