Best. Christmas. Ever.

This Christmas will definately go down in the books as one of the best days. First of all, I got to spend Christmas with some very cool people - mostly from England, but also Scotland, Norway, and Germany. They were so welcoming, and being surrounded by awesome people was what made the day possible.

We went grocery shopping on Christmas Eve and bought enough food for all of us to bar-b-q, 15 people in total. We bought kangaroo kaboobs, steak, prawns, salad, chips, and chicken. Later that day we stole one of the plants off the patio, took it to our room, and decorated it with dollar store christmas decortations. We put all our presents under it, it was the best tree.

The next morning 5 of us got up, had steak and eggs for breakfast, then went and opened all our presents. Santa managed to find all of us, so no one had to go without. Then, with a little work we made it down to Shelly Beach around 10 or 11am. We spent the rest of the day eating, drinking, and swimming. The sun was out and we just could not believe how blessed we were to be here. I am so grateful to all the people we met, they made it the most memorable Christmas.

This is a shot of the beach we were on called Shelly beach.

Back in Sydney

We have been back in Sydney for a few days now, and I love it here. Linda has headed back to Canada and me and Nerida are still in Manly. Yesterday we had a great day, we took the ferry into Sydney, about a half an hour ferry ride. We went to Paddies Market, which is a large flea market. We both bought skirts to wear for Christmas. I have really wanted one since I got here, all the girls wear long billowing skirts that look really comfy. Then we walked down to Darling Harbour, there are Chinese Gardens there, and a ton of bars and restaurants looking out over the harbour. We stopped at a cafe and sat outside for a while.

There is also the Aquarium, and we decided to check it out. It had tons of amazing stuff, lots of little turtles, two platypus which are so adorable, crocodiles, jelly fish, sharks, seals....but most imprtantly, a loggerhead turtle! I was beyond excited. He was in a tank that you can walk in and it goes over your head. He was so beautiful and I was just so amazed when I saw him. I have never seen a turtle even clost to that size, he must have been twice as big as the Green Sea Turtle we saw diving. I took a ton of pictures, until my batteries died. And then I jsut sat there, and watched totally stunned by him. Nerida had to drag me away eventually, I could not take my eyes off him.

After that we had a great dinner in Chinatown, and then to a bar called Ambercrombie to listen to some drum and bass. It was a good way to end the day. We caught the last ferry back to Manly.

Adelaide to Uluru

After we spent an amazing few days in Cape Trib it was back to Cairns for one night, then on to Adelaide, or more specifically Glenelg. When we got there it was Sunday night, which is apparently the big party night for them. Our hostel was right by the beach, and the main drag, and it was totally packed. Every restaurant was full, there were huge lines to get into clubs, and there were people everywhere. We had dinner on a patio, and watched all the people go by. Our hostel was nice too, like a big old house.

The next day we headed to a car rental place, because the real point (for Nerida and Linda anyway) was to see wine country. So I agreed if they fed me for two days, I would drive them around so they could get hammered, because really there wasn't anything that interested me in Adelaide.

The first day we drove our to Barossa Valley, and the first winery that we went to was Jacob's Creek. I had never heard of any of the places we went, but apparently this was a famous one. We also went to Wolf Blass, and a bunch of others. The next day we went to McLaren Vale.

So after two days of heavy drinking (for them), we got on a plane to head to the Red Centre, the desert, the middle of nowhere. It is very red, but I was surprised at how green it was. It is the rainy season right now, and there was green bushes and small trees everywhere. The green and the red with the bright blue sky was amazing.

When we got to Alice Springs, our tour guide Kat picked us up to take us out camping for the next three nights. The first day was a lot of driving, and we got to our camp site in time to see the sun set on Uluru (Ayers Rock, although they don't like people to call it that any more). Then we set up our tents. I think that Linda was very shocked that it was real camping, but I was plesantly surprised. I was picturing just us and a tent in the middle of the desert, but we had a kitchen with a fridge and power, I was very excited. That night it did pour, and there was a small leak in our tent on my head, but it kept the heat down so I was grateful for it.

The next morning we got to sleep in, until 6:30am (that was the latest we got to sleep in the whole time). We ate breakfast and drove around Uluru, but then headed out to KataTjuta, otherwise known at the Olgas. Kata Tjuta means 'many heads', and it is rock like Uluru, but instead of one large monolith, it is many big ones together. It has to do with how they were pushed up out of the ground; Kata Tjuta was shoved up quickly and viloently, so the broke into many peices, while Uluru was slow and remained intact. We did a 7.5 km hike through Kata Tjuta, it was really beautiful. It was still raining, but it kept it cool and it was nice. That afternoon we did a short 2km walk at Uluru, and saw some drawings on the wall, as well as the area they used as a kitchen, and where women had to climb up to have their babies. That night we went to a different lookout point and watched the sunset on Uluru. We talked to some Japanese people on a tour, they thought my minimal Japanese was amazing, it was pretty funny.

The next day we got up at 4am, and went to watch the sunrise on Uluru. The reason that Uluru is red is because it is covered in rust, the iron in the rock mixing with the air and water creates rust. In places where the river runs off Uluru, you can see the true colour of the rock, which is a grey. The sun changes the colour of the rock and obviously the sky, so it is a big deal to see it as many times from as many angles as possible. After that we went for a walk around Uluru, which is just over 9km. The first half was ok, and it was all a flat walk, but once the sun came up it got pretty hot, even though we were done by 8:30am. It was pretty amazing, I took tons of pictures. There are some areas that they ask you don't take pictures of, because they are sacred. The also have a place where you can climb Uluru, it is really steep and there is a chain that you have to hold onto to pull yourself up and to get down. Even though you are allowed, the Anagu people who own the land ask that you don't, and our guide said that within the next ten years you probably will not be able to. I didn't want to, you can see how the path the people walk on is worn down from so many people, I think I got to enjoy it much more walking around the base. After the walk we went and packed up all of our camping gear, because we spent the last night at a different camp site.

That afternoon we went to the cultural centre. The land was given back to the Anagu people in 1985, on the condition that they lease it directly back to the governement for 99 years. So now they run the park together, and the people have bulit the culutral centre. There was some interesting vidoes, and really beautiful art. When we were done there, we drove to our new camp ground.

On the last day, we got up even earlier than the other two days, and headed to King's Canyon. I had never even heard of this place before we went there, and I actually thought it was the most beautiful place that we went. We climbed up it, and reached to top in time to see the sunrise. Then we went on a 7 or 8 km hike, and it was absolutely amazing. It was a huge canyon, all of red rock, and it went on forever. We walked down into it to a swim hole called the Garden of Eden, and then back up and around. This is a picture of me at the swim hole with three amazing French women I met, two from Quebec and one from southern France. I have been so forturnate on this trip to meet so many amazing people from all over the world, and from home.

That afternoon we got on a plane back to Sydney. I was really amazed by the Australian Outback, it was more beautiful than I could have imagined, but I was glad to be heading back to the city. We returned to the Steyne Hostel where I will be staying until January 1st. I was orignially going to fly to Perth for New Years, but I have decided I cannot miss the big fireworks display in the Sydney harbour. So for the next few days it is going to be all relaxing on the beach.

I Saw My First Sea Turtle!

I have had such a busy few days. We arrived in Cairns, and the next morning a tour bus picked us up to head to Cape Tribulation. First we stopped at a small wildlife center which was like a zoo but you could walk up to the animals and interact with them. We ate breakfast with the birds, which anyone who knows my bird phobia will know I did not find very fun. They were flying all over the place, one with a really long curved beak took a sausage right off a womans plate, I have no idea how he managed to eat it. Then a parrot landed on our table and drank Linda's juice. I was glad to be done eating, it felt like a pretty stressful breakfast, even if it was beautiful.

We went to the koala area, and they were about to start a koala experience. So by giving a donation you could go in an pet the koala, and we met one name Pedro. He was so cute. His fur felt a little like wool, but softer. Australia is full of so many cool animals, I don't know if I could ever get used to them. They have kangaroos just hopping alongside the highway, and emus wandering around in the smaller towns. Before I left home I thought more about the snakes and spiders, but I haven't seen any snakes and only a few spiders (although I think I saw the one that eats birds, it was pretty big). But it is the other animals that blow my mind. I guess that is what people think about Canada, when they think of moose and bears.

Then we went into the area where the kangaroos were. You were supposed to stay on the path, but we had to leave soon, so we took the kangaroo food Linda bought and headed up a little hill where they were all hanging out and fed them. It was so awesome. The big ones kept their distance, but the smaller ones ate out of our hands and let us pet them. There are a ton of different kinds of kangaroos, and they all different sizes. I guess some of them do actually box, they get up on their tails and kick with their feet, and they grab each other in a way that looks like they are punching each other. I haven't see in, but it sounds pretty funny, I imagine the cartoons where they are wearing boxing gloves.

Then we got back on the bus and headed to a place called Mossman Gorge. Our guide took us on a walk into the rainforest, and then to a place where you can swim. In this area, you can't swim in the ocean because of box jelly fish that can kill you and you can't swim in the rivers because there are crocadiles. So you have to find swimming holes, and this one was in the rainforest, since that is what the whole area is. It was so beautiful. We swam there for about half an hour before getting back on the bus.
We stopped and ate lunch, in this small town with even more gorgeous trees. I have taken so many tree pictures, they are all different and beautiful. At home you get used to looking at the same few types of trees over and over, but here it seems like every tree you look at is one you have never seen before. I can't look in enough directions at once. Many of the trees have other plants, like ferns or vines growing in them, and the fern leaves grow down the tree and can make it look really cool. The ones in this town made the trees look hairy.

We then headed to the Daintree river, and took a boat ride down it looking for crocadiles. We saw one that I'm still convinced was just a log, a baby that was as cute as a crocadile can be, and then a big one with his mouth wide open. There was also a little green tree frog who came on our boat for the tour too.

After that we continued on to our hostel in Cape Trib, called PK's Jungle Village, which it really was, since it was right in the middle of the rainforest. It is in the middle of a bit of land that pokes out from the ocean, so you can walk to a beach on either side, even if you can't swim in in, it was of course beautiful. Right by there is the only place the rainforest meets the reef, and also the only place where two World Heritage sites overlap. Even the sand looks like art, these patterns are all down the beach.

The thing about the area all around Cairns is that you can't swim in the river because there are crocadiles and there are box jelly fish in the ocean, so this time of year you really can't swim anywhere except waterholes (we found a good one you can jump of the little cliff), or certain areas of the beach that are netted off so the jelly fish hopefully can't get through. But if you do feel like going in the water, there is vinagar next to this sign that you can pour on yourself. It wont fix anything, but it will stop it from getting worse.

The next day we went out on a boat to go to the coral reef. I was pretty nervous since my first experience on a boat was not very plesant, but I was more prepared this time and it was ok. When we got out there, I decided just to snorkle rather than dive. The reef in some place is very close to the surface, it is close enough to touch. There was so many kinds of fish to look at, but the reef itself was the most interesting. It is not all connected, there are small sections of it, and each kind was a different shape and colour. I, of course, was searching for turtles though.

I didn't find one, then we went back to the boat to eat. I didn't eat much cause I wasn't feeling to hot, and then I went out to try again. I still couldn't find one, and the waves were much higher in the afternoon, so finally I gave up to ly down on the boat. I was lying on the reef when I hear someone yell "Turtle!" I stood up and asked someone where the sound had come from, but they didn't know, so I laid back down. Then I hear someone yelling "KRISTIN! TURTLE! GET OUT HERE! I'M FOLLOWING HIM!!". I climbed down, and one of the crew said I couldn't go cause we were leaving soon, but Linda keeps yelling, so of course I go. She was pretty far from the boat, so I was really out of breath when I reached her cause I swam like mad. Then I stuck my head under and there he was. I don't even know how to explain it, amazing itsn't enough. I think I would have cried if I hadn't been so excited. We swam with him for a while, and it didn't even seem real. I tried to swim close to him, and Linda had her underwater camera. I hope thoes pictures turn out, but even if they don't I will never forget it. I will alway remember on December 8th, 2005 I saw my first turtle.

The next day we went Jungle Surfing, which is basically going on a zipline throught the jungle. It wasnt really a thrill kind of thing, it was just getting to see the jungle from way up in the air. I took about a hundred pictures of trees, I just thought they were so amazing.

Heading to Cairns

Yesterday we did our first open water dive in Byron Bay, and I was so excited for it. I couldn't wait to get in the water, and see turtles and swim with them. This pic is our diving instructor, Thomo, who was really great. Unfortunately, I think my first dive might be my last. I got really sea sick on the boat ride out there, even though it was only 5 minutes. They told me once I got in the water I would feel fine, but I just felt worse. Going down the rope killed my ears, even though I went really slow. By then with not feeling good, even the slight current down at the bottom made me sick, and when we got back to the surface and had to float on the waves while we waited for the boat did me in, I got so sick and swalloed tons of sea water. I felt awful the rest of the day. I couldn't do the secong dive. We are heading to Carins today, where we were supposed to do two more dives, but I think I might stick to snorkling.

Not that it was all bad, it was actually really cool. This picture is the beach in Byron, an the rocks in the back ground are called Julian Rocks, and that is where the dive was, in a spot called The Nursery. I saw a sting ray the size of the roof of my car, even the divers said they'd never seen one so big. We saw all the fist from Finding Nemo, and I saw a Wobblegong shark, and a Grey Nurse shark, which other divers have told me is very rare and we are lucky to have seen it. I had to look away though, even I knew it was there I was scared to look at it. I didn't see any turtles though, but I'm sure when I get to where I am volunteering I'll see lots. So even if I never dive again, I'm glad I did it.

We have to go catch the bus now, to go to Brisbane where we catch the plane to Cairns (it feels like we never stand still!). Bye for now.

First Few Busy Days

Well, it feels like we haven't sat still since Wednesday when we left Canada, and today is Sunday. We spent one night in Sydney in an area called Manly. Our hostel was right across the street from the beach, and it was beautiful. We will be going back to that hostel in three weeks. I dipped my feet in the water but didnt swim cause I was so tired.

The next day we left and flew to Brisbane, were we caught a bus to Byron Bay, which is where me and Linda are now. We left our friend Nerida in Brisbane to get ready for her classes. We are staying at the Arts Factory, which comes highly reccommended, and I really like it. Bryron Bay seems to be where a lot of hippies ended up, its a cool town, really pretty. The hostel has dorms, camping, tippis..we are staying in a dorm. I really like it, it is hard to describe what it is like though. There are amazing green lush plants every where you look, and today I swam in the ocean. Tomorrow is what I am really looking forward to, we are doing our first open water scuba dive and we will hopefully see sea turtles, and of course I cant wait. I hope to get some pics on here soon, but we are rushing around so much here. It feels like we havent sat still in days. Tonight at the hostel is dub and regga at the pub, and a bar-b-q, so that should be relaxing.

On the bus on the way here we met our first travellers Dave and Melissa, and they ended up being from Nanton, Alberta. They said they were from Canada, and when we told them we were too, they asked if we had ever heard of Alberta, which made me laugh. They ended up being from Nanton, less than an hour from where we live. I expected to meet people from all over the world, but not Nanton. It's cool to think that this is only the beginning of the people we are going to meet.