Spring Break has come and gone and the second half of our program has begun. I am working Tuesday-Friday at SMART (an advertising agency with amazing people and amazing clients). I work 9-5 doing interny thing (getting coffee so often that the guy lets me come behind the counter now and ordering couriers to the point that the man knows where I’m from on the phone and asks me a new question every time – borderline scary) and important things too (powerpoints of client presentations, editing press releases, planning corporate events, etc.). I really do love coming to work everyday! I especially love my lunch breaks in the local park where I read, write in my journal or nap. The weather has been incredible making those breaks the best!
Everyone also takes one class during this part. Sophie, Marisa, Ted and I are in Australian Literature with Sharon (the woman in charge of the summer travel writing program). We have this class twice a week. So far, we have read one book called My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin. I really liked it because it was a Victoria novel, Jane Austin-esque. The main character was enough to make you want to scream but that’s why I loved it I think. The tension of the novel has got to be intentional in order to provoke the lovers in the story. But this isn’t a term paper about it so I won’t bore you…
Other than that, life has been GREAT! It was very strange adjusting to the city life and the flow of things again after such a freeing break, but I think most of us have succeeded in doing so.
Dad and Tori got here last Friday and I have been spending lots of time with them ever since. We (Marisa, Ted, Dad, Tor, and I) walked the whole city and saw the Botanical Gardens, the Opera House, Sydney Harbor at Circular Quay and the Domain. We went to an Easter Vigil service on Saturday night at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Hyde Park (where the Pope is coming for World Youth Day this summer). It was sooo moving (but a little long at the end of that day!). The service started out pitch black and the priests, etc. came from the back of the church and forward lighting everyone’s hand-held candles along the way. Once everyone was holding a light, the choir sang giving me chills all over. Incredible.
The next morning, EASTER, we went to the Darling Harbor Convention Center for Easter service by Hillsong Church. They were definitely excited about the day and a little intense for me. But hey – HE HAS RISEN! We danced a lot and then made our way to a sidewalk café in the harbor for breakfast. We toasted the day with Mimosas and I sat in appreciation that I was with a group of people that means the world to me (Ted, Marisa, Dad and Tori).
That day, Dad moved into his apartment in Coogee (a beach suburb). We set up the house, walked down to the beach, met up with Soph/ Seph/ Jen so they could meet Dad and Tori and then went home to rest. OH and we got ice cream from a south American place Marisa and I LOVE. BEST EVER! That night, Ted came and met us and we all went out to dinner at a Thai Eatery by the beach. It was AMAZING – sooo gooood. Dad is keeping us healthy while he is here…I normally can’t afford so many food groups on one plate! After dinner, we all hung out at home and then went to sleep.
The next day, we went grocery shopping for our ‘family’ of five and then hung out at the beach all day. Afterwards, we went home and I got to COOK! We made fig and balsamic glazed albacore tuna steaks, pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and basil sauce and salad with gab’s dressing (a favorite of Dad’s and Ted’s). Later on, Marisa made us brownies. We were each in our own little cooking heavens! After, we finished an excellent day by watching High School Musical One and Two. YESSSSSSSS. Trey would have been proud!
Unfortunately, the four day Easter weekend came to an end and I am now at work. Whenever there is a lull I get to blog. Haha.
Tuesday was just another day at work and then class and working on a project; no fun. I ate a $2 dollar sushi roll for dinner; just a little taste of what life will be like again once dad leaves...bummer! Wednesday, though, was FUN FUN FUN. I went to work knowing that I was going to get to model for an 'Impulse' ad (Unilever product). When I arrived, I was asked to call Tori and invite her to be another model for the shoot. The pictures are a replica of an ad that ran already and will be used for inter-industry publications and communications as well as for award ceremonies and accreditation. We dressed up as different girl personalities (I was the flirty/girly one, Tori was the rebellious, clubbing one and another girl, Cynthia, was the fancy, pretty one). We sat in various street locations as beggars, "begging for romance." The pictures are adorable to say the least! We kept getting thanks and praise for filling in but I saw it as something I should be grateful for. It was SO much fun; how many people can say they modeled in Australia!? Tori and dad went to the beach, I worked, then we all met up near my home for dinner. Dad took Marisa, Ted, Steph, Tori and I out for Spanish tapas on Glebe Street. It was INCREDIBLE!!! We had sangria, paella, fried zucchini, tuna croquettes, avocado salad and lamb skewers. YUM. Atfer, we went to an art exhibit that closed ten minutes after we got there...I'm going back! We, then, got dessert at our favorite place, Badde Mannors, and Marisa, Ted, and I went back with the fam to the beach house. There was an incredible lightning storm after we were all settled in that lit up the sky with such elegance. It was breathtaking. We stayed up late watching Marisa make muffins for the morning and then slept only to wake up to a beautiful, sun-sparkling ocean view.
On Friday, Tori moved into the Unilodge for the night and got to go out with the 'Big Kids'. We eneded up going dancing at a place in the Rocks with a bunch of BU kids. That was a blast as Tori got to meet the people I'm surrounded with and talk to some actual Australians. The next day, Dad came and checked out BUSC (our school building), walked through Sydney University (witnessed the Harry Potter-like place with his own eyes), and then we walked to Newtown. Dad and Tori thought the walk was pretty long (I had never noticed since this is the first week I've had a car here). We got to a GREAT cafe and enjoyed a YUMMY and filling lunch in a beer garden/patio. Afterwards, we looked in some shops (of course) and a cool used bookshop. When we were all done, we went back and collected Marisa and Ted and headed to Coogee. By the time we made it back, there was only time for an hour at the beach before it go really cold. Ted and I enjoyed the sun, Dad went on a run along the cliffs, and Tori and Marisa relaxed in their favorite spot: in front of the TV. haha. That night, Tori and dad went to the Opera and saw an Italian Comedy about royalty, Marisa baked and took a bath in our spa tub and ted and I went out to dinner on Coogee Bay Road and watched the waves roll in in the dark (my favorite!).
The next day, we woke up bright and early and went to Hunter Valley (the Napa of Australia). It was incredible!!! So pretty. After driving two hours to get there, we followed a great itinerary created by Ted's boss and had a ton of fun. We sampled champagne, chocolate (best 'caramel kiss' everrrr) and great wines. I learned so much about them and came to an important life conclusion. I HATE red wine (too bad for red meat pairing) and love dry, oaky whites like the bottle of Verdehlo that I bought. The wineries were all so unique and welcoming. My favorite one looked like an old mission with white washed walls, high ceilings and open verandas with a calming breeze. Towards the end of the day, we went to lunch at Cafe Enzo and enjoyed the most refreshing food in a piazza-type garden. It was so relaxing! At the end of the day, we headed back and all plopped in front of the TV for the rest of the night.
On Monday, dad and tori enjoyed the beach while the three of us had to go to a cemetery for literature class. NOT FUN and therefore will not be retold here but merely stated for a record of where I was. That night, we celebrated dad's birthday. Ted came up with the BEST idea ever for dad and the second he suggested it, I started planning because I knew it would be the greatest plan. We took dad, without him knowing, to a cliff rock in Vaucluse in a national park and watched the sunset with wine and cheese. Tori and I bought a bottle at the winery (sneaky sneaky) and Ted and Marisa bought wine from the one winery that was closed back in Sydney. Dad LOVED it to say the least. We talked, laughed and took amazing pictures. It was a golden memory that will never be forgotten.
Tuesday reality struck and I had to go to work...bummer! I was so sleepy the whole day and had a LOT to do (I need sleep!) That night, Ted and Marisa came to Coogee and we cooked dinner- chicken with fig, fresh tortellini, broccoli and salad. YUM! After getting gelato and watching the nighttime waves, we went to sleep. On Wednesday, I didn't go to work and instead visited the Hyde Park Barracks with dad and tori and then went to Darling Harbor for lunch. We ate at a sea food place in the harbor where dad got kangaroo that we all got to try! It was SOOO yummy...like steak but without the same taste. So juicy! YUM. After all that, dad and tori brought me back to the lodge (in time to do an assignment due that night) and left for the airport. Having them here was incredible but it still doesn't feel like they have left...since I didn't stay with them the whole time I feel like they are just around the corner!
This week is almost over and then I will be off to the Blue Mountains...the adventures keep on coming :)
That's all for the Schaefer adventures (plus Ted and Marisa)...until our next trip around the world!
xoxo
Monday, March 24, 2008
REAL WORLD ULTIMO SPRING BREAK ’08!!!
It’s true; we had the BEST spring break out of everyone in the program doing the ONE thing we were told we were NOT allowed to do. Hey, you only live once, and you really only live in Australia once. Don’t tell us what to do!
After papers and finals tried to take over our lives, the ‘family’ (Ted, Grant, Marisa, Sophie, Steph and I) pilled into our Tarago (glorified mini-van) and departed up the Gold Coast. We went on a nine day road trip from Sydney to Hervey Bay (Fraser Island) and back. Ted and I were the designated drivers. Driving was a blast!!! Seriously, all countries should drive on the left and have roundabouts (even in the middle of a highway) - it’s so much cooler! We even got to do some minivan off-roading. Good thing we paid for the complete insurance.
We went to incredible places, some popular and some not. It was a blast getting to choose our own path and discover places that a travel agency would never think to send you to. We camped every night in sets of three in our two little tents (though some opted for the backseat of the Tarago sometimes). Luckily, every town here has a campsite (or more) and so we were never without showers and bathrooms (thank goodness considering six of us were crammed into one car for more than a week). It was the adventure of a lifetime and will remain one of my BEST Aussie tales.
Day One: Ted and I picked up the car and then our children. Ted drove us out of the city and completely freaked out while going over the massive harbor bridge when he realized that the six lane passage was made up by three lanes going the opposite direction of us without a center divider. Talk about a forced, quick adjustment! (But obviously, we are good drivers because I am home, alive, and writing to you now). We drove to a small town called Forrester where everyone was pretending they were in Florida, sitting around, over half-way to dead (no offense old people, but think about it: we were on spring break… not quite the party one would hope for). We set up camp in the dark (after a 3 hour drive) and got dinner at an Asian restaurant and fell asleep fairly early.
Day Two: The first of many EARLY mornings. We packed up (which got faster/easier everyday) and got on the road. Our next site was along a beautiful river. We were no more than 25 feet from it while we slept! That night, we BBQd and it started POURING rain. We hung out in a common lounge room we found and then ducked into our tents for the night. When the rain stopped, I snuck out and watched the fishies jumping out of the water by our site. Camping is the best!
Day Three: Early morning, drove to Lennox Head where there is a Tea Tree Oil Lake. The water, when you move it around, looks like gasoline in water – rainbowish. We found a tree with a rope attached and everyone spent time jumping into the water. I swam a lot and loved every minute of the fresh water. We got lunch there and then drove a short distance to Byron Bay. This place was my FAVORITE!!! We found a campsite along the beachfront (can’t see it from the tent, but you can walk there!). It started pouring again when we got there; we are so used to random rain now so it didn’t bring us down. We went out for cocktails and then to another place for dinner. So nice! We decided that there had been enough driving going on and so we stayed the night and planned on staying for the day the next day in order to go to the beach.
Day 4: We went to the beach ALL DAY! Then, at night, we got dinner at the grocery store, ate on the rocks by the water watching the sunset and listening to hippies play aussie instruments. Then, on the way back to the Tarago I suggested that we go and play in the water – night swimming and surprisingly, no one thought I was crazy and so we did! That was my favorite moment of spring break. I couldn’t help but wish I had a camera out there with me. It was dusk, I was with my best friends, and I was starring back at Australia. The cove wrapped around us and a never-ceding horizon sat behind me as I looked at the sun touched hills behind the beach city of Byron Bay. I cannot and will not be able to ever describe the beauty that overwhelmed me in that moment.
On the way home, we drove to the lighthouse and explored on foot. It was dark and scary and exhilarating all at the same time. Ted and I took a path to the most western tip of Australia. It was amazing; how many people can say they did that?! (Everyone else freaked out and thought we died; sorry guys, it was worth it). That night, we went back to camp and had heart to heart discussions, watched the waves, and went to sleep.
Day Five: We left Byron Bay, although I never wanted to, and made our way to Nimbin. On the way, we stopped in Nightcap National Park and hiked through a rainforest to a waterfall. I love love love rainforests so I was clearly very happy. Funny sidenote: Sophie got locked in the bathroom there and I thought she was a goner (that part isn’t funny). Then, we went to Nimbin. If you haven’t heard anything about it…it’s the drug capital of Australia. It’s full of unproductive hippies selling stuff to lame people like us who are amused by their love of pot and everything natural. They are the anti-corporation corporation. They capitalize on their lifestyle. Every store sold the same ‘hand-made’ earrings and unless the small town has one kitchen, they are all selling the same ‘cookies.’ They FREAKED me out. DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIVES HIPPIES! Geesh. An hour there was more than enough for me. I got a pair of earrings and got out of there! In the car later, Sophie and grant created Hippie alter egos for us. So dead-on and amusing! I, Morning Glory, own a used book shop and rewrite all the stories to have a happy ending. We drove from there, through Brisbane (a city…ew!) to Port Macquarie. We had lunch there and decided it would be a fun place to come back to – slightly commercialized beach town. We got to Hervey Bay LATE that night. Luckily, we were able to wake a dude up and get him to let us into what turned out to be the BEST site we had complete with a $4 rate and fluffy grass. NICE. We went out to Mexican dinner and came back and hung around the pool for a few hours before going to bed.
Day Six: FRASER ISLAND – the turning point destination. We left our baby Tarago on the mainland and rented a four wheel drive beast of a car. Seriously, Indiana Jones status. Ted was our trusty driver for this one. We took a ferry over to the Island from Hervey Bay for our adventure. The roads were dirt ( and not nice, groomed dirt either) through dry forests and then we arrived on a white sand beach where we drove feet from rolling waves (you can't swim though because of tiger sharks that fill the water). Driving on the beach was amazing. The girls, all lined up in the backseat flew around like crazy but enjoyed the views and the wind in our hair. We drove awhile and ended up at a shipwreck site of a ship that operated in both WWI and II. SO COOL! There were strict warning signs saying not to climb on the boat, but the fine was only $20 so I took the chance and climbed away! Owell. After that, we walked through a lazy river and set off on more bumpy forest roads to Lake Mackenzie. Sophie had told us it would be beautiful, but that is an understatement. The lake was just the right temperature, filled with clear-aquamarine water and is surrounded by lush forests and white sandy beaches. We were told the island is covered in dingos but, of course, the second I set out to find one...one comes right by where our towels were. No dingo for Gabs; owell, the walk I went on was even better - gorgeous and exhilarating. I slept like a baby on the ferry ride back and we made a group decision to stay another night in the Bay before driving more. Day Seven: From there, we drove to Noosa. It's a gorgeous, Laguna-beach like place that is definitely a 'go with your parents' type of vacation spot...super expensive!!! We ate the BEST breakfast ever by the water. Then, we walked over to the national, water-side park that flourishes on the claim that you will DEFINITELY see a koala…even while still in the parking lot. We went on a short hike and did NOT see ONE. But, we did find a natural swing made out of a branch that Ted sung on like a five year old boy/ George of the jungle. And, we found HUGE spiders, a butterfly and a monitor lizard. The lizard was awesome, but he had a nub tail. After Noosa, we got on the highway with the intention of not stopping for quite a while until we saw the sign for the “Place where fun is made!” How could we resist? We turned off the highway at the GINGER FACTORY! Haha. It was SUPER touristy and after trying on animal hats intended for children and trying ginger beer (super weird soda, like root beer but gross) we hopped back on the road. This was the ONLY moment when we went the wrong way…Ted decided to not listen to my directions (he will never live this down). We turned around and headed to Port Macquarie to fill up our last tank of gas. There, we went straight to the beach. We fully intended on driving further that day but it was TOO nice out. There was a cricket match on the beach and a DJ blasting music that you could hear out in the ocean too. So fun! Ted and I let everyone lounge on the beach and drove to find a place to camp/check-in. The first place we checked out was PERFECT!!! The owner was super friendly and showed us that a baby Koala, a Joey, was outside in the tree. He said its mother had been hit by a car and it was a local Koala now. I took pictures of the lazy thing as it yawned and stretched. It was SO cute. Unfortunately, it had moved on by the time everyone came back with us for the night. Ted and I set up the tents where we claimed a spot and went back to the beach for a nap and sunset. We bought food to make and went to the site and BBQ’d that night.
Day Eight: We woke up early, again, and drove to a secret beach called Seal Rocks. We drove along the coast (and down a dirt road complete with potholes) and saw various lakes and beaches and then arrived at a dead end where there sat a campsite. We paid to park at the site for a day and then went down a path to a private surfer’s beach. It was beautiful. There were some surfers and a handful of other people on a beach surrounded by rolling hills with white sand. We laid out and played in the water. I have never swum so far out in the ocean as I did on this trip. It was an incredible last breath of fresh air before piling in the car to get home on time to turn in the car. Once we were in the car we drove through “heaps” of traffic and we eventually on the harbor bridge entering our city.
(hmmm I thought it was nine days; i must've missed something..are you suprised?)
The trip was incredible and worth every cent and every minute. We were still friends in the end and had seen places that would never have been seen if we were on a planned vacation. I fell in love with this country more every single day. We are the luckiest kids around. I am so grateful for the friends I spent the time with and the opportunity that was afforded to me. I miss spring break a little more everyday!
After papers and finals tried to take over our lives, the ‘family’ (Ted, Grant, Marisa, Sophie, Steph and I) pilled into our Tarago (glorified mini-van) and departed up the Gold Coast. We went on a nine day road trip from Sydney to Hervey Bay (Fraser Island) and back. Ted and I were the designated drivers. Driving was a blast!!! Seriously, all countries should drive on the left and have roundabouts (even in the middle of a highway) - it’s so much cooler! We even got to do some minivan off-roading. Good thing we paid for the complete insurance.
We went to incredible places, some popular and some not. It was a blast getting to choose our own path and discover places that a travel agency would never think to send you to. We camped every night in sets of three in our two little tents (though some opted for the backseat of the Tarago sometimes). Luckily, every town here has a campsite (or more) and so we were never without showers and bathrooms (thank goodness considering six of us were crammed into one car for more than a week). It was the adventure of a lifetime and will remain one of my BEST Aussie tales.
Day One: Ted and I picked up the car and then our children. Ted drove us out of the city and completely freaked out while going over the massive harbor bridge when he realized that the six lane passage was made up by three lanes going the opposite direction of us without a center divider. Talk about a forced, quick adjustment! (But obviously, we are good drivers because I am home, alive, and writing to you now). We drove to a small town called Forrester where everyone was pretending they were in Florida, sitting around, over half-way to dead (no offense old people, but think about it: we were on spring break… not quite the party one would hope for). We set up camp in the dark (after a 3 hour drive) and got dinner at an Asian restaurant and fell asleep fairly early.
Day Two: The first of many EARLY mornings. We packed up (which got faster/easier everyday) and got on the road. Our next site was along a beautiful river. We were no more than 25 feet from it while we slept! That night, we BBQd and it started POURING rain. We hung out in a common lounge room we found and then ducked into our tents for the night. When the rain stopped, I snuck out and watched the fishies jumping out of the water by our site. Camping is the best!
Day Three: Early morning, drove to Lennox Head where there is a Tea Tree Oil Lake. The water, when you move it around, looks like gasoline in water – rainbowish. We found a tree with a rope attached and everyone spent time jumping into the water. I swam a lot and loved every minute of the fresh water. We got lunch there and then drove a short distance to Byron Bay. This place was my FAVORITE!!! We found a campsite along the beachfront (can’t see it from the tent, but you can walk there!). It started pouring again when we got there; we are so used to random rain now so it didn’t bring us down. We went out for cocktails and then to another place for dinner. So nice! We decided that there had been enough driving going on and so we stayed the night and planned on staying for the day the next day in order to go to the beach.
Day 4: We went to the beach ALL DAY! Then, at night, we got dinner at the grocery store, ate on the rocks by the water watching the sunset and listening to hippies play aussie instruments. Then, on the way back to the Tarago I suggested that we go and play in the water – night swimming and surprisingly, no one thought I was crazy and so we did! That was my favorite moment of spring break. I couldn’t help but wish I had a camera out there with me. It was dusk, I was with my best friends, and I was starring back at Australia. The cove wrapped around us and a never-ceding horizon sat behind me as I looked at the sun touched hills behind the beach city of Byron Bay. I cannot and will not be able to ever describe the beauty that overwhelmed me in that moment.
On the way home, we drove to the lighthouse and explored on foot. It was dark and scary and exhilarating all at the same time. Ted and I took a path to the most western tip of Australia. It was amazing; how many people can say they did that?! (Everyone else freaked out and thought we died; sorry guys, it was worth it). That night, we went back to camp and had heart to heart discussions, watched the waves, and went to sleep.
Day Five: We left Byron Bay, although I never wanted to, and made our way to Nimbin. On the way, we stopped in Nightcap National Park and hiked through a rainforest to a waterfall. I love love love rainforests so I was clearly very happy. Funny sidenote: Sophie got locked in the bathroom there and I thought she was a goner (that part isn’t funny). Then, we went to Nimbin. If you haven’t heard anything about it…it’s the drug capital of Australia. It’s full of unproductive hippies selling stuff to lame people like us who are amused by their love of pot and everything natural. They are the anti-corporation corporation. They capitalize on their lifestyle. Every store sold the same ‘hand-made’ earrings and unless the small town has one kitchen, they are all selling the same ‘cookies.’ They FREAKED me out. DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIVES HIPPIES! Geesh. An hour there was more than enough for me. I got a pair of earrings and got out of there! In the car later, Sophie and grant created Hippie alter egos for us. So dead-on and amusing! I, Morning Glory, own a used book shop and rewrite all the stories to have a happy ending. We drove from there, through Brisbane (a city…ew!) to Port Macquarie. We had lunch there and decided it would be a fun place to come back to – slightly commercialized beach town. We got to Hervey Bay LATE that night. Luckily, we were able to wake a dude up and get him to let us into what turned out to be the BEST site we had complete with a $4 rate and fluffy grass. NICE. We went out to Mexican dinner and came back and hung around the pool for a few hours before going to bed.
Day Six: FRASER ISLAND – the turning point destination. We left our baby Tarago on the mainland and rented a four wheel drive beast of a car. Seriously, Indiana Jones status. Ted was our trusty driver for this one. We took a ferry over to the Island from Hervey Bay for our adventure. The roads were dirt ( and not nice, groomed dirt either) through dry forests and then we arrived on a white sand beach where we drove feet from rolling waves (you can't swim though because of tiger sharks that fill the water). Driving on the beach was amazing. The girls, all lined up in the backseat flew around like crazy but enjoyed the views and the wind in our hair. We drove awhile and ended up at a shipwreck site of a ship that operated in both WWI and II. SO COOL! There were strict warning signs saying not to climb on the boat, but the fine was only $20 so I took the chance and climbed away! Owell. After that, we walked through a lazy river and set off on more bumpy forest roads to Lake Mackenzie. Sophie had told us it would be beautiful, but that is an understatement. The lake was just the right temperature, filled with clear-aquamarine water and is surrounded by lush forests and white sandy beaches. We were told the island is covered in dingos but, of course, the second I set out to find one...one comes right by where our towels were. No dingo for Gabs; owell, the walk I went on was even better - gorgeous and exhilarating. I slept like a baby on the ferry ride back and we made a group decision to stay another night in the Bay before driving more. Day Seven: From there, we drove to Noosa. It's a gorgeous, Laguna-beach like place that is definitely a 'go with your parents' type of vacation spot...super expensive!!! We ate the BEST breakfast ever by the water. Then, we walked over to the national, water-side park that flourishes on the claim that you will DEFINITELY see a koala…even while still in the parking lot. We went on a short hike and did NOT see ONE. But, we did find a natural swing made out of a branch that Ted sung on like a five year old boy/ George of the jungle. And, we found HUGE spiders, a butterfly and a monitor lizard. The lizard was awesome, but he had a nub tail. After Noosa, we got on the highway with the intention of not stopping for quite a while until we saw the sign for the “Place where fun is made!” How could we resist? We turned off the highway at the GINGER FACTORY! Haha. It was SUPER touristy and after trying on animal hats intended for children and trying ginger beer (super weird soda, like root beer but gross) we hopped back on the road. This was the ONLY moment when we went the wrong way…Ted decided to not listen to my directions (he will never live this down). We turned around and headed to Port Macquarie to fill up our last tank of gas. There, we went straight to the beach. We fully intended on driving further that day but it was TOO nice out. There was a cricket match on the beach and a DJ blasting music that you could hear out in the ocean too. So fun! Ted and I let everyone lounge on the beach and drove to find a place to camp/check-in. The first place we checked out was PERFECT!!! The owner was super friendly and showed us that a baby Koala, a Joey, was outside in the tree. He said its mother had been hit by a car and it was a local Koala now. I took pictures of the lazy thing as it yawned and stretched. It was SO cute. Unfortunately, it had moved on by the time everyone came back with us for the night. Ted and I set up the tents where we claimed a spot and went back to the beach for a nap and sunset. We bought food to make and went to the site and BBQ’d that night.
Day Eight: We woke up early, again, and drove to a secret beach called Seal Rocks. We drove along the coast (and down a dirt road complete with potholes) and saw various lakes and beaches and then arrived at a dead end where there sat a campsite. We paid to park at the site for a day and then went down a path to a private surfer’s beach. It was beautiful. There were some surfers and a handful of other people on a beach surrounded by rolling hills with white sand. We laid out and played in the water. I have never swum so far out in the ocean as I did on this trip. It was an incredible last breath of fresh air before piling in the car to get home on time to turn in the car. Once we were in the car we drove through “heaps” of traffic and we eventually on the harbor bridge entering our city.
(hmmm I thought it was nine days; i must've missed something..are you suprised?)
The trip was incredible and worth every cent and every minute. We were still friends in the end and had seen places that would never have been seen if we were on a planned vacation. I fell in love with this country more every single day. We are the luckiest kids around. I am so grateful for the friends I spent the time with and the opportunity that was afforded to me. I miss spring break a little more everyday!
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