Byron Bay Beauty

"In the late afternoon, I stopped at a roadhouse for gas and coffee. I studied my book of maps . . . Then, having nothing better to do, I leafed through the index and amused myself, in a very low-key way, by looking for ridiculous names, of which Australia has a respectable plenitude. I am thus able to report that the following are all real places: Wee Waa, Poowons, Borrumbuttock, Suggan Buggan, Boomahnoomoonah, Waaia, Mullumbimby Ewylamartup, Jiggalong, and the supremely satisfying Tittybong."- Bill Bryson ("In a Sunburned Country") -- seemed appropriate with such a lovely view...

Camping in Lamington

So, this picture is amazing for several reasons- not only are we amazing (just kidding), but we were totally sitting on top of a huge cliff/waterfall all by ourselves. What an amazing trip!! Once again we managed to get ourselves a bit lost in the dark woods, but that's part of the adventure! Be sure to check out the beautiful mountains and waterfalls in this unforgetable park! http://lamington.nrsm.uq.edu.au/

Sydney Part 2

To this day, my now roommate and I like to talk about our "night-time hike" in the Blue Mountains, just outside Sydney. Despite the dark and the rain, my roommate, my boyfriend, an old-friend and I decided to hike the Blue Mountains in search of really the sound of waterfalls with only the light of a celluar phone- not my brightest moment. Nonetheless, we lived to tell about it and had a great time... I hear it's gorgeous during the day- check it out! :)

http://www.bluemts.com.au/

P.S. The picture was of us girls after our adventure when we were wonderfully wet and starving... I'm the awkward one in the middle

Sydney Part 1

One of the highlights of my trip was visiting Sydney, NSW. We stayed in a pretty great backpacker called Base Backpackers, which I would highly recommend. It can be loud at times, but its clean- for the most part and in a pretty good location. Some "must-dos" are seeing the Opera House (obviously) and Sydney Harbor Bridge (you can actually climb it for a fee), visiting the Rocks- my personal fav, the watch tower- go to the top and take great pictures of the city, Bondi Beach, and visiting their various markets.

Whitsundays

One must see place in Oz is the Whitsunday Islands. Located on the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays are a remote and beatiful way to experience northern Queensland. In order to get out to the islands you must fly into the small Whitsunday airport. No larger that a few terminals, the bagage claim department was a truck that they dumped all the bags outside. Still, we met a nice couple from the area who were willing to drive us, complete strangers into town, saving us $20 in cab fare. The locals here were nicer than anywhere else in Australia. Once we arrived in Airlie Beach, we met up with our cruise group for a tour of the islands. There are many different boats, ours ways the Atlantic Clipper. On the tour we did some snorkelling, scuba diving, and we visited the world-famous Whitehaven Beach. The sand at Whitehaven is almost pure scilica. The beauty in the Whitsundays is overwhelming. Every vista is filled with crystal blue water and unblemished tropical forests. Because of its out-of-the way location, the Whitsundays are hidden gems in Australian tourism. Absolutely check them out. The rates are good and the experience is unbelievable.

Put another shrimp on the Barbie!

It was almost disappointing to learn that Aussies never say, "put another shrimp on the barbie!" First of all, shrimp are called prawns down under, and shrimp barbeques weren't very common. Still, there wasnt much of anything that the Aussies weren't willing to grill. In fact, every Wednesday, the whole school came out for a lunch BBQ. I'm not a voracious meat eater, but I have to say they certainly know how to work the barbie down under. It goes beyond your typical hamburgers and hotdogs to meats in shapes I couldn't identify. Still, everything that I tried was surprisingly delicious. If your in Australia, I'd encourage you to try some authentic Austalian BBQ.

Crikey!

One of the world's most famous Aussies is the late Steve Irwin aka, the Crocodile Hunter. Known for his conservation efforts, Irwin set a standard at his zoo for others to follow. The Australia Zoo was the home of the Crocodile Hunter. With flocks of amazing, exotic animals, and educational shows and tours the Australia Zoo is a fun-filled day. Learn about Australia's deadliest snakes, or reenact a Hitchcock classic at the Lorikeet feeding. Cuddle with a kangaroo or pet an emu. The Australia Zoo allows you to get an up close an personal look at Australia's amazing animals.