This is not a drill

Just got dropped off to the hostel where I am staying in Noosa after 3 days and 2 nights of camping and canoeing in the rainforest/everglades.  *Fun Fact:  Here and Florida are the only 2 everglades systems in the world.  This also means I haven't showered or slept for 3 days. 

The story of the last few days needs to start the day before we even left though.  Sunday was Easter Sunday, as it is everywhere.  However, unlike the rest of the bloody world, every freaking store in Queensland is closed.  Not just limited hours--closed all day long for good.  Places that stayed open include fancy restuarants- of which I will not be frequenting- KFC- 10 dollars later and I still wasn't full-  and Subway- one foot long per day is about all I can handle.  11pm rolls around and Chris and I still haven't bought any food for the next days of camping isolation.  7/11 is the only place open with grocery-type things so off we went.  Chris doesn't believe me when I say we can buy food there that isn't hot dogs and is questioning my authority on their inventory of tuna.  As we walk in we go down an aisle and he exclaims 'Look! There's TONS of tuna!!  : D '  ......my face is blank with shock and doubt about if he realizes that he stocking his basket with cat food. 

Up at 7am the next day to finish packing and get out to the parking lot for our 745am pickup.  We get into a van and pick up some others who will be on the trip with us.  We total 10, pairing off to share canoes and tents.  I was planning on bringing all of my things on this little outing but, alas, I could not.  This means that I had to unlock my backpack, on the dock, and quickly grab clothes haphazardly out of my bag.  We load everything into these round plastic tubs with a lid for everything to stay dry and get in the boat.  Past Richard Branson's private hotel property for the use of any of his employees and across a lake to an 'information center'.  By this they mean a shack on the edge of the lake.  Not on shore, mind you, in the lake still.  Surrounded on all 4 sides by water.   Carefully manuevering ourselves and all of our things out of the motorized boat and onto the dock we were all blissfully unaware that that was going to be one of the two best parts of the trip.  (The other one being on the boat on our way back.)  The guy takes off-- leaving us with the canoes still tied up under the shack.

The way to the campsite had nice weather and everyone was gung-ho about canoeing and being out on the water and off on our trip.  About 20 minutes later we realized that canoeing is extremely over-rated.  Or rated perfectly as I had never had an intense urge to canoe and was apprehensive when I saw the map stating our campsite to be so many kilometers away.  Good thing I couldn't convert kilometers to miles or I would have made them take me back immediately. 

We reached the campsite, got the gear and canoes out of the river and scouted out a good campsite to be our base. 

I would like to take this time to thank Dad for making me help set up the campsites every time I didn't want to because at the very least-- I know how.  Chris did not.  From my vague recollections and common sense we got the poles together and strung through the tent and propped it up as best we could.   I wish I could tell you that this is what our tent looked like--

Tent Perfection

But alas....its a little wompy but it did the job

Timothy the Temple



That night it rained.  It was cold.  I had no sweater.  Being completely unprepared for the trip allowed everyone, including us, thank god, to laugh about it while I sat at the bench with my towel and sleeping bag wrapped around me for warmth and comfort.  The 'No Fires' rule meant that it got dark around 6ish but considering we had been up since seven, canoeing and attempting to put a camp together we were all pretty knackered.  Once the rain started pouring there was a mad dash for the tents grabbing anything you could regardless of if it was yours, at least it wouldn't get wet.  

The next day we woke up with rain, ate breakfast with rain, canoed up river with rain and then started our hour long hike with rain.  It was raining so hard though that even though Chris and I were the only ones without jackets, everyone was equally wet and cold. 

We made it to the end of our hike, The Sandpatch, took some pictures and sat around talking.  After a while we went back to our canoes to head back to camp.  Lucky for everyone the rain had ceased and lucky for me Chris wanted to paddle with both oars :)

On a river cruise

Noosa River

After a while I had to paddle again but the rain had stopped for good until the next morning.  This meant we could play cards and drink some goon and have a good time.  The second night was much better than the first, now that we all knew each other and were drinking.  The rain started in the morning again at which point I had to reapply the roof to our tent-- lesson learned, always peg down the tent, but especially always peg down the cover when its windy and rainy.  Its not very fun waking up because water is leaking through the tent on to your face :) 

It may have been miserable but there were some good times and I definitely walked away having built some character and (I hope) some muscle. 

Story Time

I have been in Noosa for 2 days and this is what has happened so far---

Chris and I went out to this club (10dollar entry, SO not worth it) and I was walking around trying to find these guys--wasn't sure if they were even there so I had to do some serious scanning without looking creepy--and this guy is stumbling around and starts coming in my direction. He wants to just get past me but about 2 steps before he reaches me he steps to side, VOMITS, turns back and just keeps going. NO ONE ELSE SAW THIS HAPPEN. He literally projectile vommitted and continued on like it was no big thing. Then people started stepping in it and not even noticing uggggg it makes shudder just thinking about it...so I told a bouncer and he was all casual like oh yeah, the guy in the white? uhh yeah...if he was already on your radar, you shoulda kicked him out buddy. Then this guy starts talking to me and we are chatting and he asks me 1. Where am I from 2. How long have I been in Australia 3. How long have I been in Noosa and where am I going next. He gets up to buy me a drink, comes back, sits down, and asks the exact same questions in the exact same order. He had no idea he was already privvy to this information. So I told him I was going to look for Chris and just left. He probably had no idea he was even talking to someone 2 minutes later. No harm no foul?

Best fight I have ever seen. This happened last night--

This short bald guy who is probably 30ish is fighting with an australian 23ish year old in the parking lot outside the bar that is in our hostel. The former, henceforth known as B, has his arms outstretched telling the latter, Aussie Hottie, to 'bring it'. AH is a whole foot taller than this guy. Eventually Baldy kicks his sandals off and puts his fists up--like they do in the movies, and cartoons. So AH is just telling him to put sandals on, he's not gonna fight him, just put your fucking sandals on. B is refusing. AH picks up one of the sandals, SMACKS BALDY IN THE FACE WITH IT, puts it to B's chest and says again, 'Put your sandals on mate!'
B still doesn't.
AH punches him, once, in the mouth and B goes stumbling back a good 10 feet before falling over.
Security comes over, tells AH he has to leave the property and then shakes his hand. They make B go back to his room by force.

It has been 21 since I last posted.  My bad. 

I've been in Byron Bay the whole time though and not much of interest has happened.  Beach all day- tanning, ocean, volleyball, football and soccer.  Then dinner and going out or watching movies at night.  We were there for a grand total of 6 weeks--5 weeks longer than was planned.  : D  totally worth it. 

Now I'm in Noosa!  Took the bus to Brisbane and then to Noosa.  On the second bus I met some guys from Hawai'i who are in the Coast Guard and just on a two week vacation.  Chris was already here when I got here (my travel buddy for the east coast!)  and the guys are staying here too.  The four of us went sailing yesterday!  I even go to steer the boat :)  while Chris went on a 5hour death trap bike ride.  He got back covered in mud and full of stories about big rocks and steep hills and almost falling.  Exactly why I decided to do the sailing.  All that entailed was sitting and looking out for sharks.  Then at night at the hostel there was this guy playing the guitar and singing and he was really good so it was nice to sit and drink some beers and eat some pizza and talk and meet people. 

Today, Chris and I just got back from the longest hike EVER.  Been back for an hour and my feet still hurt.  We went through a national park, along a foot path, through a forest, I almost tripped looking for koalas about 10 times--didn't see any :(   down a hill, across a beach, through some nudists, up a shit ton of stairs and then back down the other side, along another beach, up even more stairs, through a residential area, along the highway and then, finally, we were back in Noosa.  Apparently the trail we took just ended at the beach.  It didn't loop. 

photo while playing 4square at about 5pm in Byron

Steph and I at Cheeky Monkey's.  Thats right--VIP area ;)

SAILBOAT!

Chris--travel buddy for the East Coast Adventure!

Hiking in the National Park, Noosa

Can't get your shoes wet....

Sunshine Beach--end of trail, still 2 hours from the hostel

Finally back in the right town!

Dinner at Cheeky Monkeys--this was supposed to be the first picture....

oops...

WOW its been forever.  Sorry, I'm a horrible blogger.  I was just looking at my last one and I was still in NZ.  Crazy.
Quick Update:

Went to Auckland on Saturday and was there until the 10th when I flew into Brisbane.  I almost missed my flight.  It was really early. I got up on time, I made it to the airport and through security all the way to the gate.  Then I fell asleep.  Luckily someone woke me up when boarding was about 2/3 done and asked if this was my flight.   Ummm I'm sleeping AT THE GATE of an early morning international flight.  Of course this is my flight.  I don't do that for kicks. 

Got to Brisbane and there was a shuttle into the city leaving in about 10 minutes, perfect :)  Met an Irish boy who had never been out of the country and decided to do his year long Visa.  We were talking but he just kept looking out the windows and then finally commented on how high the buildings are.  They were about 4 stories....

Got to the hostel around 11 but check in wasn't until 1.  I requested to be in the same room as Steph, who had already been there for 5 days, and she said that was fine and I could go up to the room because it was cleaned already.  Perfect!  So then she explained where the room was and this girl standing there said she had just checked out and would take me up so I followed her around this huge building to the tiniest room I've ever seen.  Shoved my bag under the bed, grabbed my computer and headed off to Maccers.  Free Internet!   Sitting with my meal off the dollar menu and STILL recovering from the night before (yes, this was one of the longest days I've ever had....stupid time changes and airplanes and hangovers)  I eventually glance around and see Steph sitting at a table about 5 feet away!  I screech her name, see her jump from sheer fright (the guy next to me looks scared as well....whatever, I was excited), grabbed my stuff and moved to her table.  It had been TEN WHOLE DAYS.

Travel days are different than regular days.  Something can have happened 5 days ago and I would bet my life it had been 2 weeks.  So much can happen, you can meet new people and have life changing experiences in 24 hours.  So yes, still in caps, 10 WHOLE DAYS. 

We got back to the hostel and walk through the corridors to our room until eventually we both start going in opposite directions.  I had said the same room...?  The girl who had led me to the room had led me to the wrong room.  There are multiple rooms numbered 214 in this hostel.  About 4.  WHY??  I had my stuff in the wrong room.....awkward.  Obviously my key didn't work so I had to knock, woke someone up and explain that I needed to get my stuff because Oops, I'm not supposed to have taken that bed.  Good I didn't unpack more than my computer.

The next day, 35 dollars, an aussie phone, and a 2 hour shuttle ride later we are in Byron Bay!  We booked a dorm for a week at a hostel and then went off to find our friends from Bondi.  While I was in NZ the group had made their way north to Byron and now we could all meet up again :) 

Steph and I planned on staying for 1 week.   It has now been 3 weeks.  This morning we paid for another week in the hostel.  oops.....

Byron is beautiful and amazing and sunny and sometimes rainy in the afternoons now that summer is officially over and the beach is literally 1 minute from my room  :)   This is the place photographs of dolphins swimming in the waves are taken.  And I've seen it. 

The night life is awesome.  Every night people are going out.  Everyone is super nice too, especially since we have been here for so long.  Most people come in just for the weekend or a week and then leave but we have been here long enough that people who stay and work recognize us-- which we take full advantage of while we are out.  Being friends with managers and bouncers and bartenders never hurts :)  Plus some of my friends are working for the hostels too which brings a whole new level of benefit to the equation.

Not to mention, in about 45 minutes I start my first night of work at Cocomanga's, one of the bars in town.  All I have to do is go around to different hostels for 2 hours handing out wrist bands and the manager will give me 30dollars.  Easy peasy  :)  Tonight, tomorrow and wednesday!  probably (I hope) next week too! 

Who knew, come all the way to Australia and I still end up working in a bar......

Bay of Islands

I've been here in the Bay of Islands for quite a while now considering how small the town is.  I'll be leaving for Auckland tomorrow to meet up with some people that I met while here and then off to Brisbane on the 10th!  I've been loving New Zealand but it seems to be a place to explore with a friend since there are a lot of tours and "picture spots" and activities which would be infinitely more fun if someone else (whom you knew for more than a couple of days) was doing it with you...Dorian? drop out of school and come hang out with me??  ha jk
So I'm off on the Naked Bus tomorrow morning at 730, ugh way too early but at least I get into Auckland at 1130 and then its just a short walk to the hostel where I'm already checked in to my room so I can go in and just lay down! 

Is tomorrow Mardi Gras?  I think so!?  Very excited to go out but don't know what I would wear...wasn't prepared for this  :(  Last mardi gras I was working on the floor so I didn't really get to celebrate, I suppose "celebrating" just means drinking.  I guess I celebrate Mardi Gras every weekend...

I finally figured out how to get pictures on to facebook!

This is the northernmost part of NZ, Cape Reinga.  I did a day tour up here, literally all day.  12 hours!  I tried sleeping on the bus but it was sooo bumpy that I just kept hitting my forhead on the glass.  They are doing a lot of construction here to prepare for hosting the World Cup of Rugby.  Everyone here is very excited and keeps telling me players names and stats while I smile and nod, pretending I know what they are talking about.

This is at the Cape and it shows the distance to different places in the world!

This is Steph and I at Bondi Beach...if anyone wanted a face to the name.  Bondi Beach on the fated 3 bottles of wine/homeless night.  This was about 2 bottles in, I say we're still going good at this point! 

I took a ferry to Russell the other day (yesterday?  days mean nothing to me anymore) and walked to a beach where I almost stepped in  wasp's nest and then a tiny little white dog at the beach started barking at me.  I made up for it by having two beers at the oldest bar in New Zealand!  It was the first licensed hotel because here is the first place the British colonized the country. 

Hopefully Auckland will bring better stories and more pictures...I'm thinking its time for me to jump off a bridge, Auckland Harbour Bridge Bungy Jump here I come! 

Pipi Patch

I am in the infamous Bay of Islands.  Its official, I made it to one of the most beautiful places on Earth.  Now that I've looked around, what is there to actually DO?  Piri took a picture of me "with scenery" so now that thats done I've got to find something to occupy my time without spending thousands of dollars.  Paihia is a very touristy town, very cute with great views across the bay at some islands and another town called Russell.  I'll be here for a week and am going to become very familiar with its downtown, aka one street with stores all containing 'original New Zealand souveniors".  I've been told I was given a great NZ souvenior in Australia already.  While Piri was helping me sort through my coins I showed him a 50p coin that nobody would take. He called it antique.  I call it someone owing me 50p. 

I landed in Auckland on the 26th after a very rough night.  Well, the night was fine, the morning was rough.  As it was my last night I went to Beach Road in the afternoon with Craig and we played pool and had some beer and met some people.  Then we walked back to the hostel which took us right by the liquor store so it only seemed logical to go in and get some liquor.  I steered clear of the wine (have I finally learned my lesson?) and we got boxed Smirnoff vodka cranberry mix.  It tasted like cranberry juice.  So it was good, but very misleading, just because it doesn't taste strong, doesn't mean it isn't.  Australia is very cautious about overconsumption of things and addiction, they have signs posted everywhere about how smoking kills and gambling is addictive and when is one drink too many?--When your lying in the road by yourself is what the ad seems to be telling me. So the box had a suggested serving size of 10 and informed us that we had a serious problem if the box did not contain 10 servings for us personally.  The box was good for 5 servings.  We were able to pour 3 mugs worth and then refill 2 of them.  Unproportional serving size is universal apparently.

Awake at 4:37 was a stroke of luck considering I needed to be leaving for my flight at 5.  Good thing I had haphazardly packed the night before and only have the one backpack during my journey (I still long for my entire closet every morning when I put on that one dress, AGAIN).  Slept on the plane and arrived in a time zone even closer to home!  Now I am only 3 hours behind but a day ahead of you all!  Well, 4 hours behind for those of you in Colorado, but you get the drift. 

In the hostel I met these really nice girls in my 8 bed dorm and the 4 of us went out that night.  I was extremely tired but trying to be friendly so we took a cab to Pondersby st. (or something) and went to Social Club.  It was an alley.  Like, there were 2 stores, with a space between them that a bouncer put a rope up and checked our ID's to go into an alley.  There was a bar ($7 a beer! what a rip....) and a DJ (he looked about 12, and seemed just as experienced) so we drank and we danced and it was fun.  But good god I was tired and by the time it 2 everyone was still drinking and dancing and I was falling asleep.  Finally the lights came up about 2:45 and we jumped in a cab straight to McDonalds on Queen ST.  which I learned the next day is the busiest street in all of New Zealand.  One quarter pounder and medium fries later I was ready to hit the sack and walked as fast I could, leading the pack, back to our hostel where I promptly got into bed and fell asleep until 10:45 the next day.
At noon I was supposed to meet a guy named Ben.  He is British, has lived in New Zealand for 4 years and thinks everything is Brilliant!  Its not a stereotype if its true, it just is--all Brits think everyday mundane things are brilliant, such as my flight being ontime, and drink tea.  He picked me up and showed me around Auckland.  I'm really grateful I met him and he was so nice because I saw so much more of the city than I ever would have if I hadn't.  If he didn't show up that day my plan was to finish the candy bar I just bought, take a nap and maybe get on the internet.  You can tell New Zealand will do wonders for my health.....

So we went to Mt. Eden, got lunch at Circus Circus, a breakfast place that looks like the hotel in Vegas, went across the Auckland Bridge ( he highly recommends doing the bungee jump, as does Piri so Ithink I may have to) and went to a beach.  Beach Minnehaha.  And it was Mini.  About 20ft wide of sand and heaps of black rocks to either side that you can jump off of.  Then we went into Davenport and could look across the bay at Auckland.  He was really sweet and took pictures of me with random things and backgrounds.  He dropped me off at the hostel where I then Skyped with Aaron and then slept for about 5 hours.  It was glorious.

The next day, which is today!, I got up at 7am and went to Subway.  Not just for fun....I bought a footlong in case I got hungry on the 4 hour ride from Auckland to Paihia.  The bus, The Naked Bus, left at 8am and I slept and read and looked out for Frodo and Hobbits houses, with no luck, and arrived in Paihia to beautiful blue skies.  A quick walk to the hostel and I managed to check in and get in touch with Piri within about 20 minutes.
The room I'm in is amazing.  There are 8 beds and only 2 of us staying here, for tonight at least.  I have a bottom bunk, first time this trip! and we have our own bathroom, kitchenette and table with multiple* chairs and a mini fridge. 

Piri dropped off the jumpers from today at my hostel and then we walked down the street along the beach and decided to get some fish and chips and L&P--delicious!  Its a soda that they make and sell only in New Zealand.  Pretty selfish if you ask me  (I'd love to buy it in the States!  its like ginerger ale but better)  We walked back and looked at the tourist information stuff because I need to decide what we should do on his day off....I need to figure out what to do when he is working in this tiny little town first though.  Everything seems to require A. lots of money and B. friends to do it with.  Neither of which I have. We already decided that Wednesday night, because Thursday is his day off, we will go to Russell where the oldest bar in all of New Zealand is.  I mean, duh.  What else would we do.  But I'm thinking a 20dollar boat trip around the islands would be fun and maybe, just maybe, if the horses are as old and obedient as he says, I will get over my fear and get on one of those suckers so we can ride through a National Park or whatever. 

I'm just excited to jump from 16000 ft.  (Mainly because I'm not responsible for the landing on our tandem...but don't tell Piri that!)

randomness

Tomorrow is the day!  Off to New Zealand.  Flying into Auckland, back to Brisbane on the 10th.  And apparently I know a couple of people there already.  That was news to me.  I've only met one of them but I guess the other guy I am family friends with aka our parents knew each other 20 years ago.  Whatever, networking never hurts. 
The 80's are back in full force down under.  I've been rocking out to Jon Bon Jovi and Madonna while grocery shopping and listening to strange "electronica" ( not our kind, the good kind) while out.  Thank god they've been playing Beiber in Maccers (McDonalds) where I get on the internet.  Did he really change his hair?  I'm pretty cut off from all news and media while here.  I really should pick up a newspaper sometime. 
I don't want to leave Bondi.  I want to stay here forever.  But I better get out and be somewhere else to see if I feel this way about everywhere and then pick a place to be.  I'm going to start looking into changing my Visa so that I can work and get a tax number and such!  If they will let me at all, I haven't even googled it yet.
When I tell people to Google things, they don't know what I mean

PS. thank you Aaron for my new title.  I know you didn't say anything to me about changing it but I was remembering us talking about my trip and my needing details...so here they are :)  making them as they come