Whales and Off Roading

Day 2

So I am trying really hard to catch up with our trip on this blog but I am just always so sleepy by the time we get back from doing everything every night. But, picking up where I left off, we woke up very chilly the second day on Fraser around 7am again. We all made a group breakfast and got ready a big slowly although our guide Damion was pretty pushy because we had a lot we had to see in this day. It started with a stop at Eli Creek which was also deemed Hangover cure. It is a very shallow creek with pristine water that is so clear it doesn't even look like it’s there. Apparently it is so refreshing it kicks your hangover fast and effectively. Four of the guys in our group jumped in immediately. I was a bit more hesitant as it was barely 10am and in the shade, but in the end I at least got in up to my waist. The water really wasn't all that bad. I mean in comparison to creeks in Washington it was super warm! We all hung out freezing for a couple minutes and then called it good.

Our crew stayed with our rust box of a car the whole trip, so we all piled in again and off we went to the next location which was pretty cool. As a whole group we had decided that if there were lots of tour buses we would wait and come back to the next stop later, but we got lucky and there was only one other group ahead of us at the Maheno Shipwreck. This was pretty cool to see although our guide gave us a short background story that was less cool. Basically it is this giant ship that was magnificent in it’s glory days but was bought by the Japanese after its glory days. One the way to hauling it back to Japan, they got caught in a winter cyclone that washed it ashore. They tried for years to rescue it but eventually gave up and now has its final resting place on the island. Although it still looks huge up close and in the pictures I will post, over half of it is now currently buried under sand and the front half of the boat is missing because Australia used it as target practice for its military.

After that fun story we kept moving as it was windy and other sightseers were starting to show up behind us. Pretty much this entire day was a drive on the beach which was super cool. After the shipwreck I actually got in the drivers seat and gave it a go. It was my first time driving on open sand and it was pretty awesome. It felt super weird and you have way less control than on a real road but it was also beautiful. I drove for about 30 minutes to our next destination and then let someone else have a go. Makenna didn’t get a chance to drive because all the vehicles are manual :( We wanted to try and teach her on the open beach but we never really had time and I won’t lie, but the crappy car we had would not have been the best learning tool.

The next stop was a place called Indian Head which is this massive cliff that juts out over the ocean. We actually decided to stop here before going to the last place because as we were driving Damien (Damo) saw WHALES out in the water. Now to get to the top of this lookout there was no real path and you had to actually climb over boulders to get there. Which is totally my thing, I loved it. He told us he was required to tell us to wear shoes but he didn't have any on and I followed suit. I felt much safer gripping those rocks with my bare feet instead of flip flops. Got to the top and it was a stunning view. Down below the water was all shades of clear blue and you could see sharks and stingrays. We were asked not to walk to the left of the cliff as it has special meaning to the local aboriginals as at one time hundreds of their people were forced to death off of the cliffs edge... very sad story. Anyways, we all stayed up there looking for whales for quite a while and we kept seeing just the water they blow out. Finally, right before we all headed back we saw a nice big one jump and splash. It was really freaking cool even though it was so far away. I have seen so many amazing creatures on this trip. Feeling pretty satisfied we all headed back down the cliff and had lunch.

Our last stop of the day was what they called the Champagne pools. They are small pools that have formed slightly above the waterline and when the waves crash down they fill. Some of them are pretty deep but it is the only place along Fraser Island where you can swim in seawater. Otherwise there are sharks and crazy riptides. Unfortunately, while here I cut my foot on some serious sharp shells(?) maybe rock maybe coral. I am unsure what it was but it was sharp and it hurt. We were even forewarned as Damo said he has only had two tour groups ever where no one ended up cut. The worst part was that the cut was right in my arch on the very bottom of my foot. It was thin and shallow but stung like crazy. And of course I had to walk in super deep fluffy sand before getting back to camp so that felt awesome...It was also still quite cold. Even with the sun out, the wind was nippy and the water cold. We all hung out and tried to pretend to lay out even though we were freezing. Once done here we were on a tight schedule to get back to camp and beat the tide.

This was probably the best part of the trip. The beach had nearly disappeared throughout the day as it does with tides and all but you never realize how important that is until the beach is the road. Everyone including Damo nominated Lynn to drive us back and so we all cheered her on. We were driving so far up the beach to try and avoid the salt water since it’s really bad for the cars. At one point we were surrounded by water but had it better then the cars behind us that we saw the waves crashing onto and rocking the car.. it was so cool! Poor Lynn though, it was also very stressful. We all made it back in one piece and was probably the most memorable part of the trip. That night we all stayed up drinking goon and just hanging out. The dingos were seriously out this night to and some even came straight into our camp! They are quite cute to look at but that doesn't mean you can get close to them. I tried to stay up as late as I could but once I gave in it ended up being pointless anyways. Later in the night we added an extra person to our tent because his tent mate had thrown up all inside his....now this wouldn't have been a huge deal if we didn't already have too many people in the tent and/or he didn't snore. Both Lynn and I were so uncomfortable and irritated that finally at about 5am I went and slept in the back of one of the cars because I couldn't get over the SNORING. urg.

After a lame night of sleep I woke up in the morning not particularly thrilled but it was our last day so I put on a happy-ish face. We drove to Lake McKenzie which was our last stop and the ride there was more nauseating than normal. Once we got there it was super overcast and again we laid on the beach pretending it was warm. Kenna got in the water and I refrained because I was already freezing with all my clothes on. We had to kill so many hours here before we got to the ferry that by the end everyone was just kind of ready to be back with civilization and to shower. We had chosen to use our second free night at the hostel so we wouldn't be rushed and tired and that was a fantastic idea. Sleeping on a real bed never felt so good! The next morning we got an early start again although we were the last people left in that section of the hostel which was weird...and headed to Noosa :)

Island of Sand and Dingos

Once we checked out of our awesomely cheap campsite in Bundaberg, we made a quick detour to the Bundaberg Rum distillery for a quick photo shoot with the giant Bundaberg rum bottle and a stop at the gift shop. I will admit it was pretty cool and the smell in the air was a sweet sweet aroma of brown sugar. mmm... apparently they use all local sugar cane in their factory which I found pretty cool. Anyways, after getting lost trying to find this place we finally got on the road to head to Hervey (pronounced Harvey) Bay. Once there we again got lost around town trying to find the hostel. Once we found it we checked in with the nicest front desk guy ever. A total contrast to the asshole who checked us in at Airlie Beach. Oh what a difference it makes! We got all organized and had plenty of time before we had our “get ready” meeting. Signed away our lives and got the lowdown on getting booze and food. They suggested pairing up with people to buy food but there is always that initial unease of trying to pick people to join up with. Lucky for us but two of the girls from our Whitsundays boat were there as well and we ended up pairing with them. The funny thing was, Lynn and I got the first shuttle to the store while Makenna and Clare stayed and waited for the second. While they were waiting, they had decided to join up and while Lynn and I were walking around the store, WE decided to join up. So, once together we obviously became one group and we added a single along as well, a Swede named Oliver.

We clearly had the best group if you ask me. We got the perfect amount of food and we all pitched in $20 bucks. Except the minor issue at that point was that Makenna and I only had 20 for the two of us...oopsy. Luckily Oliver was amazing and we only went over about 5 bucks and he covered it. We got hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwich stuff, spaghetti, snacks, juice, coffee, tea. It was awesome. Once our group was clearly set I was super excited for the trip and we stuck together the rest of the “weekend”. (It felt like a weekend the whole trip, because really who goes on vacation on a Tuesday?!).

Departure was 6am. again. Man am I getting used to being awake at that hour. It is awful. Don’t let it fool you into thinking I have become a morning lover. That will never happen. However, the night before I did possibly pass out before 9pm so I was pretty well rested and the sunrise was quite pretty. We all piled into what we fondly ended up calling the “Rust Box”. Naturally, we ended up with the oldest crappiest 4X4 Toyota jeep(ish) that was there. I did not pick that car to put our stuff in, and they did make it sound like we would switch up the cars once on the island, which never happened. Regardless, our car ended up having the most character for sure. Nothing worked and when it did we were all shocked. It was rusted all over from the continuous salt water and covered in sand and dirt, yet it had a bit of a charm. It was the most authentic four wheeling, off-roading vehicle I have ever seen.

The car had seven seats so the five of us squeezed in and added an Irish couple, Ruth and Stephen. There were only two doors and you had to crawl over the seat to get to the back. Later on, the window stopped working and the passenger door would only open from the outside. It was pretty hilarious. Anyways, Lynn became our designated driver and we headed off to the Island.

Day One: Sand Everywhere

Once we got the caravan of cars going we got to the ferry and were finally on our way. The ferry was interesting because coming from Washington I am so used to how ours are designed. This one only had one ramp so they made all the passengers walk on and the driver had to reverse onto the boat... So glad it wasn't me. On the boat it was super cold but we all stayed on top deck because you could see pods of dolphins all over the water. It turns out these dolphins are special as they are smaller in size and only about 3000 remain in the wild. I wish they would have been closer to the boat but either way it was amazing to see. The boat ride took about 35 minutes and then we arrived on the largest sand island in the world: Fraser Island.

Right away it was a bumpy ride. Less than 100 meters into the island the road turned to sand and you had to be sure to stay centered with your tires in the tracks or else the car would veer off to the side. It took forever. I mean like a normal 10 minute drive turned into 45 minutes but it was all part of the experience. We stopped at a couple places along the way but my personal favorite was this beautiful lake, Lake Wabby, surrounded by sand dunes. It was about a thirty minute walk from the beach but i did most of it barefoot so that gives you an idea of how nice it was. However, it was through the trees and at times very uphill so there was some minor grumbling. An Irish lad named James at the back grumbled with me. Once we got there, the lake was at the bottom of sand dune and although every part of you wanted to just run and roll down the giant hill like a child, we were forewarned that we were not allowed to do that as it erodes the banks and is not considerate of the island...boo. The temperature outside was moderately warm which did not stop us from jumping in. We were sweaty and I had skipped the first swim of the day at 10am when it had been much colder. All the water on this island is amazing for your body, skin and hair. It is all naturally tinted and infused with real tea tree. Who would have thought my parents were right to be using it all those years!? The sand is also like Whitehaven Beach although only 70% silica, you can still exfoliate and polish with it. Although we ambitiously got in, I would be lying if I said it was warm. After becoming numb we got out and tried to warm up again. What I have noticed about “winter’ here is that its not that there is no sun, its just that the sun isn't very hot and it gets cooler quite early. Since we had a deadline to get back we all packed up and left after an hour or so and let me tell you, getting back UP that sand dune was hell. Not only am I seriously out of shape, but it is so vertical that every step I took my foot just slid back down. I was the last person back to the top, huffing and puffing. Luckily, Oliver was sweet enough to stay back and keep me company.

Once at camp we all settled in to where we would be sleeping for the next two nights. We were sleeping in tents but were given very thin pads if you were lucky. Kenna and I decided to bunk up with Lynn and Clare again thinking four in a tent would be warmer and it just seemed to make sense. Camp wasn't bad. We had two BBQs, a little stove, some tables to sit at. No toilets, no running water and no campfires were allowed. True camping. Plus lots and lots of sand. Fortunately, Makenna and I are well versed in this style of camping however, we were not as prepared for the dingo precautions. Yes, dingos. Everywhere. There are signs and warnings all over the island and our tour guide made it very clear that you were never to go anywhere alone. You always took a dingo buddy, a dingo stick (a big stick you could I guess hit them with if necessary), and a light. Which, my headlamp has been the best purchase ever and everyone was jealous of it.

First night I tried really hard to stay awake but I went to bed pretty early and man oh man was it COLD! burrrrrrr. We all froze our asses off but I do have more warm clothes then Makenna... Apparently when she came in and was trying to sleep as well she said how she wished her sweatshirt had a hood... I sleepily replied “mmm... I have two” and rolled over and passed back out. I have no recollection of this encounter but when she told me I could not stop laughing. What a good best friend I am. The next night I did give her one of my sweatshirts to try and make up for it.

Speechless Magnificence

The sun rising over the beach

Day two started again at 6 am. We were woken up to watch the sunrise at 6:36 and we started off to start a super full day. I thought I might not be able to sleep in a boat but it turns out when you're so exhausted, it really doesn't matter. I mean, the cabin was cramped and never smelled very good, apart from when meals were being cooked, but it was much more comfy then I honestly expected. Anyways, we started super early so that we could be one of the first boats over to Hill Inlet which is where they drop us off to go see the number one beach in the world. For real. It is listed as one of the most magnificent beaches in the world and is called Whitehaven Beach. You get dropped off on the far side of the island because no commercial boats are allowed in the waters around the beach so you get a nice little bushwalk in to the lookout and then down the beach.

The beauty of this place was surreal. It was like being in a dream or fairy tale. If I could only give the beach justice in my descriptions and pictures. The sand was pure white and reflected in the rising sun. To the touch it was like flour or powdered sugar... silky soft, fluffy almost, and amazing to touch. This beach is one of the only ones in the world where its sand isn't normal sand, instead it is 100 percent silica sand. They warned us that if any gets into any electronics, it is so so fine that it will literally break anything it gets into and you won't be able to fix it. You can also use the sand for polishing jewelry, polishing your TEETH, exfoliating and a couple other uses as well. To say it was beautiful does not even cover it. As the sun continued to rise, we walked down the beach with our toes in the sand just taking in the scenery. The water was cool but pleasant and the sand was imprinted with the curves of the waves. We got to spend two hours here and it was probably two of the best hours I have had in Australia. Makenna and I went off on our own for a bit for some pictures and just to walk up the beach. Before leaving we decided to go back up to the lookout one more time since the first trip was so early in the morning. Aren’t we glad we did that! The difference in the pictures is noticeable and stunning. As the sun rose, the blue of the water became more pronounced and the white swirls of the sand became more of a contrast. Ahh it was so amazing I again don’t know how else I can describe being there. All I know is that I kept thinking I couldn't believe this was my life and that I was actually there in that moment. It was so worth all the months I have worked to get here.

Amazing. This is what people travel all over the world to come see

Unfortunately, we did have to leave this beautiful place and so we all got rides back to the boat at around 9:30 am. (See, so much had happened since 6) We got going again and had about a two and a half hour sail up north where we were going to do another round of snorkeling but this time we were told the snorkel was a 8 or 9 out of 10. I was so excited! We got there and were told we had two hours to snorkel. So side note, back in Townsville Makenna decided to make a big purchase of buying one of the ‘tough’ cameras that can go in water, sand, be dropped etc. At this next snorkel spot I cannot tell you how good of an investment that was. I will be posting a bunch of pictures from her on facebook. It was INCREDIBLE! There were so many fish it was like we were in a giant aquarium. Again I got that surreal feeling where I could not believe I was actually doing this! I stayed in the water for almost the entire two hours and did not even realize it. It was so cool. Again the weather and visibility were perfect. Above and underwater. You could really see all the amazing colors of the reef and the fish. Super intricate patterns and life all around you. The water was so buoyant that you hardly had to swim as you looked down and occasionally the deckhand would throw some bread in the water and all the fishies would swim up around it. There was one GIANT fish called a Maskee(?) that swam right up super close to me. From far away he looked just like a black fish but when he got close and in the sunshine he had amazing patterns and changed colors. It was like a piece of artwork in living form. Apparently they are very curious fish so he just kept coming and checking everyone out. Once we realized that mostly everyone else was back at the boat Kenna and I headed back in. A handful of people were jumping off the boat to cool off and just be out of our stinger suites and I joined in. They warned us that our travelers insurance wouldn't cover us if we jumped in the water without the suites on, but I took the gamble since the real dangerous ones are no longer around. That was pretty fun. I did a couple flips, tested out if I still knew how to dive thanks to senior year in high school. Overall just a continuation of an amazing amazing day. The best part? It wasnt over!

We left that spot around 3 pm and still had a good junk of the day left so we continued up north to a little sand island where we planned our last snorkel and to watch the sunset. The wind had picked up a bit from earlier in the day so this snorkel was a bit more bumpy and I happened to pick a shitty mask this time. That kind of sucked because it kept fogging or leaking and that made it harder to see and enjoy. However, before it really stopped functioning we got to see hands down one of the most amazing things ever. It happened right below me. Right as I looked down there was a massive sea turtle just starting its accent upwards to get some air. I quickly got Makenna’s attention and we followed him. We got close enough we both were able to touch him. I TOUCHED A SEA TURTLE! How frikking cool is that!!!?? Add in that Makenna had her camera and seriously got some spectacular photos of him right up close and personal. He dove back down though and we lost him for a bit. Makenna did find another one but it was hiding and sleeping down super deep and wouldn't come up. We hovered over him for a while hoping we would get another chance to really see how magnificent they are again, but no luck. After a while we gave up and my mask was really just annoying me so I called it quits altogether. Went back to the boat got all dried off and then headed back to watch the sunset with the group. It was very peaceful and serene and we were brought some snacks while we watched the sun go down on one of the best days of my life.

Once back on the boat again, we had an amazing home cooked meal of cheesy mashers, veggies, and something yummy infused beef and gravy. It was ideal to feed a huge group of people that were starving from the days events. So, the first night on the boat everyone had stayed up drinking and playing games getting to know each other. This second night though, we tried to recreate that but everyone was just so beat. The game was half hearted and died out pretty fast. I gave in and went the other side of the boat to look at the stunning stars and just relax. There are so many stars its just so amazing to take a second and look at them. I saw a fair amount of shooting stars and when Makenna joined me, she pointed out that it is a bit weird to not recognize any of the constellations. You grow up looking at the same sky your whole life and its one of those things you never consciously think about changing... that it even could or would.

I fell asleep pondering that very thing, outside under the stars. I woke up a bit later and moved down into the cabin as the wind picked up. You could feel the weather changing slightly in that last night. The water got choppier and the wind picked up. I was woken up super early again and this time, even though technically we could have slept in, the boat was rocking pretty intensely. Up until that point I hadn't felt sea sick at all but staying down below while we went over crazy waves was a bit much. I bundled up and went up on deck. It was so rocky for probably 45 minutes that I started to get worried I might get sick if that lasted the whole two hours we had to go. The boat was so light you could see the whole sides come up out of the water before crashing back down again. It was still sunny out but the wind was so intense everyone was cold and wrapped up in jumpers and sweats. Some of the people on this trip were really quite cool and we exchanged contact information with a woman traveling alone named Jody from England. She was really cool and was getting ready to head to Asia. We hung out with her most the two days and if either of us ever needed a traveling buddy she would definitely be up for it and be a good travel connection. Once we docked, everyone said their goodbyes and it was kind of sad. I did not want to come back on land. I wanted to keep doing what we had been! boo. Two of the girls are actually headed to do the same Fraser Island trip that we are heading to next so we will see them there.

But alas, everything must come to an end. We said our goodbyes, hiked back to the car with all our crap and got going on the road to Bundaberg where Makenna is visiting her friend JD. I don’t think we really realized just how far we had to drive because we left Airlie at around 11am and did not get into Bundaberg last night until after 10 pm. Makenna started the drive while I took a short forty minute nap and after we switched I realized I drove over 300 km yesterday. We switched again in Rockhampton because I was about to die and be stuck in the seat forever and Makenna had gotten a two hour nap in so she was nice and refreshed. We met up with JD at some club called The Central and really I was only going for Kenna and she knows that. You would think after working in a club for the last four months I would enjoy the scene a bit more. nope. not at all. At least this one was so big it had multiple places to go and multiple music rooms so I could avoid my least favorite. A semi good cover band came on for a while and that was cool. I had one beer Makenna bought me, I would rather spend what little money I have elsewhere. I was still exhausted from driving for five hours that around 1 I gave in and came back to the van. They left not long after and I went on an adventure to find the campground I had called earlier in the day and that is where I am now! Nice little caravan park with decent enough facilities and a safe place to sleep. We will be spending the night here again tonight and heading to Hervey Bay tomorrow. I am so content right now and am so happy to be doing this. Regardless of being dirt poor, I know that starting with these last two days, this trip is already unforgettable.

Beautiful Skies, Beautiful Sea

The Whitsundays were always a place in Australia that I have wanted to go. I had looked it up ages ago and dreamed about its picturesque scenery and paradise atmosphere. Two days ago I got to actually experience paradise in every sense of the word. We left Townsville a bit later than expected because we really didn’t want to say goodbye to Makenna’s friends but we finally left around 7:30pm knowing we had about a four hour drive to Airlie Beach. We had a minor dilemma finding a camping spot since we left so late and we really didn't feel like paying for a spot to sleep. So, being us, we drove to a town about 20 minutes outside of town and looked for the “rest area” which we couldn't find. Then, the public park we found specifically said no camping or parking  so we ended up giving in and literally parking outside someones house on a residential street by a golf course. We went to bed by 11 and were up and out of there well before anyone left their house at a bright and early 6am as check in for our trip was at 8:30- hopefully they didn’t notice the toothpaste in the grass.

We got to Airlie Beach with plenty of time and checked in to Oz Sail. The man at the check in was quite rude... apparently he was this way to everyone and later everyone on the boat had a chat about it. It was such a downer because it was the first impression and all of us were so excited and he kinda just was like a big turd that brought everyones down. Anyways, turns out that even though check in was at 830, we had until 11 am before boarding. This was actually a relief because it gave us time to get organized, walk around town, and buy some beer for the trip. Makenna had this bright idea that we should combine our stuff into one bag for the trip. This was a good idea. Initially. What we realized very quickly was that we had WAY too much stuff between the two of us. We should have just brought our small backpacks each and we would have been fine. We plan to take this knowledge with us for our next trip to Fraser Island.

So the boat was called the Avatar and it was a catamaran (trimaran), where there were two outer sides and the middle was where we all slept. It was a really awesome boat for a couple reasons, one being that since it’s so light, it sits with very little of the boat in the water so we can go a lot faster then other boats. The second cool thing was that on either side there were giant nets where everyone could lay around, tan and hangout. Truly we were blessed with the most incredible weather ever. It was the best conditions they have had in weeks. Best visibility, clear skies, sunshine, and calm waters. The crew kept asking what we had all done to deserve such perfect conditions. We thought that Makenna having such shit jobs for the last couple months must have been part of it. The crew also insisted that we were the best group they had had all season. Best weather, best group, more fun and easy to deal with. There were only three crew members and 26 of us.

We started off going to our first spot (I will get the name when I remember it) which was our first chance to snorkel. Our Skipper John said that this was only a 5 out of 10 as far as exciting and beautiful snorkel spots but it was still amazing. It really was one of my first times snorkeling and even as a kid I never really played with them before, so there was a small learning curve. We all got stinger suits to wear even though the main jellyfish season is over they have you wear it all year for the other types that you can’t see. After getting the first snorkel under our belts we got back on the boat, had lunch (which was provided) and sailed for a good couple hours in the sunshine.

Welcome to the Tropics

Beautiful. It really is so pretty up here. Even with a fair amount of rain, it is still beautiful. Our first day we tried to do a lot but actually, super cool, there was an Ironman taking place! The only downside to this was that roads were closed, and all around the city were detours. We tried to go to Port Douglas but about a quarter of a way there the road was closed so we turned back around and instead walked around town and went to the night market. The night market was really cool with lots of cheap stuff and knickknacks. We just wondered around and then tried some famous crepes that were SO YUMMY! We got mixed fruit with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. They had kiwis, peaches, bananas, and strawberries mmm..

The next day we woke up at 6am and headed to Green Island on a big, fast boat at 8:30. It was so stinking early but really wonderful. Makenna’s dad was there in 1966 so he insisted that we should see it and it was really the first chance I got to feel like I am on vacation. Beautiful, clear waters where you can see when it turns shallow and has reef below. After a 45 minute cruise, we arrived and got on a small glass bottom boat tour. There were two boats, one for Japanese and one in English. The staff did not articulate this very well, so Kenna and I nearly ended up on the Japanese one.. oops. The tour was a short 20 minutes but was really awesome. We got to see all the coral, massive clams, as well as loads of fish and other reefy things. The tour guide was pretty funny and made clever remarks that at least Makenna and I enjoyed. Once back on the ground we walked around the little island in about an hour and then returned to Cairns.

Once back we quickly got back into the car and re-tried our drive to Port Douglas. We got there, walked around and got the BEST chicken schnitzel sandwich ever since we were starving. That is probably the most memorable part of the place but of course it was beautiful and more then anything the drive was great. Once we were done there, we drove back to Cairns so Makenna could say goodbye to all her friends she made before we drove to Mission Beach. The rain was pretty bad on our drive and we drove pretty slow most of the way to be safe. Since I had yet to try driving on the left side, Makenna was the driver for this part and after about an hour she was ready to throw in the towel. We stopped and got some food and almost camped in some random town, but after a quick google, our free camping spot was only a half hour away so we stuck it out and got to Mission Beach. The turnoff road to our campsite was called Murdering Point which gave us a giggle and we pulled into a boat launch parking lot and called it good. It was still down pouring and we pretty quickly half ass made our camping bed in the back and passed out by 10:30 pm.

We woke up super early AGAIN and got on the road by 9 partially to avoid any ranger coming to try and make us pay... but also because we wanted to get going. Windy morning with lots of clouds, but I decided there was no day like today to try and drive for the first time on the left side. :) I wanted to avoid another night like last night where if the weather is bad I can feel confident driving as well. The drive to Townsville was supposed to be four hours but there was tons of construction so it took a bit longer. We got here though and went straight to the beach while we waited for Kenna's friends to finish their errands. I FINALLY SWAM!!! It is actually my first Australian swim. It was great, started a bit chilly but nothing in comparison to what I am used to. We laid out until we heard from them, had a nice nap and then met up with Sarah and Adam at their new apartment. It is actually a huge place and super nice, comes furnished and already feels very homey. They are amazing people. I knew this already from everything I have heard about them over the years but spending time with them today has been awesome. They made us a delicious homemade dinner (very English) and have been so so welcoming. We got hot showers, our own bedroom and a place to charge everything. Tomorrow we have more fun things planned and I will do my best to keep this current. <3 span="">

The woes of traveling

Today is perhaps going to be the longest day ever. It officially started enough hours ago that I can’t actually count because it was yesterday. My final day in Melbourne has finally arrived and unlike any normal person, I did not take off work for my last day and instead I even ended up getting to work EARLY. crazy I know. Basically I spent the day packing, loving on the animals because I knew I would be saying bye, and overall just getting everything squared away to leave. I was lucky enough to find some time to go to dinner with my favorite co-worker, Monty, and his girlfriend Sarah. We had been trying to meet up all week and finally today was the day that worked. We went to a place called Ruby Tuesday’s which is this funky small place on Chapel St, not far from my work. They had really tasty food!! I got Chili Mussels in a Napoli sauce that was to die for. AND the best part, was for the price, I actually felt like I got a good portion and even though it was off the Tapas menu, it was plenty of food. Sarah got a ravioli and Monty an Indian curry as well as some bread with dipping sauces and some raspberry lemonade. YUM. I was pretty content I won't lie and it even got better. We had time, so we all just hung out, chatted, and then got some hot chocolate to end and Monty insisted on going for this massive piece of chocolate mudslide cake that was super good and not too sweet. To top it all off, Monty was so amazing and paid for everything before I even had a chance to say anything or offer. It made me feel so special

Unfortunately, Monty had to be at work at 8 and I had to be in at 10 so after we ate we headed to Electric. It was so stinking cold out that we partially went in just to get warm but I was able to convince Sarah that she should sit and hang out with me for a bit even though she didn't want to drink. ( she had a rough night last night so was taking it easy tonight). I finally ordered my first cocktail from Electric called  Yellow Fever. It has vodka, sugar, pineapple, Galileo vanilla and I think that's it. yum yum yum. took me a good hour to drink it but I was savoring it. Since it was my last night, my manager gave me a $30 tab which means I basically got to buy myself drinks during the night. PS-hindsight is telling me this was a bad idea.

Work was awesome for a last night. The people were great, friendly, enthusiastic, and just wonderful to me. I made nearly $60 which is a lot here for the simple job I do. Everyone at work made me feel pretty loved and overall it was a fantastic night. At the end of work, around 4:30am, everyone had knock off drinks as normal and we all sat around and chatted. When it was time to go, everyone was so hungover from the previous night that no one really felt like drinking more. BUT I had like three hours to kill before I had to be at the airport. Lucky for me Bridie was working down the street at one of my favorite places called Pawn and Co. that I had also written about before. It’s the place where you can buy all the decorations. She picked up some shifts there and got off at 5am so I walked to meet her for a couple drinks. After a couple drinks I was honestly just starting to feel sick and super super tired... surprise. After walking home, we got our last good chat in while I waited for Rob (bussie and friend from work) to come pick me up to drive me to the airport. Finally, around 6:45 am he made his way back to me and I got to the airport by 7:30 for an originally scheduled 9:30 am flight. Walk in the door and immediately discover an hour delay. I texted Makenna because we were already on a tight schedule to pick up the campervan by 2pm and my flight was already getting in at 1pm. I still checked in and was so proud of myself, my bag weighed 19.8 kilos and I paid for 20 kilos. Pretty much perfect. Went through security though and was so exhausted I totally forgot I had my makeup bag in my carry on from work, and I had to throw away my favorite makeup scissors :( boo. After sitting there for a while and trying to sleep, unsuccessfully, we got another announcement saying the flight was further delayed until 11am. At this point, I called Makenna and we came up with a plan B for her to pick it up by herself and then come get me from the airport and save me the trouble of the shuttle. I was so tired and pretty hungover at this point that I was feeling so awful. Eventually, we got on the flight and they told us that they had been waiting for a whole new plane from Sydney because the other plane was having “operational problems’. Reassuring huh? There was no one in the middle seat which was perfect because this was my only chance to sleep and it was fastly approaching 24 hours of being awake. At 2pm I landed in Cairns and was instantly warm it felt so good! Makenna surprised me at baggage claim and I was so happy to see her. Officially my vacation has begun.

The Ending of Melbourne... and a very delayed post

Alright so for the last couple weeks I stopped writing because honestly there was nothing to write about. Truly. Nothing changed week to week and I was just working, sleeping and eating. Big whoop. Well, now as my time here in Melbourne in slowly ending, more exciting things have happened that are worth you knowing and even more importantly, worth even reading. I also have ran out of internet credit, so this was written about last weeks events.

To start, I have exactly ONE week left in Melbourne from today, Sunday, before I am in Cairns with Makenna getting ready for our road trip down the East coast. With a time frame set, it has inspired me to stop putting off all the things I had wanted to do while in this city. So, starting on Tuesday I went into the city. I met up with my first friend from Melbourne, Rob the English guy who I haven't seen since out TGIFridays dinner. We met in the city and found this crazy small hidden bar down an alleyway. Apparently Rob had heard of it as one of the hidden great places in Melbourne. It was a pretty cool place, very eclectic with lots of personality. We just had a couple drinks, caught  up and called it a night. I wanted to make sure to see him before I leave and it looks like were planning something this week to. He actually just decided to book a flight back to the UK yesterday. So now he fly's out Thursday and I leave Sunday. Time for some real goodbyes.

Anyways, then came Wednesday and I finally was really social. Like actually for real social with more than one person! The only other American at Electric Ladyland left this week so we all got together to say a final goodbye. We went out to dinner at this place called Radio Mexico, which was um OKAY Mexican. I must say, here in Australia the Mexican food is pretty crap and really expensive. They had some good tacos that were like street taco size that you could get in the states for like 2 bucks, and you got two for $6.50. ouch. Lucky for us, our manager Tegan was out with us and she bought every ones dinner. Which was really quite sweet of her considering it was like 200 dollars. Anyways, after yummy Mexican, we went to this place called 29th Apartment on Fitzroy St in Saint Kilda (which is by the beach if you remember from a million posts ago). Anyways, got there and Wednesday nights are 90s pop music, $1 Pizza, and $5 Peroni beers. Great deal. So we got there pretty early but with 9 of us it was a good crowd. There were like 5 Americans in the group which was kinda fun considering I rarely find them around here. The music was like reliving my childhood. It was so much fun! Pretty much every song that the DJ played I said “omg I love this song”  or “ I haven't heard this in ages!”. Quality spice girls. They also had a Foosball table that we all played on and overall just had a really good time. I only ended up buying two of beers thanks to gentlemanly friends and I had nearly FIVE! Which, if you’re reading this you know is a huge accomplishment for me. Oh- I forgot to mention- the DJ had all of his equipment and stuff set up in an old bathtub. it was pretty cool and kind of a funky place. Anyways, Matt showed up (the one I have been hanging out with) which just made the night even better and overall my first real night out was a super success.

The next day, I was totally beat. That's what drinking does to me. Luckily, I didn’t work. In an effort to cover my classes at Gymnastics, my boss gave my Thursday group to someone new so they could test them out. At first I was kinda bummed about that, but then the realization that I actually had a DAY off set in and it was actually super exciting. I spent most of the day wondering around the city trying to remember what the heck I had wanted to do while out and about. Again blaming drinking the night before I was pretty useless and eventually gave in, came home and got a quick nap in.

My nap was rudely interrupted by a very loud phone call from the campervan people we are trying to rent our van from. Makenna made a big mistake when she made the booking by choosing the wrong dates. She accidentally picked returning July 29th instead of June. We have been trying to get it sorted but basically the people are refusing to change the rate for the van to what it should be and its adding up to being nearly $800 more then we were planning to spend. The alternative at the moment is to loose our $250 deposit and rebook. another option we do not like. SO we are in the middle of trying to get that sorted before next week when we are meant to be picking up said rental.

Friday. When Friday rolled around I again had the whole day and wanted to make use of it. After talking about and wanting to try the indoor rock climbing place in the city center since the first week I got here, I finally got off my butt and went! I had so many people here telling me that they wanted to go with me and that it sounded so fun, but every time the plans fell through. So, I decided to just go by myself. I got grouped with two other guys who went through the training with me to learn how to use the equipment properly and then I was off doing my own thing. One of the guys was actually pretty cute and named Christian. The other guy was Asian and very uncoordinated.. he could not figure out how to properly belay. Which is super promising to his friend considering whoever is belaying you is keeping you safe lol. Luckily, this place had a special wall of auto belay for single climbers and that's where I spent the better part of an hour and half climbing. Finally, my arms got so exhausted I had to give in and call it a day. I was disappointed that I was so out of shape but I had a good time either way and am so happy I went. :) I left perfect timing though, got on the tram and was able to just miss the commuter rush home. I got to relax at home for a couple hours, watch some TV and then got ready and headed into work. The only real bummer about Friday was literally right after I got home, it started to rain. The light rain later turned into a full on down pouring storm. There was thunder and lightening and apparently a couple places flooded according to the news the next day. And I had to walk to work in this. I got there with feet that were soaked and feeling quite disheveled. It ended up being a crazy slow night which was not surprising considering the weather. Again some luck kicked in though and one of my coworkers who is pretty awesome, Rob, gave me a ride home after shift so I didn't have to walk back through it again.

Saturday was a bit uneventful in comparison to the rest of the week but work was good and busy and went by pretty fast. Really nice people this weekend. And that brings me to today where again I had all these great ideas of what I would do on Sunday until Sunday got here. It was a nice relaxing day on the couch and now I am heading to bed. This should be another busy week as I work on doing everything else I wanted to do before leaving Melbourne as well as start packing up my stuff and getting ready to move on. I have to tell all my gymnasts that its my last week and I think that is going to be hard, but I know they will be alright. As my mom told me,  I should try and think of my time with them as a lucky gift and that I was like a good substitute who hopefully gave them a different perspective and brought some ideas and gymnastics they wouldnt have otherwise gotten. Maybe ten years from now one of them will remember me :) Anyways, its going to be a long week that I have a feeling is simultaneously going to be very short and from now on I should have more exciting things to write about. Stay tooned <3 span="">