The Great Barrier Reef!

     Assignments finished, classes over, heaps of free time; it was time to make our journey to the Great Barrier Reef!

     Nicole, Emy and I set out for our next great adventure a week ago Thursday.  Our bus was meant to leave at 7:30 Wednesday night.  Nick kindly drove us down to the bus station around 7:10 (we did not want to be late).  Time went by and soon it was 7:45.  We decided it was a little late no big deal.  It got to be 8 and we started to freak out.  There was no way we could have missed the bus, but why wasn't it there? I walked down to a bar and got the phone number for the bus company.  As I am calling on the pay phone a cab pulls up to inform us that he just heard on his radio that there was a delay.  After talking to the bus company, I found out that there was an accident and we should expect a 2 hour late delay.  This news was the best news we received all week!  We had not missed the bus.  Soon enough the bus arrived and we were again on our way to a wonderful week.  

     Unfortunately the bus was completely full except for three single seat.  Of course the people that were sitting next to these seats had smoked a whole pack of cigarettes each before getting on the bus.  The 3 hour ride to Brisbane was anything but pleasant, but we were not going to let anything get us down!  A little after 1:30 am we arrived at the transit center in Brisbane.  

     Now it was time to find a way to get to the airport..  The airport is not actually in Brisbane so we had to take a $50 cab out to the airport (something we were not really expecting).  Finally we were at the airport.  Our flight didn't leave until 9:00 the next morning, but we decided not to try to find accommodation for the night and instead spent the night in the airport.  It was a long night.  The place we set up camp was right by a door so we froze the entire night and not a lot of sleep actually happened.  About every 20 minutes all the lights would shut down and alarms would go off, then they would come back on and all the computers would start back up making more alarm sounds.  It was a pretty crazy night.

     Finally it was time to check in.  We got our tickets and made our way to the gate.  With plenty of time before take off we treated ourselves to the most delicious chai latte an airport can offer.  It was going to be a good day after all.  A little after 10:30 we had made it to the Proserpine Airport.  From there we had to get another expensive taxi that would take us to the place we would call home for the week, Airlie Beach.  

     Once we were in Airlie, we were meant to find Magnus Backpackers so that they could confirm our reservations for our cruise ship and sailing adventure; or so we thought.  Our travel agent told us wrong so we had to hunt around for phone numbers and make some stressful calls.  After a little hyperventilation, we had confirmed our reservations and were able to relax finally!  We made it!

     That first day all we did was lie on the beach.  Needless to say we all needed some time to relax.  When the sun started to go down we went grocery shopping and then headed back to our hostel for dinner.  That night we went down to the hostel bar to listen to some great live music.  The night was wonderful.

     Even though we did not have any plans for all of Saturday, we got up early for the free breakfast offered at the hostel.  Then we set out for a morning walk.  We went rather far and our walk ended up being over 3 hours long.  The view was just magnificent.  Once we got back to the hostel it was time to hit the beach.  The rest of the afternoon was again spent on the beach, lazily reading.  That night we made dinner and then called it an early night.

     Sunday came and it was time to go out to the Great Barrier Reef.  For this day we had a cruise ship booked that would take us out to Knuckle Reef (which is one of many reefs that make up the Great Barrier Reef).  Out there we would go for our dive and then have the day to enjoy sights.  It took about 3 hours via boat to get out to the place where we could anchor down.  We were so far out that no matter which direction one looked, land could not be seen.  As soon as we set anchor, it was time to get ready for our dive.  

     On all my other dives, I have had heaps of trouble with my ears.  An instructor suggested taking sudafed to clear up my sinuses before diving so I decided to take that advice for this dive.  It was wonderful. We did a back step in the water and went down right away.  I had a little trouble equalizing to start with, but at about 6 m it cleared up and I was good to go the rest of the dive!  The coral here was absolutely amazing.  There are so many types all over.  Our instructor that was leading the dive was really cool and actually allowed us to touch stuff while we were diving.  The first thing we held was a sea cucumber.  Throughout the dive we held a couple different types of sea cucumbers, held a star fish, touch sea grass, and even got to pet a sea turtle.  This was my highlight of being in Australia.  At the bottom of the ocean, about 12 m where we were at, we did flips which was also pretty exciting.  After this dive I knew that I loved diving and I cannot wait to dive else where.

     We dried off from the dive and then got on the little glass bottom boat that did little mini tours around the reef.  While on this boat we got to see more coral along with a sting ray.  The coral is not as bright as the pictures suggest because water filters out the light.  They said that the pictures that we see are taken at night with bright flashes.  This being said, I cannot wait to go on a night dive to see these glorious colors.  

     After the glass bottom boat, we had a quick delicious lunch before it was time to go on the semi-submarine boat for another trip around the reef.  The day went by so quickly and it was already time to head back to shore at this point.  Most of the trip back we stood on the top deck at the front of the boat letting the wind whip our hair and watching for whales.  Unfortunately we didn't see anything, but it was still a beautiful sight!

    That night we went out for dinner instead of making it in the hostel.  After walking around for a while we decided to eat at a cute fish and chips place.  While we were enjoying our meal, some live music started down the street so we made our way over there after we were finished.  The night air was nice so we spent some time just sitting on the beach.  When it started to get chilly we made our way back to the hostel.

     Monday was the day for sailing.  We got to the harbor and our sail boat was purple!  Once on the boat we got settled in and then we were off.  The wind made the ride rather cold, but we stuck it out.  We were not able to do much sailing because the winds were going in the wrong direction, but it was still a beautiful day to be out on the water.  After a while we made a stop for anyone who wanted to snorkel.  Nicole and I decided against it since we were already rather chilly.  Some snorkelers said that it wasn't a very good day to go anyway because there was low visibility.  We were off again.  This time our destination was Whitehaven Beach.  Whitehaven has the whitest sand I have ever seen.  The water in this area is wonderful as well.  There are some many different shades of blue and green.  We were able to spend an hour on Whitehaven.  Only the finest sand made by an underground volcano makes it to the beach.  One could say that it is the beach for the best of the best sand.  When we returned to the sail boat, it was time to start heading back to the coast. We were all pretty exhausted after these two awesome days so again it was an early night. 

     Tuesday was our last full day in Airlie Beach.  What else would we want to do on our last full day, but spend it in the sun!  Once again we made a bee line for the beach and set up for a day of reading in the sun.  By this point in our trip we were all very tan.  That night we made our last dinner and then headed down to the hostel bar for some more live music.  

     Wednesday our plane didn't fly out until 2 so we had a bit of time in the morning for some final beach time.  Around 12 we got a taxi to the airport with no troubles at all.  Once we got there we had to check in. This is where we hit a tiny snag.  Emy's bag was about 5 kilos too heavy.  Fortunately we were able to distribute the weight between all our bags and we were able to board without a problem.  

    A quarter to four we were in Brisbane and once again had to pay for the expensive taxi to get us into the city.  The plan for the afternoon was to visit a museum.  We got there, but it closed at 5 so we were only able to look around for a little while.  From there we had to navigate the city to find our hostel.  It was in walking distance which was good for our wallets, and we only got slightly lost once.  After we arrived, I think we mutually decided that it is easier to navigate in the bush than it is in the city.  Dinner was made and then we went to bed since Nicole and I had to get up early to catch our train.

     Nicole and I headed back to Lismore Thursday morning.  There were only a few difficulties as we were trying to board the train, but nothing big.  Emy stayed in Brisbane to meet up with a couple of high school friends who happened to be studying in Australia at the same time.  She will get back to Lismore next Wednesday.

     I have my final exams next Friday and Saturday and then I will be finished finally!  This week will be devoted to studying and trying to find rides for little day trips to the beach.

     As of now the plan for my departure goes as the following:  Nicole, Emy, and I will go home with Kacey, who lives up north on the beach.  We plan to leave Saturday, Oct 1st, after my last exam.  Sunday will be devoted to beach activities and maybe hiking Mt. Warning since we have yet to do that.  Monday we will find our way to Brisbane to visit some sights.  We will stay the night there and then do the same thing for the first part of Tuesday.  Tuesday evening the girls will come have dinner with me at the airport and then it will be time for good-byes.  I will get into Sydney around 10 pm and spend the night there.  The next morning it will be time to fly home.  Time is just going so fast.

     Now if we aren't able to go to Kacey's we will spend my last nights in Lismore.  Tuesday morning I will have to catch a bus to Brisbane so I will have to say my good-byes that morning.  I can't believe I leave in 11 days.  It doesn't seem like I have been here an entire semester, but then again, it seems like it has been ages since I have been home and seen everybody.  

     I also have compiled a list of more Aussie words:

Brekky= breakfast

Bonnet= hood of a car

Script= prescription

Doona= comforter

Mozzies= mosquitoes

Ta= thank you

Slag= spit

Overtaking= passing

Thongs= flip flops

Maccas= McDonalds

Oz= Australia

Kiwi= New Zealander

Cozzie, swimmers, bathers= swimsuit

Bindies= stickers, pricklies

Sultanas= raisins

Eskie= cooler

Lemonade= sprite

Capsicums= bell peppers

Bugger= shoot

Stuffed up= messed up

Joggers= tennis shoes

Bevos= drinks

Hhach= "H"

Zed= "Z"
Oi= hey (used to get one's attention)

4 Days in the Bush

     Last Friday we left bright and early for our bush walk at Girraween!  We got to the National Park around 11:30 to check out a few more items that we would need for the 4 days and then we were off.  There were four groups in total that went.  Two groups started the route clockwise and the other two went counter-clockwise (or anti-clockwise if you are Australian).  We went counter-clockwise.  Our group name was Legend...wait-for-it...DAIRY, which consisted of Emy, Nicole, Luke, and I.  The other group that was with us most of the time was Threesome which consisted of Nicole Johnson, Erin, and Jacob.  Sparky was the instructor who was following us to make sure we didn't get too lost and Steve (our lecturer) followed the other group.  The purpose of this trip was for us to use everything we have learned in class to plan a trip and then carry it out.  We were not supposed to see the instructors hardly at all, just once in a while on the little side trips (Sparky seemed to fail at not being seen though).

Day 1
     Our group headed off on our trek.  Since we only had a half day for the first day, we did not have far to go.  After we walked about 2.5 km, we stopped at Old Stone Cottage to have lunch.  Sparky stopped for lunch with us, but he was rather antisocial so had to give him a hard time.  He realized that he was being a grump and lightened up after that.  When lunch was finished we headed off again for another kilometer or so. While walking along, we saw our first snake.  It was a Black Snake and pretty big.  We are guessing it was probably a meter or so long.  Quite exciting!  
     At the river junction it was time for us to take a bearing and go off track.  Legend...wait-for-it..DAIRY went first.  This first off track was only about 1.5 km and we dominated it!  The other group left about 10 minutes after we were off.  They did pretty well, but they thought they were lost for a while.  It was funny though because we could hear them talking when they thought they were lost.  Once we met up again, we were off to our campsite.
     The rest of the day we just had to follow a trail so the only time we took out the map was when we came to a junction in the trail.  At one point we had to cross a rather deep river.  Fortunately there was a log that went all the way across.  Some of us were uneasy about crossing the log with our huge packs and the flowing river.  Luke went first to make sure the log was steady.  He got across and said, "It's not that bad."  After stepping off the log, everyone said, "It's not that bad."  That phrase stuck with us the rest of the trip.  Camp was not far from this river.
     Again Sparky caught up with us and took us on a little side trip up South Bald Rock to see the sunset.  The walk was probably about .5 km, but we went up 100 meters.  The entire mountain was made from granite which was really weird to climb on.  I don't really know how to describe it, but basically we could walk all the way up this huge rock. There was so much traction because the granite it pretty jagged.  However, the granite is like ice if it gets wet (fortunately we didn't have any rain the entire time we were out there).  We got to the top just in time for sunset and it was magnificent.  Up on the summit it was pretty chilly with the wind and the sun going down so we didn't stay up there long.
     When we got back down to camp we made some dinner.  Legend...wait-for-it.. DAIRY had a 2 minute noodle stew.  We bought 2 minute noodles and then cut up potatoes and carrots and put peas and corn in it as well.  It was very yummy (we ate better on trail than we do back in Lismore).  It still gets dark pretty early so we made dinner in the dark and then went to bed almost right away.  Since we were in a National Park we could not have a campfire.
      For this trip we had to carry 6 liters of water with us because there are only a couple of places to fill up.  Unfortunately, Emy's water spilled in her bag so her sleeping bag got drenched.  For the night we unzipped my sleeping bag to use it as a blanket.  We both froze that night so we got very little sleep.

Day 2
      On the second day we wanted to get up early to get up to the summit of South Bald Rock for sunrise.  Regrettably, we took too long to get up and moving and the sun rose earlier than expected so we missed it.  We still had brekky up on the mount; then it was time to do a little caving.
     Sparky took us to this area in the rocks were we could go in.  We could either go the short, easy way and see a cute little moss garden or we could go the long, hard way and see a moss garden that is hundreds of years old and not a lot of people have seen.  Of course we chose the long, hard way because we are the Legendary Threesome.  While going through this cave there were a few areas that were pretty scary to get through.  Obviously our phrase, "It's not that bad." was used frequently on this little adventure.  Once we made it to the garden, all the cuts and bruises from getting there were forgotten.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  There were all sorts of mosses growing on everything and huge trees and ferns.  Words nor pictures can begin to show how amazing it was.  It was even more special because hardly anyone makes it in there to see it.  At this point we were on the other side of the mountain so we had to climb up to the summit and then down the other side to pack up camp.  We left our area around 9:30 and then we were off for the day.
     Most of our day was on trails that were already established so all we had to do was make sure we took the correct trail whenever there was a junction.  We walk about 7 km on the trail.  It was then time for lunch so we stopped at a picnic area near Bald Rock.  At this area we were able to fill up our water and even use a biff.
     When lunch was over, Legend...wait-for-it..DAIRY took off up to the summit of Bald Rock.  Threesome was pretty tired and decided not to trek up there.  They waited a little bit and then took off down the trail towards camp.  Sparky went up to Bald Rock with us so we had some time to get to know him a little better. It was such a wonderful site once we reached the top.  Like South Bald Rock, the entire thing was granite.  At the top we could see for kilometers!  There was also a book that we could write in and we of course we got some pretty good pictures.  Additionally, while we were up there we picked some wild carrots.  They taste just like carrots with a little spice.  At this point we decided it was time to get going to camp.
     When we got to the bottom of the rock, Sparkles gave us a head start since he was not supposed to be with us.  It was not a long walk to camp (roughly 7 km), but there was heaps of uphill sections we had to walk and we were all pretty tired after the long day.  It was a relief to be able to take our packs off and stretch once we made it to the campsite.  We didn't have anymore side trips for the day so we just enjoyed stretching and watching the sunset from amongst the trees.
      For dinner night 2 we had heaps of pasta!! We seriously had to push ourselves to finish all the pasta because we didn't want to have to carry it out with all our other rubbish.  Again it was an early night since we had a long day and it was rather cold with no fire.  Emy's sleeping bag dried while we were walking in the sun so we both got to sleep in our own sleeping bag.  Both of us slept wonderfully!

Day 3
     We got to sleep in so we were not up until 7!  We got packed up and headed out by 8:00.  Day 3 was a big day for us.  The first kilometer we walked was just on the trail again.  However, then we had to turn off track to do our feature based navigation course.  We did wonderfully for this section.  Every time Sparkles would radio us for a grid reference we would be spot on! While we were doing this section we saw some wild pigs!  There were two adult pigs and two babies!  Very cute, but I am glad that did not come close to us!  We also saw some huge kangaroos! Some were 2 meters tall!  There was also one that had a little joey in her pouch!
    Once we made it to the road, it was time for our groups to split again and do our final bearing.  Threesome went first this time.  They got off on their bearing right away, but since they were so off they found a road that lead to where we were supposed to end up so they had it pretty easy.  We left a little after they did.  Once again we were doing awesome, but then we got to this area where we could see a road to the north and we should not have been able to see it.  It was clear to us that our bearing was off so we looked at the features and figured out where we were.  From there we decided to finish the course using features.  At this point we accidentally ran into Sparky, and he informed us that the maps were off so if we would have stuck to our bearing we would have been spot on still.  Since we knew where we were, we took a new bearing that would lead us to a junction and then we would be able to follow the river to the road.  While walking on this new bearing, we came across some awesome waterfalls in the granite.  It was so beautiful and not a lot of people see them since they are off trail and not marked on the map.  Again we did really well with our bearing, but there were creeks that were not on the map.  This made it really confusing to find the junction that we wanted.  We crossed so many creeks.  Sparky caught up to us and informed us that the creeks we were crossing were unmarked creeks.  Again we had to devise a new plan.  This time we just decided to head northwest, because we knew that we would hit the road or the river that we wanted.  Finally we got out! Sparky informed us that we would have rocked this bearing if we had better maps that were more accurate.
     Here we took a lunch break.  There was a little creek and an area where we could swim.  We spent a good amount of time just lying out in the sun at this little area.  The running water was so soothing and the sun felt wonderful!
     Sparky took us on another little side trip down to Underground Creek.  There were so many waterfalls here! Again it was beautiful!  Some of the group climbed down into a little cave to see the creek that went under all the rocks.  There was also a spot where we could fill up our water, but if we filled up with this water we would have to put iodine in it to clear the parasites that live in it.  I had plenty of water so I did not have to experience this.  It was then time to start heading again so that we could make it up Mount Norman in time for the sunset.  On this walk we saw an echidna!  If it would not have moved we would have just thought it was a plant of some sort.  Very cute.
     Camp was only about 4.5 km away, but again there was a lot of uphill area.  Nicole Johnson had a stuffed up foot, but she was a trooper and we made it with enough time to set up camp before we had to head up for sunset.  Nicole Johnson and Erin did not hike up Mount Norman because of Nicole's foot, but the rest of us set off to get up there for sunset.  It was quite the hike.  There was a mix of granite and land. The granite sections were pretty steep so that took a while, but we made it just in time to see the sun set!  What a view it was!  We stayed up there for a good amount of time just soaking in the beauty of the scenery and made some good conversation.  When we started to head back down it was dark already, but we had our torches and made it down just fine.
      It was then time for our final dinner in the bush.  The plan for dinner was cous cous and veggies.  However, the vegetables went bad for some reason.  The bag that they were in leaked in Nicole's bag so all her stuff smelled awful as well.  Good thing it was the last night was all we had to say.  Since we didn't have veggies, we had a very bland meal of just cous cous, but that was alright.  Again it was an early night. We wanted to make it up Mount Norman for sunrise in the morning and it is quite a hike to get up there.

Day 4
     We had a pretty cruisy last day since we did not have to go far to get to the bus.  We got up at 5 to head up Mount Norman for the sunrise.  We got up there and Sparky informed us that the sun might be rising on the other side of the mountain where we could not get to see it.  As one could imagine we were all very disappointed.  However, Sparkles was wrong and it came up right in front of us! There is nothing like eating brekky on the side of a mountain and watching the sunrise!  After it rose we went up a little further to an area where we could do some more caving.
     The first one we went in was pretty sweet.  There were not as many jumps and sketchy parts as there were when we were on South Bald Rock, but it was still a blast and I finally got a little more comfortable climbing all over.  There were a couple of sections that were pretty tight, but we all made it through them and had fun while doing it.  After we made it out from this cave, we set off for the Sphincter.
     I was not too keen to go into the Sphincter, it was described as a little tube that one has to lie on their belly and wiggle through with dealing with water and basically no room to move.  Luckily, I have some good friends that talk me into doing these crazy adventures.  We went in with Nicole leading the way then Sparkles, me, Emy, Nicole Johnson, Jacob, and Luke followed.  Erin decided not to do it because she get claustrophobic.  For the first part we were on our hands and knees, but not too far in we had to switch to just lying on our stomachs and scootch through.  Sparky knew that I was a little worried about getting stuck so he thought tried to get me to go this other way that anyone would get stuck in!  So mean.  Then we when we saw light at the end of the tunnel, Nicole and Sparky were out and I was coming up the the hole and Sparky decided it would be funny to put a big boulder in front of the hole.  By this time I was a lot more comfortable down there so I found it funny.  We all made it out without a problem!  We were pretty dirty though.
     At this time it was only 9:00 in the morning!  The walk to the bus was only about 4 km so we just relaxed on Mount Norman and chatted.  Then we headed down to camp and did a little debrief, packed up and then we were off.  About a kilometer in we decided to stop for an early lunch because we would rather sit at a pretty area than have to wait around for the bus.  Finally we set off on our final leg of the trip.  All along the trip we were supposed to tie a piece of fabric at certain areas and radio Sparky to let him know where we were and what direction we were heading, but we seemed to fail at this for the first couple of days so we decided to tie all our pieces of cloth around the locked gate to let Sparky know we were on the right track.  We got down to where the bus was to pick us up.  There we had to clean out our stoves and return the stuff that we checked out at the beginning of the trip.  The bus was a little late, but we just enjoyed taking in a little more sun and scenery.  We got back to Lismore around 4:30 and I had the best shower of my life!

     We had heaps of fun on this trip and got to see so much wildlife.  It was great to get out of Lismore and see some more of Australia.  The weather was perfect for us the entire time we were out there!  Before heading off they were forecasting rain all weekend and we didn't get any.  We were so thankful since we would not have been able to do any of the granite stuff if it had rained.
     This week is going to be a pretty chill week for me.  I just have to do a couple of small assignments that won't take long at all.  If the weather stays nice, we are planning a day trip to Mount Warning for Saturday. Nicole and Emy have heaps of assignments due soon so they will be busy working on them.  I am hoping for sun all week so I can be outside instead of cooped up in the brick.

Assessment Time

     It has been another week devoted to uni.  It rained almost all of last week so I tried to take advantage of this and work on assignments for uni.  Last week I was able to write my entire economics report which took heaps of stress off me.  We rewarded ourselves for having a successful week by going over to our friend Molly's house to celebrate her birthday Friday night.  While we were there we got to see a HUGE Australian spider.  It was a Huntsman I think.  They said that if it bit you, it would hurt, but they aren't poisonous so it would do anything.  They also had some pet birds that just flew around so we played with them for a while.  It was just nice to have a break and hang out with some of our Aussie friends.
     Saturday we wanted to go hike Mt. Warning, but it was still raining so instead we went bowling with a bunch of people to celebrate our friend Sarah's birthday.  We had heaps of fun getting to hang out with everyone.
     Sunday it was finally nice out so we took a little walk down to Brad's house.  While we were there we did some washing, played frisbee, had a little game of rugby, and made birthday cupcakes.
     Monday I had my last Maths lecture!  Also on Monday I had to do my singing and guitar assessments for my music and children class.  They went pretty well I believe.  It was finally sunny out on Monday!! The temperature was 22 degrees!!  We all broke out our shorts and tanks.  Most of the afternoon was spent outside sunbathing.  A little bit of time was devoted to looking over notes for outdoor education.
     Today we had our final class for music and children!  That means I have 1 class down and only 3 to go!  I also had my theory and navigation exams for outdoor education today.  I thought they went pretty well.  Almost everyone said they thought the theory exam was really hard, but Emy and I did not think it was difficult at all.  I guess we will find out when we get our results back.
    Tomorrow I am going to devote my day to writing my essay for outdoor ed.  It is supposed to be 2000 words so I am thinking it will take up a good chunk of my day, but I want to just get it done so I don't have to think about it anymore.
     Thursday I have my last tutorial for Maths.  Then I am finished with that class except for the exam which isn't until Oct 1st.  I wish I could just take the exam to get it over with, but it will be good to have some extra time to look over theories and practical classroom activities.
     Friday morning bright and early we head out for Girraween for our final outdoor ed camping trip.  We are all pretty excited for the trip; however, they are forecasting rain for the entire time we are there.  Hopefully they are wrong so that we can enjoy our time out there.  We will be gone for 4 days on this trip.
     I thought of some more Aussie words that I did not put in last time I jotted down some of their lingo so I thought I would add them on:
Boot= trunk of a car
Petrol= gas for a car
Whinging= complaining
Torch= flashlight
Mum= mom
Arvo= afternoon
Rubbish= trash
Rubbish bin= trash can
Diary= daily planner
Then they use "go" for a lot of things.  They would say "It's your go" instead of "turn" or "How you going?" instead of "How are you doing?"

That is all I can think of for now, but I will add more as I think of them.  It was really like learning a new language coming down here.  However, now it is just come automatically.

Let's Get Work Done

     It has been awhile since I have blogged.  The main reasons for this are we have not done anything too exciting and I have been busy with assignments for school.  The week after study break I spent a good amount of time working on assignments.  Although Saturday the 13th we were able to get out of Lismore for a few hours.  It was Kassie's 21st birthday and she had a party in her home town.  Ryan borrowed a mini bus from his parents and we took the little 2 hour road trip.  The food was absolutely delicious; we had a good time.  There was also a bonfire and sparklers!  It was fun to do sparklers since we missed the 4th of July at home.
     Last week was again devoted to uni.  For my music class I had a presentation that week.  This week we have group ensembles in music and next week is our final singing and guitar assessments.  Then I am completely done with that class.  For my Outdoor Ed class we have our Girraween trip plan due this week and then our big final that is 50% of our grade next week.  Then we have a reflection paper due after our trip and one final essay that might be kind of difficult.  I am ahead of the game with my maths class which is wonderful.  The only thing I have to worry about for that is the final which is not until October 1st.  In Economics I have a big paper due week 13, but I am going to try as hard as I can to get it done this week or next week that way I can work on my Outdoor Ed paper before we go to the Whitsundays.  I have a final exam in Economics on Sept 30, it too is worth 50% of my grade. It seems like all their classes are like that here.  Two assignments and then the huge exam.  I am sort of worried about the exams because I have never taken a test for any of these classes so I don't know what to expect for the final.
     I seem to be ahead of everything so that is helping to keep me less stressed.  It will be nice after week 11 because I will be done with music so that will be an extra 4 hours every Tuesday that I can work on other stuff or learn how to study for finals.
     This weekend we went to Byron for a day to go shopping.  It has been rainy here so we wanted to get out and do something.  I got some more souvenirs for people and a couple of really cute shirts for myself.  We had heaps of fun walking around in the shops looking at everything.  Aussies have such diverse styles, but they are all pretty flowy for the most part and we love it!  I especially love their jewelry.
     We have our trip to the Whitsundays in less than a month which will be perfect.  It is incentive to get everything done before that so I can relax.  We will get back and I will still have over a week to finish studying for final exams and maybe travel a little more.
     It is so odd that I am at the end of the semester here.  Everyone at home is just moving back to college and getting ready to begin class this week.  I'm a little sad that I am not there for the back to school festivities, but then I remember that I am having the time of my life here and learning so much.
     This next weekend we are trying to figure out a way to get up to Mt. Warning so that we can climb it.  As of now we are just not sure how to get there.  Hopefully an Aussie will be keen to go and be able to drive us!

Study Week

Last week was study week.  However we found that "study week" is a very inappropriate title; it should be "have the time of your life week."  The first 5 days we were in Byron Bay to get Scuba certified.  This trip was included in my tuition so I did not have to worry about money for the whole trip which was fabulous.  Accommodation, food, transportation, and the course was all included!  We stayed in Safari tents (if you could even call it a tent; there was a sink with running water, actual beds and a separate living room area.  The bathrooms were only a few feet away and the full kitchen was next door) which were located maybe 20 meters from the ocean. That night we had a feast!  The trip coordinator got us kangaroo meat along with a couple other meats and some fresh veggies.  The kangaroo was good.  I guess you would describe it as being a little gamy.  Maybe like deer meat almost.  We ate so well all 5 days!!  The first couple of mornings I got up early to go watch the sun rise over the ocean.  What a sight that was!!  The first morning I was the only person on the whole beach; it was so peaceful.

Saturday and Sunday we had classroom theory and pool training at Sundive.  The days were pretty long, but we all enjoyed it and we had a good instructor so that helped.   Monday and Tuesday we were ready for our 4 ocean dives!  Monday we went out right away in the morning.  Going out into the ocean for the first time was a bit scary not going to lie.  We had to roll in like they do in the movies which was pretty cool.  In the water we all had to swim to a rope that was hooked to the bottom.  We slowing pulled ourselves down using this rope.  Unfortunately I had a hard time equalizing my ears so it took me a while to get down to 5 meters.  Eventually I made it and we started our swim!  It was a perfect day with little current and far visibility.  We saw so many sea creatures including many of the fish from Finding Nemo.  Our instructor was very good about pointing cool stuff out.  On this first dive we saw an eel and sharks!!!  The sharks were Grey Nurse sharks which cannot bite, but they were still cool.  The entire time we could hear the dolphins and whales making noise but didn't see any.  For the first two dives we were only able to go down to about 12 meters which was okay with me since my ears where bothering me so much.  After a bit of swimming around and exploring the sea life, we had to surface.  One of guys with us was going through his air really fast so we weren't able to stay down too long.  Once on the surface we had to do a couple skill tests since it was still part of our certification.  We just got onto the boat and started to go pick up another diver when we saw a HUGE hump back whale!!  The whale literally swam right under the diver who was in the water which was probably 3 meters from the boat.  It was breathtaking.  A few moments later we saw a baby whale.  They guessed it was just born this year.  It was a very active whale and kept doing jumps.  One of the instructors yelled, "Back flip" and sure enough it did a back flip!  The whales were closer and more active on this trip than when we paid to go whale watching.  It was definitely a great first dive.  After we lost the whales, we headed back to shore to change out our tanks and get some lunch.  Half past 12 we went for our second dive.  Again on this dive we had to do more skill tests, but then we were able to go down again.  This time we saw a green turtle and actually got to swim along with it for a while.  It was so interesting to watch everything and how all the fish and everything have to work with the current.  It felt like you swam a foot forward and then got sent back 3 feet.  

Tuesday we had our final 2 dives which we went down to 18 meters max.  Again I had trouble with my ears.  Normally I would just deal with the pain and keep going, but there was a good chance I would burst my ear drums if I went down further so for the first dive of the day I had to stay at least a meter or two higher than everyone else.  This was fine though since the water was pretty clear and I was still able to see everything.  On this dive we had to do some of our harder skill tests including removing our mask and then replacing it.  This was my least favorite one to do.  We also had to pretend like we were out of air.  Although I would much rather have to take my regulator out of my mouth than have to take my mask off.  Again we saw some amazing creatures.  We saw another Green turtle and a Loggerhead turtle.  The Loggerhead was so large!! The second dive that day was our last dive, but I think it was one of my favorites.  After we got past 12 meters my ears seemed to be okay so I was able to go down to 18 meters which was great.  Also on this dive we were in the Grey Nurse nursery so we were seriously swimming with probably 15-20 sharks.  They were pretty big and look so scary but it was so neat.  One of the little ones actually followed us for a while.  It was a bit frightening looking back and seeing a shark follow you even though we knew that they could not bite.  Tuesday night our instructors took us out for a graduation beer.  I am officially scuba certified and can dive anywhere in the world for the rest of my life!! Yay I am so excited.  However, if I do not find a way to equalize my ears, I am going to have to switch to snorkeling.  It has been 4 days since my last dive and my ears are still plugged. :(

Tuesday night we met some people at the hostel we stayed at and went to a club in town to celebrate our certification.  Wednesday we had the whole day free to do absolutely nothing but sit on the beach.  We went with Nicole to get here tattoo at 3 but other than that we literally spent the entire day soaking up the sun.  Once the sun went down we went back to our hostel to make some dinner and then watched a movie to pass time while we waited for our bus.  We got on the bus for Gold Coast a little after 8 and arrived in Gold Coast a little after 10.  By this time we were all pretty tired so we checked into our hostel and went straight to bed.

Thursday morning we walked around Gold Coast.  The view was quite different from what we are used to.  Gold Coast in along the coast like the name suggests, but it is a huge city with skyscrapers.  While none of us are really city people it was fun to look at the buildings and experience the city life a little bit.  We looked around shops for a while.  Nicole and Garrett wanted to do a lot of the touristy things so Emy and I just walked around and people watched while they did their thing.  Eventually we made our way to the beach, but it go chilly pretty fast with all the tall buildings blocking the sun.  The next day was going to be a big day so we headed back to the hostel on the way back we stopped for a late lunch and tried crocodile meat!  It was delicious.  As a group we described it as a cross between chicken and seafood.  It was wonderful, but expensive so it was a one time thing.  We picked up some groceries for dinner so that it would be a little cheaper.  At the hostel we just had a pretty chill night.  Played some cards and read a little and then went to bed.  

Friday morning we had to get up bright and early.  We had a day trip to the Hinterlands planned and the bus was to pick us up at 7:40.  The bus arrived and we went to get on it and it was seriously all old people.  We just had to laugh.  It was a great trip though.  It took us to O'Reilly Mountain where we went on an awesome rain forest walk.  There were bridges connecting the trees so we were honestly up in the canopy walking around.  The guide told a neat story about this tree.  It is called a Strangling Ficus.  Unlike a normal tree, the Ficus grows from the top down.  What happens is a bird will poop its seed on another tree.  The Strangling Ficus will start to grow and the roots will grow down the sides of the host tree.  After hundreds of years the ficus will completely cover the host tree and the host tree will rot away.  I stuck my head in a 300 year old one and it was literally hollow where the host tree used to be.  This is by far my new favorite tree.  One this walk we also had some wild bird come sit on our heads.  They are quite used to people.  There was a big long story about the people who used to live on this mountain which was quite interesting.  Later we headed over to another mountain and had lunch.  After lunch we got to go on a little wine tasting.  My favorite thing we tried was a chocolate port.  Very delicious.  Then it was time to head back to town.  We got back to our hostel around 4:30 and had to start getting ready to go out.  The day before Emy and I found a great deal on a club crawl.  The tickets are usually $60 a person, but he must of liked us so he said that if we bought two he would give us two free.  This made them only $30 a person.  The club crawl started at 5, but we didn't get there until a little after 5:30.  We went to 5 different clubs to experience going out in a big city.  It was good to do it once, but I don't think I would be keen to go out like that all the time.  Eventually we made it back to the hostel and went to bed.

Saturday was our last day.  Nicole, Emy and I spent it on the beach just hanging out.  We aren't really sure what Garrett went off to do, but he burns pretty easily so he didn't want to sit around on the beach.  We had to catch our bus at 4 which took us to Byron.  From Byron our friend picked us up and brought us back to Lismore.  It was a great week, but it feels good to be back.  This week will mark the half way point of the semester.  I am having such mixed emotions about this.  I am excited to come home and see everyone, but I am going to miss the people here!

It was such an enjoyable week, but I am going to have to buckle down again in order to get assignments done so that I can enjoy the rest of my time here.  It is just so hard to believe that I have already been here two months and only have two months until I leave!

Surf Lesson!!

     Saturday Nicole, Emy, Dallas, and I made a trip to Byron Bay to learn how to surf!  All week the forecast for the weather was nice.  When we pulled up just before 12 Saturday, clouds rolled in and the wind picked up.  We got on the bus with the surf instructors and they said right away that they didn't know if we would be able to go out since the wind was pretty strong and there were some pretty big swells.  We drove to Lennox Head which was about a 20 minute drive.  There we got out to assess the water.  They decided that it would not be safe because of the wind and the large swells.  On the bus we went.  Time to check option two.  We arrived at the next beach and they said it wasn't ideal for learning to surf and the beach we too crowded.  Two down, one option left.  Finally we arrived at the final destination.  After an assessment of the ocean, the head instructor decided that we could make this beach work.
     We all got into our wetties and got our boards, then we headed down to the beach.  The lesson began with a warm up to stretch our muscles and get our bodies ready.  After the warm up it was time to learn about the ocean and places to avoid when in the water and what to do if you are not able to make it back to the beach.  Finally it was time to learn the fundamentals of surfing.  We practiced paddling, locating the wave, and getting up on the board.  On land, this is all very easy.  However, on the moving ocean, it is all much easier said then done.
      With the wind and such an active ocean, they explained that this was probably the hardest day to learn how to surf.  On the positive side we decided that next time we try, we will find surfing rather easy :)  There were two instructors and probably 10 beginners so it was pretty easy to have some one-on-one time.  My first go I actually stood up and did pretty well.  It was heaps of fun.  I only got up a couple times, but it was fun just to be out there learning something new.  Eventually the waves started getting too big and it was no longer safe for us to be out there.  We headed back to the bus.  Before we took off though, a few of us ran across the street to a lake.  Along the bank, there are many tea trees so the water literally looked like coca-cola.  We had a quick dip in the lake to clean off the salt and sand from the ocean.  Apparently the water is very good for the skin and hair.
      Surfing was not as hard as we thought it was going to be. I was imagining what it was like to learn how to snowboard so I was expecting to be pretty sore.  However, none of us were very sore.  I guess the ocean is a little more forgiving than a mountain.
      We were going to stay the night in Byron and just bum around the beach on Sunday, but decided it would be cheaper to head back to Lismore that night.  Before we headed out we went to a couple shops just to look around.  Being in the sun and ocean all day took a toll on us and we all called it an early night.

Australian Lingo and Whatnot

     Since I have been here I have not written much about the lingo, culture, and other differences here so that is what this post will be dedicated to.  First I will give a list of words and their meanings.
Frothing= sweet, really awesome
Keen= down, ready to do something, into someone
Heaps= a lot, really, much (used all the time)
Reckon= think (again used quite regularly)
Bloke= guy
Mate= friend
Footy= rugby
Barbie= barbecue
Bush walk= hiking
No worries= no problem, you're welcome
Cheers= thanks
Biscuit= cookie
Lollies= candy
Goon= cheap boxed wine
Fairy floss= cotton candy
Holy dooley= holy crap
Sunnies= sunglasses
Jumper= hoodie, sweatshirt
Trackies= sweatpants
Uni= university, college
Hot chips= french fries
Toilets= restroom
Indicator= turn signal in a car
Car park= parking lot
Trolley= shopping cart

     They also have some different foods.  Vegemite is very popular though I do not know why.  It is way too salty for my liking.  Instead of ketchup they just have tomato sauce which is not as good as ketchup.  The barbecue sauce is different here too.  I like ours in America better.  I have yet to see a fruit pie, but there are meat pies everywhere!! And they are delicious!! (going to be looking up how to make those for when I get back)  Weet-bix is also big.  It is hard to describe though.  Basically it is dry bran cereal in a bar.  Aussie kids grew up with them.  I love them!  Nicole, Emy and I usually put peanut butter and sometime jam on them!  Wonderful!! We get some pretty weird looks from the Aussies when we do that.  The other day I tried a weet-bix with Vegemite and melted cheese.  It was actually pretty good.  Oh and Milo.  It is a chocolate powder that they put in milk to make chocolate milk.  Or you can put it in hot water for a hot cocoa kind of drink.  I have heard of them using Milo to bake as well.  I didn't like it the first time I tried it, but now I drink it all the time and it is fairly cheap.  They have many different dessert types of things.  Coconut and raisins seem to be in everything here!  Tim Tams are sort of like a cookie and delicious.  It is just all so yummy.  Tea is also  a large part of their diet.  Everyone has these amazing kettles that boil water in seconds!! They are wonderful!!
    Some other differences.  The light switches are little buttons instead of a switch and they are opposite the ones in America.  Meaning, I flip it down to turn the light on and vice versa.  The toilets have two buttons on the top.  The left button is a water saving button.  They are very conscious of the environment here.  To save energy, there is a switch on all the electrical outlets. When you plug something in, you also have to turn the outlet on.
     There isn't really any style of clothing here.  Everyone just wears whatever they want.  There are a lot of people with dreads and other interesting hair styles though.  And a guitar seems to be an accessory often worn here.  It seems like everyone has a guitar here.
     Traffic rules are even different.  Here pedestrians don't have the right of way so when walking we have to be very careful.  Nicole is pretty oblivious a lot of the time so if any of us get hit by a car it will be her.  It is also weird that we have to look right left right instead of left right left.  I don't know how many times we have almost walked out into oncoming traffic because we looked the wrong way.  The other day my friend Hayden let Nicole, Emy and I drive his car.  Driving on the wrong side of the road was quite an experience.  First of all everything in the car is flipped since they sit on the right side. So whenever I went to turn my indicator on to turn, I would accidentally put the windshield wipers on.  Instead of traffic lights, they just have a bunch of roundabouts.  I have not gone through all that many roundabouts before so going through one backward was extremely hard!!  I am really glad we had the opportunity to drive though.  Hayden was very trusting of us.
     As of right now, those are the main differences I can come up with.  I am sure there are many that I am forgetting, but I will put them in future posts.

Coffs Harbour for the Weekend

     The family (Nicole, Garrett, Emy, Shaughn, and I) decided it was time to get out of Lismore and see some more of Australia.  We just didn't know where; to solve this problem, we just pulled up a map of the bus route.  There is a train that goes from Casino to Sydney (Casino is only a 25 minute bus ride from Lismore) and it runs basically everyday.  Along the way there are many stops and the closest/cheapest with a beach was Coffs Harbour.  And this is how we decided where we were going to go for the weekend.  Nicole found a great hostel so we booked it.
     Our bus left Friday evening at 6:30.  It was a short ride to Casino and then we were able to catch the train to Coffs.  This was the first train any of us had been on so it was quite exciting.  However, it was dark by the time we got on the train, so we were not able to see anything.  We arrived at the Coffs Harbour train station a little after 10.  From there we just had to walk a short way to our hostel.  Once there we checked in and went straight to bed.
     Garrett, Nicole, Emy and I were all in the same room.  Shaughn unfortunately was not able to get in the same room as us because the hostel was full.  The girls and I were very thankful we had Garrett with us though.  We got into our room and there were two guys already asleep in there.  One woke up and talked to us for a bit as we got ready for bed; the other guy stayed asleep.  However, when we were trying to sleep, the guy that was still asleep started making a ton of noise and moving around.  He seriously sounded like he was in a fight.  In the morning we all just looked at each other with a questioning look.  It was later decided that he has night terrors.  The rest of the weekend he was referred to as the Thrasher.
      Saturday morning we walked along some shops until we found this cute little coffee shop.  There we got scones and coffee.  Then we set out for this look out where you can see the whole harbor.  It was an amazing view.  While we were up there we tried to make a plan of action for our day.  First on our list was to walk down to the harbor and go out on Muttonbird Island.  It is more of a peninsula than an island, but we walked out on it and had the most amazing view of the ocean.  From there we decided it was time to pay a visit to the beach.  We walked down to the beach and went into the water.  The air temperature was very nice, but the water was a bit chilly.  Nonetheless we were too excited about being at the beach so we continued to walk in the water until we reached our resting point.  There we lied out to catch some sun.  The boys were the first to get into the water.  Nicole soon joined them to jump some waves.  Emy and I stayed on the beach just enjoying the sun.  A large portion of our day was spent there, but eventually we decided it was time to venture back into town for a late lunch.  As we were walking back we decided to look for sea shells.  All of us found some pretty neat ones.  Emy and I even found ones that fit on our fingers so we decided to make them be rings.  Once in town we decided to go back to the coffee shop and just get something light.  It was pretty late in the afternoon and there were still some things we wanted to see so we ate as we walked.  Eventually we came upon the Botanic Gardens.  Unfortunately we arrived at 3:45 and it closed at 4.  Since we could not walk through the gardens we decided to walk back to the look out to watch the sunset.  The sunsets so early here since it is winter so we almost didn't make it in time.  Luckily we made it just in time and I am so glad.  On one side we had the sun setting over the ocean on the other we had mountains with a sky full of colors as the backdrop.  There we stayed for a while to soak in the beauty.  Then it was time to find dinner.  We found our way back to the main street and decided on a little Indian family restaurant.  The food was delicious and very filling.  Nicole, Emy, and I were able to save half ours for lunch the following day.  After dinner we decided to go back to the hostel.  There we sat up and talk until it was time for bed.  The hostel was not full Saturday night so Shaughn was able to move into our room so that was much nicer than having the Thrasher.
      Sunday we got up early and had breakfast at the coffee shop again.  After breakfast it was time to go whale watching.  This was my first time on a boat out in the ocean and it was very exciting!  We saw quite a few whales and they were magnificent!!  They are just so big and yet so graceful!  The captain said that they were being a bit boat shy, but we were all pretty happy to see the ones we did.  On our way back to the harbor some dolphins started swimming along the boat.  They were so playful!!  Once we returned to shore we went to check out some local markets.  Earlier that morning we say bananas for sale so we wanted to get some.  Unfortunately by the time we got there, the bananas we sold out :(  We did get to try some fresh sushi which was delicious.  There were some pretty neat crafts for sale too.  It was fun to just look around.  After that the boys went to the beach and Nicole, Emy and I went to the Botanic Gardens.  This time we made it before it closed and we walked around for a good amount of time.  The plants here are so beautiful!! I absolutely loved seeing them all.  It is winter though so some of them weren't blooming yet.  Hopefully everything will be blooming before we leave in October.  From the gardens we went to the beach for some lunch and to find the boys.  It was windy on Sunday so it was quite a bit chillier than it was on Saturday.  We all just sat in the sand and ate our left overs.  When it got too chilly we walked back into town for the boys to get some food.  Emy, Nicole and I broke down and got chocolate banana smoothies.  We decided this would be our last time enjoying bananas for awhile since they are $14 in Lismore.  Then it was time to catch the train.  We made it back to Lismore around 8:00 and we all went straight to bed.  It was a fun but exhausting weekend.
     Today is grocery day.  We have not purchased groceries since before out camping trip so we literally have oranges and weet-bix.  Hopefully we will get some laundry done and I suppose I should do some school work too.

Meebunn-bia!

     3 days of bush walking=most fun I have had in Australia so far.  For my Outdoor Education class we go on two bush walking (camping/hiking) trips.  Monday the 4th of July was the beginning of the first one.

Day 1
     The bus arrived at 7am to take us to Meebunn-bia were we would get to spend 3 days in the bush.  It was around a two hour drive so we arrived around 9.  There to great us were two instructors: Laurs and Hayden.  We got to know them pretty well over the few days we were together.  We started with a little game to get everyone going.  Finally we took off on a little walk to the low ropes course.
     At the low ropes we played a few trust-building games on the ground.  Next we moved to cables that were probably a meter and a half off the ground.  Each element varied a little bit, but on all of them we had to trust our spotters to catch us if we were about to fall.  Even though they were not that high off the ground, it was rather scary to walk on such a wobbly cable.
     After low ropes we hiked up a spur (side of a mountain).  It was quite steep and we all had our packs with everything we would need for the days in Meebunn-bia.  Once we hit the summit is was totally worth it though.  It was a magnificent sight to look out from the top.  We stopped here for lunch and a little rest.
     Since we were at the summit, we had to start to make our way down the mountain.  On the other side we eventually reached a high ropes course.  The course was huge!  After some safety instructions, we were able to get at it.  I have done high ropes once before, but nothing like this.  It was rather challenging, but nonetheless a lot of fun.  There were 3 levels of difficulty,  Emy and I only got to do level 1 and 2 because it started getting dark and we still wanted to do the Flying Fox (I will explain this in a bit).  We heard, however, that level 3 was pretty difficult.  There were two elements that I absolutely hated: the one were we had to jump across swinging tires (so scary) and then the one were we had to jump from swinging log to swinging log.  I spent the most time on the swinging log one and actually fell a couple of times.  Falling was not scary though since we were in a harness and everything.
      When Emy and I finished level 2, we had to rush down to the Flying Fox.  This course led to a zip line.  Flying across the valley was such a great experience!! There was so much to see and it was so pretty!! I enjoyed it a lot more than the high ropes.
      At this point it was getting dark so we started setting up camp.  We didn't have tents, but there were tarps that we could lay on the ground and then set one up as a tent.  My group decided that we would lay the ground tarp down, but we wanted to sleep under the stars since it was such a clear, beautiful night.  This was the first time all of us were actually able to sleep under the stars.  We could never do this at home because of the bugs.  Since it is winter here, there were not a lot of bugs out.  We made some dinner and then sat around the campfire, told stories, and played some games.

Day 2
     In the morning we had some breakfast and then it was time to do a couple activities before we actually started the day's events.  Each instructor had a little station that we went to.  My group (aka Momma Duck) went to Laurs station first.  There we had to play some problem solving games.  There were a couple of really good ones that I would like to use in my own classroom some day.  Hayden's station was next.  There we did some more trust activities.  Last we went to the station with our actual teacher, Steve.  His was all about navigating in the bush.  We talked a little bit about using a compass and looked at some land features on the map.
     When we were finished with all the stations, it was time for each group to set out on a nav course.  We had a map showing us the location of 14 cans.  We had to use the map, compass, and each other to find all the cans.  At the beginning we did pretty well.  We were able to find the cans pretty easily until we got to can number 8.  This one was rather difficult because one the map there was a fork in two rivers where the can should be.  We found a fork in the rivers, but couldn't find the can for like a half hour.  It turned out that the fork we were looking at wasn't on the map so we had to hike up a spur and then walk through the river bed to find the right area.  We finally found it; after that we found the rest pretty easily and made it back to camp for some much needed lunch.
     It was then time to pack up and head out for our next location.  Our next campsite was on another hill side and we wanted to make it there before dark so we could go to the top of this hill and watch the sunset.  The first 3 kilometers were not bad at all.  The ground was even for the most part and we followed a road instead of going through the bush.  However, the final 3 kilometers we a little more strenuous.  This part was all up hill.  Although it was not as steep as the first day.  We made it to camp just in time to drop our stuff off and hike up the hill next to us to watch the sunset.  I was such a beautiful sight!! Not a lot of people have been to this specific area so it was quite peaceful.  We all went off to find a spot to sit by ourselves and have a little moment of reflection.  For me it was a very spiritual moment and I really enjoyed it.
     After the sun set, we headed back to camp for dinner.  When we were finished eating we again sat around a campfire to chat.  Most of the girls went to bed right away, but the people I hung out with all stayed up and we got to know each other pretty well.  Steve suggested we all get up early and hike up the hill again to watch the sunrise.  Hayden said that he would actually be willing to sleep up there if anyone else wanted to.  Luke, Sarah, Garrett, Shaughn, Emy, Nicole, and I decided that we would love to sleep up there!!
     It got pretty chilly after the sun went down and the wind picked up quite a bit so we took a large tarp up. It was heaps rocky everywhere so we tried to find a flat spot with not so many rocks.  This proved to be easier said than done.  We finally gave up and just decided to deal with sleeping on rocks.  We all laid down and then Hayden had to tuck us in by pulling the other part of the tarp over us to help block the wind.  We looked like a human taco!  It was great though because we were protected from the wind, but still able to sleep under the stars. I just can't explain how magnificent they are.  The southern hemisphere naturally has more stars then the northern and they are just so bright.  There was no light pollution so we were able to see them so well.  It was seriously overwhelming and we just lied there in awe.  Finally we fell asleep, but we were up at the crack of dawn!

Day 3
     It was a great experience rolling over and seeing the sunrise!! It was definitely worth sleeping on huge rocks.  We enjoyed our breakfast and then packed up to head back to camp.  There were a few things we had to do before we could take off for our final day.
     Around 8 we headed down the path to our next obstacle.  It was another high ropes course, but this time you had to do it connected to another person.  So they had to work together to make it through.  I decided not to do it because I didn't think it would be enjoyable to me.  Only a few people actually wanted to do it.  We were all getting pretty tired by day 3.  We had a little snack and then continued down the rode.
     Our next stop was not far.  Here we would have to climb a tree and then jump!!  We climbed up a swinging rope ladder about 13 meters off the ground.  Then we had to climb onto a tiny wood platform and wait a little while for Hayden to get everything ready.  Finally it was time to jump.  It was like a free fall, but of course we were in a harness and attached to cables.  I was the first girl to go and also the first one to jump off backward.  It was so exhilarating!!    When I reached the ground, there was so much adrenaline going through me that I was shaking, but I loved it!!  Only two more people jumped off backward.  It wasn't scary once I actually left the platform.  It was just the getting up there and making myself jump that was hard.  When everyone who wanted to had a chance to jump, we took some time for lunch.
     Then it was time to head for our final activity.  All they told us was that we would be able to climb a pine tree.  Nicole, Emy, and I were thinking we might sit this one out because we can climb trees whenever we want at home.  However when we got there we changed our mind.  This was not a pine tree like we have in the states.  I think it was called a Hoop tree or something like that because the branches grow in ringlets around the tree.  The most challenging part about this was that we would have teams and be attached as we climbed this tree.  It was so hard and the branches were so far apart.  We had to use every muscle in our bodies to make it to the top, but we did it.  I was so thankful that Hayden was the person behind me because he helped me out a heap.  There was one point I actually almost fell.  I just let out a scream and scrambled back onto the branch.  Once safely in the branch, I just started laughing and crying.  We were up in this tree for more than an hour, but finally we all made it to the top and back down.  I was so happy once I touched ground.  It was a wonderful sight at the top, but it was scary getting there and getting back down.
    Our group chose the big tree of course and we made it our goal for all of us to get to the top instead of just the first person making it and then spiraling down.  Therefore we took quite a bit longer than the other group.  They actually left before we even started coming down because it was almost time for the bus to be there.  When we made it to the ground, we took a quick picture and then ran to meet the others.  We got there just in time for a little debrief and then it was time to head back.
     We got back to Lismore at 6:30 Wednesday night.  Everyone rushed to the shower.  It was wonderful to have a nice warm shower after 3 days in the bush.  We all ate a quick dinner and then met up again to watch the State of Origin which is a big rugby game.
     There are 3 State of Origin games every year.  The team that wins two out of three times is the champ.  When we first arrived in Australia, Nicole, Emy and I tried to watch the 2nd State of Origin, but none of us understood the game and we were still a little jet lag.  We only made it through half the game.  This time our goal was to watch the entire game.  We sat next to Ryan who was able to explain the rules to us so it was much more enjoyable and we made it through the entire game!  Sadly, New South Wales lost, but it was still fun to watch and understand a game of footy.  After the game was over, we all went straight to bed.  It was an exhausting few days!
     Even though it was exhausting, we all had a great time and we are looking forward to our next trip!!

An Afternoon in Nimbin

     It has been awhile since I have posted because not a lot has been going on.  Pretty much all that I did last week was go to class.  I feel a little more confident about classes now that I am in more of a routine.  I know what they expect and I think I will do just fine.  My Music and Children class is going to be my toughest class just because I am not comfortable performing in front of people.  It hasn't been too bad yet though.
     Yesterday was Canada Day so we had to celebrate with Nicole since she is from Canada of course.  Basically all we did was wear red and listened to Canadian music.  It was still fun though.
     Today we went to Nimbin for the day.  It is probably the smallest town I have ever been to and true hippies live there.  Everyone was happy go lucky and it was fun to people watch.  They also make a lot of crafts so we were able to pick up some sweet souvenirs.  It is not a place someone would want to spend a lot of time in, but it was nice to get out of Lismore for a while.
     Tonight we are planning to go down to Tommy's to celebrate one of the Aussie's birthday and listen to Nicole's roommate's band play.  I am excited to hear some live music and they write their own songs so it will be interesting to see how their music compares to what we listen to in the States.
     Next week is going to be a busy week as we are going to be heading out on our first camping trip 7am Monday.  I cannot wait to go camping and experience some more of Australia.  I will, however, be missing 3 of my 4 days of classes, so I will have quite a bit of make up work.

Lantern Parade!

     Yesterday we walked down to the square for a little grocery shopping.  It was nice to get out for a bit.  The walk back up the hill was not all too pleasant though.  It is a killer walking up the hill (more like mountain maybe) to begin with but we were all carrying groceries plus it started to sprinkle.  On the positive side it was nice to get some exercise and the rain helped cool us off.
     When we returned, we went our separate ways to work on whatever we needed to do.  I ended up taking a nap because I was exhausted.  Later we reconvened and caught a bus into town.
     The purpose for our second trip into town was to attend the lantern parade that Lismore puts on every year.  We had no idea what to expect; none of us had ever been to a parade at night.  We walked around for a while looking at the different booths and goods for sale.  Around 5:30, when it was starting to get dark, we found a spot to stand and watch the parade.  It was brilliant.  Lismore Lantern Parade is an appropriate name because that is exactly what it was.  Instead of having big floats or large balloons like we have at our parades, they made these huge lanterns and had them lit up.  The shape of the lanterns varied greatly; anywhere from a person to an animal to a building and so on.  As in our parades there were people walking with signs showing the organization or group that had created the lantern.  It was a sight to see.
     When the parade was over, everyone followed the lanterns down to the lake where there was a fire show including dancing.  Then there was a firework show.  We were not able to see very well from where we were standing so we decided to return to campus.
     Once back we decided it was time to make supper considering it was 9:00 PM.  Garrett and Shaughn graciously offered to make dinner for us.  They made pasta and garlic bread.  It was magnificent and we were all starving so we devoured it and had to make a little more.  We spent the rest of the evening watching "How I Met Your Mother."  At one point we made some hot chocolate out of Milo.  Milo is very popular around here and can be compared to Hershey's Cocoa powder.  Then it was time for bed.
     Today was another lazy day.  Nicole, Emy, and I got up and did the work out insanity again.  It was awfully wonderful if that makes sense at all.  Then we took our homework outside to sit in the sun for a while. Anytime we can soak up the sun, we try to be outside.  The sun has gone behind some clouds and it is getting chilly so we are once again indoors.
     I still have some reading I need to do and then I will have to practice my guitar.  Later we are meeting up at Emy's to make some rice and beans for dinner.
    Tomorrow is the beginning of the second week of classes.  I hope to find more of a routine this week and maybe find my place here.

It's Friday, Friday, Friday

Nothing eventful really happened on Wednesday.  I spent a lot of money buying books, but other than that we just had a relaxing day.

Yesterday, Thursday,  Nicole, Emy and I decided to start this work out called Insanity.  The name describes it perfectly: insane.  We were all dead by the time it got over, but it was a really good work out so we are going to keep doing it.  It is such an intense work out we are only going to do it Thursday and Sunday mornings.  The other days we plan to go for walks or do other physical activity.

Thursday afternoon I had a tutorial.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I think I am really going to like my teacher.  Yesterday's lesson was all about using an Interactive White Board  so it will definitely be a useful class for me.  Class didn't get over until 5:30 and then I had to trek up the hill.

By the time I got back to my flat, it was Toga time.  Nicole and I went over to Emy's to get ready.  The theme was Jungle Toga.  Nicole was a jungle cat, Emy a bird, and I was a snake.  We hung out with Emy's roommates for awhile then we went over to this other place to play games.  Finally it was time to go to the actual party.  Once we were there we had a lot of fun, even though it was really cold and there is not much to a toga.

Today I don't have class or anything I really need to do.  I get to Skype with my dad in a little while.  Then Austine and I are going to Skype.  I really hope it is working today.  After all the Skyping is done, Nicole, Emy and I are going for a walk.  The rest of the day will be a lazy day.

Guitar Lessons???

     Day two of class.  It was a long day today!! I had a four hour class this morning which was Music and Children. In that class we will learn how to incorporate music into a classroom.  I took this class because I know how important it is to have all kinds of education in the classroom.  However, when signing up for this class I didn't know that we were going to have to play guitar and sing!  What a surprise that was.  The assessor said that it is not how well we play or sing, but rather how much we improve and how confident we are.  This means that I am learning how to play guitar this semester!!  We only have ten classes so I do not expect to be very good at the guitar, but I already know 2 chords so I am learning.  I will definitely have to practice though.
      After my Music and Children class I have to got straight to my Outdoor Education lecture.  It was a little bit boring today because we just had to do some organization stuff.  The class is only 50 minutes though so it flew compared to my four hour class.  We talked a little about the trips we will be taking.  The first one will be in week 3 so it is coming up fast.  That will only be a 3 day trip, but it is not far from here.  We will be doing a high wire course, a zip line, and other activities.  Everything is already planned out for us and there will be teachers along.  On the second trip, we will be gone for 4 days.  We do have to travel a bit farther for this one though.  This trip will be planned by the students though.  We will be in smaller groups and have to decide where we are to go and what to see.  Teachers will not be with us, but we will have contact with them via radios.  This final trip is part of our test for the end of the session.  It won't be until week 12 I believe.
       Then I had an hour break before my Outdoor Education tutorial.  This class is just a time to have smaller groups so we can practice skills and ask questions.  We dove right in today and started learning how to read a topographical map and use a compass.  It wasn't hard, but we have a lot to cover before our first trip.
       Finally I am done for the day.  There is a BBQ down at the Unibar so a few of us are going to go down there.  Then there is an event at Tommy's so I am sure we will find ourselves there at some point tonight.  Tomorrow my class has been cancelled already so I will not have anything planned.  Hopefully I can make it to buy some school supplies and books.

First Day of Class

     Today was my first day of class.  It is currently 10:22 in the morning and I have been done with class for an hour.  It will be so nice only having one class on Mondays!!  The class that I attended this morning was Mathematics Education I: something something something.  It is definitely a class I need for my degree so that is great, but it sounds like it is going to be a lot of work.  Oh well I am here to learn!
      This class was really different than what I am used to.  I walked into this bigish lecture hall and it wasn't even half full for class.  There was a teacher in the room, but he didn't actually do the teaching.  The actual teacher was at the Gold Coffs University.  Lismore and another school watched the lecture on a live stream video.  However, the lecturer will travel weekly to the different schools.  So week 3 he will be in my class in Lismore and the rotation will continue throughout the session.
       Another difference is the fact that we only have lecture once a week; I haven't decided if I am going to like this or not.  Lecture is 50 minutes but then we also have a tutorial time.  Mine is Thursday 4-5:50.  I think this could be the equivalent of a lab.  Most of the classes have a tutorial or workshop that go with the lecture even though they aren't science classes.  And if there is not a separate tutorial time, the class is super long.  I have one class that is 4 hours long!! Ahh.
     Other than the slight differences I think this will be a great semester and a wonderful learning experience.

Lazy Saturday

     On Saturday there wasn't much going on so a group of us walked into town in search of fabric for togas.  Next Thursday there is a theme party at the Unibar and the theme is Jungle toga.  There is a fabric store named Spotlight so we all went there to find a toga.  They had some pretty neat fabric.  Nicole is going to be a white leopard, Emy is a bird, Shaughn got a cheetah fabric, I got one that looks like snakes, and after much debate and conversation, Garrett got an elephant print.  None of us have been to a toga party so we are looking forward to this one.
     We walked around town a little longer and then decided it was time to make the trek back up the hill.  Along the way there is a lady who sells fresh vegetables from her yard so we decided to stop there.  She was not home though so we will have to go back another day.
     When we finally made it back we had a quick lunch and then decided to go outside for awhile.  The sun was out and it was a really nice day.  Unfortunately the sun sets really early here so we were only able to sit outside for about a half hour before it started to get chilly.
     We returned to my room and watch youtube videos on how to make a toga.  Again we had a lot of time to waste so we turned on the oven (for warmth) and just talked.  Eventually we made some dinner and then got ready to go out.
     People are slowly returning to campus so again we met many people.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

     Friday! By far the best day!  We went to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast.  It was a wonderful day!! The place is similar to a zoo, but they only have animals that are native to Australia.  We started the morning out by meeting a blue-tongued lizard, a possom that is found in Australia, and a snake (all of which we were allowed to pet).  The snake was so soft and cold!! We weren't allowed to hold it because there were too many of us and it would scare the poor thing.  It was still fun to be able to touch it.

     After the little presentation, we were just able to walk around and explore.  The next animal we saw was a koala!  They are so adorable.  Most of them were sleeping, but once in a while one would get active.  We saw many more animals native to Australia including: Tasmanian devils, turtles, crocodiles, dingoes, frogs, wombats, wallabies, and of course kangaroos.  All of the animals were very interesting and we had a blast exploring, but the best part of the zoo was the kangaroos.  

     We could actually go into the cage with the kangaroos, feed them and pet them.  There were so many and they were all different.  We saw a mama kangaroo with a joey in her pouch, a joey that was just big enough to be out of the pouch and many more sizes and ages.  At the end of the day we had to make one last stop at the kangaroos.  When we arrived it was feeding time so all the kangaroos were down by the food and there were a ton.  We fed some more and we even saw a couple bunch each other.  They must have been really hungry.

      It  was such a great day! We were all exhausted so we took a nap on the way home.  When we returned we made some dinner and then sat around talking for a long time.

Oh yeah, I am here for school..

Thursday we registered for classes in the morning.  I got into the classes that I really wanted which I was really happy about.  They do class really weird here though.  I'm taking four classes: Outdoor Education, Music and Children, Mathematics and Education, and Economics.  However, instead of have Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday, Thursday classes, they only have one day for lecture a week and then maybe a tutorial another day.  So I have class Monday through Thursday, but Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday I only have one class for the whole day.  I feel like I am going to have so much free time!! Nicole, Emy, and I are trying to figure out how our schedules work together so we can find time to go on a walk everyday and travel on the weekends.

After registration we had morning tea with the mayor.  She was a really neat lady and it was nice to chat with her.  We also got to try some pastries that are common in Australia.  My favorite was this cookie sort of thing.  It was like a shortbread cookie with strawberry icing and coconut sprinkles.  Yummy!  I also tried vegemite again.  This time it wasn't so bad.  They had it on a large saltine cracker with butter and vegemite.  The butter helped the taste a lot.

Later that afternoon we went bowling.  They called it ten pin bowling rather than just bowling, but it was exactly the same as we do it in America.  Of course we turned it into a little competition, boys against girls.  Unfortunately the girls lost :(

That evening we went out and met some more Aussies.  We had a great night!

Hello Sun!

     The sun finally came out today!! It was such a beautiful day, but we were stuck in orientation meetings for a good part of the day :(  Nonetheless I enjoyed the warm weather and got many of my questions answered.
      We also had a little bit of time to go shopping this afternoon.  All of us just needed to pick up a few things that were forgotten on our last trip.  It was nice to get away from campus for a bit.
       When we returned we had a light snack and some drinks.  Then we headed down to the Unibar for some free food and to watch some rugby.  It was apparently the biggest game of the year or something.  Most of the Americans decided it was pretty boring compared to our own football, so we left at half time.  We enjoyed learning the rules of the game though.  Maybe next time we will get more into it.
     Tomorrow is another busy day fun of events and meetings.

Let the Fun Begin

Today, Tuesday, was the official beginning of "O" week, which stands for Orientation week. There are many events planned for this entire week to help us meet people and have fun.

The entire morning was spent listening to presentations about safety (not exactly fun-we did get a free lunch though.)  After lunch we went on a bus tour of Lismore. II am finally starting to know where everything is located and all the different things there are to do in town.

We also learned of upcoming events for the week; there should be some pretty fun things to do all week.  It's not all fun though.  Tomorrow we have to register for class, (yes, we are actually here for school.)  Thursday there is some free bowling and Friday we get to feed a Kangaroo!  There are many more events going on, but I cannot name them all off the top of my head.

Here in a short while though, we will be heading down to the Unibar on campus for a bbq and games.  

Monday, Free Day

Monday was a free day for us.  Since there was nothing planned for the day we all tried to sleep in.  The key word is "tried."  I was up and going at 5:30.

There was a little break in the rain so Emy, Nicole and I decided to go for a walk.  Lismore is a very hilly town so it turned into quite the work out which we were okay with.  It was so nice to be able to get some fresh air and see the town.  However, it started raining again on our way back to campus.

With an afternoon of rain ahead of us, we decided to hole up and watch movies.  It was nice to wrap up in a blanket and actually be warm for a bit.

Later that evening we went to the rec room to hang out with some other students.  This turned into quite the night and we actually stayed out until midnight!! (Finally starting to bet jet-lag)

Byron Bay

Sunday was our trip to Byron Bay!! I wish the internet was not so slow so that I could upload pictures from this trip.  It was so beautiful despite the cold rainy weather.

Byron Bay is about a 40 minute drive from Lismore.  When we arrived, the bus took us to the Lighthouse.  It was an amazing sight!  We decided to walk down the cliff to the beach which was an excellent choice.  Everything was so lush and gorgeous.  It was just a peaceful place.  When we made it down to the beach we actually saw some dolphins!!

We had planned to go swimming and some other stuff, but it was rather chilly out.  Looking back we probably could have swam though because the water was much warmer than the air.

Since it was raining, we spent much of the trip walking around downtown and going in shops.  Which was fun in itself.  There were a lot of need little seaside shops with local crafts.  It is such a nice, laid-back community there.

We were exhausted after this day of exploring; so, again, we call it an early night.

Rain, Rain Go Away

I got a little behind on blogging because of a converter mishap so I am going to play catch-up real quick.

It started raining on Saturday morning.  Actually raining is an understatement, it started (and has yet to stop) pouring on Saturday.

Since it was raining we just took a bus into town to do some shopping.  It seemed like there was so much we needed that we didn't think of.  Who knew it would be freezing cold at night!?  As I said before, everything is very expensive in Australia.  This in mind, the girls and I became bargain hunters over night.   We spent the whole day searching for the best prices on everything we needed and talking each other out of stuff we did not.

Still being a little jet-lag, we called it a night early and went to bed around 8 (which is a half hour later than the night before!)

I Have Arrived!

    Yesterday I got into the Brisbane Airport around 5:40 local time.  There was a bit of a delay in Dallas because the bus that was suppose to pick up the flight crew broke down.  It wasn't a long delay though.  The flight actually went pretty quickly.  Each person had their own individual TV and we were able to pick from all kinds of movies and TV shows.
     About an hour into the flight we were served dinner.  I was pretty impressed by this meal.  We had the choice between fish and chicken.  I had the chicken which came with some vegetables and potatoes.  We also got a salad, roll, and key lime pie.  Later we got a snack bag which had chocolate, shortbread, potato sticks which were like potato chips, and a bottle of water.  In the last few hours before we landed we were served breakfast.  We could have a hot breakfast or cereal.  I chose the hot breakfast which included scrambled eggs, an English muffin, sausage, fresh fruit, yogurt, and orange juice.
    Other than eat I slept for about 8 hours.  It was dark almost the entire trip.  The sun had set just before we took off and it was rising as we came in for landing.
    The sunrise was so beautiful.  It was just getting light as we went over the coast.  I was sitting by the window so I was able to see the outline of the coast and the water.  I fell in love with Australia then.
    Once I got to the airport, I had to go through customs which did not take long as we were the only flight that had come in.  However, after customs I had to just wait.  The representative from SCU didn't get to the airport until 8 and after that we had to wait for other exchange students.  The last ones were supposed to get in at 9:35, but they did not get in until almost 11.  So by the time we got out of there and to Lismore, it was already after 2.
     The drive to Lismore from Brisbane was a lot of fun though. They drive on the left side of the road so it really threw us off when we looked in the car next to us and there was no one where the driver should be.  They also have some different signs.  Instead of a deer crossing sign, they have a koala crossing sign.  They drive in km/hr instead of mph so the speed limit was 100.  Also they call "passing," "overtaking."  So one sign said "Stay in left lane unless overtaking."
     While there are definitely some differences, there are some things the same.  We saw McDonalds all over the place.  Probably just as much as you see it in America if not more.  They also have a Kmart which is like their Walmart.
     Once we got to campus we were shown our rooms and then we went shopping in town.  We live in an apartment-like dorm.  I will have 5 other roommates.  One of my roommates is a girl on exchange from Pennsylvania.  The rest of my roommates I have not met yet because they are still on Holiday.
     Last night we had some pizza which is different from our pizza in America.  The sauce is sweet and more like BBQ sauce than pizza sauce.  It was good though and we definitely welcomed warm, free food.  That was probably our last warm meal for awhile as everything is so expensive.  I will probably be living off bread, peanut butter and apples for the next four months.
     Today we are going into town again.  We will have more time to shop for things that we need as well as explore the town a little.