So, I have just returned to Sydney from a week-long vacation in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It was absolutely amazing. The adventure started at the Sydney airport. I went with my friends Abby and Alexis, and we decided to see if we could get three seats together. They told us there was an exit row available, and then followed it up with, "Are you all over 15?" Thank you, ma'am, I am definitely over 15. Then we get on the plane, a flight attendant walks us through the exit row procedure, and another flight attendant comes over and says, "Excuse me, but did someone ask how old you guys are?" Really? We actually look 14 or younger? We did the same thing on the way back and were put in an exit row and no one said a word about our age.
We took a bus from the airport to the hostel and it was a struggle trying to figure out where we were going, but we eventually made it. Our room was basically one giant bed...there was a queen-size bed and a fold-out couch, and the ends of both beds met in the middle of the room. We didn't do much the first night because it was late and we were exhausted from traveling. The first day we went to the beach and laid out and played in the waves for a couple hours. After that, we walked to Surfers Paradise to look at the shops and such. That evening, we went on the Backpackers Big Night Out, which included free entry to four clubs and a free drink at each place. The best club was the second, where there was a live band. We actually went home after the third club. As I've said, clubbing is not my scene. I prefer smaller bars.
Our second full day was Easter Sunday. We got a pass to Dreamworld & Whitewater World (Gold Coast is known for its theme parks). We were there from opening to closing. Afterwards, we had planned to go out, but we were just exhausted...again. We ended up finding a delicious kebab place close to our hostel and that was our Easter dinner. We liked it so much that we went there for dinner the next night too...
Monday we went horseback riding! When I was little horses were my absolute favorite animal, and I wanted one of my own more than anything. I even went to horse camp one summer. I haven't ridden a horse in a while but I was sooo excited. My horse was named Zane, and he was just lovely. He walked a little slowly...and he also didn't like mud. Most of the ride was walking...but when we tried trotting, things got interesting. My feet would not stay in the stirrups and it was pretty terrifying. In the middle of the ride, we stopped at the river and had tea and bread with jam.
Zane and I were obviously compatible.
The ride back from horseback riding was interesting. The owner of our hostel had driven us, and he brought his wife and daughter. On the way back his daughter thought it would be a good idea to sit in the back with us...and look at alllll the pictures we had taken that day. Every time there was a picture with one of us in it she would say, "Is that you?!" She did this about 17,000 times with each picture. Kids are tiring and I never want one ever.
Tuesday was our day trip to Moreton Island! The trip left from Brisbane, which is about an hour from where we were, so we had to wake up at 5 am, leave at 5:30, and meet our guide at 7. There were only six of us, plus the guide, so it was pretty laid back. We took an SUV, and the seats in the back weren't like normal car seats, they were up against the side. Anyway, the ferry took an hour and a half, and we got to Moreton Island and went snorkeling around the shipwreck off the beach. We got to feed the fish bread, which was a little terrifying. You would drop pieces in front of you and they would just come right up and splash you in the face and such. There was also a bird that apparently follows all of the snorkeling groups to get the fish that come up to the top for bread. It caught two fish right next to us. Alexis decided to put her hand in the water with bread in it, and 3 or 4 fish bit her fingers and she lets out this terrified scream and then looks like she's crying, and then starts laughing. And then the bird came right up to her and she freaked out a little more. It was pretty fantastic. After snorkeling, we took a drive to the other side of the island. Moreton Island is all sand, with no paved roads...so it was pretty bumpy. We would fly out of our seats on some of the bumps. Next we decided to drive to the freshwater lake on the island, Blue Lagoon, but there was a portion of the road that was covered in water. Our guide, Andrew, got out to see how deep it was. It went to his waist in some places soo we decided we would have to walk there. The water was really brown, and he told us it is because of tea tree oil, from leaves that fall onto the ground. After Blue Lagoon, we ate lunch on the beach. We were starving. After lunch, it was sand toboggan-ing time. We went to "The Desert", which has a reeeeeally steep hill of sand in it.
You can't tell how steep it is from the picture, but the hill is in the background. Anyway, sand toboggans pretty much look like snowboards, but you have to go down the hill on your stomach or sitting down. Andrew told us sitting down was faster, and we're wimps, so of course we started on our stomachs. I was the fifth to go (out of six) and my two friends were already at the bottom. I start down the hill and I'm doing fine, and all of a sudden I'm just rolling down the hill. Once I stopped tumbling, I started cracking up. I wanted to just lay there and laugh for a good five minutes, but I figured I should probably get up so our guide knew I wasn't dead. I was COVERED in sand for the rest of the day. My whole face was like a sand mask. It was not ideal, but the story is great. Walking back up the steep hill was awful, but my second time down the hill I decided to sit down, because I didn't really want to roll down the hill again... Turns out my shorts were too slippery to stay on the board without me slipping off, sooo I had to remove those suckers and go in my swimsuit bottoms. But I didn't fall the second time! And then I stopped. Andrew told us he would buy a drink for anyone who broke the record, which was walking up the hill ELEVEN times. It was achieved by a 10-year-old girl, so basically, it wouldn't be humanly possible for me. After sand toboggan-ing, we had a bumpy drive back to the beach where the ferry would be departing from. We were already getting a longer tour than usual, because the ferry normally picks up at 3:30, but ours wasn't set to arrive until 5. That was fine, because we weren't getting picked up in Brisbane until 9. But...it turns out, the ferry didn't leave Brisbane until 4:50ish...and it takes and hour and a half to get to Moreton Island. And then all the cars had to be loaded on. We had planned to explore Brisbane when we got back, but we didn't have time. It was after 8:30 when we found a place in Chinatown to order food to-go...and then our ride showed up. He had seven other passengers, and they were all complaining about waiting...but we were not about to go without food...it had been nine hours since lunch already. When we got back to the hostel, we were pretty beat...but I had to muster the energy to shower because...you know...I was caked in sand.
On Wednesday during the day, we took the boogie boards provided by the hostel and headed to the beach. When we got there, though, it was cold, cloudy, and really windy. It even started raining. So we decided to get pancakes at Pancakes in Paradise...and we sat there for a good two hours. Then we did some shopping. It was a little rough carrying our boogie boards around with us everywhere we went, and I'm pretty sure one of my friends whacked a kid with theirs, but we handled it. Wednesday night was Dracula's! It was sooo much fun. The night started off with us standing in line, extremely cold. One of the ushers came over to us and said we looked cold. We proceeded to have a very interesting conversation with him. When I told him I was from Oregon he said, "Portland?" which was a shock because most Australians have no idea what/where Oregon is. He decided to give us all nicknames, and he looks and me and says, "Redwood. There are those trees in Oregon, right?" I had to inform him that he was incorrect. He told us we were the first Americans he had ever met aside from one lady who was an illegal immigrant to the States from Panama. He said that she told him she came over on a raft and that the Coast Guard shot at her. He also told us he was born in California and moved to Australia when he was six. He said, "I was excited because of the kangaroos...but I still haven't seen one." Then he went on to say, "I saw one dead on the side of the road once...that was sad." This really doesn't sound as amusing as it was because you can't hear Cat's whiney, soft voice. It was perfect. He told us his dad moved to Sydney with his whore of a girlfriend... He also told us he was the valet (he pronounced the 't') but that he didn't know how to drive a stick...and told us not to tell his boss. "Do you know what a Mercedes is?" We said yes, of course. "Well, one day I had to park one, and it was really nice. It had the cow seats and everything...and it was a stick. I didn't know what to do and then there was smoke coming from under the hood, so I went up to the guy and said, 'Sir, there's something wrong with your Mercedes-Benz...' Now I have been subpoena'd and I don't think that's a good thing..." Later on, when we were inside eating dinner on the lower level, Cat was waiting tables upstairs. Every once in a while we would hear this loud meowing, and look up and he'd be there. Once when he did that he yelled, "Hey, Portland! I'm a Trailblazer!" I was so proud of him. He must've Google'd it or something. He also brought us a 'dead crow'. Anyway, aside from Cat, the food was delicious, and the show was great. There were dirty jokes, good songs (including a Michael Jackson tribute) and weird illusions. I don't really know how to describe it...and pictures weren't allowed. Anyway, when we left Dracula's, Cat was at the door and he said, "Bye America, love you!" And then he started crying as we walked away. He was probably the best part of the night.
Us with Cat! Don't mind that spot on my face...I don't know why that's there.
Thursday and Friday were both pretty much walk around Surfers Paradise and shop days... The weather wasn't the greatest. Plus we were really into the shopping there. But Thursday night we decided to try out this Mexican restaurant chain (Mexican restaurants are really hard to come by here). Abby and I got margaritas, which were delicious. The food was so-so. I decided I will probably hold off on Mexican food until I come home...which will be a struggle.
At least I finally got a marg.
Also, my mom and step-dad arrived on Friday morning! So, from the Sydney airport, Abby and I took the train to where they are staying. We chatted with them and ate cheese and crackers and made plans to go out to dinner tomorrow night and go to the Sydney Aquarium this week! I'mmmm soooo exciiiitedddddd.
Oh, and another thing. Abby and I took a cab back to the Village (aka where we live, if you don't know) from the train station. Right after we started driving, we heard this loud noise. Abby and I were convinced we had hit a bird. We then realized the cab had been egged. The whole ride back the driver kept questioning us! He asked if we knew anything about it, if we had seen anyone, and then asked again if we knew anything about it. He told us they follow girls... What? So these people that egged the cab were in a car and then followed us? I don't think so... He wasn't making sense. I think he was accusing us of being involved in some way...
Well...I suppose I should wrap it up. That's THE FIRST WEEK of my vacation! One more to go, this one with the parentals!
