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Yesterday, two Bentley friends and I went hiking! We went out to Mt. Tamalpais just north of the city where there are a bunch of great trails. We had a gorgeous day with just some remnants of the mornings fog. We hiked to the West Point Inn which was so cute and had lovely views of the surrounding area. It was about 6 miles round trip and then we drove around the park a little farther to look at the view down to Stinson Beach which reminded me a lot of some of the views at the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne, AUS! Then Paul expertly drove around the sharp curves of the roads down to Muir Beach. All in all a great day with some great friends.
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Restarting this blog for picture updates after my recent move to San Francisco! Here is Mommy and I - we had a great time together for a few days despite the rainy weather. She enjoyed exploring the city (while I worked) and then on Saturday we voyaged to the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building where there were lots of exciting vendors, shops, and markets to try. Then we went to afternoon tea at the Fairmont Hotel at the top of the hill which was both fun and gorgeous. A lovely weekend all together :)
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Melbourne Weekend
This weekend we went to Melbourne down in the southern state of Victoria. I went with four friends from Bond who conveniently go to Northeastern! We left Thursday morning early and flew the 836 miles from the Gold Coast to Melbourne where it was significantly colder than here in Queensland. We checked into our hostel and went to explore a little bit of the city. We started at the Queen Victoria Markets which were just a street or two away from our hostel. These markets had a whole variety of items: souvenirs, opals, clothes, shoes, food, fresh vegetables and more. After the market we hopped on the free city circle tram and went over to see the Parliament House. The architecture of the city was amazing, very reminiscent of Europe which made me happy as so much of Australia is so similar to America. All the buildings are different, some old, some new, and the streets are just very aesthetically pleasing and are clean too! The Parliament House steps reminded me of the steps of the Met in NYC which was nice to be brought home for a moment. We walked through the streets and a park over to St. Patrick's Cathedral which was amazing! I have been to Europe multiple times and seen a fair few churches and this cathedral could have given any European church a run for its money. The overall design was gorgeous and was full of beautiful structures and small, holy areas at the back for various saints and commemorated people. Later that night we headed down to the city center, crossed the Yarra River, and went to the Eureka Tower. More specifically we went up to the 88th floor which is home to the Eureka Skydeck which is the highest public viewing point in the Southern Hemisphere at 935 feet high. Similar to the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago, the entire 88th floor looks out over the city of Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay. We finished the night up with a great dinner at a small, street cafe in the city center! The food was great and we were definitely happy to be full for a rare occasion. Friday was our tour of the Great Ocean Road. Although the day was freezing and veryy windy, it was definitely worth it as this trip hosted the most amazing views of the Southern Australian ocean line. We drove along the road and learned a bit about its interesting history while seeing the various viewpoints of the road. We made frequent stops to take in the scenery and see the towns along the road as well. One stop we made was especially fun when we walked up a secluded road and looked in the trees for wild koalas! At first all we saw were birds. SO many exotic king parrots, rosellas, and another large white bird (I didn't catch its name) flew all across the road and would even land on peoples' shoulders! Finally walking a bit further up the road we saw three koalas just sleeping in the trees along the side of the road. It was really fun to see them in the wild and not in a wildlife sanctuary. We then made our way into the rainforested part of the road. We stopped and did a quick walk into a part of the rainforest and saw the second tallest species of tree in the world, as well as just experienced the difference in scenery from the open, ocean views we had just seen. One of our final stops of the day was my favorite. This was the combination of the Twelve Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge. These pieces of coastline were AMAZING. These cliff areas are where the water has eroded the rock over time and so the layering effect of the cliff is gorgeous, as are the "twelve apostle" structures that have been carved by the ebb and flow of the ocean over the centuries. The views were picturesque and more than I expected. Similar to the Twelve Apostles was Loch Ard Gorge, the site of an ancient Irish shipwreck. The story of the shipwreck was interesting and the site was just as gorgeous as the other cliff areas. This included a beach between the cliffs with almost a Mediterranean feel to it. I loved the look of the rocks at these sites and was just fascinated by the ideas that these rocks have been here for ages and have been changing the entire time. Once back in Melbourne we finished up the night with a great dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant. It was delicious and just made me want Thai all the time :) Saturday was our tour to Phillip Island! A day filled with more beautiful sights and fun animals. We went to Maru Koala Park which was home to all kinds of Australian animals and is where I got to see and feed my first wallaby! They are like little kangaroos and very cute. After the fun there we went on to Phillip Island and it was beautiful! The views are amazing and the island itself was a nice mix of beaches, countryside, and town. There are a LOT of cows and sheep there but they just added to the island experience. We went to Woolamai Beach for a short while and just saw the pretty waves which were by no means small, and then headed over to The Nobbies. The Nobbies is a piece of the coast with flowering rolling hills, large rocks out in the water, seals behind the rocks (so of course we can't see them), huge waves, and way too many seagulls. But this was one of the prettiest places on the island and the views were amazing. Watching the crashing waves against the cliff sides is just something you don't see much in the Northeast. We had dinner in the town of Cowes, and then made our way over to THE PENGUIN PARADE. Highlight of my trip because I love penguins. These "fairy" penguins are the smallest in the world at about a foot high and come burrow in the hills on the island so we got the opportunity to watch them come home from the ocean after a trip to get food. They come up in little packs and it was so fun watching them try to get their footing and waddle up the beach to the grassy, safe zones where they nest. They would often get toppled over by the waves and have to try again. Then we got to see them close up after. There are boardwalks around the area so as they walked to their nests we were able to literally walk beside them as they waddled home. I love penguins. Cold, late night but so fun. Then back to Melbourne and our hostel. Sunday morning we got some Gloria Jean's coffee and breakfast before heading back to the Gold Coast.
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WHITSUNDAYS
Where to even start! Thursday morning we left Bond and flew up to the Whitsunday Coast to Proserpine Airport...aka the smallest, cutest, friendliest airport I've ever been to. There were 2 gates and the security guards were so nice and joking, something I do not ever find in NYC. The drive over to the Aerlie Beach was through a very interesting terrain. In a way it reminded me of Africa, being dry with lots of trees and not much in the way of anything other than fields and some small farms/ compounds. But then Aerlie Beach! Pretty much one street of hostels, travel agents, bars, restaurants, and shops all right next to the prettiest ocean views you can imagine. We spent some time at the beach, picture-taking, shopping, and resting up before we left port on Friday morning for our two-day, two-night catamaran cruise through the Whitsunday Islands.
So 26 of us, about 18 from Bond, left on Wings III and met the 4 person crew who were all AMAZING and so so much fun. The water was amazing and I definitely was spoiled with having views like that for an entire weekend wherever I looked around me. The girls, V and Ann, made us snacks and dinner so in a way the trip seemed more like home than eating at school. Soon after leaving we stopped to snorkel and have our first scuba lesson! I had never snorkeled or scuba dived and I am SO HAPPY I did!! I snorkeled first and then began my brief scuba training with dive master Richi Rich <3 He was so funny and still a great teacher for beginners. We stayed pretty close but just being able to get right up next to the Great Barrier Reef with all the coral and fish was the most amazing thing. The reef is so beautiful I could honestly stare at it underwater all day there is so much life there. After diving we went back on the boat and were able to jump in the hot tub (!) and lie out on deck while we sailed off to watch the sunset. Talk about an amazing day.
Sleeping on the boat was not as bad as expected, coming from someone who gets a bit seasick. But 5:45 came and the rocking was a little much so I went above deck and was able to see the last of the sunrise. It was a great morning and so beautiful! We then went to Whitehaven Beach. OH MY GOODNESS. To get to the beach you need to walk through Whitsunday Islands National Park which in itself was a very pretty, wooded set of trails. But then we came to the beach. I have never, nor will I ever again, see a view that perfect. The blue sky, white sand swirling around below in the clear aqua water with the green mountains behind. Words can't describe and pictures don't do it justice but they get close :) Richi showed us a part of the beach that was more secretive so we stayed there for a few hours playing around in the surf and on the surrounding rocks. AHH I miss it already.
Then back to the boat, more snorkeling, more diving, more sunbathing. This time we went deeper into the water and saw even more amazing coral. It's so hard to describe but each location and dive/ snorkel had its own feel and own special characteristics. Later that day at Luncheon Bay we saw turtles!! I think I screamed into my snorkel when I saw them I was so excited. Nights on the boat were also so fun with everyone laying out on deck watching the stars, playing games, and getting to know everyone better. I couldn't have asked for more.
Coming back to Aerlie Beach on Sunday morning was bittersweet...we were all sad to leave but then we remembered that we were going back to AERLIE BEACH....to Australia...life really isn't that hard here :) Sunday was fun too, more relaxing and recovering from an amazing weekend. Now it's back to Bond...homework and all but hey, it's still Australia :D
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Today we went on a nature hike along Burleigh Heads Beach. It was a great hike, not too hard but still a good uphill climb, and it lead to such a magnificent view at the peak! I was stunned at how blue the water looked and how picturesque the view was. The hike lead to an inlet with another small beach and shallower waters but we ended up taking the lower trail back to the main Burleigh beach and spending a few hours in the sun. Not a bad Saturday to me.
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Bondstock Music Festival
Last night was the Bondstock Music Festival at the Coolangatta Hotel which featured 3 Australian artists: The Jungle Giants, Van She, and Ruby Rose. The first 2 bands were indie and fun to listen to. Everyone went in between the big music room and the balcony outside which looked out over the street to the Pacific to hang out with friends and enjoy the nice spring weather.
There was also a side room which I walked into to find my friends and as I walked in I was surprised to see a bunch of kids dancing and jumping around...but to no music. I was confused until I was given a pair of headphones and told to put them on. In the room were 2 dj's who each had a station on the headphones so all we had to do was flip a switch on the headphones to switch dj's! It was such a cool concept and we all had a blast dancing around in our headphones, looking silly to anyone without headphones on. This "Silent Rave" is going to have to happen again soon...also a great idea for quiet hours back at school.
Later, Ruby Rose came on and I had never heard of her but I was pleasantly surprised. She is the only girl dj I have ever seen and she was a lot of fun! Everyone loved her and the crowd that formed in front of the stage was impressive for a student concert. She also threw a few items into the crowd and both me and my friend Ben got signed Ruby Rose tank tops which I was super excited about as I have never received anything in a situation like that before! Overall a really good night and for us that is the last major event of Bondstock as we are not going to the ball on Saturday. I had a great week but I am also ready for a bit of a break next week, going to all the events this week was so fun but cut into my sleep schedule a bit :)
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Secret Location Party
Last night was the highly anticipated Bondstock Secret Location Party! The buses left with their windows covered and on the ride to the place they soon became a party of their own with the lights off and music playing while everyone got excited to see the secret location. We got off the bus and were at Movie World! It is a theme park nearby in Gold Coast, and for all us Bondies they opened up a section of the park containing the Scooby Doo Haunted House ride and the building in which it resides and turned it into a nightclub themed for Bondstock. It looked great and we all had the option to go on the ride as well, which of course we all did. There was dancing, food, drinks, pictures, and time to hang out with friends. There was also a bar right across from the ride so with free drinks all night many visited there as well. It was interesting just seeing a foreign theme park as well as I can't think of an American family theme park that has bars across from Scooby Doo...
Either way the party was exciting and it was a nice night to hang out with friends and celebrate Bond and the new semester!
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Rugby Union: Wallabies v. Argentina!
Tonight I went to my first rugby game nearby in Robina. It was so exciting to be there in person at a big game. The Qantas Wallabies are Australia's team in the Championship League which is pretty elite from what I can tell. Thank goodness for my friend Melissa though who actually plays rugby otherwise I wouldn't have understood it at all! She has been a very good teacher while we've been here. Argentina is new to the Championship League and some of the guys were HUGE. It was a great game with Argentina leading 19 to Austalia's 6 for a good potion of the match but Australia pulling it through in the last 20 minutes with 2 tries, and 2 field goals and taking home the win! A great night all around and now hopefully we will make it to the Gold Coast Rugby Sevens weekend in October!
This week is BondStock...a week to celebrate Bond life. It kicks off tomorrow night with the Launch Party here on campus, then Tuesday night brings the highly anticipated Secret Location Party which is an event-not to be missed according to all the Bondies. They cover all the windows on the transport bus so you don't know where you're going...One year the party was on an island, another year was held at the Big Brother house. With dinner and free drinks it should be a great night. Then Thursday is a big music festival! The week has other events as well and I'm certainly looking forward to it!!
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Koala at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Gold Coast
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In Australia!
I've never had a blog before or anything similar but this is mostly to just keep family and friends updated on my study abroad to Bond University on the Gold Coast. We've now been here for 5 days and it's been a whirlwind of getting over the 14 hour time difference and settling in to the BEAUTIFUL Bond campus.
I am here with a group of schoolmates so we have been having a great time getting to know each other better while also meeting new friends from all around the world which has been so interesting and fun! We have already seen a bunch of Australian animals and have been to a conservatory to feed kangaroos and experience some wildlife. Today was our first beach day and the beaches here are absolutely a sight to see they are gorgeous...white sands and endless blue ocean for days. They are surprisingly not as crowded as American beaches because there are so many around that even with all the tourists and beach goers there is room enough for everyone. We played volleyball and were introduced to cricket by some of the older Bondies which was so fun!
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