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Each week has really flown by when monday is a painful recovery from flights on top of morning work and lat night classes, tuesday is another long day of mourning and night classes buffered by a few hours at work, by wednesday I am just working and looking forward to the next trip , thursday is work and packing for the next flight and adventure.
The weekend in Cairns was no different, leaving early friday morning, round two up north was to bring a different group of people and different itinerary. This time instead of only 8 there was a group pf 30 of us. Unlike the spring break we had perfect weather!!! It was amazing to see the difference when the sun was out. We flooded the hostel and all set off on our 'free day' activities. Some went to skydive, other bungee jumping. As for me and Justin we went or a 30 min helicopter ride over the outer reef to a boat that would cruise us back in to shore. The view of the Great Barrier Reef was unreal from the air. You could see all the color changes in the water, whether there was a reef bomie, island, or sand bar. Over one reef we could even see at least 40 turtles cruising around! It was just sweet as! We landed on a floating dock to meet out boat for a dive and snorkel, before being fed and brought ashore to the sounds of live music. the next day was another full day trip out on the reef. This one brought us out to Michaelson's Cay where we had time to dive, be brought into the beach and snorkel, and also take a tour of the reef in a semi-submersible glass bottomed boat that you sat under the waterline looking out over the reef. It was almost like being in a submarine. (hence the name i assume). Our last day the group was split where some went for a rainforest bus tour, and a small group of us went horseback riding in the rainforest. I was the only one with prior riding experience and i therefore was placed a the back of the conga line so that the second instructor could take me out to canter and gallop on different trails. It was awesome, I remember how much i miss riding, and also how much long pants help. The group was soo funny considering most had never been on horses before. The trails took us up and down hills through small creeks and fields. The weather was perfect. Although i can say i have never ridden in a saddle with these things that acted like leg stoppers on the front.
Reef from the helicopter
My horse Tinkerbell
The next week of work and classes flew by again. I got through my presentation in my cinema class and paper for sociology. Instead of anticipating flights, there was a biathalon and plan of a local weekend. Yes, one of my friends was able to convinced me to do a Biathalon, of a run and swim, that was in two days time. Crazy, I know but I figured why not, it was only a 4k and 300m swim and also the last one of the season here. The only training i got in was a practice run, more or less to see if i could actually survive, and about an hour of swimming. My goal: to finish around 30 mins. My accomplishment, finishing in 31.27 (including losing the race at one point) ahhaha but i survived a biatholon in Sydney. yeahhhhhh =) An after party was held and just made for a good night. The next night i was taken to Luna Park by my adopted little brother and sister, Gavin who's 11yrs and Amber who's 13yrs. After leaving at closing, I stayed at their house because for my local weekend i was being taken up to Sydneys northern beaches to a mates beach house. Life is so difficult. We hung out on the beach, sunday i watched the sunrise, and later went fishing off the rocks all before headed back to my long lost apartment and roomies.
Pearl Beach at sunrise
The next week was very short because my final trip had me leaving on thursday morning. To finish my Australian experience i was flying out to the middle of the outback to see a really big rock, otherwise known as Uluru or Ayers Rock. I flew into Alice Springs and met a couple from texas on my flight who were traveling around Oz as well, ( and who were related to a Umass teacher! what a small world). I wandered around the small outback town, seeing the worse of the aboriginal problem that people hear about but never see in coastal towns. I met up with my friends who arrived on an earlier flight and watched the sunset behind the mountain range that surrounded us from a place called Anzac Hill. The next morning set the standard of rising before the sun. The 3 day Rock Tour took us over 500k across the red center of the Northern territory to see Kings Canyon, Kata tjuta with the valley of the winds, and of course Uluru. Over the span of the trip we walked/hiked about 18 miles! A handy piece of equipment to have out here was a fly net that covered your head because of the sand flies that always wanted to be your friend. The overall experience was absolutely amazing.It was a completely different part of Australia then Sydney. It was the desert, harsh living bush that is usually thought of. I did get to see a wild kangaroo and also camels. the first night i got to help cook a bush meal on the campfire and sleep under the most amazing stars ever! I have never seen the stars like that in my life, because there was absolutely no chance of light pollution out there to ruin anything. I also got to watch as Uluru changed colors as the sun set and rose. To give you an idea about how big this rock actually is, it took my just over and hour and a half to walk around it! and i do not walk slow by any means. To say the least my trip into the outback was well worth it.
Team America at Uluru
With my last two weeks I will be finishing classes, saying goodbye to my co-workers and trying to get what i can from Sydney before i leave back to reality. Don't worry Easter will come before everyone knows it and i will be home again.
Over and Out
Lots of love - Julie
Fun Facts:
Uluru is an aboriginal Sacred site and has many creation stories around it. and still has an aboriginal community off of the back corner that lives traditionally
What is now the dessert outback of Australia used to be a giant inland ocean, and left behind fossils of sea urchins and shells across the outback. this one is along the top of Kings Canyon and was named freddy the fossil.
