A stands for AWESOME!

LINK TO PICTURES: http://cfinnegan.shutterfly.com/action

On Friday, Dad and I boarded an early morning flight out of Sydney (almost made late by our insane shuttle driver) to Brisbane. We jumped in our rental car and away we went. Six hours of beautiful country side, mountains, farmland later we arrived at St. Agnes Waters and the Town of 1770. Our hotel looked like it had jumped out of 1950’s Palm Springs but with a lot more BUGS! It was a 5-minute walk to the beach so neither Dad or I were complaining.

Saturday, we woke up bright and early and with 100 other people boarded Captain Cook Great Barrier Reef Cruises and hit the open sea. I fell asleep (what is it about the rocking of a boat?!?) and woke up to CRYSTAL clear water with Lady Musgave Island at a distance. I cannot describe how clear the water is on the reef. It is cleaner and clearer then the pool I spent the last year working at. Dad and I were the first people to jump in the water for a snorkel (“Yes, we know how a snorkel is suppose to fit. Yes, we know how to spit in the mask. Can we just go?”) Overall, the coral was amazing but due to our years spent snorkel in Hawaii we were slightly disappointed by the types of fish and the amount. When we took the tour of the island, we did see some small rays and a 4 foot reef shark.
The best part about the tour was getting back to the dock. The tide had gone out so the crew had to take the tourists off the boat onto a platoon in groups of 40. Dad and I were one of the last people to go so we got to really talk to the crew and enjoy the AMAZING view of the stars. Everything from the Southern Cross to the Milky Way to the Big Dipper…you could see EVERYTHING!! I kept saying “So, that’s what stars look like!” and wondering what they must look like in the middle of the ocean. It was awesome.

Sunday, Dad and I got back in the rental car and drove the 7 hours south to Surfers Paradise, the “Vegas of Australia”. The coastline is covered in huge skyscraper hotels, shops, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and cheap gift stores. (“This is PARADISE?”) The beach, however, is stunning. Perfectly white sand (the softest, fine sand I’ve ever felt) and the water is a crystal blue. You can’t tell were water ends and sky begins. The weather is really warm, around 80 and the water is a nice 74.

Today (Monday), we headed off to a Wildlife Sanctuary just outside Surfers Paradise. It was AWESOME!! We were the first ones to walk into the park and into a feeding frenzy. The Sanctuary is known for its wild Lorikeet parrots and you can hold a plate of food and hundreds of them fly around landing on any available surface to feed. It was hysterical. At one point I looked at Dad and he had 4 on his head, 2 on each shoulder, 4 hanging from his shirt on his chest, and about 20 lined down each arm. The birds hurt though. They fight on your arms for space, all the while screaming and singing in your ear. We spent about 30minutes feeding them and my arms look like I got into a fight with a cat. I should also have enough luck stored up for the rest of my life because I got pooped on about ten times. It was worth it though!
We then headed off to the Kangaroo area where 80 are free to roam. This was one of the things I wanted to do while I was here. Dad and I were the only ones in the area and we purchased some food and they came up to us to cuddle, nuzzle, and be fed. It was a highlight of the trip. Kangaroos are so friendly and sweet. Even after we ran out of food they would stay at our feet wanting a scratch behind the ears or a pet on the nose. The bound around effortlessly and they are truly beautiful animals. We wondered around the sanctuary for another 3 hours, getting familiar with Australian flora, Koalas, Crocodiles, Dingos, Wombats, and a large assortment of birds.

We are currently relaxing in the room, just hanging out because tomorrow is a LONG 10 hour drive back to Sydney, where we will be staying at the infamous Bondi Beach.