Mom and I arrived in Sydney fairly early. We collected our bags and took the train to Circular Quay, near where our Marriott Hotel was. We were not able to check into the room right away, so we hung out in the executive lounge for a while waiting. Once we were able to check in, we realized that the hotel room seemed like a palace compared to the hostels we had been previously staying in. Luxury at its finest!! Once settled in, we decided to go explore the city a bit. We walked around on The Rocks, an area of town with lots of restaurants and shops and a street market. We stopped at a pub for lunch and talked for a while. Then, we headed back to the hotel. Mom fell asleep and was in for the rest of the night. I hung out with Matty and Layla later that night for a few hours, even though they were stayed down the street in a hostel.
The next day, Mom and I ate breakfast at Pancakes on the Rocks, suggested to us by my good friend Nathan. It was a really good breakfast, and afterwards Mom and I headed out agian to explore some more. On our way to meet Matty and Layla at a supposed observation center, we got lost. We were walking along the well-known icon Bridge, but could not figure out how to cross it!! Eventually, a man let us know that we had walked too far and needed to backtrack in order to cross. So we did. Eventually, we found Matty and Layla and continued on to find the observation area. After about 20 minutes of walking around up and down hills, we discovered that the 'observation tower' was really just one of those towers for planes. We were bummed out and walked back, only to find that the REAL observation area was a park with a lousy view of nothing.
We continued walking through the city over towards the waterfront. We ended up stopping for some lunch at a small cafe. While Matty and Layla were ordering, Mom and I found cute little birds. They landed on the table literally 2 feet from where I was sitting!! They were clever little birds and ripped open a sugar packet and ate all the sugar and then took a second sugar packet with them for later!
Once Matty and Layla got their food, we sat on the waterfront so that they could eat. We then walked to the Sydney Opera house for some prime pictures. The Opera House is smaller than I would have imagined, but still magical!
***Will update later***
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Brisbane
Brisbane, while a very nice city in itself, is not my favorite city in the world. It is quite clean, but fairly busy for its size and it seemed there was not a whole lot to do. Mom, Matt, Layla and I were lost the first few hours in the city, not knowing what to do or where to go first. We ended up walking across the river onto the esplanade. There are some great views of the city, including the casino, which is lit up red at night. We rode the observation Ferris wheel, from which we were able to view the entire city. That night, we just crashed for the evening.
Our second day in the city, we walked around to see what there was to see in the daylight. We walked downtown to a street mall called Queen Street. This mall reminded me so much of the Hay Street and Murray Street Malls and made me think about Perth. This was about all that we did this day, unfortunately wasting much of the day.
The third day in Brisbane, we decided to get out of the city and visit Steve Irwin’s zoo, called Australia Zoo. Here, we watched a crocodile show put on by Terry, Bindi (aboriginal for ‘little girl’) and Bob Irwin. The show was quite neat, but I was glad to be seated in the stadium instead of in the pool with the croc!! He was a very large croc and a favorite of the trainers for his ferocity. Also, they put on a free-flight bird show that was absolutely awesome! Imagine parrots, cockatoos, and other ‘exotic’ birds flying “at will” around the stadium until ‘recalled’ by their trainers. We feed and petted kangaroos, watched Asian elephants up close and personal, petted koala, and were blown away by the Sumatran tiger show (they swim!!!). We also saw wombats (Mom’s fav), otters, wallabies, dingoes, camels, cassowaries (weird birds!), and many other crocs and lizards.
We stopped at a fresh local fruit market on the way back to Brisbane – pineapple, strawberries, and macadamia nuts – then asked to be dropped off at our favorite restaurant – the Criterion – for an early evening dinner. Afterwards, we headed back to the hostel and crashed for the evening.
The next day, we all decided to walk to the esplanade again, just to see some sights we had missed in the days prior. We came across some markets, but just walked through them since they were about the same as other market places we had been to on this trip. We called it an early night, after walking a few kilometers back to the hostel. Later that night, a few friends from Curtin university, Livia, Jaymes, Aurelian, and a few other, popped into the hostel to visit with Matt and I for a few minutes before heading out to the clubs. It was nice to see them for the last time before heading home.
Our second day in the city, we walked around to see what there was to see in the daylight. We walked downtown to a street mall called Queen Street. This mall reminded me so much of the Hay Street and Murray Street Malls and made me think about Perth. This was about all that we did this day, unfortunately wasting much of the day.
The third day in Brisbane, we decided to get out of the city and visit Steve Irwin’s zoo, called Australia Zoo. Here, we watched a crocodile show put on by Terry, Bindi (aboriginal for ‘little girl’) and Bob Irwin. The show was quite neat, but I was glad to be seated in the stadium instead of in the pool with the croc!! He was a very large croc and a favorite of the trainers for his ferocity. Also, they put on a free-flight bird show that was absolutely awesome! Imagine parrots, cockatoos, and other ‘exotic’ birds flying “at will” around the stadium until ‘recalled’ by their trainers. We feed and petted kangaroos, watched Asian elephants up close and personal, petted koala, and were blown away by the Sumatran tiger show (they swim!!!). We also saw wombats (Mom’s fav), otters, wallabies, dingoes, camels, cassowaries (weird birds!), and many other crocs and lizards.
We stopped at a fresh local fruit market on the way back to Brisbane – pineapple, strawberries, and macadamia nuts – then asked to be dropped off at our favorite restaurant – the Criterion – for an early evening dinner. Afterwards, we headed back to the hostel and crashed for the evening.
The next day, we all decided to walk to the esplanade again, just to see some sights we had missed in the days prior. We came across some markets, but just walked through them since they were about the same as other market places we had been to on this trip. We called it an early night, after walking a few kilometers back to the hostel. Later that night, a few friends from Curtin university, Livia, Jaymes, Aurelian, and a few other, popped into the hostel to visit with Matt and I for a few minutes before heading out to the clubs. It was nice to see them for the last time before heading home.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Melbourne
On June 25, I flew into Melbourne from Perth. Mom, Matt, Layla and I decided to travel together for 2 weeks before returning to the States. I met mom in Melbourne in the morning, and we went around town and found a hotel to stay in for the night. Matt and Layla did not join us the first day/night. Since we arrived so early (my flight got in before 6am, hers around 9am), we had plenty of time to get to the hotel, shower, and get ready for the day. By the time we were both situated, it was noon, even though we both felt like it was about 7pm! We decided to get some lunch and head to the aquarium.
The exhibits were fabulous!! They had the cutest penguin exhibit I have seen in an aquarium!! They were absolutely adorable, and mom and I both loved them!! We also saw a variety of jelly fish, large fish, sharks, sting rays, sea turtles, frogs, scuba divers, star fish, urchins, crabs and seahorses.
Afterwards, we were both fairly tired, so we headed to the hotel for the night. It was weird sleeping anywhere without my friends around, since we all lived together the entire semester!! I definitely missed them that night.
The next morning, Matt and Layla made it to Melbourne. We all checked into a hostel and got ready for the day. We walked around town a bit, through the esplanade, and settled at a cafe for lunch. We then headed to Eureka Observation Tower to get some views of the city..which is much larger than Perth, and also quite fabulous! Afterwards, we walked around town a bit and hoped onto a free bus that takes you to all the touristy destinations around the city. It gave us a good idea of what the city is like. We hopped off the bus and walked back to the hostel to rest (we were all tired) before dinner. We walked into town for dinner at a really nice italian street restaurant. Afterwards, we all crashed for the evening.
The next day, we took the bus out to St. Kilda beach. There are markets here, but only on Sundays. Luckily, it was Sunday and we were able to scan all the vairous booths and see interesting works. We also got to walk on the beach and docks a bit and get a great glimpse of the city from a few kilometers away!! While walking back along the docks, we found a tiny penguin in the rocks that form the ledge between two pathways. He was so tiny and adorable..and blue!! We ended up eating dinner in St. Kilda and hanging out at the restaurant for a few hours chatting. Once back at the hostel, we started up a game of rummy 500 and made a few new friends around the place.
Monday, the 4 of us went on a tour called the Penguin Parade. We started out at an Australian Garden, stocked with only native Australian plants...alot of what you would find in the outback and bush. It was neat to see what the native plants look like because you can't find many of them in the wild any more. Next, we went to a chocolate factory. It was hands-down the best chocolate I have had!! Yummy!! They had lots of free samples, and lots of artwork all done in chocolate. The next stop was a Koala conservation. Koalas are not new to me, since I have been in Australia for 5 months, but it was still exciting to walk through the trees and spot the cute creatures nestled among the branches. We then went on to a natural formation called the Nobbies. These are small islands off the coast of Phillips Island. Among the Nobbies live many sea lions!! unfortunately, we did not see any of them, but it is neat to think that they are there!!
The last stop for the day was the Penguin Parade. The idea is that everyone sits in this semi-stadium located right on the dunes of a beach at night time. The only lights allowed are the stadium lights, which are blunted. The tiny Fairy Penguins swim into shore every evening, coming out in groups between 10-30. They are absolutely adorable!! This is one of the most amazing events I have seen! The little guys would pop out of the sufr and wait there for the rest of their group to come out of the surf. Then, one brave little penguin would waddle towards the dunes to make sure its safe, followed by the rest of the herd. Once on the dunes, the each went their separate ways to their dens. As we walked back, the penguins were all around the paths...within petting distance, although it's illegal to touch/photograph/film them for fear of blinding or harming them.
Tuesday, Matt and Layla took the day to explore more of the city. Mom and I took the Great Ocean Road Tour of southern Melbourne. It was a great day tour..though quite long!! We got picked up at 740 am and drove out to Bells Beach, which is apparently quite popular for surfers. While I cant remember the exact order of what we did, these are the events:
- Lorne - very expensive beach resort area
- Apollo Beach - nice beach area with cute shops and cafes
- 12 apostles - rock formations in the ocean
- London Bridge - rock formation that formed a natural bridge into the ocean..part of which fell 20 years ago
All of these are worth seeing, but unfortunately it rained on us for a few of the sights
Tuesday night, we were all fairly tired, but I got to skype with Rhys, which was a good time!! We had to get up at 430am wednesday morning to catch our flights to Brisbane, but I only got to bed at about 130am. After laying restlessly in bed for a while, the girls next door began screaming incredibly loud, body slamming into doors, etc. After about 15 minutes of waiting for this to stop, I decided to go see what the commotion was. Turns out, it was just a few inconsiderate girls. As soon as I knocked on their door, the noise stopped for the rest of the night and I was able to sleep in peace..for about an hour and a half until my alarm woke me up!!
The exhibits were fabulous!! They had the cutest penguin exhibit I have seen in an aquarium!! They were absolutely adorable, and mom and I both loved them!! We also saw a variety of jelly fish, large fish, sharks, sting rays, sea turtles, frogs, scuba divers, star fish, urchins, crabs and seahorses.
Afterwards, we were both fairly tired, so we headed to the hotel for the night. It was weird sleeping anywhere without my friends around, since we all lived together the entire semester!! I definitely missed them that night.
The next morning, Matt and Layla made it to Melbourne. We all checked into a hostel and got ready for the day. We walked around town a bit, through the esplanade, and settled at a cafe for lunch. We then headed to Eureka Observation Tower to get some views of the city..which is much larger than Perth, and also quite fabulous! Afterwards, we walked around town a bit and hoped onto a free bus that takes you to all the touristy destinations around the city. It gave us a good idea of what the city is like. We hopped off the bus and walked back to the hostel to rest (we were all tired) before dinner. We walked into town for dinner at a really nice italian street restaurant. Afterwards, we all crashed for the evening.
The next day, we took the bus out to St. Kilda beach. There are markets here, but only on Sundays. Luckily, it was Sunday and we were able to scan all the vairous booths and see interesting works. We also got to walk on the beach and docks a bit and get a great glimpse of the city from a few kilometers away!! While walking back along the docks, we found a tiny penguin in the rocks that form the ledge between two pathways. He was so tiny and adorable..and blue!! We ended up eating dinner in St. Kilda and hanging out at the restaurant for a few hours chatting. Once back at the hostel, we started up a game of rummy 500 and made a few new friends around the place.
Monday, the 4 of us went on a tour called the Penguin Parade. We started out at an Australian Garden, stocked with only native Australian plants...alot of what you would find in the outback and bush. It was neat to see what the native plants look like because you can't find many of them in the wild any more. Next, we went to a chocolate factory. It was hands-down the best chocolate I have had!! Yummy!! They had lots of free samples, and lots of artwork all done in chocolate. The next stop was a Koala conservation. Koalas are not new to me, since I have been in Australia for 5 months, but it was still exciting to walk through the trees and spot the cute creatures nestled among the branches. We then went on to a natural formation called the Nobbies. These are small islands off the coast of Phillips Island. Among the Nobbies live many sea lions!! unfortunately, we did not see any of them, but it is neat to think that they are there!!
The last stop for the day was the Penguin Parade. The idea is that everyone sits in this semi-stadium located right on the dunes of a beach at night time. The only lights allowed are the stadium lights, which are blunted. The tiny Fairy Penguins swim into shore every evening, coming out in groups between 10-30. They are absolutely adorable!! This is one of the most amazing events I have seen! The little guys would pop out of the sufr and wait there for the rest of their group to come out of the surf. Then, one brave little penguin would waddle towards the dunes to make sure its safe, followed by the rest of the herd. Once on the dunes, the each went their separate ways to their dens. As we walked back, the penguins were all around the paths...within petting distance, although it's illegal to touch/photograph/film them for fear of blinding or harming them.
Tuesday, Matt and Layla took the day to explore more of the city. Mom and I took the Great Ocean Road Tour of southern Melbourne. It was a great day tour..though quite long!! We got picked up at 740 am and drove out to Bells Beach, which is apparently quite popular for surfers. While I cant remember the exact order of what we did, these are the events:
- Lorne - very expensive beach resort area
- Apollo Beach - nice beach area with cute shops and cafes
- 12 apostles - rock formations in the ocean
- London Bridge - rock formation that formed a natural bridge into the ocean..part of which fell 20 years ago
All of these are worth seeing, but unfortunately it rained on us for a few of the sights
Tuesday night, we were all fairly tired, but I got to skype with Rhys, which was a good time!! We had to get up at 430am wednesday morning to catch our flights to Brisbane, but I only got to bed at about 130am. After laying restlessly in bed for a while, the girls next door began screaming incredibly loud, body slamming into doors, etc. After about 15 minutes of waiting for this to stop, I decided to go see what the commotion was. Turns out, it was just a few inconsiderate girls. As soon as I knocked on their door, the noise stopped for the rest of the night and I was able to sleep in peace..for about an hour and a half until my alarm woke me up!!
A Hard Ending
The last few weeks of my study abroad trip to Curtin uni brought about many mixed emotions from me as well as the group of amazing friends I have made here. I am so sad to leave them, even heartbroken. While I love and miss my friends back at home and at Elon, the friends here I will cherish the rest of my life! We formed such a close bond so quickly, and it seems that it was stripped from me entirely too quickly.
The last few weeks, we were able to hang out alot more often, since everyone was done fairly early with their finals. We played a few pick-up games of footy and soccer, and went out a fair bit. In the last week all together as a group, 2 people celebrated their birthdays: Rhys turned 20 and Renae turned 18! The entire week was a long birthday celebration for the 2 of them consisting of going out to the pubs and clubs, since Renae is now legal!! Everything we did that week was so fun and so memorable..it was the last time that we will have that exact group of people together to go out and have fun :(
Anyway, people began slowly leaving for home and holidays, and I became increasingly sadder. I am sure some of these people have walked into and out of my life for good, though I hope I come across them again at some point! Towards the end of the week, I went to Albany to stay with Rhys at home. While there is not a ton to do in Albany, we found things to do together such as a Walk Among the Giants, in which u walk the suspension ramps up to 40 meters high in the Tingle Trees (excellent views!), go to Denmark to the beaches and to see where my friend Jamee comes from, go to see Transformers II, and drive around Albany a bit. It was a slow-paced week, but I cherish it!!
The night that I left Albany is one of the worst nights I can remember. I was not ready to leave WA and definitely not ready to leave Rhys! I cried the entire way from Rhys' house to the airport, the entire wait in the airport, and almost the entire hour-long flight to Perth. Once I got to Perth, 2 good friends Matt and Calum were there to meet me with my luggage. I am forever grateful that they were there because I was too upset to deal with the issues that I began having when I tried to check in. My luggage was almost 30 kilos over the limit for domestic flights, and for every single kilo over the limit you have to pay a fine of 10 dollars. I was ultimately going to pay about 300 dollars to take my luggage to Melbourne with me, so instead I repacked my bags and left a bag in Perth with the boys. Matt will bring it back to the states with him when he returns towards the end of July.
After a sad goodbye and thank-you to Calum, he and Matt left me in the airport to catch my flight to Melbourne. Goodbye WA, I can't wait to see you again!!
<3<3
The last few weeks, we were able to hang out alot more often, since everyone was done fairly early with their finals. We played a few pick-up games of footy and soccer, and went out a fair bit. In the last week all together as a group, 2 people celebrated their birthdays: Rhys turned 20 and Renae turned 18! The entire week was a long birthday celebration for the 2 of them consisting of going out to the pubs and clubs, since Renae is now legal!! Everything we did that week was so fun and so memorable..it was the last time that we will have that exact group of people together to go out and have fun :(
Anyway, people began slowly leaving for home and holidays, and I became increasingly sadder. I am sure some of these people have walked into and out of my life for good, though I hope I come across them again at some point! Towards the end of the week, I went to Albany to stay with Rhys at home. While there is not a ton to do in Albany, we found things to do together such as a Walk Among the Giants, in which u walk the suspension ramps up to 40 meters high in the Tingle Trees (excellent views!), go to Denmark to the beaches and to see where my friend Jamee comes from, go to see Transformers II, and drive around Albany a bit. It was a slow-paced week, but I cherish it!!
The night that I left Albany is one of the worst nights I can remember. I was not ready to leave WA and definitely not ready to leave Rhys! I cried the entire way from Rhys' house to the airport, the entire wait in the airport, and almost the entire hour-long flight to Perth. Once I got to Perth, 2 good friends Matt and Calum were there to meet me with my luggage. I am forever grateful that they were there because I was too upset to deal with the issues that I began having when I tried to check in. My luggage was almost 30 kilos over the limit for domestic flights, and for every single kilo over the limit you have to pay a fine of 10 dollars. I was ultimately going to pay about 300 dollars to take my luggage to Melbourne with me, so instead I repacked my bags and left a bag in Perth with the boys. Matt will bring it back to the states with him when he returns towards the end of July.
After a sad goodbye and thank-you to Calum, he and Matt left me in the airport to catch my flight to Melbourne. Goodbye WA, I can't wait to see you again!!
<3<3
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