My time in Queensland

Surfer's Paradise was amazing.
After my last post I went for Pizza and made friend's with two girls from Norway. After pizza we hung out in the tv room and watched two movies. it was quite a small hostel so it seemed like everyone came to watch movies and I met the whole gang.

The next day I just went to the beach.. because we were 4km from town. everyone from the hostel who was not working came to the beach as well and we all sat together.
We became like a little family.

That night we had a bbq out on the balcony and then bought cheap wine from the bottle shop and played card games. There were people from Columbia, Norway, Sweden, Israel, Canada, Germany, America and Austria. Around 11pm we all shared cabs into Surfer's Paradise to go clubbing. We went to a couple dance clubs and then left around 2am.
Before bed about 6 of us went down to the beach. there were so many stars out it was amazing.

The next day we all just went to the beach again. There were clear blue skies and it was hot so we did a bit of swimming. My friend Keren, from Israel, and I went into town to buy groceries and then came back to make dinner. Shortly after we all started drinking cheap wine and playing card games again. We didn't go back into the city because it seemed like a waste of money.

Sunday morning a big group of us checked out and moved to Brisbane -- I think there were 8 backpackers in total. It was nice having the same group of friends in the new hostel.
Our first night was movie night in the hostel and we watching Slumdog millionaire.

Monday I went on a guided tour of Moreton Island which is the 3rd largest sand island in the world. It was cloudy and raining all day which was just bad luck. The tour bus picked me up at 7am outside the hostel. It took 30mins to get to the harbour and then 1.5 hours on a ferry out to the island. We had a 4WD bus that came with us on the ferry. I made friends with two german guys and an irish girl on the tour. When we arrived we all got back into the bus and our guide drove use through the woods to a place called the desert. we had to leave the bus at the entrance and walk in. Thankfully it wasnt raining too hard but we did get really damp.

There was one massive sand dune right in the middle of the desert and we can to climb it with our boards. It was so steep I couldn't believe it... it seemed like it went straight downwards!
We spend about an hour sandboarding.. we probably would have spent longer if it wasn't raining.
There was a competition to see who could get the farthest down the dune, and I won! no one even came close to me.
Climbing back up the dune was so hard. way wayyy too steep.
After sandboarding we got back into the bus and drove to a lagoon that is protected by shipwrecks.
We all were given wetsuits, snorkels, flippers and gloves to protect our hands if we touched anything.
At first our guide just had us swim straight out to the shipwrecks and once everyone arrived she said "look down" and we were right in the middle of a school of fish!! I actually kicked one accidentally haha.

I think we spent about an hour and a half swimming around the wrecks and looking at the corals. There were lots of these little silver diamond shape fish everyone, a couple really big guys too and some pretty bright blue ones. Towards the end I saw a lion fish which was so pretty.. it was just floating around near a ship looking like a big bunch of seaweed. I swam right up close to get a good look at it and afterwards the tour guide said they are very venomous!! oops. glad I didnt touch it.
Right before we swam back to shore two dolphins appeared on the other side of the shipwreck! that was pretty amazing to see.

On the beach we all got dried off, I was freezing!! and then went to a campsite where we made sandwiches. Our tour included lunch. :)
Straight after lunch we went back to the ferry and I arrived at the hostel around 530pm.

I was so tired that I just layed around the hostel all evening.
This morning I got up early, checked out of the hostel and went to the airport for my flight to Melbourne. Unfortunately, just as I arrived Tiger Airlines called to tell me my flight was cancelled and I can't fly out until tomorrow morning.
I couldn't be bothered taking the train back to the city so I'm just in a airport motel now.
I didn't have any big plans in melbourne so  I'm not bothered. It was a beautiful sunny day and I went for a long walk this afternoon. Now i'm just going to watch a movie on my laptop and get to bed early.

One week from now and I will be somewhere over the pacific heading home :)
See you soon!
T x

Surfers Paradise

Yesterday I took a brisbane city train and then bus to get to Surfer's paradise.
The beach is pretty... white sands and it goes on forever, and the town seems very much like Cliffton Hill lol. they even have that Ripley's Believe or not place

When I got back to the hostel is was movie night so I went to that.. they played the WORST canadian movie ever. The love guru.... hahahaha.

This morning I decided to move to a hostel at Surfer's paradise so I lugged my bags all the way over here. I met two nice Columbians in my room and then went for a walk down the beach.
It takes an hour walking along the beach to get from my hostel to the main town centre. But there is a marina and a mall right next to  my hostel.

This hostel is pretty quiet.. a lot of the rooms seem empty. it's pizza night so in an hour Im going over to a pizza restaurant with a group of people from the hostel.
Tomorrow I was just planning to lay on the beach but it looks like it's going to be 21 and cloudy which is pretty shit. I might go to sea world... everyone keeps saying if you're staying at the gold coast Sea world is the best place to go. It's just up the road from my hostel.

Sydney and Brisbane

Sunday it actually was sunny but my legs were still killing me so I just went to the botanicals gardens again and spent the day laying in the grass.
I just had a really relaxed low key day.
Monday I went to the sydney aquarium and wildlife centre. I was really excited to see a cassowary because Liam and I always joke about them.

Tuesday morning I woke up early. Checked out of the hostel and headed to the airport.
I'm in Brisbane now. It's warm here but it's been raining!! as if..

I met one of my roommates, I didnt catch his name but he's from Mississauga and went to Erindale. I thought that was pretty funny.

I'm going to take the train to the gold coast tomorrow morning.

Mom and I got an alert this morning that my parcel finally arrived. She mailed it three months ago! I have to pick it up soon in Melbourne or they'll ship it back to Canada so I just booked a flight from Brisbane to Melbourne for next tuesday the 10th. That means I'll be spending my last week in Melbourne.

Brisbane seems pretty boring. I think Thursday I will either move to the gold coast or up to the sunshine coast.
Yesterday I got my haircut and the hairdresser told me that if I go to the Gold Coast, I have to go to sea world. So i might look into that... I really want to go out on a boat! haha

all for now,
T

More Sydney

I'm exhausted. it's 930pm and its all I can do not to fall asleep.

Yesterday I got up and went for coffee.. then I intended to walk to the opera house but after 2 hours of walking ended up back where I started... whoops

Eventually I did make to to the opera house.. took some pictures, walked around inside, used there bathroom...
Then I walked to the Botanical Gardens which are right next door. It started raining again so I went to the cafe...
I hung around in the park a bit and then walked to Darling Harbour.

around 7pm my feet were exhausted and I decided it was time for a drink... every pub was playing the royal wedding so I just parked myself down and watched.

by 1130 or midnight I was actually feelings really down and alone because I hadn't met anyone here yet.. so I wandered back the hostel for bed.. but when I got back there was a party going on in the little common room which is the only way through from the outside world to my room.

I got sucked in and didnt end up going to bed until 5am!!

I woke up at 10am this morning and when to starbucks for breakfast.. I basically repeated yesterday.. Only I went to a different point in the harbour to get better pictures of the opera house.
Walking around all day yesterday and today has killed my feet... I almost started crying at 5pm... I just wanted to get back here so I could sit down and after walked for ages I realised I was going the wrong way.

I gave up and went to a chinese restaurant for dinner. The I went and saw Thor because the idea of sitting for 2 hours felt like heaven.

Now im back at the hostel, and in one direction there is my room... where someone is already sleeping so I cannot stay there unless I plan on sleeping, but its only 950pm.. or if I try to leave there's the drunk irish people... Im not really up for that again.... sighh... backpacking! LOL

Tomorrow if I can get out of my bed I might go to Bondi Beach.. it's actually supposed to be sunny for the first time since I got here!!

Sydney

I arrived in Sydney this morning!

It was a long long night.. I had to clear out my apartment and throw away a lot of stuff in order to repack my backpack.
I woke up at 430am to shower and do a few final things but I still barely made my 715am flight.

It was pouring rain when I got to the airport. Not a good first impression.
After checking into my hostel I took a 1 hour nap and then headed out to explore... at first I was on a quest to find coffee but eventually in became aimless walking and exploration.

I wandered through a cute neighbourhood called Glebe for awhile and ended up at a fish market randomly... which is where I finally got my coffee haha

after the fish market I found the harbour and decided to walk along the coast until I found the Sydney Opera house. I walked for hours and hours and never found it (after look at google maps it turns out I was way way on the wrong side of the city)

Just as my feet were threatening to fall off I found darling harbour. Which is uber touristy and very much like clifton hill in that way.

The whole day it rained on and off but as I got to Darling Harbour it started pouring again, and with my feet in so much pain I decided to see an IMAX movie.
They have a huge imax screen here. I saw the Hubble telescope movie in 3D which was really cool. I <3 space. ... pretty much want to be an astronaut now.

When I got out of the theatre it was 5pm and still raining. I was starving so I decided to find food.
I was a little embaressed while checking out the restaurants. since it was only 5pm they were all completely empty and I was eating alone. Thankfully when I chose one it started raining really really hard and people flooded in for drinks and shelter.

I ate and then walked back here to the hostel.. The hostel I'm stay at is huge.. sooo many rooms and the common space isnt that big. I dont know how im going to meet people.
its 7pm now. I think im going to go out and find a pub or bar in this area called paddys markets.. I havent found it yet.. just saw it on google maps and thought it looked alright.

Tomorrow Im going to go to the right side of the city to see the opera house..
Hopefully the rain gives me a break!

<3 xx bye
T

Tassie

Hey all...

I went to Tassie this weekend!

I arrived late Friday night, then Saturday morning I just walked around the city taking pictures and spent some time looking around the markets.
In the afternoon I went here... http://mona.net.au/
Which was great! definitely worth visiting Hobart for... I checked out the museum, then sat out on a bean bag chair in the sun drinking wine all afternoon :)

At night I tried to get to an art exhibit I planned to see but absolutely could not find it lol.

Sunday I woke up early, rented a little mini and spent the whole day driving. on the left side of the road!! eek

It was my first time driving through a roundabout as well lol

I spent about 10 hours getting lost. I found a cute little farming town named Ross where I ate lunch at a bakery. yum yum

Took quite a few photos which I will post on facebook hopefully tonight :)

Today I'm back at work in Melbourne :(
There are definitely sooo many things I wish I could have done but I didn't have enough time. The cadbury chocolate factory is only open Mon-Fri and wildlife boat tours to see whales and seals take 8 hours so I missed out on that as well.

That's all for now,
T x

Very Overdue!

Hi Guys

I'm sorry it's been so long.

Since my last post there has been Christmas in Adelaide with  the Coutie's, a trip to the West Coast of Australia and then my return to Melbourne which is where I am now.

Christmas was great. Jen and I flew to Adelaide where we stayed with her aunt, uncle and their two daughters. Jen and I spent the afternoon on christmas day in the pool! it was 34 degrees outside.

By New Year's Eve we were back in Melbourne. Jen and I went to a party at the Melbourne Aquarium and drank wine with the penguins :)

In January, Jen and I flew to Perth where we live in a backpacker's in Fremantle on the West Coast.
It was hot!! I spent a lot of time wandering around and reading on the beach alone because Jen met someone. So after about two weeks I came back to Melbourne on my own.
It only took 4 hours in Melbourne before I had a job, and my second day in the city I started work.

Ever since I have been just working. I moved into my own apartment in a student residence.
Currently I'm a receptionist, working full-time :)

That's all that's new.
Later Gator's xx
T