It was finally Wednesday September 21st, time to leave for break on this One Fish Two Fish Extreme Adventures trip from Brisbane, Hervey Bay, Fraser Island, Whitsundays, and finally Cairns. Me and six other girls from my dorm were going on the trip and 6 other guys were just going to Cairns for the week so we planned on meeting them there.
Just before we were about to leave for the train station I got a package of candy from my MOM! SO before leaving I shared all the American candy which they have never heard of before like Mike and Ikes, Candy Corn, Tootsie Rolls... They all loved Candy Corn. After sharing with them I brought the box to the train and we almost all of it by the time we reached the airport (1.5 hours). Once at the airport we ate dinner went through security and boarded the JetStar flight at 6:35pm. Six of us went on this flight and one girl booked a different flight at 6:35pm so we would get there at the same time. But her flight ended up getting delayed 3.5 hours and all 6 of us had to wait in Brisbane for her to finally arrive which got us all a bit annoyed. Eventually we got a Maxi Taxi and the seven of us and our new friend Bryce who was on our plane and also going on our trip got a ride to the hostel. This hostel was a mess, by far the worst one ive stayed in so far. Tonight we ended up just walking around Brisbane a little bit and going to bed because we had to get up early the next day and find the Brisbane bus terminal where our trip would start!
Day 2
Once we made it to the Bus terminal we boarded a bus with everyone else that was going on the trip. (62 of us + 2 tour guide and 1 bus driver)
First stop was the Brisbane Zoo. Home of the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. At the zoo we got to see all kinds of Australian animals such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats, tasmanian devils, dingos, crocodiles, echidnas, wallabys... along with the normal african animals. Also there were lots of lizards walking around freely.
After the Zoo we drove a few hours north to Hervey Bay and we checked into the Dingo Backpackers Hostel, had burgers for dinner and took a walk up the street to the amazing beach cliff lookout just as the sun was setting.
The lookout was a huge hill of sand which we walked down until you got to a really high cliff down to the water.
Day 3
The next morning after having a pancake breakfast we split up into three 4wd bus type things that were built for offroading and driving through sand and beaches and headed off to Fraser Island which was only about 20 min away. We drove onto a ferry to the island and then kept driving down the beach of the ~60 mile island stopping a few times to see wild dingos, get one of the buses out from being stuck in the sand, and to check out a river which is the color of tea due to the tea plants in the area.
Once we got to a small village about halfway down the island we got off the beach and started driving another few miles inland through the forest to Lake Mackenzie which was a beautiful fresh water lake in the middle of the island. The pH of Lake Mackenzie is 4 which is really low for a lake. Just being in this lake made you feel clean like after taking a long shower. The low pH supposedly cleanses your skin. After having lunch we got back on the buses and drove back to the Dingos hostel for dinner.
Shortly after dinner we boarded the coach bus again and started our 12 hour overnight bus ride to the whitsundays islands. We left at 7pm and arrived at 7am at Airlie Beach on the Whitsundays.
Day 4
Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays! Probably the most beautiful beach or places I have ever been. Airlie Beach is a beach on the main land of Australia and is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands which are a group of about ~74 islands just off the coast of Australia. From the Airlie Beach dock we all got onto these Ocean Rafting boats which can go really fast and take sharp turns. We cruised around on these boats for awhile before we stopped at a place to go snorkling. This was the lower part of the reef so it was awesome but not anywhere near as cool as in Cairns.
After snorkling for an hour or so we got back on the boats for some more ocean rafting before pulling onto Whitehaven Beach, the most beautiful beach in the world. The water was an aqua green and was so clear. The sand was white and so soft, and it squeaked when you walked on it due to the silica in the sand. Once ashore we took a short hike to a lookout over the entire beach! Along the way our tour guide found a bunch of ants on a plant and had each of us eat one of the ants. They tasted just like spearmint. After the hike we got to hang out on the beach and eat lunch before getting back on the boats and heading to the island where we were to stay.
The resort called Koala Adventure Island Resort was located on South Molle Island. After landing we got to just chill out for the rest of the day and then at night we had a jungle party where we were all given white sheets, paint, and ferns to dress up in for the night.
Day 5
The next day on South Molle Island was just a relax day. The tour guides had optional events going on all day but if you wanted to just sit and enjoy the resort, pool, and beach you could. During the day they had a fish feeding where we threw food off the pier and lots of big fish came jumping to get the food, then there was a bird feeding where we brought bread out for the birds and they would land on you and eat it. I got a bird to land on my arms, shoulder and head!
Then there was a two hour hike around the island but me and my friends decided to just go on our own hike which was easy because there were trails all around the island. We went to the closest lookout which was really cool. Finally at night we had dinner and a colorful trash bag party which the resort put on and gave us all the trash bags for.
Day 6
Today we spent all day on a big sailboat just cruising around the islands, we stopped for a little bit to go snorkling again as well as hanging out on a beach. It was really hot day so about halfway through I couldnt stand being in the sun anymore and ended up sitting inside for the rest of the boat ride. My chest was already pretty burnt from Day 2 on Fraser Island and I the last thing I wanted to do was make it worse. Eventually we made it back to Airlie Beach and boarded the coach bus once again, this time for a 6 hour bus ride north to Mission Beach where we stopped at a hostel and stayed for the night. If you were wondering on these long bus rides (12 hours, and 6 hours) there is no bathroom on the bus so we had to stop on the side of the road to pee or at a rest area every hour.
Day 7
Today was another early morning having to get on the bus at 7:30am for a short drive to Tully, QLD where we met our white water rafting tour guides, got rafting shoes, and ate breakfast. Next we got on our new bright yellow bus and drove about 30 to the head of the Tully River where we geared up in our lifejackets, helmets, and paddles. After a few quick instructions and stories of telling us there are crocodiles in the water to scare us we were off down the river and rafting for the first time ever. (there are crocodiles in the Tully River, just not on the section of rapids we were on....they live further down the river!)
Rafting was so much fun! We were on mostly class 3- 4 rapids the entire time. There was also calm water where we could jump out and go for a swim as well as waterfalls to go under and huge rocks to jump off of. Also at one point we came up to a class 2 rapid and they allowed us to get out and float down the rapid. It looked pretty calm but after a few seconds we were getting hit by waves and being dunked under but it was a lot of fun.
Finally after rafting we changed and drove 2 hours north to our final destination Cairns, Australia!
Also along the way was some really cool scenes of the tropics shown above, and a cassowary crossing sign which is a rainforest bird.
Day 8
Extreme Adrenaline Day!
This morning in Cairns we had the option to go skydiving if we payed for it ($300) but my friends and I decided against it because it is expensive and we would rather do it when we are hopefully in New Zealand in a few weeks!
In the afternoon we all took a double decker party bus to AJ Hacket bungy jump and minjin swing. Minjin swing is when three people lie down flat and are lifted up really high and then you pull a swing and you swing back and forth in a half circle until you eventually stop. I did this first because it looked the less scary out of that and bungy jumping and i wanted to get my adrenaline up a little bit before i climbed the 164ft tower and took the jump into a small pond at the bottom. The Minjin swing was so much fun, the first swing took us really high and it was a little scary but then you slowly go less and less high and it wasnt scary any more.
Finally it was time to climb the tower because i wanted to do it before it got dark so my video would come out. I was scared shitless walking up these narrow stairs in the middle of the jungle I almost turned around but I knew i couldnt. Once at the top looking over the edge was scary but we had to wait up there for about a half hour before our actual jump so that took my nerves down and by the time it was my turn to start putting the harness on I was more excited and actually not nervous at all anymore. I was a lot more calm then I thought but then inching up to the edge of the platform was scary and right when you jumped was scary but after that it wasnt bad at all.
VIDEO OF ME BUNGY JUMPING!
Day 9
The next morning we all woke up early again and left to walk to the cairns harbor at 7:30am. Here we got on a boat and cruised out to the Great Barrier Reef for over an hour. Once we got there we were put into groups of four to go scuba diving! Even though we were not certified we were allowed to go, it was called a beginners course so we only could go down like 20ft but that seemed really far and it was so cool. There was coral every and all kinds of colors, green and blue parrot fish, a sea turtle, sting rays, someone saw a reef shark, and clown fish! Before we could go under we had to practice breathing through the mouthpiece on the side of the boat and practice clearing the tube if any water got in it.
Also we learned the signs for when we were down there. The ok sign, thumbs up means go up to the surface so we werent supposed to do that in picture but we all forgot. When it was time for my group of 4 to go two one was feeling sea sick and didnt go and the other got scared when we were practicing breathing and equalizing the pressure in your ears so we ended up with just 2 of us. (To equalize the pressure in your ears you just hold your nose and blow, like you do on a plane to have them pop) You need to do this like every few feet you go down or else your ears will start to hurt and feel like they are going to explode. We scuba dived for about 15-20 minutes then surfaced and ate lunch and then after lunch it was our turn to snorkle.
Day 10
Rainforest!
Today we drove to the Crystal Cascades part of the rainforest and went for a short hike and then got to swim in a river below a waterfall. Even though it was deep into the Daintree Rainforest which is what I was hoping it was still a lot of fun and swimming behind the waterfall was really cool. Tonight was the last night so we reserved a room in a restaurant/bar for the night and had a huge dinner and watch a video slideshow of all the pictures the tour guides took on the trip of everyone.
Day 11
Today we just chilled and bought souvenirs and then eventually got a taxi to the airport and flew back to Sydney! Got back to College at 1:30am Sunday morning!
After this awesome trip the next two days (Monday and Tuesday until 3pm) were spent writing a 2000 word essay which was a complete turnaround from all the fun I had this week. But I finally finish and so I wrote this post.
AND IN 2 DAYS 10 OF US ARE GOING TO MELBOURNE!!
from friday oct7th - tues oct11th!!
After a long day walking around Melbourne city yesterday it was time to wake up early and drive down the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles!... We were supposed to pick up the car at 8am but we didnt actually get there until about 10am after a quick breakfast and stop in the huge Queen Victoria Markets which we didnt have time for yesterday. This was the first time renting a car, there were four of us that decided to go on the road trip. It was Jess, Sherwood, Chao, and I. Jess and Sherwood are both under 21 and there is no way we trust Chao behind the wheel of a car so I had to be the main driver and I was nervous. First of all after doing all the paperwork, checked the car for dents and scratches together and finally got in the car and were ready to go. The only problem was that the car we just got in was a manual, there was no way we were getting back to the hostel if I tried to drive this nevermind 250km to the 12 apostles and back. So we got out and asked if I actually was stupid enough to accidentally reserve a manual which i was but luckily they had a automatic we could switch it with for a small $20 upgrade fee. Then after signing in the wrong spot on the paperwork and then accidentally revving the engine while sitting in the garage im surprised the lady still let me drive away. I know she was thinking I was going to crash before I even got out of Melbourne.
Driving through the city of Melbourne was CRAZY! It was busy, I was driving on the left, and their were TRAMS EVERYWHERE!! I went through every intersection really slow because getting in a crash with a tram was the last thing i wanted to do. The wierdest part was that since the trams ran down the middle of the street you were in thier way when you were waiting to turn across a lane of traffic. (right turn in Australia) So to avoid being in the way of a tram when turning right you are supposed to make "hook turns" which are right turns from the left lane of the two lane street. (driving on the left) This was the weirdest driving turn ever. I had to wait until not only the lane I was crossing was clear but had to make sure nobody was passing me on my right going the same direction as I was. Most of the time I just follow the cars in front of me but when I was in front it was a bit scary.
