Well wow, where to start...
I just recently came back from my Australian safari! Three weeks traveling Australia with 30 other exchange students on a big coach party bus.. Best three weeks of my life! The ramble so incredible! Words cant even describe how amazing it was! We saw so many fantastic sights I made so many new friends and it just was the best time ever! I never wanted the safari to end, if i could be on safari for the rest of my life i would in a heart beat thats how amazing it was!
At first I wasnt really looking forward to the ramble just because i was having such a great time in the bay with movin into my new host family and hanging out with friends and being on holidays so no school. :) But the ramble was absolutely more than i imagined it could ever be! :D
We started on April 18th, the night before i had got all packed, i packed alot of jumpers and pants and socks becaues they told us it will get cold, and it did. Going to bed some nights with four jumpers on and three pairs of trackies i was still froze. Oh dont forget to keep in mind the safari consisted of camping.. Yup, camping. rain or shine.. Haha well anyways around noon on the 18th the big coach bus pulled up at the train station in maitland, half of the students were already on some of the exchange students from sydney had gotten picked up way earlier than us. Rotary had given us all big blue duffel bags for this trip and we werent allowed to pack over 20 kilos, so that was a bit of a challenge but it all worked out in the end :)
So we got picked up in maitland and everyone on the bus was a bit shy at first and were only speaking to their close friends.. that shyness lasted one night. Haha then it was as if we had all known eachother our whole lives which was a great start to the safari!
After about five hours of traveling plus bathroom breaks we had arrived in coffs harbour. It was dark when we arrived so we all had to watch the demonstation of putting up and taking down tents in the dark. Annick my bestfriend from Belgium and I shared a tent the whole trip! It was a blast. The first night we had the worst luck though, we got a faulty tent, or set up our tent in the wrong spot, or the rain was only pounding down on our tent.. but we got soaked! I woke up in the middle of the night in a big puddle, the rain somehow got in our tent and it soaked through my mattress pad, my sleeping bag, and my clothes. Plus our big blue bags were completely dripping wet, and all our other bags were soaked. So... we were not happy campers and I wanted to go back home already cause the first night was so wet and cold and miserable plus my ipod was in my back pack which was sitting in the puddle of water and that got wet and broke. :( So to start off safari i wasnt keen at all. But then i looked past all the negatives, got up the next day bright and early and tried to laugh it off to change the tone of my mood, it worked :) plus i hung out all my wet stuff at the next campground so it was dry within two days.
Day 2: April 19th, we woke up bright and early with our swimmers on already and we were headed to Byron Bay for surf lessons at the best surfing location around byron! I was so excited for this, I had only been surfing a few times and it definately is harder than it looks! So we all got changed into our wetsuits and the instructers were cute too so that was already a plus! haha, we headed down to the beach and they went through the basics with us like teaching us the right way to stand up and how to keep your balance then we paddled out to sea. The waves werent heaps big which ended up being a good thing for us starters. The instructers helped us catch the first couple of waves but after about 5 times standing up and riding the wave through we were ready to go on our own! Surfing was a blast everytime someone got up the whole group would cheer and it was just a super fun atmosphere to be in. Plus im pro surfer now ;) i wishhh haha. After a long day of surfing we just chilled on the beach got a lil tanand the we were to board the bus again to head back to the campground in byron bay. To our surprise once we got to the campground The tents were set up already for us!! The cook and the driver set up 16 tents on their own, that definately made our day because we wanted to get ready as soon as possible to head into town and do some shopping and sight seeing. Byron bay is thee coolest town ever! Its so hippy like with those big hippy vans everywhere and people with dreadlocks, everyone was just so chilled and they had the sickest shops. I would absolutely love to live in Byron Bay some day! :) It was beautiful too! Loved it so much didnt want to leave. So after we hit the town we had to try and find our way back to the campground, hahah we got lost and were late for dinner. After dinner all the exchange students just hung out and Annick and I stayed up heaps late. Actually nearly every night Annick and I were up till 2am laughing, or singing, or just talking. We were always having a blast so glad that we shared a tent :)
Day 3: April 20th - Today we head in to the fun capital of Australia today! We got up heaps early and the cook (Mel) made us pancakes for breakfast, that put everyone in a happy mood and everyone was so excited to head to Dreamworld! :D Dreamworld was amaazingggggggggggggggg! I loved it so much! So many amazing rides like the tower of terror or the giant claw! Had the best day of riding rides and hanging out with friends. Each day on safari i would say "okay today was by far the best day nothing can beat this!" and i ended up saying that like 20 times because every day of activities was so great! :) After a couple hours at dreamworld we head back on the big party bus and travel north up the coast to coolum beach where we set up camp and have a nice dinner cooked by our lovely cook :)
Day 4: April 21st - Today we head more north passing through the country towns of Nambour and Gympie. The sight of the Tropic of Capricorn marker signals that we are passing through Rockhampton, the beef capital of Australia. We stopped quickly for some photos. Today was just a long day on the bus with about nine hours of driving, We all suddenly realise how big australia actually is. The temeratures are getting warmer. After a long day of watching movies and trying to sleep on the bus everyone is excited when we finally reach our destination. Rockhampton :)
day 5: April 22nd - Waking up early to try and get on the road early but one problem, the bus breaks down and we have to wait an hour to get back on the road again. Just another long day of traveling! After about 8 hours of travel we finally start to see the crystal blue waters of the Whitsundays! :) Set up camp about 20 metres from the beach, fun night with the students around the city and fall alseep to the sounds of the waves :)
day 6: April 23rd - We wake up bright and early once again and everyone is keen as a bean for ocean rafting and snorkeling the whitsundays! Yaaaaay :) Ocean rafting was great! We couldnt have asked for more perfect weather it was a beautiful blue sky and completely sunny :) nicest day yet. we all got in the ocean raft and they gave a litttle bit of a ride swerving all over and going through waves it was great and we were also racing the other raft and they would make more waves for us to go over. It was a great feeling of such nice weather and the wind blowing your hair back and the atmosphere of all the excited exchange students was amazing:) best feeling ever. we then finally arrived to the snorkel spot, they handed out all the equiptment and off we were free to snorkel whereever we wanted for a few hours it was so cool! The water was so clear and blue and the fish were so bright and colourful! I took so many photos. We had to wear wetsuits here because there are little jelly fish in the water that sting you and i got stung a couple times, really hurts at first but after a while the pain went away and off again i was snorkeling :) after snorkeling we got back on the raft and were headed to the witsundays lookout where we hiked through the jungle and got the the most photographed scenery in australia. it was gorgeous! we could see the bright blue clear water and the beautiful sandy beaches and islands. it was literally picuture perfect! :) after this little walk we board back on the rafts and we are starting to get hungry we head to Whitehaven Beach (one of the top beaches of the world) I definately can tell why :) It was pure paradise! We had a picnic on the beach and swam and played touch footy on the beach and tanned and hung out with friends and relaxed! Had the best day! :) Whitehaven beach was amazinggg! I wish I could have stayed there for ever! The sand what whiter than white, the water was bluer than the sky and i was happier than ever just being there :) We had to eventually leave though, so we head back on the raft for the last time and they bring us back to where we got on at. We head back to camp and hangout with the studnets again with another nice dinner and desert :) another late night of course.. haha and we have to be up early again!
Day 7 : April 24th - Today we pack up camp and head back on the bus for a long day of travel heading to Cains, the tropical home of thhe Great Barrier Reef! Everyone was gettin keen for scuba diving! Set up camp again and head into Cains for a little loook around. I absolutely loved Cains it was so much fun. We didnt have to set up tents either, we were staying in bunks! Three nights in Cains, my favourite bit of safari :) had a fun night out in town then head back to the bunks for some sleep cause tomorrow would be a busy busy fun day!
Day 8: April 25th - Well we all know what today is.. the day I have been waiting for! SCUBA DIVE THE GREAT BARRIER REEF! :) Scuba diving and snorkeling the reef definately looked up to my expectations. A highlight of my life! <3
We woke up early again and we board the bus to head to the jetty for the fun filled day ahead of us :) We got on the boat and there were nearly 60 people there. We had a bacon and egg sandwich for brekky on the boat with fruit pieces. And for ages we just layed out on the top of the boat and just relaxed untilll the boat crew called everyone downstairs for the introductions and they had to splut us in into groups for the scuba diving. We had to go through the instructions of all the gear and all the safety. Then I was put into group number 2 out of 14, so Annick and I were first to dive! Yay :) We got all our gear on and a lead weighted belt, the the oxygen tank on our backs it ended up being super heavy! I didnt wear a wet suit because they werent required and they were uncomfortable. So we hoped into the water and followed our leader, the leaders here were also cute! Hahaa. We only went scuba diving for about half hour but it still was incredible! At first it was super weird when I went under for the first time and I was actually breathing. It freaked me out a bit and it took me a while to get breathing normal but after about 3 minutes i had it down and was ready to go on further to dive the reef :) lots of peeople that day saw turtles and sharks (the kind of sharks that dont kill you) but i never saw either so i was little bit disappointed but still without seeing them the fish at the reef are just amazing. truly undescribable! So bright! So colourful! So many! Different shapes different sizes. You could get close enough to the fish to touch them :) we also saw some clams when we were diving, it was cool cause if you would swim close to the clams and make sudden movement you would watch these huge shells quickly close up! I literally felt like a fish when i was down there, the water was so clear and the corals are beautiful too! So many different colours! Aw I just cant say enough good things about this day cause it was that fantastic!! I loved every single second of it! We got lunch on the boat too and they brought us to another part of the reef where we were free to go snorkeling on our own again. At first i was too scared to go on my own but after a while i preferred going by myself and i just kept swimming and swimming and it was so beautiful and peaceful. I loved it so much! So so so much! I am incredibly lucky to have been able to do what i have here in australia! Well after we got back on the boat and head back to our resort we all got nicely dressed up and headed into the city again for another amazing night out in cains :) Nothin could top this day! I will never forget this day! :)
Day 9: April 26th - Not thinking anything would top great barrier reef day this day came pretty darn close! Today we got on a tour bus and we went to the rainforests and went and swam in water falls. :) it was like picutre perfect! such a great day! and our tour guide was 36 but seemed like he was 16, he was a blast! he would pump his music in the bus and it was a constant party! the tour guide definately made the day! we got so many great photos this day:) swimming in the water falls were freezing but completely worth it ! for once i had an early night and was so exhausted after dinner i just crashed and had a really good sleep :)
Day 10: - April 27th - Today we pack up and head to the airport in Cains, off to Alice Srpings! (middle of australia) Everyone was sad to leave cains cause we had to most fantastic time there but also we were keen to experiance the aboriginal lifestyle and culture of australia that alice springs had to offer us :) it was about a 2 hour flight and we had lunch on the plane. where we were sleepin was in a dorm styled room. once we got to alice springs we met up with the other safari group and had a nice chat! i found more americans! i hadnt talked to another american in months so i was really excited :) after that our safari group had time to shop around alice springs, we went to maccas and got some postcards and some souvenirs :) Alice springs is bit of a rough community, the aboriginal communitiy is a little bit scary. but it was really interesting also! I loved alice springs, i bought some really nice aboriginal painting and got it signed. i was happy about that :) then just another chilled night around the dorm.
Day 11: -April 28th - Today we go and watch a flying doctor program, that was good. And then we headed to the reptile centre and i got to hold a python! that was great! Then we had the rest of the day to hang out in alice, it was a good day :)
Day 12- Farewell to Alice springs and we head to kings creek station and set up camp. we went to kings canyon on a 6 k walk around the canyon. it was beautiful! then back to the station and we have a bonfire and sing songs around the campground and we slept out under the stars! that was great, it was freezing but it was well worth it. the stars are beautiful.
Day 13- Today we got a little ride on a camel! It was so cool haha i liked it alot! Camels are so cute! We then have a long day of driving and arrive in Uluru. Set up tents and another chilled night out :)
Day 14- Early rise this morning and we have to choice to climb ayers rock or not climb it.. being the adventerous girl that i am, i chose to climb it :) people try and encourage you not to climb it because they reckon it is disrespecting the aboriginal culture, but i decided to climb it because i knew i would never get the opportunity to climb it again. and i dont regret it one bit. climbing it was one of the hardest things ive done in my life but once you reach the very top after about an hour and a half or nothing but hard climbinb up this steep steep rock when it is nearly 90 degrees out it was the best feeling in my life! the view was amazinggggggggg! it was so cool! i could see for ages and ages! there was about 8 of us students that made the decision to climb and it was a highlight of my life! it was worth it :) i was so proud of myself because so many times i had just wanted to turn back around cause i thought i was faint of dehydration or heat exhaustion but i made it! yay! i couldnt stop smiling when i made it to the top it was incredible :) :) :) one of my favourite days of the year!
Day 15- Today we headed east and then south arriving in coober pedy, where we slept underground. most of the houses in this little mining town are underground because of the extreme temperatures! it was quite an experiance, but it was a good one.
Day 16- We spent all day on the big bus, slept most of the day and watched a few movies. We finally arrived in Gladstone where we would sleep in a jail tonight. we had dinner in the jail and then after an old man took us on a ghost tour and it was so scary! the told us so many ghost stories and then sometimes if i was walking alone other kids would jump out and scare the crap outta me, i was happy to be leaving the jail the next day! what an experiance though haha
Day 17- Today we say goodbye to the gaol and we head south and spend an hour or twoish of shopping in adelaid. that was great! it was good to see actual people and cars again, back into civilization! :) We then keep driving and set up camp in naracoorte.
Day 18- Today we keep heading south down the coast of australia. we watched an amazin sound and light show explaining the history of the "ship wreck coast" spent the night hanging out with the others it was a really crazy fun night! :)
Day 19- Early rise today and we head down the great ocean road and stop many times to take photos and we see the 12 apostles and rising columns of rock surrounded by tracherous reefs and tides. we then head inland and arrive in the late afternoon at melbourne, the shopping capital of australia. set up camp and get a good nights sleep cause the next day it was time for shoppiiinnnggggg!
Day 20- Today we headed into melbourne and we visited the skydeck where we could see for so far out and we got heaps of photos and then the leaders let us go to explore 8 hours alone in melbourne! yayyyyy it was great! i loved the melbourne shopping we had to catch a tram so we could get to the good shopppig centre, i had sved up my money for melboure and got 2 jumpers, some boots, and lots of postcards and souvenirs was a really great day of shopping i had a blast hanging out with annick and mia (finland) :)
Day 21- Today we had a few hours at the victorian markets! it was really great there because we could bargain with the people and buy stuff for cheaper, i was pretty good at that. ask for a price, if they say no put on a sad face and walk away and then they came chasing every timeeee! :) hahaha so i got what i wanted at the victorian markets. we were then back on the bus for some more travel!
Day 22- last night was freezing cold it got to about negative 5, everyone was trying to keep warm on the bus too, today is our last day, everyone was sad to say good bye to everyone else. i got home at about 6, that was a solid 12 hours of traveling on that bus. was really sad to see safari over but happy to be home again :) i am now moved in with my new host family and i love it here :)
So all in all that was the most amazing 3 weeks of my life! And this took me over two hours to type so pleaseeee commment or ask any questions haha i would be more than happy to hear from all of you that read this!
:)
Tomorrow i am headedc to a big music concert in maitland with the girls, extremely excited! im all tanned up and ready for a fun day! :)
time is going by too fast! will see you americans sooon. take care! love you all!
your welcome for blogging :)
xoxoxox
-Bailee Jo
