Thursday May 7th
Steven, our four wheel drive tour guide took us around and through the Cairns rainforests. Steven was so unbelievably knowledgeable about the history and current events of the area. We were in a Land Rover with just us and 3 other people and we got taken on tracks that aren’t even on a map! No joke, we were the only people through these parts of the rainforest that day. We explored GIANT fig trees that used to be homes to the Aboriginal people and even had lunch next to a gorgeous lake that was surrounded by the rainforest. Throughout the tour we had to make several river crossings in the vehicle which were quite exciting. Steven showed us a ‘stinging plant’ which has tiny fibers that are glass which when you touch the plant, thousands of them shoot into your skin which are toxic. The stinging apparently feels like ‘hundreds of bees stinging you at once’ and that’s not where it stops. . . .this feeling will go on for up to 3 months! Needless to say, we steered clear of all the stinging plants even though they appeared to be absolutely harmless.
The tour was an all day event. I wish I could describe to you how amazing walking through the rainforest was. What an incredible place.
Friday was a relaxing day for us, we just walked around Cairns, looked in some shops and went to the casino (didn’t win anything)! It was pretty rainy so we didn’t venture out too far from the hotel.
Saturday we travelled back to Brisbane where we had to grab a shuttle from the airport back to the Marriott hotel. I usually have games on Sundays, but this week we had a schedule change so we were scheduled to play Saturday at 5. . . but the field we were playing at was a little over an hour away.
The plan was for Karina to meet us at the hotel with Izzy and drive my parents and I down to the game in Mulliwumbah (AKA MIDDLE OF NOWHERE)! The drive to Brisbane on a shuttle usually takes about an hour and 15 minutes. Sure enough, the shuttle had taken almost 2 hours and was STILL not near the Marriott so we had to have the shuttle driver pull over at a taxi stand, let us out and we hopped in the taxi who drove us right to the hotel and we got there just after 3. Literally we dropped our bags off in the lobby and left for the game.
The game wasn’t too bad, we didn’t play too well but we managed to win 5-2 after being tied 2-2 at half time. They second half was much better hockey for us then the first. Izzy’s parents were at the game so my parents got to sit and chat with them so that was nice. My parents enjoyed the game and were really happy to finally see the team I have been playing with.
Mother’s day was great, I met my parents at the hotel and we hung out by the pool and for the day and then I went and got my haircut. . . really short! TO MY CHIN!!I haven’t had my hair cut this short since I was 10 years old. It looks very different and I am not at all used to it yet, but I am glad I did it, I’ve wanted a change for a while.
For Mother’s Day dinner, we went to a restaurant called Moo Moo. . .as I am sure you guessed, we had some delicious steak and Mom seemed to really enjoy it so that’s what matters most.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Welcome Ralph and Sarah
Well there is a lot to update you on. I am just going to go day by day and will give you a brief over view of what has been going on.
On Friday May 1st, my parents arrived and I met them at their hotel and we spent the day walking around a bit and going on a Harbor Cruise around the Surfers Paradise and Broad beach areas. It was very nice and a great way to see the gold coast!
Saturday May 2nd
We went to the Q1 tower and check out the view and it was a beautiful day so we got to see all the way up to Brisbane (50 min drive north). Even though I had down the Q1 tower before, it was still so gorgeous and a view I don’t think anyone would get sick of.
After that we travelled on the bus to Arundel and I showed them my house and they got to meet Karina and Molly. From there Karina gave us a ride over to the field where we got to watch or #1 and #2 men’s team play. This was the first time my parents had seen men’s field hockey and it was obvious that they were pretty impressed. What a different game it is when men play it! From there we caught another bus to take us back to the hotel. They pretty much got to experience the bus route I take very often.
Sunday May 3rd
We took the train up to Brisbane for the day. It was Labor Day week end here so there was SO much going on and it made it very exciting. There were markets all along the river and we walked around them and then through the botanical gardens were we even got to see a wedding going on. From there we walked over the Goodwill Bridge to Southbank (an area of Brisbane just on the other side of the river). There were thousands of people, mainly families, walking along the boardwalk where there were even more markets! We walked through China Town where there was a show going on in an outdoor theater that we watched for a bit before we continued on to a huge Ferris Wheel. The views from the top of the wheel were amazing. After spending the day there we returned on the train back to surfers paradise.
Monday May 4th
Cairns here we come! We arrived in Cairns around noon and we cam straight to the hotel and then spend the afternoon planning out what we were going to do the next few days and exploring the area around where we were staying.
Tuesday May 5th
Off to the Kuranda train station we went. This famous train station travels up through the hills and parts of the rainforest to a little town, Kuranda. The history of how the train was built is mind boggling because lots of the hill side was solid rock. The views, as you can imagine, were incredible. . . waterfalls, valleys, rivers. . . plenty of pictures were taken. When we arrived to Kuranda we went to a butterfly sanctuary and a wildlife sanctuary where we were able to feel wallabies! They were so sweet and there was even a new born, that was 6 weeks old that couldn’t even walk yet but was clearly trying to. We also got to see some koalas, snakes and crocs. The best part of the day is yet to come. . .
You see, we went to a bird sanctuary after this and literally we walk into the enclosed area and within 30 seconds a pink & white cockatoo flies onto dad’s head trying to get the little button off of his hat. . .very cute for a moment and then dad shakes it off but the bird wasn’t ready to leave. The bird sat on dad’s shoulder and within moments was biting his neck. . .literally, dad had 2 bird bite marks bleeding pretty badly. While all this is going on, a lorikeet lands on my bag and chews off the top of my water bottle right through the plastic! At this point we are all a bit freaked out so we do a quick sprint around the place to arrive at the exits where dad finally got the damn bird off of him! Hahaha it was pretty funny, but also kind of scary and no joke I have been startled by every bird I’ve seen since then! Poor dad. Haha. No worries though, 2 band-aids later everything was all better.
So from Kuranda we took a skyrail down over the rainforest which was a very cool way to travel back to the bottom of the mountain. Since the skyrail goes over the rainforest, the whole thing was constructed by helicopter in order to not disrupt the rainforest during the building process. . . pretty cool huh?
Wednesday May 6th
We traveled up to Port Douglas (about an hour and 20 mins north) and took a boat out to The Great Barrier Reef. The coolest part was the boat dropped us off at this floating pontoon where there were plenty of things to do off of. As soon as we got there I went scuba diving, just me and this other girl and our guide. HOW AMAZING!!! I have never seen anything as beautiful and peaceful as The Great Barrier Reef. . .I saw hundreds and hundreds of fish, all different sizes (up to about 4 feet long) and even did my first cave diving where we went through 2 coral reef caves which were very cool. I can’t even begin to describe what an incredible experience it was.
I also went snorkeling and tried to get some good pictures with my underwater camera. My parents and I went on a submersible, where the boat drives around and we sit underneath where you get a great view of the reef. . . the boat get’s so close to the reef that it’s shocking it doesn’t just crash right into it. You also could have taken helicopter rides from the boat but we didn’t do that. The weather was perfect while we were there because as soon as we left it began to rain. The boat ride from and to shore was rough because there were 25-30 knot winds!! YIKES. Luckily none of us suffered from the bumpy ride but there were some who did. . . if you know what I mean. Haha.
On Friday May 1st, my parents arrived and I met them at their hotel and we spent the day walking around a bit and going on a Harbor Cruise around the Surfers Paradise and Broad beach areas. It was very nice and a great way to see the gold coast!
Saturday May 2nd
We went to the Q1 tower and check out the view and it was a beautiful day so we got to see all the way up to Brisbane (50 min drive north). Even though I had down the Q1 tower before, it was still so gorgeous and a view I don’t think anyone would get sick of.
After that we travelled on the bus to Arundel and I showed them my house and they got to meet Karina and Molly. From there Karina gave us a ride over to the field where we got to watch or #1 and #2 men’s team play. This was the first time my parents had seen men’s field hockey and it was obvious that they were pretty impressed. What a different game it is when men play it! From there we caught another bus to take us back to the hotel. They pretty much got to experience the bus route I take very often.
Sunday May 3rd
We took the train up to Brisbane for the day. It was Labor Day week end here so there was SO much going on and it made it very exciting. There were markets all along the river and we walked around them and then through the botanical gardens were we even got to see a wedding going on. From there we walked over the Goodwill Bridge to Southbank (an area of Brisbane just on the other side of the river). There were thousands of people, mainly families, walking along the boardwalk where there were even more markets! We walked through China Town where there was a show going on in an outdoor theater that we watched for a bit before we continued on to a huge Ferris Wheel. The views from the top of the wheel were amazing. After spending the day there we returned on the train back to surfers paradise.
Monday May 4th
Cairns here we come! We arrived in Cairns around noon and we cam straight to the hotel and then spend the afternoon planning out what we were going to do the next few days and exploring the area around where we were staying.
Tuesday May 5th
Off to the Kuranda train station we went. This famous train station travels up through the hills and parts of the rainforest to a little town, Kuranda. The history of how the train was built is mind boggling because lots of the hill side was solid rock. The views, as you can imagine, were incredible. . . waterfalls, valleys, rivers. . . plenty of pictures were taken. When we arrived to Kuranda we went to a butterfly sanctuary and a wildlife sanctuary where we were able to feel wallabies! They were so sweet and there was even a new born, that was 6 weeks old that couldn’t even walk yet but was clearly trying to. We also got to see some koalas, snakes and crocs. The best part of the day is yet to come. . .
You see, we went to a bird sanctuary after this and literally we walk into the enclosed area and within 30 seconds a pink & white cockatoo flies onto dad’s head trying to get the little button off of his hat. . .very cute for a moment and then dad shakes it off but the bird wasn’t ready to leave. The bird sat on dad’s shoulder and within moments was biting his neck. . .literally, dad had 2 bird bite marks bleeding pretty badly. While all this is going on, a lorikeet lands on my bag and chews off the top of my water bottle right through the plastic! At this point we are all a bit freaked out so we do a quick sprint around the place to arrive at the exits where dad finally got the damn bird off of him! Hahaha it was pretty funny, but also kind of scary and no joke I have been startled by every bird I’ve seen since then! Poor dad. Haha. No worries though, 2 band-aids later everything was all better.
So from Kuranda we took a skyrail down over the rainforest which was a very cool way to travel back to the bottom of the mountain. Since the skyrail goes over the rainforest, the whole thing was constructed by helicopter in order to not disrupt the rainforest during the building process. . . pretty cool huh?
Wednesday May 6th
We traveled up to Port Douglas (about an hour and 20 mins north) and took a boat out to The Great Barrier Reef. The coolest part was the boat dropped us off at this floating pontoon where there were plenty of things to do off of. As soon as we got there I went scuba diving, just me and this other girl and our guide. HOW AMAZING!!! I have never seen anything as beautiful and peaceful as The Great Barrier Reef. . .I saw hundreds and hundreds of fish, all different sizes (up to about 4 feet long) and even did my first cave diving where we went through 2 coral reef caves which were very cool. I can’t even begin to describe what an incredible experience it was.
I also went snorkeling and tried to get some good pictures with my underwater camera. My parents and I went on a submersible, where the boat drives around and we sit underneath where you get a great view of the reef. . . the boat get’s so close to the reef that it’s shocking it doesn’t just crash right into it. You also could have taken helicopter rides from the boat but we didn’t do that. The weather was perfect while we were there because as soon as we left it began to rain. The boat ride from and to shore was rough because there were 25-30 knot winds!! YIKES. Luckily none of us suffered from the bumpy ride but there were some who did. . . if you know what I mean. Haha.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Only 23 Days Left. . .Making the Best of it.
Izzy, Charlotte, Karina and I went to the Movie World theme park on Monday and had so much fun! We got there when it opened at 10 and left when it closed at 5 so we def got our $64 worth. We did every ride at least once and some twice. The rides were pretty good, 2 of them were awesome, and although it didn’t compare to Disney World, I am so glad we went.
On Thursday I did my in water surf lesson!! I actually got up on the board and rode a few small waves!! Haha. . .my balance wasn’t so good to start but it absolutely got better as the lesson went on. The problem I have most is being able to catch the wave. . . when I attempt to paddle fast to catch one I just can’t seem to do it. But at least I can get up on the board I guess. I ended up just getting up and trying to wait for one to come but that didn’t work out so well.
I umpired 2 games Friday night. . .the u17 boy’s game and then the u17 girl’s game. All I have to say is that the boys complained about the calls I made/didn’t make WAY more than the girls did. They were complaining about everything and were actually throwing fits on the field! I was shocked. But I made $40 for doing the 2 games so I guess it was worth it.
Sooo, Saturday was ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day. The day is in memory of all the army corps who fought at Gallipoli in WW1. This battle was the first major military action fought by Australia and New Zealand in WW1. So on Saturday morning we went to the Dawn Service, which started at 4:28 AM which is when the battle began (this is what I was told at least). So we woke up at 3 and drove to the service and then we matched afterwards to a veterans club where there was breakfast and rum and milk or beer to drink. IT WAS 5:30 IN THE MORNING!! I tried some rum and milk but just couldn’t do it. Anyways, the service was very emotional and the day itself was quite sorrowful. I am glad I got to experience it and learn a little bit about it.
Well, we won our game today 8-0! (I know, insane huh?) We played the team that we lost to at the beginning of the season and really showed them who’s better. haha. We came out very strong and scored in the first 4 minutes and from that point forward they just didn’t seem to play as a team. It felt good to beat the team that beat us earlier in the season, and to beat them by so much!
After the game, a bunch of us went to dinner to an all you can eat restaurant and just ate our faces off! It was so good and I really can’t even begin to describe how much I actually ate. But I guess that’ll happen at an all you can eat restaurant.
This coming week is a BIG one. . .MY PARENTS ARRIVE ON FRIDAY! I can’t believe they are ACTUALLY coming. It’s going to be real great having them here and I hope they are ready for a busy 18 day vacation!
Alright, well I know this blog entry wasn’t too interesting but I am soooo tired, waking up at 3am on Saturday for Dawn Service has really caught up to me, so I am going to go to bed and catch up on my sleeeeep.
On Thursday I did my in water surf lesson!! I actually got up on the board and rode a few small waves!! Haha. . .my balance wasn’t so good to start but it absolutely got better as the lesson went on. The problem I have most is being able to catch the wave. . . when I attempt to paddle fast to catch one I just can’t seem to do it. But at least I can get up on the board I guess. I ended up just getting up and trying to wait for one to come but that didn’t work out so well.
I umpired 2 games Friday night. . .the u17 boy’s game and then the u17 girl’s game. All I have to say is that the boys complained about the calls I made/didn’t make WAY more than the girls did. They were complaining about everything and were actually throwing fits on the field! I was shocked. But I made $40 for doing the 2 games so I guess it was worth it.
Sooo, Saturday was ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day. The day is in memory of all the army corps who fought at Gallipoli in WW1. This battle was the first major military action fought by Australia and New Zealand in WW1. So on Saturday morning we went to the Dawn Service, which started at 4:28 AM which is when the battle began (this is what I was told at least). So we woke up at 3 and drove to the service and then we matched afterwards to a veterans club where there was breakfast and rum and milk or beer to drink. IT WAS 5:30 IN THE MORNING!! I tried some rum and milk but just couldn’t do it. Anyways, the service was very emotional and the day itself was quite sorrowful. I am glad I got to experience it and learn a little bit about it.
Well, we won our game today 8-0! (I know, insane huh?) We played the team that we lost to at the beginning of the season and really showed them who’s better. haha. We came out very strong and scored in the first 4 minutes and from that point forward they just didn’t seem to play as a team. It felt good to beat the team that beat us earlier in the season, and to beat them by so much!
After the game, a bunch of us went to dinner to an all you can eat restaurant and just ate our faces off! It was so good and I really can’t even begin to describe how much I actually ate. But I guess that’ll happen at an all you can eat restaurant.
This coming week is a BIG one. . .MY PARENTS ARRIVE ON FRIDAY! I can’t believe they are ACTUALLY coming. It’s going to be real great having them here and I hope they are ready for a busy 18 day vacation!
Alright, well I know this blog entry wasn’t too interesting but I am soooo tired, waking up at 3am on Saturday for Dawn Service has really caught up to me, so I am going to go to bed and catch up on my sleeeeep.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sydney pics.
Me and Michael and the Kaola named Frasier.
View from Bondi Beach.
Harbour Bridge.
The gorgeous Opera House from Pylon lookout.
View from Bondi Beach.
Harbour Bridge.
The gorgeous Opera House from Pylon lookout.
Welcome to Sydney
I’M IN LOOOOOOVE WITH SYDNEY.
What an amazing trip I had. Bruce and I flew down to Sydney on Thursday and got there around 10am. Bruce’s son, Joel who is 22, picked us up at the airport and drove us to the hotel and then after checking in he drove us to the Easter Show. The Easter Show is this huge festival that is held at Olympic Park in all the stadiums and fields. At the show we went to the food center where we could sample wine and food from all different tents. There was a home and living center, agricultural center, garden center and fashion center. There were tons of shows going on so we watched an axmen competition which was amazing, I was very impressed. We watched some dog shows and horse back riding shows, and we met up with one of Bruce’s friends for dinner (she was working at the show). My favorite part was the axmen competition by far. . .well the wine tasting wasn’t that bad either haha.
Friday we left the hotel early and walked to the Opera house and arrived there a little before 9. There was barely anyone there which I loved. I can’t believe that I actually went there. It was amazing and I really want to go back one day without a doubt! So we walked around the place and took plenty of photos. We went inside and did the free tour so we didn’t have to wait for the other one which wasn’t going to start for over an hour. If I go back again I will for sure do the guided tour so I can really see everything.
From the Opera House we walked around Circular Quay and walked up ‘The Rocks’ and checked out some markets that were all along the streets. After walking around there for a little we went to this place called ‘Pylon Lookout’ which when looking at the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Opera house is the tower on the left of the bridge. Throughout the tower you learn about the history of the bridge and how it was built and then you get climb steps all the way to the top and have incredible views of the harbour, the bridge, opera house and city.
Next we took a ferry from Circular Quay under the bridge over to Luna Park. Luna Park is just a little amusement park for little kids but we checked it out anyways. Then we took the ferry to Darling Harbour and went to Wildlife World.
Wildlife World was great because I got to hold a snake, pet a koala, get really close to kangaroos and pet a wallaby. There were also many, many other animals of course and since I loooove animals, I loved the Wildlife World.
After that we took the train to Hyde Park and walked around, the park reminded me a lot of the Boston public gardens. That night we met up with Karina’s grandparent for dinner and went to a nice restaurant on the harbour.
So Saturday included a trip to Bondi Beach (for all of you who don’t know, there is a popular television show called ‘Bondi Rescue’ which is filmed right on the beach. We got there quite early and a storm was just off the coast so the pictures I got were gorgeous. We took a coastal walk that took us from Bondi beach to another beach and was a 3 mile walk on the cliffs. . . .Needless to say, the views were breathtaking.
So we ended up going to Watson’s Bay which is famous for a restaurant right on the beach so we got a little lunch and then went to ‘The Gap’ and walked around the coast to South Head (which is just a point where the peninsula overlooks North Head on the other side of the bay.
After that we went to the Australian Museum and the Victoria Shopping center.
Joel was performing in cabaret that night so we went to this cute little bar where it was being held and it was very good. It was an hour and 45 mins long and there was singing and acting and there were only 5 people in the show. Joel is an aspiring actor and singer (ideally he would like to do musicals) and he was outstanding.
So that pretty much wraps up the trip. We walked about 8 miles on Friday and 7 on Saturday. We packed in soooo many things and were on the go constantly but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I wanted to do EVERYTHING possible and I really think we did.
Here are some pictures. . .
South Head View.
View from the coastal trail.
Bondi Beach.
What an amazing trip I had. Bruce and I flew down to Sydney on Thursday and got there around 10am. Bruce’s son, Joel who is 22, picked us up at the airport and drove us to the hotel and then after checking in he drove us to the Easter Show. The Easter Show is this huge festival that is held at Olympic Park in all the stadiums and fields. At the show we went to the food center where we could sample wine and food from all different tents. There was a home and living center, agricultural center, garden center and fashion center. There were tons of shows going on so we watched an axmen competition which was amazing, I was very impressed. We watched some dog shows and horse back riding shows, and we met up with one of Bruce’s friends for dinner (she was working at the show). My favorite part was the axmen competition by far. . .well the wine tasting wasn’t that bad either haha.
Friday we left the hotel early and walked to the Opera house and arrived there a little before 9. There was barely anyone there which I loved. I can’t believe that I actually went there. It was amazing and I really want to go back one day without a doubt! So we walked around the place and took plenty of photos. We went inside and did the free tour so we didn’t have to wait for the other one which wasn’t going to start for over an hour. If I go back again I will for sure do the guided tour so I can really see everything.
From the Opera House we walked around Circular Quay and walked up ‘The Rocks’ and checked out some markets that were all along the streets. After walking around there for a little we went to this place called ‘Pylon Lookout’ which when looking at the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Opera house is the tower on the left of the bridge. Throughout the tower you learn about the history of the bridge and how it was built and then you get climb steps all the way to the top and have incredible views of the harbour, the bridge, opera house and city.
Next we took a ferry from Circular Quay under the bridge over to Luna Park. Luna Park is just a little amusement park for little kids but we checked it out anyways. Then we took the ferry to Darling Harbour and went to Wildlife World.
Wildlife World was great because I got to hold a snake, pet a koala, get really close to kangaroos and pet a wallaby. There were also many, many other animals of course and since I loooove animals, I loved the Wildlife World.
After that we took the train to Hyde Park and walked around, the park reminded me a lot of the Boston public gardens. That night we met up with Karina’s grandparent for dinner and went to a nice restaurant on the harbour.
So Saturday included a trip to Bondi Beach (for all of you who don’t know, there is a popular television show called ‘Bondi Rescue’ which is filmed right on the beach. We got there quite early and a storm was just off the coast so the pictures I got were gorgeous. We took a coastal walk that took us from Bondi beach to another beach and was a 3 mile walk on the cliffs. . . .Needless to say, the views were breathtaking.
So we ended up going to Watson’s Bay which is famous for a restaurant right on the beach so we got a little lunch and then went to ‘The Gap’ and walked around the coast to South Head (which is just a point where the peninsula overlooks North Head on the other side of the bay.
After that we went to the Australian Museum and the Victoria Shopping center.
Joel was performing in cabaret that night so we went to this cute little bar where it was being held and it was very good. It was an hour and 45 mins long and there was singing and acting and there were only 5 people in the show. Joel is an aspiring actor and singer (ideally he would like to do musicals) and he was outstanding.
So that pretty much wraps up the trip. We walked about 8 miles on Friday and 7 on Saturday. We packed in soooo many things and were on the go constantly but I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I wanted to do EVERYTHING possible and I really think we did.
Here are some pictures. . .
South Head View.
View from the coastal trail.
Bondi Beach.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Only 36 days left. . .where does the time go?
So after my adventure to Numinbah Valley where I experienced farm life, I went to the top of Mount Tamborine and experienced mountain life. Karina and Izzy’s grandparents live up there so we left early in the morning on Thursday and stopped at several scenic look outs on the drive up and even stopped and hiked to another waterfall (Curtis Falls). . .it was gorgeous! From the top of the mountain you can see the skyline of the gold coast with a back drop of the ocean. I wish I could describe the views! There is a great little town there that is known for their homemade fudge, so of course we got some and sampled even more! What a great day we had, eating homemade scones and bread made by Karina’s grandmother and playing cards and even learning cricket in the backyard.
On Friday I played in a hockey game that Bruce asked me last minute to play in. There is a boy’s team touring from New Zealand and they asked if they could play a game so Bruce gathered who he could. I played with mostly 16 year old boys and a few 17 year olds. . .i ended up being the only girl who showed and the oldest one out there. Haha, boy did I stick out. The New Zealand team was VERY good. . .they sorta kicked our butt, we lost 5-1. . .but I have never been so tired after a game so I got a good workout and it was fun to watch them (though I guess I shouldn’t really be watching while I’m playing huh?) and to play against them. So although the outcome wasn’t so good, it was still nice to meet them and now I can say I played against a New Zealand boy’s team. Oh, and they also did the Haka dance before the game, which is a traditional New Zealand dance that the men’s hockey teams do before the start of each game. I wanted to take a video of them doing it but I didn’t think that would be appropriate.
On Easter Bruce, Karina and I went to a place called Sanctuary Cove where there are some nice shops and cafes and it’s a marina. There were some enormous yachts, so we took a walk around the docks and checked out all the boats and picked out the one’s we would want if we could afford one. After exploring around there for a bit we went and got fish and chips at a little shop and got some grilled swordfish that was reeeeally yummy. To be honest I really missed being home for Easter but I guess being in Australia makes up for missing a little family time over the holiday.
Today we drove down to New South Whales on the coast where Izzy and her family are camping for the week. It ended up raining so we didn’t do much but walk along the beach, cook some food and play some games. It was nice to get a change of scenery for a bit and now I can say I drove over the border of Queensland into New South Whales! Woooo.
So this week I am heading to Sydney. . .we are leaving Thursday and returning Sunday.
Part of the Curtis Falls waterfall on Mount Tamborine and Izzy at the top of Mount Tamborine.
On Friday I played in a hockey game that Bruce asked me last minute to play in. There is a boy’s team touring from New Zealand and they asked if they could play a game so Bruce gathered who he could. I played with mostly 16 year old boys and a few 17 year olds. . .i ended up being the only girl who showed and the oldest one out there. Haha, boy did I stick out. The New Zealand team was VERY good. . .they sorta kicked our butt, we lost 5-1. . .but I have never been so tired after a game so I got a good workout and it was fun to watch them (though I guess I shouldn’t really be watching while I’m playing huh?) and to play against them. So although the outcome wasn’t so good, it was still nice to meet them and now I can say I played against a New Zealand boy’s team. Oh, and they also did the Haka dance before the game, which is a traditional New Zealand dance that the men’s hockey teams do before the start of each game. I wanted to take a video of them doing it but I didn’t think that would be appropriate.
On Easter Bruce, Karina and I went to a place called Sanctuary Cove where there are some nice shops and cafes and it’s a marina. There were some enormous yachts, so we took a walk around the docks and checked out all the boats and picked out the one’s we would want if we could afford one. After exploring around there for a bit we went and got fish and chips at a little shop and got some grilled swordfish that was reeeeally yummy. To be honest I really missed being home for Easter but I guess being in Australia makes up for missing a little family time over the holiday.
Today we drove down to New South Whales on the coast where Izzy and her family are camping for the week. It ended up raining so we didn’t do much but walk along the beach, cook some food and play some games. It was nice to get a change of scenery for a bit and now I can say I drove over the border of Queensland into New South Whales! Woooo.
So this week I am heading to Sydney. . .we are leaving Thursday and returning Sunday.
Part of the Curtis Falls waterfall on Mount Tamborine and Izzy at the top of Mount Tamborine.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Farming in Numinbah Valley
For sightseeing this week I went to the top of the Q1 tower (the tallest residential building in the world). . .what an amazing view! It was pretty rainy for most of the week so I didn’t go any where too exciting. . .just up to Surfer’s one day and to some of the shopping centers.
On Friday I spent the day in Brisbane at the footy (aka rugby game). We got there around 3:30 and watch the U21 Brisbane broncos play the St George dragons and following that game was the pro Broncos vs Dragons game. It was soooo fun. . .we were sititng in the 2nd row right behind the end zone. The players were literally 10 feet away from us and we were going crazy. We had a couple of beers and did our best to get on the big screen. . . it didn’t happen though. Haha. The stadium was huge and there were apparently 45,000 people there. It was such an exciting game and I am absolutely going to try and go to another one before I leave.
On Saturday I spent the day at the field watching our Div 3, 2, and 1 men’s teams play. It’s great being able to watch men’s hockey since obviously we don’t have that back home. After the game some of us went out to a pub and had a couple of drinks. . .i guess there is no “72 hour no drinking” rule down here. Haha. I have found my favorite beer down here, its called a blonde. Perfect name for me. Apparently its low carb too.
So Sunday we won our game, 2-0. It was the most intense game yet. . .it was very feisty and there was lots of trash talking from the other team. In the end it just backfired for them because we still won even though they were trying to get under our skin. One girl even slide tackled one of my teamies and took her out! It was absolutely terrible and there was only a verbal warning given by the ref. Anyways, we won so that was good. After the game all the div 2 and div 3 men and women’s teams were there and there was a bbq and lots of drinking. The older men and women can drink heaps! I’ve never seen such a thing. And beers at the club house are only $2.50 which is pretty darn cheap! I only had a couple of beers but we had a real good time and it was fun meeting some new people and spending time with the girls on the team.
Monday morning we were planning on going to a friends, Charlotte’s, farm, but it was raining all day Sunday so we figured we were gonna make it. Last minute 8am Monday morning she called us and said we could go so we got ready and left by 8:30. This trip was so far the highlight of my time here. The farm is in Numinbah valley,about an hour from here and the hills around it are beautiful! There were hundreds of cows and bulls and I learned how to feed them and how to round them up. . .there were some baby calves which were born last week and were so adorable and I even saw some kangaroos! I also learned how to stack and unload hay bails. . .between Charlotte, Karina and I we unloaded 150 hay bails off of a flat bed truck. It was hard work but we made it fun. There was a gorgeous sunset Monday night and we bbq and just had a really relaxing evening. This morning we woke up and it was sorta raining so we hung inside after feeding the animals and then left early in the afternoon but stopped by this gorgeous waterfall on the way home! Also, a glowworm cave was next to the waterfall but since it was day time we couldn’t see them. The hike to the falls was about 30 mins and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous! I took tons of pictures and am so glad we were able to go. I have never really been to a real farm like this, they raise cattle for eating (i know, very sad) and they have cows for dairy. It was so peaceful out there but being a farmer is clearly a lot of hard work and seems very time consuming.
Anyways, on Thursday we are going to head up to Karina's gradparent's house up on Mount Tamborine. . .apparently the views and scenery up there is even better than at the farm. :) We will see.
Me, Izzy and Karina before the rugby game.
Me unloading hay at the farm, and the Natural Bridge waterfall.
On Friday I spent the day in Brisbane at the footy (aka rugby game). We got there around 3:30 and watch the U21 Brisbane broncos play the St George dragons and following that game was the pro Broncos vs Dragons game. It was soooo fun. . .we were sititng in the 2nd row right behind the end zone. The players were literally 10 feet away from us and we were going crazy. We had a couple of beers and did our best to get on the big screen. . . it didn’t happen though. Haha. The stadium was huge and there were apparently 45,000 people there. It was such an exciting game and I am absolutely going to try and go to another one before I leave.
On Saturday I spent the day at the field watching our Div 3, 2, and 1 men’s teams play. It’s great being able to watch men’s hockey since obviously we don’t have that back home. After the game some of us went out to a pub and had a couple of drinks. . .i guess there is no “72 hour no drinking” rule down here. Haha. I have found my favorite beer down here, its called a blonde. Perfect name for me. Apparently its low carb too.
So Sunday we won our game, 2-0. It was the most intense game yet. . .it was very feisty and there was lots of trash talking from the other team. In the end it just backfired for them because we still won even though they were trying to get under our skin. One girl even slide tackled one of my teamies and took her out! It was absolutely terrible and there was only a verbal warning given by the ref. Anyways, we won so that was good. After the game all the div 2 and div 3 men and women’s teams were there and there was a bbq and lots of drinking. The older men and women can drink heaps! I’ve never seen such a thing. And beers at the club house are only $2.50 which is pretty darn cheap! I only had a couple of beers but we had a real good time and it was fun meeting some new people and spending time with the girls on the team.
Monday morning we were planning on going to a friends, Charlotte’s, farm, but it was raining all day Sunday so we figured we were gonna make it. Last minute 8am Monday morning she called us and said we could go so we got ready and left by 8:30. This trip was so far the highlight of my time here. The farm is in Numinbah valley,about an hour from here and the hills around it are beautiful! There were hundreds of cows and bulls and I learned how to feed them and how to round them up. . .there were some baby calves which were born last week and were so adorable and I even saw some kangaroos! I also learned how to stack and unload hay bails. . .between Charlotte, Karina and I we unloaded 150 hay bails off of a flat bed truck. It was hard work but we made it fun. There was a gorgeous sunset Monday night and we bbq and just had a really relaxing evening. This morning we woke up and it was sorta raining so we hung inside after feeding the animals and then left early in the afternoon but stopped by this gorgeous waterfall on the way home! Also, a glowworm cave was next to the waterfall but since it was day time we couldn’t see them. The hike to the falls was about 30 mins and the scenery was absolutely gorgeous! I took tons of pictures and am so glad we were able to go. I have never really been to a real farm like this, they raise cattle for eating (i know, very sad) and they have cows for dairy. It was so peaceful out there but being a farmer is clearly a lot of hard work and seems very time consuming.
Anyways, on Thursday we are going to head up to Karina's gradparent's house up on Mount Tamborine. . .apparently the views and scenery up there is even better than at the farm. :) We will see.
Me, Izzy and Karina before the rugby game.
Me unloading hay at the farm, and the Natural Bridge waterfall.
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