End of February

         Thats right. Its March 1st and i have now been in Australia for 6 weeks!! That means that next week is spring break (woohooo) but it also means that my adventure is half over (booo). If you thought February was packed with events and happenings gear up for March. I have every single weekend booked out in either Cains or Melbourne. This will the the month of diving the Great Barrier Reef, which was the whole point of my trip here right? This whole school thing has only gotten in the way of playing doctor and exploring Australia.

      Any who, to finish up the last week of February I had my normal classes, but I also explored Darling Harbor including a walk through of the Aquarium, Wildlife World and the Maritime Museum complete with Shark exhibit. I plan on revisting the Barrier Reef section of the aquarium and spending time reviewing all the creatures I may encounter in my mini holidays there =) Thursday was my Bridge Climb! We were put into very sexy gray suits with a fleece, headset, headlamp, and guide line clipped to us as we headed out right after sunset. We caught the fleeting colors and light as we started our trek upwards. It was a very gradual climb, with the exception of 3 steeper staircases to bring you from below the traffic to above it. The view was breathtaking as you watched the city light up in the night. We had the funniest guide who gave us fun facts on the history and making of the bridge as well as information on anything else you could see, from the harbor, to the flags and other building in sight. When we first headed out in our line I was last and he commented that I must be trouble because of it (he didn't even know the half of it). The total climb took around 4 hours but was absolutely amazing!

Friday was a stressed day at the office... I was taken up to a yacht club in Newport, just north of the city, to my boss's 34' catamaran, to go out for the day with a bunch of the nurses and staff. We sailed over to a small beach only accessible by water, anchored, swam and had lunch. So nice!  

The inside of the upper cabin with our cheese spread snack while sailing

(also took my traditional post boating nap here =] )

The weekend was the last weekend of summer here, and it brought some of the best weather. We went to the beach on saturday before a rushing home to grab my stuff and get to my workplace where i was meeting a coworker, Alex, for dinner. I was taken over this nurses house, met her two kids, who were soo cute, and then headed out for mexican. The group ended up being alex and husband, her best friend meda, husband, and son chirs, whos my age, and another husband whos wife was away. The restaurant was next to the beach and the weather was so nice we sat outside. The party began, with a tapas style meal and margaritas. Then came more food and a mojito and finally tequila shots. A birthday party also at the restaurant strung a piñata across the street and was entertainment for a while and by the end of the night the 5 guys almost drank the place out of coronas and we ran up a tab of over $700. After we visited one of the friends house for a while and finally got back to Alex's just past 1am. An early morning wake up around 7 got me and alex up so I could be shown the Central coast with its beaches and markets. (o yeah, I forgot to tell my roomies I wouldnt be home so half way through the day i got a text asking if i was still alive and if i was kidnapped.) The day was amazing, I met bush turkeys and swam in the surf. After dinner with the family i was driven home where the homework began.

part of a`walk we took besides one of the beaches

Bush turkey - quite small and can semi-launch fly

Now with classes done for the week I only have wed and thurs to work and then I am free. I will be flying up to Cains on saturday for a group trip until wed, where I will hang around for my liveaboard! It is going to be absolutely amazing and i will try to keep updated

Thats all for now folks! The next blogs should be from spring break =)
-- Love always,    Julie

Fun Facts:
-->The four large posts on the bridge are only cosmetic they do not actually hold up or support the bridge at all!

-->The bush turkey is protected and also build huge nests that look like a pile of leaves up tp 8' high and 15' in diameter. Once they are built you cannot touch them until the nest is deserted. this caused one of the rental properties to have to shut down when it was build in their driveway!

Bush turkey nest in the backyard of the beach house