Lets see what you've been missing.
I went white water rafting! It was so much fun! There were about 10 of us from the group and we were on the Barron River, which is a level 3. (They go up to 6 but 6 is more along the lines of a 'this water will kill you') We would go on some rapids and then get out of the boat and be able to float along the river. We alternated between the two for an hour and a half and then we all got back on the bus and went back to an outdoor bar for water, chips and just to hang out. There was even a couple from England on the trip who told us it'd taken them 24 hours of traveling just to get to Australia.
The next day we planted trees for Cassowaries (Giant Australian bird...just google it, they're hard to explain) And after a long shower, a bunch of us headed out. We went to a Greek restaurant and bought lamb gyros. Every so often you'd hear an 'opa!' from the back and the sound of a plate breaking. Following, we walked to a gelato shop where I got cinnamon gelato. It was just a nice night out.
The last full day we were there, we went to the Great Barrier Reef. By far the best day of the trip. We left early on the boat and spent an hour and a half tanning before we got to the first site, Michaelmas Cay. There was a smaller boat that took us to an island where we put on flippers, goggles and snorkels and started swimming around the reef. There were these suits we had to wear called stinger suits, full out blue body suits that prevented us from being stung by little jellyfish that could kill us. Thanks, Australia, for more dangerous animals. The
re was a stingray and a turtle and tons of fish. After spending a couple hours on that part of the reef we got back on the boat, had lunch and headed to the second site. I decided right before lunch that I wanted to go scuba diving. I was technically supposed to have gone at the first site first, to learn scuba diving and I was also supposed to have listened to a safety talk...neither of which I did. I talked to the guys in charge and they said we could work something out...So at the second site one of the instructors briefed me on what I needed to know. I was taught how to equalize my ears, how to clear out water from my goggles, what the sign for shark was...etc. Because I was the only person going for the first time at the second site, the instructor took me by myself, so I basically got a private lesson, which was awesome. He held on to me for the first 10 minutes to get me adjusted and help me swim further down. Then he let go and we swam around the reef, he showed me a sea sponge that stuck when he put it on my hand! Then we found a starfish that he put on my goggles and it stayed. I also saw a family of clown fish (think finding nemo!) and a ton of other gorgeous fish that were all colors of the rainbow. We spent 40 minutes at the depth before heading back and I had enough time to get out of the scuba gear and go snorkeling for another 20 minutes. At the end we all got back on the boat and headed back for Cairns. That night I met a guy at the hostel we were staying at who was from Adelaide. We got to talking and it turned out he was a theatre publicist and promised me a free ticket for one of the shows at the upcoming Adelaide Fringe (http://tix.adelaidefringe.com.au/ticketing/home.aspx) It also turned out it was his birthday that day so a bunch of us got dressed up and went to the casino for a few hours.The following day I left for Adelaide. I spent another 5 hours on a plane before finally arriving in Adelaide, was picked up by a car and taken to The Village, my apartment complex. After getting info I was taken to my room where I made my bed and immediately fell asleep. Woke up early the next morning and headed out to explore. My first stop was to the university and the international student centre. I filled out a form and they told me about an overview session later that day that I could attend. I headed out and across the street to the Rundel Mall
. The Mall was absolutely gorgeous. Its basically a street full of shops with more streets off of it called arcades that are full of more shops. It took all my effort not to go shopping for clothes and just get the essentials. I got some lunch from an underground food court. On a side note, lamb is super easy to come by here, so I was able to get a lamb yiros, complete with fresh vegetables and a garlic tzatziki sauce from one of the food places. Absolutely delicious. After, I was able to hunt down what I needed and head back to the university in time for the info session. I met a guy from Boston and his roommate, who was from Giza. Its absolutely fascinating the melting pot of nationalities that Adelaide has attracted. After getting more information, a free bag and water bottle, I got on the free bus that makes a loop around Adelaide and got back to my apartment. After resting a bit, I headed back out to the Adelaide Central Market, which is a couple blocks down the street from me. Its basically this huge indoor market full of fresh produce and food. I was able to get a loaf of freshly baked wholegrain bread, turkey, cheese and all kinds of fruits (including passionfruit and star fruit) and some other things for under 35 dollars. Next to the market and closer to my apartment is Adelaide's Chinatown, which is much cleaner and nicer than New York's. I have yet to venture through, but be sure that is on my list.This all brings us to today. I woke up early and hung around the apartment a little bit before getting ready and heading back out to the market where I picked up hangers and some other essentials that I've really been needing. Came back to the apartment and f
inally got a chance to clean. I'm only adding one picture of my room in my apartment but the place is large. I have my own room and down the hallway is another hallway. There are 4 rooms all together and there are 2 bathrooms. When you first walk in there's a kitchen, a dining area and a living area. Its more than enough room and all air conditioned. My apartment mates have yet to move in but I should meet them soon.So that's about it for now! I should be updating again sometime this week.
xo
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