The Whitsundays and Australia Day

Some of my pictures are finally online for your viewing pleasure from my first week here and my weekend excursions to Byron Bay and the Whitsundays with still more to come!

So, the Whitsunday Islands turned out to be a great getaway, although a tropical rainstorm happened to be part of our experience. Luckily, the weather held up enough to still allow for our snorkeling day-cruise though. The colors weren't as vibrant and the sediment decreased visibility, but the Great Barrier Reef is a world all it's own and was still incredible to see! The highlight for me were the HUGE blue clams. In spite of the rain, the water was 85 degrees! So, we pulled on our "stinger suits" (essentially full-body spandex leotards for protection from deadly box jellyfish) and hopped in. And yes, I invested in an underwater camera. Our cruise included a rainforest hike to the Daydream Island lookout and Whitehaven Beach, which has the clearest water and whitest sand I've ever seen. Back in town, we did do bit of sun bathing on the bank of the lagoon in Airlie Beach where we stayed. (Oddly enough, there is no significant beach- just the lagoon.) As the rain came down, I passed time with a few of the girls in the local bead shop. The fruits of my labor turned out three pairs of adorable earrings and two bracelets. On our last night there, I learned how to play Aussie rules pool at a local bar and got hit on by a seventy year old, Asian-hating drunk, who coincidentally was seated in the row in front of me on the plane flight home! What are the chances?! So, that is my weekend in brief. It was great to get away, but nice to be home. All this traveling is surprisingly exhausting. But don't worry Mom and Dad, school work of course comes first. ;)

Last night, I was lucky enough to see my very first "touch footie" game. A friend I met in the states lives here in Brisbane permanently. He plays in a rec league and invited me to their semi-final match. As far as I understand, it's touch rugby. Think touch football but much faster and harder to follow! Brisbane is a diverse city with lots of ethnic food, which we took advantage of by ordering Indian takeout. Mmm! It's great to get away from the group and experience normal Brizzy life, not feeling like a tourist for even just a short time.

This weekend is Australia Day, which is similar to our 4th of July. The entire country shuts down, "barbies" start up along with concerts, outdoor movie marathons, dancing, drumming, fireworks all accompanied by XXXX beer, which is actually brewed here in Brisbane. We plan on grilling up some kangaroo meat. Heard it's tastey. I'll let you know!