The last couple of weeks have been great. The 15th and 16th was the Literature Festival. It was very neat to see the different authors and illustrators. Their stories and talks were amazing. Friday night was the Lit Dinner. The dinner was amazing, the guest speaker was very entertaining, and the band after diner was great. All in all it was a very fun night :)
That Sunday we took a boat out to one of the islands to do some snorkeling. The boat ride was awesome. We saw a whale on the way there and on the way back. The snorkeling didn't go so well. Since it is the middle of the winter here, the water was very cold. But that wasn't really the worst part. Just the feeling of being in the middle of the ocean, not having a floor beneath me, I kinda freaked out. Then looking down to the water I would start hyperventilating. So I was in the water for about 2 minutes then got out lol. For the rest of the time dad and I sat on the beach.
Monday was the farewell assembly for the Jim Hill group. There were lots of tears at that assembly. My dad got up the next morning to be at the airport at 5 to see the group off. I think he is crazy for doing that, but he is usually up early anyways so...
The rest of the week at school was a lot more normal. Classes were back on as usual. I have been going to classes every day. It has been very interesting going to all of the classes.
This last weekend Mr. and Mrs. French took my dad and I to Cape Hilsboro. We went for a hike, saw a kangaroo, sat around the bonfire and had a relaxing evening. Sunday morning I went for a walk along the beach, on our way back we stopped at a Tea House for some morning tea. I got back to Angela's house around noon and the rest of I was lazy lol. I watched a movie, took a nap, watched some tv and saw the Masterchef Finale. It was a really good day lol
Now that its getting so close to the time to come home, I'm getting very anxious. I really hope it doesn't make the next week go by slower. But I now leave a week from tomorrow :) Then I'll be on my way home!! I am soooooo excited!!!! lol
Well, I will see everyone in a week!!
Sarah
Monday, July 26, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Busy Times
Wow!! The last few weeks have been pretty amazing!! The from June 30th to July 5th I stayed at the home of a family I know here in Aus. They were in NZ at the time so I had the place to myself. It was a good week of relaxing :) I went to see Eclipse on July 1st and it was absolutely amazing!! The rest of the week I mostly hung out at the house and went to the mall a couple of times.
On July 6th I left for NZ. My flight was good. I made it to the hotel by 7:30 that night. My dad's flight was supposed to get in at 5 the next morning. I figured he would be at the hotel by 6:30 and I wanted to be up by the time he got there. So I set my alarm for 5:45. Now NZ is 2 hours ahead of Aus. So I was really getting up at about 4am Aus time. It was a lot easier to get up that early than I would have thought. I think it was mostly because I was so excited to see my dad. Well I didnt realize that the rest of the group from Jim Hill was on a different flight from my dad. Their flight came in later. So they didn't end up getting to the hotel until about 9:30 AM. I was up way to early. But it gave me time to make sure I had everything packed and ready to go. When he got to the hotel my dad called up to my room, I got my stuff and went down to the lobby. It was so good to see him!
Not long after I went downstairs we were off to our first stop. We walked to the Auckland sky tower. We went to the top and saw the amazing view. Our bus picked us up and we went to Mt. Eden. Its a dormant volcano. We went right up to the top and saw into the crater. It was very cool. A little later we went to one of the museums in Auckland. We had some lunch and a tour and then headed back to our hotel. After my dad showered (he had been traveling for about 35 hours) we walked back to the Sky Tower. I then jumped off the top :) The Sky Jump was very cool. It is basically a very controlled base jump. I fell for about 10 seconds :) Dad and I had made a reservation for diner at the revolving restaurant in the Sky Tower. We went and ate and the diner was very good! After diner we went back to the hotel and dad went to sleep.
Day 2 of our NZ adventure started out early. The bus left at 7:30. We had about a 2 hour drive until our first stop. The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves. Those caves were so cool. And we saw tons of glow worms. We got some lunch and got back on the bus. We then had an hours drive to Rotorua. We went up the Gondola and the kids got to go on the luge ride. After that we went to see the gysers and hot mud pools. At the same site we got to see a Mauri culture performance. It was very interesting and cool to learn about their culture.
The morning of day 3 we got to sleep in :) Dad and I did a little shopping and then went back to the hotel. We did something first (cant remember what that was at the moment lol) then we went to the black sand beaches. That was one of the prettiest beaches I have seen yet. And it was awesome to be there with my dad.
Saturday morning we left for the airport. We all flew from NZ to Brisbane together, then my dad and I were on a different flight up to Mackay. Our flight was supposed to land 5 min after the group's and we were nervous about missing the big welcome party that would be waiting for us. Well our plane ended up landing about 5 min before the group's so we waited for them and all went into the terminal together.
Our welcome was awesome. All the teachers and host families were there to meet us. Plus there were some aboriginals and other natives to Aus there to perform some dances for us. It was a great way to start our time in Mackay. Saturday night we went to Mr. Greer's house for a BBQ. It was a nice way to get to know some of the teachers.
Our first day at the school started with a tour. In the afternoon there was a whole school assembly where we were all introduced. Day 2 at the school I went to the Sugar mill with some of the other parents. We got to see how they process the sugar cand and then got to tast test some of the products they make right at the mill. Some of that stuff was awesome!! We got back to school around noon and ate some lunch. Then my dad and I went down to the oval to watch the senior school in the athletic carnival. It was a georgous day to be outside.
Today (Wed) we went to The Hut to learn more about the culture of the aboriginal people and the South Sea Islanders. They cooked us a meal the traditional way their people cook, which was very interesting. We learned about their culture and got to do some painting.
At the moment I am waiting for the launch to the Literature Festival. Angela is on 'board duty' (she is watching the kids in the boarding house) and I'm sittin here waiting for dad and Mr. Greer to arrive at the school. I am very excited for this Lit Festival over the next couple of days. Last time we were here it was amazing! Should be a good 2 days :)
Wow...I think that's it for now. When I remember what else we did on our last day in NZ I'll write another quick post lol
Hope all is well. I'll see you all in a few weeks :)
Sarah
On July 6th I left for NZ. My flight was good. I made it to the hotel by 7:30 that night. My dad's flight was supposed to get in at 5 the next morning. I figured he would be at the hotel by 6:30 and I wanted to be up by the time he got there. So I set my alarm for 5:45. Now NZ is 2 hours ahead of Aus. So I was really getting up at about 4am Aus time. It was a lot easier to get up that early than I would have thought. I think it was mostly because I was so excited to see my dad. Well I didnt realize that the rest of the group from Jim Hill was on a different flight from my dad. Their flight came in later. So they didn't end up getting to the hotel until about 9:30 AM. I was up way to early. But it gave me time to make sure I had everything packed and ready to go. When he got to the hotel my dad called up to my room, I got my stuff and went down to the lobby. It was so good to see him!
Not long after I went downstairs we were off to our first stop. We walked to the Auckland sky tower. We went to the top and saw the amazing view. Our bus picked us up and we went to Mt. Eden. Its a dormant volcano. We went right up to the top and saw into the crater. It was very cool. A little later we went to one of the museums in Auckland. We had some lunch and a tour and then headed back to our hotel. After my dad showered (he had been traveling for about 35 hours) we walked back to the Sky Tower. I then jumped off the top :) The Sky Jump was very cool. It is basically a very controlled base jump. I fell for about 10 seconds :) Dad and I had made a reservation for diner at the revolving restaurant in the Sky Tower. We went and ate and the diner was very good! After diner we went back to the hotel and dad went to sleep.
Day 2 of our NZ adventure started out early. The bus left at 7:30. We had about a 2 hour drive until our first stop. The Waitomo Glow Worm Caves. Those caves were so cool. And we saw tons of glow worms. We got some lunch and got back on the bus. We then had an hours drive to Rotorua. We went up the Gondola and the kids got to go on the luge ride. After that we went to see the gysers and hot mud pools. At the same site we got to see a Mauri culture performance. It was very interesting and cool to learn about their culture.
The morning of day 3 we got to sleep in :) Dad and I did a little shopping and then went back to the hotel. We did something first (cant remember what that was at the moment lol) then we went to the black sand beaches. That was one of the prettiest beaches I have seen yet. And it was awesome to be there with my dad.
Saturday morning we left for the airport. We all flew from NZ to Brisbane together, then my dad and I were on a different flight up to Mackay. Our flight was supposed to land 5 min after the group's and we were nervous about missing the big welcome party that would be waiting for us. Well our plane ended up landing about 5 min before the group's so we waited for them and all went into the terminal together.
Our welcome was awesome. All the teachers and host families were there to meet us. Plus there were some aboriginals and other natives to Aus there to perform some dances for us. It was a great way to start our time in Mackay. Saturday night we went to Mr. Greer's house for a BBQ. It was a nice way to get to know some of the teachers.
Our first day at the school started with a tour. In the afternoon there was a whole school assembly where we were all introduced. Day 2 at the school I went to the Sugar mill with some of the other parents. We got to see how they process the sugar cand and then got to tast test some of the products they make right at the mill. Some of that stuff was awesome!! We got back to school around noon and ate some lunch. Then my dad and I went down to the oval to watch the senior school in the athletic carnival. It was a georgous day to be outside.
Today (Wed) we went to The Hut to learn more about the culture of the aboriginal people and the South Sea Islanders. They cooked us a meal the traditional way their people cook, which was very interesting. We learned about their culture and got to do some painting.
At the moment I am waiting for the launch to the Literature Festival. Angela is on 'board duty' (she is watching the kids in the boarding house) and I'm sittin here waiting for dad and Mr. Greer to arrive at the school. I am very excited for this Lit Festival over the next couple of days. Last time we were here it was amazing! Should be a good 2 days :)
Wow...I think that's it for now. When I remember what else we did on our last day in NZ I'll write another quick post lol
Hope all is well. I'll see you all in a few weeks :)
Sarah
Ok I remember what else we did on the 3rd day in NZ. We went to a rainforest and walked some of the trails. It was georgous :) Dont know how I forgot about it lol.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Goodbyes
This last week has been a fun one. On Sunday I went to Sea World. It was a beautiful day and it was a lot of fun. The only thing that would have made it more fun would have been if I could have gone with someone lol. My favorite part of the day was seeing the dolphin show. It was amazing! There was also a pirate show that was really good. There were people tumbling and jumping off of a big ship into the water. It was crazy!
Becca and Karisse got home Sunday night. We didn't do anything too exciting...just stayed in and watched some TV. Monday we spent packing and doing a little cleaning.
On Tuesday we went to a town called Burleigh to go to a wildlife park. We took the bus to Burleigh and from the map online it was only supposed to be a short walk from there to the park. Well we got off the bus and started walking. We saw a few signs for the park so we knew we were headed in the right direction. Then we kept walking and walking. We went up a hill and ended up in a residential area. We didn't want to go any further without being sure of where we were going. So we went back down the hill and to a hospital. We asked a lady where the wildlife park was and she offered to give us a ride there since we were quite a ways away. We accepted the ride gratefully. We were then at the park within 5 minutes. Then we fond out that there was some construction going on so we got our tickets for half price (that was $5!!) Then we got a pass to go back whenever we wanted. It was a pretty small park, but very cool. There was a building with nocternal animals and we got to se 2 palatypus. It was awesome. After we were done going through the park we went to the bus stop. We sat there for an hour before the bus came along. Then we had about an hour bus ride home, but we finally made it back.
Wednesday was Movie World day. The only thing that would have made that day better would have been less rain. It rained on and off all day. And I'm not just talkin about a nice sprinkle. Im talkin about it pouring rain on and off. We went on most of the rides and they were all pretty good. The best in my opinion was the Superman Escape ride. It was sweet!! There was also a Batman ride, a Scooby-Doo ride, and a Lethal Wepon ride. We saw a Shrek 4-D movie and did some shopping. It was a really fun day.
Thursday morning I took one of my suitcases to the Greyhound station to ship it to Mackay. It has already made it there and been picked up. The rest of Thursday was for more packing. And at midnight we watched Brazil and Portugal play in the World Cup.
The rest of the weekend was used for packing and cleaning up the apartment. Becca had to take a shuttle to the airport at 4:45 this morning so we said our goodbyes on Saturday night. Karisse took the shuttle at 12:45 this afternoon so i helped her finish cleaning up this morning and got her stuff down to the shuttle. No tears were shed, but I plan on visiting them in Washington as soon as I can.
Its been pretty lonely here since they left. But I'm only in the apartment for a couple more days, then I leave for New Zealand on the 6th where I'll get to see my daddy!!
Hope all is well!
Sarah
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Done :)
Well it's official!! I am done with classes for the semester :) I was done with all my lectures by the 3rd, but I just finished all my exams. It feels so good to be done and not have to worry about school anymore.
This week I have had the apartment all to myself. David left for China for 3 weeks on Sunday. Becca and Karisse went on a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, they also left on Sunday. Then Callum started moving some of his stuff out a couple weeks ago and hasn't been around. I think he has got another place for next semester, but since he doesn't really talk to any of us that much I'm not really sure. lol
It's been kind of nice having the place to myself since I've been studying a lot. But now that I'm done with classes I'm excited for Becca and Karisse to get back. This next week should be pretty fun. I plan on going to Sea World one day and Movie World (which is kinda like Universal Studios) another day. It should be a really fun week, but sad at the same time, since it will be Becca's and Karisse's last week here :(
Thats it for now.
Sarah
Friday, June 4, 2010
Time Flies
Wow...I can't believe its already June! This last month has flown by. I only have one more month on the Gold Coast. Then I will meet my dad and the group from Jim Hill in New Zealand then we will head up to Mackay for 3 weeks, then finally I'll get to come home!
The past couple weeks have been good. The 25th was my 21st birthday :) We didn't celebrate that night since we had class the next day. Thursday we went out to eat then we came back to the apartment and hung out. It was a great night! I got some cards from my mom, dad, and bro. It was nice getting a little something from home.
This week was my last week of classes!! I never have to go to a physics lecture or lab ever again!! Next week will be a study week. Then I have a physics exam on the 17th and a math exam on the 18th. After that I will be officially done with school for the semester!
I am so excited to finally be done with classes. But when I look back, the semester when by so fast! I can't believe I've already been in Aus for 4 months. I am really looking forward to coming home. I miss everyone so much! I have a feeling that my last two months here will go buy so fast. It will seem like no time at all and I'll be on my way home :)
Cheers!
Sarah
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sydney
Well it has been a while since I wrote anything on here, so here's a fun story for ya!
Last weekend Me, Becca, and Karisse took a trip to Sydney. We left the coast Thursday night around 8:00. Our plane landed in Sydney around 10 then we caught a cab to Freshwater. Becca knows a family there so they let us stay with them for free. When we got there around 10:45, we set our stuff down then Trish (the mom) took us out to the local pub. We weren't there long, since the pub closed at midnight.
Friday we made our way into the city. We saw the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge which were both absolutely amazing! We walked around down town Sydney for the rest of the afternoon. That night we went to a sailing club with Trish and her friends. We got there and found out that the tide was so high that we had to walk through the water to get to the door. When someone went to the door, they found out that it was locked. And of course the guy with the key was running late. So we sat around waiting for the key. We finally got into the building and it was very cool. We sat around and talked for a while. We tried our hand at fishing and Karisse caught an EEL!! Finally diner was ready. We had a great meal and some funny conversation.
First thing Saturday we went to Bondi Beach! When we got there we got some fish and chips for lunch. It was the best fish and chips I've had since I got here. We walked around the beach for a little bit then caught the bus back to the train station. After Bondi we went to Sydney Stadium. We looked around the AFL shop a little bit (Becca bought a Jersey) then left. We found some markets and looked around there. When we got back to the city we went to the Queen Victoria Building. Its a really nice building with really expensive, designer stores. That night was Becca's and my birthday celebration. We had a lot of fun that night.
Sunday we went back to the city. We went to Pancakes on the Rocks for lunch. It was an amazing meal!! We walked around the markets at the Rocks after that. We then walked across the Harbour Bridge. It was so pretty. We went to Luna Park, got in for free, and left about 20 min later lol. We went back to Freshwater early that day. We had a great meal at Trish's house that night.
Monday we stayed in Freshwater. We walked to the mall and walked around there for a bit. Then we went back to Trish's house and just hung out until it was time to head back to the coast. We took the ferry into the city, which was very pretty. From the ferry we took the train to the airport.
None of us wanted to leave Sydney. It is so pretty, and I feel like there was a lot more that I wanted to see and do. Good thing I'm going back in August :)
Hope all is well!!
Sarah
Last weekend Me, Becca, and Karisse took a trip to Sydney. We left the coast Thursday night around 8:00. Our plane landed in Sydney around 10 then we caught a cab to Freshwater. Becca knows a family there so they let us stay with them for free. When we got there around 10:45, we set our stuff down then Trish (the mom) took us out to the local pub. We weren't there long, since the pub closed at midnight.
Friday we made our way into the city. We saw the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge which were both absolutely amazing! We walked around down town Sydney for the rest of the afternoon. That night we went to a sailing club with Trish and her friends. We got there and found out that the tide was so high that we had to walk through the water to get to the door. When someone went to the door, they found out that it was locked. And of course the guy with the key was running late. So we sat around waiting for the key. We finally got into the building and it was very cool. We sat around and talked for a while. We tried our hand at fishing and Karisse caught an EEL!! Finally diner was ready. We had a great meal and some funny conversation.
First thing Saturday we went to Bondi Beach! When we got there we got some fish and chips for lunch. It was the best fish and chips I've had since I got here. We walked around the beach for a little bit then caught the bus back to the train station. After Bondi we went to Sydney Stadium. We looked around the AFL shop a little bit (Becca bought a Jersey) then left. We found some markets and looked around there. When we got back to the city we went to the Queen Victoria Building. Its a really nice building with really expensive, designer stores. That night was Becca's and my birthday celebration. We had a lot of fun that night.
Sunday we went back to the city. We went to Pancakes on the Rocks for lunch. It was an amazing meal!! We walked around the markets at the Rocks after that. We then walked across the Harbour Bridge. It was so pretty. We went to Luna Park, got in for free, and left about 20 min later lol. We went back to Freshwater early that day. We had a great meal at Trish's house that night.
Monday we stayed in Freshwater. We walked to the mall and walked around there for a bit. Then we went back to Trish's house and just hung out until it was time to head back to the coast. We took the ferry into the city, which was very pretty. From the ferry we took the train to the airport.
None of us wanted to leave Sydney. It is so pretty, and I feel like there was a lot more that I wanted to see and do. Good thing I'm going back in August :)
Hope all is well!!
Sarah
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The last couple of weeks haven't been too exciting.
Last Friday Becca, Karisse, and I went to QBar. Its a bar on the 77th floor of the Q1 building down by Surfer's. The bar was really nice, kind of expensive, but well worth it. It was fun getting dressed up :)
On Sunday Karisse and I were planning on going shopping. Then we realized that Sunday was ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day. So everything was closed. So we went shopping on Monday instead. All I had planned on buying was groceries and some gifts. Well I didn't end up getting any of the gifts, but I did get groceries :)
The weather here is still gorgeous. Its starting to get a little cooler at night, but its still been in the mid- to high-70s during the day.
That's it for now. Keeping it short and sweet this week.
Hope all is well
Cheers
Sarah
Last Friday Becca, Karisse, and I went to QBar. Its a bar on the 77th floor of the Q1 building down by Surfer's. The bar was really nice, kind of expensive, but well worth it. It was fun getting dressed up :)
On Sunday Karisse and I were planning on going shopping. Then we realized that Sunday was ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day. So everything was closed. So we went shopping on Monday instead. All I had planned on buying was groceries and some gifts. Well I didn't end up getting any of the gifts, but I did get groceries :)The weather here is still gorgeous. Its starting to get a little cooler at night, but its still been in the mid- to high-70s during the day.
That's it for now. Keeping it short and sweet this week.
Hope all is well
Cheers
Sarah
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