Bridge Climb

As you may know, I did the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb on Monday. And it was amazing. We did the night climb, so we got to see the sunset from the bridge, and later see the city all lit up. I actually have a fear of heights, but it wasn't scary at all. The only semi-scary part was climbing down the ladders on our way back. I've always hated climbing down ladders. BUT ANYWAY. It was glorious. Probably one of my favorite things that I've done while I've been here.

WE DID IT! (Even though this picture isn't from the top...)

There was even a proposal on our climb! It was adorable. I somehow missed the whole thing, and there was one person behind me, and then the couple. I think everyone was oblivious, until our climb leader said he had good news, and then said, "____ just asked ____ to marry him and she said yes!" (Yeah, I forgot their names.) It really made me wish the hot guy behind me would decide to propose to me...no such luck.

I kind of thought I'd have more to write about this...anyway...here are the bridge stats:

Yeah...that's the back of the sweatshirt I bought. For those of you who don't understand meters, the bridge is 400+ FEET tall. And the length...well you can convert that yourself.

Sooooo.

Yeah, yeah it's been forever since I blogged last. But that's only because I have done nothing. Buuut on Friday afternoon I went to Wollongong, where there is another university. I went with Abby so she could see her friend Jess from her school at home and we stayed with her. Alexis came up Saturday morning and I went back with her Saturday night.

Anyway, Friday night we got dinner and then went out. Saturday morning we had planned to hike up Mount Keira, which Jess said takes about 3 hours to the top and back. So, after a slow start to the morning...we ended up taking the hike. I know I mentioned before that I went bushwalking VERY hungover one day a couple of months ago, and it cured my hangover. Basically, same situation yesterday. I couldn't believe we actually made it to the top. I was so proud. Oh and we saw a guy hiking down the mountain barefoot...I was creeped out. So on the way down, Alexis and I went ahead of Abby and Jess. Bad idea. We ended up getting lost. We took this trail that was all steep hills all the way down. It was a little terrifying. And Alexis lost her keys somewhere along the way...yikes. I did see a herd of deer in the wild though, which I didn't think I'd ever see in this country. When we got to the bottom, we were on some farm, and went to a house and asked them to direct us to Wollongong University. Luckily we were close, and once we got to campus we were extra lost again. We finally found the bus stop that we arrived at and Jess and Abby were there waiting for us. They had waited for 45 minutes, apparently, and I felt awful.

After that whole debacle, we had delicious fish and chips and walked around Wollongong and saw the lighthouse and the beach and such. It is a really pretty area. Alexis and I had planned on taking a train at 8 or 9 o'clock back to school, but we were basically out of things to do by 5ish, so we took the 6 o'clock train instead. I was so anxious throughout the whooole ride to just get home and shower and pass out. And that's exactly what I did. I slept until about 10:30 this morning...which is freakishly late for me lately.

Today I am holed up in the library writing a paper, and tomorrow evening I am going to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, so I'm really excited about that.

Should've been a farm girl.

As you may or may not know, this weekend I returned to the alpaca farm where I had my country life weekend in early March. I will get that next, but first I suppose I should fill you in on my life since my last blog post. Basically...nothing happened. Except Anzac Day. I went in to the city for the parade with Abby, Sara, and my mother. It really made me realize how little we do for Veteran's Day at home...kind of sad. There were groups of different veterans and soldiers marching, and also bands and such. For some reason there were about 43802 groups of bagpipers...I didn't know bagpipes were so big in Australia. But anyway, bagpipes always make my mom cry, so she had an emotional day. Aside from that, my parents went back to the 'homeland' or 'old country,' as my dad wouldn't stop referring to it. I also went out for the first night in basically two weeks...but there are no fun stories there.

SO. The farm. I have decided that I should've been a farm girl. Actually, I always wanted to live on a farm when I was little. Man, would I be in good shape. But seriously. Fiona picked us up from the train at about 6 pm on Friday and it was already dark, so we didn't go see the alpacas. We had delicious dinner and dessert, as usual, and then Ian got back from being in Queensland for work. We chatted a bit by the fire and went to bed. The next morning we accompanied Fiona on the morning feedings, and also learned to drive the Gator! It was so fun. I'm terrified to go home and start driving again, since it's been so long and I'm used to seeing cars drive on the left side of the road now, but driving the Gator may have helped ease my nerves a little. The steering wheel was on the left side, so that also made it easier for Sara and I to comprehend. Obviously, it is a lot simpler to drive than an actual car...

We got to witness more spit-offs (or the alpaca pregnancy test that I described in my previous blog about the farm). Saturday afternoon we went up on the hill and literally picked up rocks. We were finding rocks for Fiona and Ian's rock wall that is being built in their front yard. Somehow, it was fun. Everything we do on the farm is fun. We did the evening feeding of the alpacas as well. After that, Ian drove us around in search of wildlife. We still had not seen a wombat in the wild, so we were hoping to see one. We ended up seeing two, and some kangaroos and rock wallabies. There was also an owl, but I just barely saw it. We went back for dinner, and after dinner, Ian took us out again. That's when the best thing ever happened. We were driving along and then an animal was on the road in front of us. We all thought it was a wombat at first, but it turned out to be a KOALA. Koalas are endangered, so it's rare to see them in the wild. Ian has lived there for 10 years and seen 3. Sara and I were there for two weekends and saw one...soo, I'd say we were pretty lucky. We ended up seeing another wombat and some more roos/wallabies, but they paled in comparison. That was my Cinco de Mayo. I even went to bed at 10 pm. I'm quite the party animal, but it was an exhausting day.

Sunday we got to see Fiona and Ian trim some nails, and also trim the fighting teeth that male alpacas grow. It was interesting. Oh, and the last time we were on the farm, there were two very pregnant alpacas...this time we got to see their babies. (Baby alpacas are called cria, actually.) One of them was only a week old! The other was three or four weeks old. They were adorable, and we even got to hold the smaller one. I can't believe I actually won't be going back to the farm again before I leave...it makes me all emotional! I will miss Ian and Fiona, and Trema (the dog) and the alpacas.

It's quite nice.

Today I finally had to return to classes after seventeen glorious days of break. Lucky for me though, I still haven't started back at work, so I didn't have to work after class today as usual. Also lucky for me, I basically don't have class on Tuesdays because I always skip the one lecture I have. And once again lucky for me, there is no class on Wednesday because it is a public holiday. And Wednesday is my least favorite day of classes. In the past week I have done a lot of chillin' with the parents.

Last Sunday I met my parents with two of my friends at a shopping centre near where my parents are staying, then went back to their apartment and hung out a while. We went out to dinner and then watched some Australian TV. (For all you Americans that watch The Voice...the Australian version is much better. Even though I've watched like half an episode at home.)

Last Monday my parents came to the Village and got to see my place. As I expected (and even with warning from me) they thought it was disgusting. At least only downstairs is disgusting, though, so we hung out in my room upstairs for a little bit and they got to meet more of my friends. After they left in the afternoon I think we just hung out. I think I also Skyped my wonderful little for at least an hour and a half...it was much needed.

On Tuesday my parents, Abby, and I all went to the Sydney Aquarium in Darling Harbour and then had lunch. The Aquarium was really crowded which made me hate everything at times...but somehow I made it through alive/without punching anyone. We took a water taxi from there to the Opera House and I bought the print that I hadn't stopped thinking about since we toured the Opera House in March. It was a very solid purchase. My room senior year is going to be decked out with Australian things.

On Wednesday I went shopping in Hornsby again with Katie and my mum. I was trying to find a bridesmaid's dress for my brother's wedding in August...which I all of a sudden got really stoked for. I had no luck though. After shopping, I went back to Normanhurst with my mother and Sara and Abby came up to the apartment later. We got Chinese food from a place there and then...watched more Australian TV. (The TV in our flat is really fuzzy and gets like five channels...so all we ever watch is Friends.)

On Thursday I went to the city with both of my parents. We shopped a little, and I found the dress that I will possibly be wearing to the wedding! Annnnd now I'm even more excited. We walked to the Museum of Contemporary Art after shopping. It was fairly small, and some of the art was just weird...you know, because it's contemporary. But some of it was cool. The best part was probably the view of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House from the roof...even though I've seen those approximately 437289 times now. They never get old.

Friday was the celebration of my friend Sara's 21st birthday! During the day, Abby and I bought some necessary supplies, such as mixers, two cakes, frosting, candles, and a boa for Sara to wear, of course. We decorated the cakes and brought them to Sara's. We ended up going in to the city to Scubar, which is the place where we went out the very first night we were in Sydney! And Friday was the first time I've been back since. It was pretty fun. When we were in the city we saw a flyer for S Club 7's upcoming Australian tour and just about had a panic attack. So of course, when we got back we purchased tickets for their June 1st show in Sydney. I am sooo excited for that.

On Saturday I went in to the city with my mum. We did some souvenir shopping, walked through the Botanical Gardens, had lunch, did more souvenir shopping, and had Starbucks. Australians hate Starbucks coffee (the ones I've talked to about it, anyway) and this is the second time I've had it while I've been here. If you know me, that may surprise you.

On Sunday, Abby and I woke up horribly early to go on a trip down the Hawkesbury River with my parents (Ron & Jan) and the people whose apartment they are staying in (Ron & Jan). There was a long drive with sightseeing along the way, and history and such. We were driving along the Convict Trail. We stopped at a small village with an Inn and basically nothing else...and there were SO MANY CARS. Ron (not my dad) said that there are usually about two cars there when they stop there. Turns out, there was a folk music festival happening. There were cars with Western Australia license plates. For you Americans, the distance from Western Australia to New South Wales is basically the distance from our West coast to East coast. After that short stop, we went to Jan & Ron's cabin on the river (that I don't know the name of). Abby and I went tubing! It was so much fun...but girls are required to wear wet suit bottoms in the water there...that was an interesting experience. I wasn't expecting to get to go tubing, so that was definitely a wonderful surprise. And of course, we went back to my parents' and watched The Voice.

That's about it...later today I am going to see The Lucky One, since I read the book and it was amazing and made me cry... And then dinner at my parents' place and...watching The Voice. Standard.

I fell down a sand dune.

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!

Pre-Gold Coast!

So today is my first day off for mid-semester break! I have seventeen glorious days off, and tonight I am leavin' on a jet plane to the Gold Coast with Abby and Alexis! We have a rockin' itinerary set up, so basically it's gonna be great. But I thought I'd fill y'all in on the random things that have occurred since my previous post.

Sunday was April Fool's Day, and Abby and I were being super studious in the library, when we get a text from our housemate Katie that said, "Did you leave your doors open because I didn't and now mine is open," and one from Alexis saying, "I just went to your place and Katie was outside talking to an RA...apparently someone broke in." So Abby and I were just trying to process this information, and being really relieved that we both had our laptops and wallets and cameras with us. I also had my iPhone with me so that was good. Anyway, we go back and there's a chair tipped over in our living room (real discreet...) and the shoe rack that is randomly on the landing upstairs was disassembled (random?). My passport was not missing, thankfully. The only things gone were my purse (which had a mirror and some chap stick in it at the time and nothing else) and a bottle and a half of alcohol. So the RA who was there turns to Abby and I and said we would have to make a statement to the police when they arrived. He said that Alexis would tell us how to make a report. She said, "All right, first, you write April....and then you write Fool's." We DIED. They totally got us...it was embarrassing, and I was a liiittle angry at first but then I was just proud of them for pulling off such a grand scheme. Oh, and after that debacle, Abby and I were attempting to do homework again in the admin building (didn't work...our concentration was killed after that) and I realized that my phone time and my computer time didn't match. Turns out it was Australian Daylight Savings Time...and we realized TWELVE HOURS LATER. Fail. When I got here, the time difference was 19 hours...but since, it has changed to 18, and then 17. The time difference is smaller, but for communicating with people, it's bigger. It used to be that I knew it was 5 hours later at home, but the day before...and now it's 7. And I hate it.

Wednesday was a superhero themed party at the Ranch. Obviously I wore a cape and leggings with swimsuit bottoms over them. I also taped a sign that said, "Super Mattie" to my shirt. It was kind of a letdown though...it was way too crowded and I just wasn't feelin' it.

Thursday (last night) was a traffic light party, annnnnd GREEN MEANS GO. Oh and pink apparently means, "back off, please" according to Alexis...red is too mean or something. Haha. When we got to Ubar, we danced a little, and then Abby and I went to get pizza. We were sitting there eating and this guy (with crazy hair) came and asked if he could sit at our table. We said sure. His friend came over a little later... But anyway, he was telling us how he owns a KFC franchise... (Uh, good for you?) And then we were talking about our ages...we were failing at guessing his, so we made him guess ours. He guessed 21 for both of us, which is correct. He then told us the secret to guessing a woman's age is to look at her knuckles... Um, okay... Anyway, turns out his friend is 27 and KFC guy is...drumroll...35 years old. Like, what? Just because you live close to the university bar doesn't mean you should come. "He doesn't even go here!" Mean Girls reference. Okay, I'm being ridiculous now. I think it's because I'm so excited for this break! Wooooo!

All right, that's it for now. Expect a loooong blog about Gold Coast in about a week.

"Sexymite"

Sooo, it's been quite some time since I posted last. Mostly because the memory card reader and the USB ports on my laptop decided to stop working so I was without my own computer for about four days. Thank goodness for three year warranties. But that's not important right now.

A week ago Wednesday this group called Bombs Away was performing at the Ranch. The party was pirate themed. I was sooo excited for this because when I first got to Australia I kept hearing this song at all the clubs and it became my jam. Turns out it is by Bombs Away, and then I found out they were coming! So that was great.

Last Saturday, we finally made it to Bondi Beach! I loved it. It was gorgeous, had a lot of cool shops and stands, and it was a really nice day over all. I bought myself some souvenirs and got my tan on.

The following Monday, we went to the Hunger Games. (Monday night is $8 movies for students...so that's our movie night.) Here's the thing:  I didn't read the book, and in the beginning of the movie my friend Abby and I--we made commentary throughout the ENTIRE movie--were talking about how messed up the premise of the movie was. Anyway, about 20 minutes into the movie we finally got reeeeally into it. We were also confused about the whole Katniss thing...I thought her name was Candace for a while and people just sucked at talking. And then I just wanted to call her "Cat-ness" or "Catnip." Also...Peeta? Definitely thought it was "Peter" the whole time. I don't know why I'm going into so much detail about this...sorry.

Tuesday I laid by the pool and got my tan on again. I feel like I had been losing my tan for a while so I really wanted to do something about it. Haha.

Wednesday we went to the Ranch. Obviously. We do that every Wednesday.

Thursday we went to Ubar. Not much going on...Abby and I were among about six people on the dance floor for a while. Awk.

This Friday was our friend Alexis's 21st birthday partaaay! It was pretty fantastic. I didn't feel quite as fantastic about it the next day...but luckily Alexis, Abby, and I discovered the hangover cure of champions:  bushwalking.

Yesterday (Saturday) we went to Lane Cove National Park (hangovers and all) and hiked for three hours. We saw countless lizards, and when we had finished our hike we ended up all the way at the other side of the park. We definitely had to take a bus back. We had also planned on camping at Lane Cove, so we had bought a bunch of hot dogs and decided we should eat those and pretend we were camping when we got back. Because we are cool. In the evening we went to Luna Park! If you have seen Our Lips Are Sealed, (the Mary Kate & Ashley classic) Luna Park is the amusement park that the girls go to with their surfer men. Oddly enough, the girls in that movie are named Abby and Maddie, so Abby and I decided we really need to find dates to take us there so we can reenact the movie. Luna Park was so much fun! We rode a bunch of rides...the unlimited ride bracelet is normally $40 but last night it was buy one get one free! There were three in our group, but another girl who was in a group of five asked if we wanted to pair up to get the cheaper price. Obviously we did. When we got back from Luna Park, we made s'mores (also with the supplies he had bought for camping). Australia doesn't have graham crackers, apparently...so we had to buy these plain cookie things...and their marshmallows come in bags like candy comes in, and they were pink and white. They also tasted strawberry-ish...it was bizarre.

Today...I work on homework. My last assignment due before TWO WEEKS OFF is due on Tuesday, so I need to get that done. Friday I leave for the Gold Coast! Yeeeeesssssss.