Whitsundays

Once we had dared the darkness of the caves we drove to Whitsundays. We stayed in Airlie beach. This town was much more commercial and very busy. We stayed at a hostel that had a pretty big bar down below. The first night after getting unpacked, we all got ready. It seemed to be a harder task than ever since the humidity was very high and you felt sticky while putting on anything. Not to mention how mine and a few others’ hair did not want to truly straighten. But after a lot of effort the deed was done and we were ready to go downstairs. We chatted up a few new people. Wonder down the street to a couple other bars and had a good time.
The next day I took full advantage of free wifi and skyped with some family and friends in the morning. It was nice to catch up with them! Then I checked out the town and the beach. I am sad to say I wasn’t impressed with the beach. It was quite small and nothing really to it. I kept wandering though and fell upon a wonderful spot. Up the hill and around the beach was a little villa right on the top of the hill so you could see the whole town, beach and ocean. I felt so lucky to have stumble on such a jewel. The view was gorgeous and the view was an open shelter. No one else was around and I took full advantage. After traveling at this point for a week and half with 7 other people sometimes you just need time to yourself. Fortunately I packed all the perfect essentials in my beach bag. I had cheese, crackers, water, a good book and my beach towel. I laid my towel down on the floor of the villa and alternated from looking at the beautiful view of the ocean with the boats harbored to reading my book which was getting really good. I must have spent at few hours there. At one point I just had an Aha moment looking at the waves hit the beach that I was so fortunate to have had the opportunities that I have bestowed upon me. It was the most peaceful afternoon and I loved it.
That night we all gathered together after laying out a bit at the lagoon to cook some nachos. While I was off having my peaceful picnic in the villa some of the others had went to the grocery store and pick up an enormous amount of food to cook. We all worked together chopping up the onions, peppers and mushrooms, simmering the chicken in one pan and the steak in the other. We through it fresh veggies in the pans and added the fajita season that was out of this world with its delicious spices and it all made the best smell. After it was done we had an amazing feast. We had so much food we couldn’t even eat all the meat between the 8 of us which is really hard to do. We had decided to keep the rest of the meat for tomorrow and make nachos out of them.

The following day we got up early and ran around getting ready for our sailing trip. We were all hyped and so ready for this trip. We caught the bus and arrived at the harbor to see our awesome purple sail boat awaiting us. It was called the Cameria. When boarded we got comfy on the top deck and laid out in the sun that was perfectly shining down on us. We sailed into the great wide ocean. While laying there feeling so happy I thought of my family and realized that it was my father’s birthday. I ran to my phone and once again I was very lucky because it actually had service. I called them and sang only a few notes before my dad stopped me, said thank you but I have heard that song a little too much today. I chuckled then he put me on speaker phone so I could hear him and the family while he opened gifts and cards. It was so nice like I was actually there. After getting off the phone I saw that right afterwards I had no service. Talk about perfect timing. It was then time to for our snorkel instructions.
The crew told what we needed to do and then let us get our gear. I was so excited because I had never went snorkeling before and we were in the beginnings of the Great Barrier Reef.

Part 3: Fraser Island

After surfer’s we were off to Hervey Bay to go on a day to trip to Fraser Island. When we got to Hervey Bay we drove around the town to find the best spot to stay for the night and then we did. We went to a YHA hostel that had cabins instead of dorm like rooms. It was great we got two cabins for the 8 of us. The crew went to go get food for dinner but I was sick of being in the van so Caitlin and I stayed behind. We then scoped out the cabins and found the best one for us to stay in. It was by far the best accommodations we have had since we left Melbourne. Our cabin was adorable with a kitchen, wicker table and chairs, a living room and 2 bedrooms. It was great to stay in a place that was bigger than just one room. The group came back then we cooked pasta and had a family meal. It was delicious and the right price. All of us went up to the pool and got a poolside table to play games on. It was a fun night until Amy spotted a man standing at the fence watching us. When we all turned to look instead of leaving he moved farther into the bushes. He just stood there watching even though we were obviously staring, pointing and talking about him. Dean stood up but he didn’t move. I went inside to let a worker know what was going on. She came and they had said he had left when I went in but then I saw him just a little further down on the fence. It was so spooky. The worker went over to him and told him to leave the property. She came back and told us it was just a drunk Australian man and was very apologetic. We decided it was probably time to return to our cabins at this point plus we had to leave early for our island trip the next day.
The next morning we got up, pack the van, ate breakfast and were ready for our big day on Fraser Island. The bus came and picked us up and took us to the ferry. I love ferries so I was very excited about this. We sat on the top of the ferry so we could see the great view of the ocean on the way to the island. After the beautiful ferry ride we met our tour guide for the day, who was very entertaining. To drive on the island you have to be a 4-wheel drive or better. Apparently the rule with the roads because they our so narrow that the biggest vehicle has the right away which was great since we were one of the biggest vehicles on the island. We first drove to the rainforest and then stopped to take a bushwalk (hike) through the stunning rainforest. Learning about all the different kinds of trees and realizing this is a sand only island. The whole island was made of sand and all the vegetation grew out of the sand. It was crazy. We were also told that this was the biggest sand island in the world. We didn’t see any but the island also is known for their dingos running around. After our bushwalk we drove along the beach. While we were driving she would tell us stories and facts about the island. Then we saw a plane fly past our bus and land on the beach. It turns out it was a plane that took tourist around so they could see the spectacular view of the whole island from the clouds. In the mood of living life to the fullest with no regrets I took the plane ride. It was absolutely breathtaking and fabulous. We flew over the ocean and then over the whole island seeing all of it glory. There were over 40 fresh lakes on the island and so many different kinds vegetation including grasslands, wetlands and rainforest all taking up this indescribable island. The flight was so memorable. When we landed we were at the shipwreck site of Mahino. Here was a ship that used to take luxury cruises along the Australian ocean comparable to the size of the Titanic, stuck in the sand of the beach. We were then escorted to the fresh water creek that once inhabitants of the island would drink from. We walked in the creek up the way and climb into some trees for some fun. Then it was lunch time and we got an amazing buffet at the island resort. After lunch we were off to one of the glorious freshwater lake for a swim. At this point the breeze had picked up a bit so some were a little to chicken to jump in but not Lindsey, Caitlin or I. We jumped in the lake like champs. We were told the water was so nice that it made you ten years younger from swimming in and the sand was a natural exfoliate to make your skin nice and smooth. So some of us took the smooth amazing sand and rubbed it on our legs and arms and it magically worked. Out skin was very smooth and even though I didn’t look 16 my hair was really soft from the water. We then had to reluctantly make our way back to the ferry. On the ferry ride back to Hervey bay we were surprised with getting to see a few humped back whales swimming in the distance. They are rather common this time of year because they are migrated south to their homes from being in the north for the winter. We saw them blowing air and water through their blowholes and flipping their big tales. Another amazing day on this great trip up the whole coast of Australia!
The next day we drove to Rockhampton and stayed the night. We got up early the next morning got dressed and went to the caves. The caves were so cool. Since it was raining a little bit we got to see exactly how the caves have eroded through the years. The tour guided said it was actually very rare to see this because it was a dry cave in the middle of what they call a dry rainforest. This is because the area doesn’t normally get rain. It was kinda awesome and she said that if we got a rain drop to hit us in the cave it was actually considered good luck. So we all got lots of good luck that day hee hee. The tour guide took us through all the different parks of the cave and told the history behind it. We went to one part where it is called the cathedral and they actually had benches set up in this part because there had been so many wedding there plus the acoustics were apparently comparable to the Sydney Opera House. They have music concerts in this part as well. The tour guide turned off all the lights and showed us how dark the cave actually was and how the originally foundered would of actually had to find it and search through it only with candlelight. She turned on a recorded of Amazing Grace to show how amazing the sound quality was in this part of the cave. At that time the cave was so peaceful and wonderful.

Part 2 Queensland trip

So after the great couple of days in Byron Bay we were off to Surfer’s Paradise. When we got there we checked in then hit the town for sightseeing. It was a much bigger town than Bryon Bay, it was actually a city. The ocean was all along the side and across the street were all of these skyscrapers. It was neat to see a city set up like this. We head to the beach and saw some massive waves and some brave souls manning the waves. Like all great tourist we took about 100 pictures while admiring the sheer size of the ocean. We then went shopping!!! I ended up branching off an shopping by myself because I was ready for some hardcore shopping. I ended up buying a couple dresses and a new bathing suit to try out on this amazing coastal trip. That night I met my other hostel mates and found out the other 4 people in the room were American!!! It was refreshing to met some Americans traveling because I believe I had really come across tons of other ethnicity but hardly ever any Americans. They were students at the University of Melbourne for a semester coming from DC, Chicago and Cali. Dean and I played cards games with them, making him the minority once, one Canadian with all the Americas!

The next day the group split up. 4 of the girls went to a mountain to hike were the other 4 of us went to DreamWorld which Is one of the Australian Amusement parks. However this one was special because not only did it have rides but it also had an Australian Animal section. This was the most wonderful thing possible because wait for it….I actually got to FEED KANGAROOS and HOLD A KOALA!!!!! When we first walked into the area I got to see my very first kangaroos however it wasn’t quite what I expected to see. Instead of hopping around there were two kangaroos stuck together and the bigger obviously male one just giving it to the poor little girl kangaroo. All the people walking by just stopped and their jaws drop. They expected to see kangaroos just not a show! After we walked to a little farther we got to see emus, exotic birds, and more importantly koalas hanging out in trees. Then I saw them a whole herd of kangaroos just hanging out in the open. We were able to just walk up to them and feed them. They would hope over and eat right out of the palms of your hands. It was absolutely the coolest thing ever. They were so sweet and cute. Then we went to were you could hold a koala and get your picture with it (my picture is currently on someone else's computer). They brought out Patrick and we each took a turn cuddling with him. It was so neat.
Then the four of us took to riding all the rides we could. We went on the small ones in nickelodeon land like the SpongeBob flyer and the Rugrats Reptar Coaster.
We rode bumper cars but I jumped in on the wrong side and put my seatbelt on just to realize the steering wheel was on the other side…I forgot about the left hand driving. It was fun I bumped everyone and dominated hee hee. Then the bigger rides were to be ridden. We did the wave, the claw and the buckle all which like to swing you in ways you don’t think a physically possible while making you go upside down, it was awesome! We did apparently the biggest rollercoaster in Australia and then finally The Big Drop. This one scared Dean to death. He was shaking in his boots. It was quite funny since the whole day they were making fun of me of how loud I scream on the rides. But I do it just for fun. Oh then of course we had to go on the log ride to get completely drenched before we got back into the van. It was a great day for sure. The other girls picked us up and told us about their hike. They said it was fun but they all got leaches on them and it turned out since it was misty and fogging on the mountain they couldn’t really see how amazing the view was. So I think I made the best choice to go to dreamworld.

First Leg of the Coastal Road Trip

Day 1 Wednesday night we were all pumped. Nicole met me at Flinder’s street station and we walk to Budget rentals to pick up our van to go all the way up the coast. When we picked it up we realized that the van is quite cute and maroon but not as big as we thought it would be for an 8 seater. Nicole drives it home ON THE LEFT SIDE of the road. It freaked me out the whole way home because the city is has very narrow streets with trams, taxi and cyclist at all sides all swerving in and out around you while trying to figure out what is all opposite about driving on the wrong side of the road. After Dean shoving all 8 of our luggage pieces into the back of the van to the point it couldn’t get any further, we all jumped in for our all night drive…..so we thought.
The first part of the drive is very comical with all of us talking away with the hype of getting to a much warmer and tropical area especially about the part of not working for 3 weeks. We blast the music and sing along! Some of us take little naps along the way while Nicole is driving through the winding roads. At one point she nearly swears of the road with Dean yelling TURN which wakes me up screaming and therefore wakes everyone else up in the car. We all have a big laugh and then Nicole realizes we are on low fuel. We look and the nearest town isn’t for about 20 km. we figured though we should be able to get there no problem so we hoped. We were in the middle of nowhere. We are almost to the town when we are all discussing the possibility of having to push the car into town and then we finally make it in as Lindsay suggests that there is a possibility that the gas station won’t even be open. We pull up to the first gas station (or petrol station as they call it) to realize she was right and unfortunately none of the petrol stations in the town are open. This tells you what a small town we are in, when we stop at the police station to ask what our best bet is he tells us that the man that owns the gas station across the street does afterhours petrol but he thinks he is still in the hospital. We leave the police station and since it is dark and no one is around Nicole forgets to drive on the left side of the road and we are all yelling LEFT while the car is going in circles because she is trying to get on the correct side. It became a pretty crazy and memorable night. When we got to the petrol station to see if there was an afterhours number posted we only found that there was not one.
We ended up having to spend the night cramped in the car trying to get sleep until someone comes to open up the open up the station. Dean and Caitlin walked to the motel, since we were out of gas, to see how much a room will be. The motel office was even closed! So here we were 7 of us all leaning from side to side trying to get as comfortable as possible to sleep. I had the worst sleep of my life because I of course was the lucky one to be in the middle seat. I woke up every few minutes just to find out that no one is there. In the middle of the night I have to go to the restroom so I had to crawl over Dean to get out of the car and go to the public restrooms just a little down the way. I walk alone in this ghost town just on the other side of the parking lot praying the whole time that someone thing like the crazies movie doesn’t start happening while I am out of the car. Luckily God protects and nothing happened and nothing happened all night long. We woke up at 5am and thought we saw a man in the store of the gas station. We called him shadow man and asked shadow man to come out and open the station. Oddly enough there was no shadow man but he finally showed up in his car a few minutes later but he did not open the gas station. Amy goes to the door and knocks over and over. He finally comes out but doesn’t open the door and only mouths that they do not open until 6. We couldn’t believe it that we finally had someone there after waiting 5 hours and he refuses to the open. About 5:30 after we are just sitting there waiting he actually turns on the lights and the pumps. We get gas and are on our way just with a 6 hour delay. About 5 hours more and we are at Sydney.
It was a beautiful day in Sydney. We drove into the city and saw all the beautiful parks and huge skyscrapers. We drove right along the harbor and up to the opera house. It is just breathtaking in person. The harbor’s glow brought such life to the opera house. We took pictures and walked around like real tourist. We then got back in the car and drove the rest of the way to Bryon Bay. We stopped to get a quick bite to eat then I drove for the very first time in my life on the LEFT side of the road. The surprisingly drove quite well even round the well known round-abouts of Australia. The only problem I had was I kept hitting the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal because they are on the opposite sides as well. We got into Byron Bay around 1:30 in the morning and crashed out in our hostel beds. We were all so happy to have a bed to sleep in that we just crashed out.
The next day was our first official day at the beach. We went down to Byron bay beach to truly enjoy the view, the sun and the waves. The beach was gorgeous with rock cliffs and a lookout point. We took all the touristy type pictures, bought beach towels with Australia written on them and then sun bathed for a bit. Caitlin, Lindsay and I then braved the waves. The water was still a bit cold but amazing. The current however was very strong. It almost knocked me down just standing there. We body surfed the waves onto the beach. It was so much fun and an absolutely perfect day.
That night we got dressed and were ready to see what Byron bay nightlife looked liked. We went downstairs to drink a bit and mingle. We met some Germans, one of which I decided to arm wrestle. I won of course except for not. This chick was one tough girl. We were then off to the Cheeky Monkey (cheeky means sneaky or naughty). We had dinner there and I finally had fish and chips down under. It was really yummy since we are next to the coast n all. The nightlife of cheeky money was quite cheeky. We danced and had a blast. I met some really nice people throughout the night.
The next day I tried my hand on surfing for the first time. The hostel we were staying at had surfboards for us to borrow for free, so instead of getting a real lesson I just threw myself into it. Caitlin walked through the cute, quant hippie town with surfboards under our arms. I felt quite cool. On the beach we went out in the water with our boards and I attempted to surf. I was unsuccessful but it was fun. I was able to surf in on the board laying down on it though just not upright. I then took a nice peaceful rest on the beach.
That night we went out again and had a fun but short night since I was so dehydrated from the daytime. The next morning I got one of the bikes and took a ride our town and got breakfast before we headed out to surfer’s paradise. I absolutely loved this small beach town and was sad to leave it but so excited to move up the coast to see all the other amazing sites. (so many great pictures to come soon and to be added!)

Two weeks of a bit of Eating, Pamering and Partying

So I woke up realizing that I did not want to work… So I didn’t!!!! Caitlin to no surprise had the same feeling once she realized that I wasn’t going in for work. We decided that today could be a tourist/spa/write postcards at a café day hee hee. It’s funny how you are so tired and never want to get out of bed when you have to go to work but all a sudden we had the biggest burst of energy when we decided not to go to work. I must say it was a little rush using the liberty and benefits of casual teaching, where I don’t have to work if I don’t want to!
We got all dolled up and went out for the day. We stopped at the post office first because I had gotten a notice that I had a package. I was thrilled because my mom and niece had told me a week or so ago that they had sent off a gift to me. When I picked it up it was the perfect gift, a cute leather jacket that I had seen before I left and had wanted. Since it is winter here the gift is quite fitting plus it looks great on me… according to Caitlin of course because I am not smug enough to come out and boost about how good I look.
After putting on my great jacket (or jumper, which is what Australians call jackets here), we were off to the city. We stopped at a souvenir shop first and got 10 postcards each. We then went to Southbank, the cute modern area on the otherside of the river. We went to a darling café to get a cup a coffee and write our postcards to our most dear family members and close friends. It was such a beautiful day that we sat outside while enjoying our coffee and getting writer’s cramp. Afterwards we went to a great shopping area to find a spa. We found one but wasn’t too impressed so we went down St. Kilda Rd. We stopped at the most delightful restaurant. The ambiance was incredible, small and classy without being pretentious. We had an amazing lunch with a glass of wine. The staff there is super friendly and super attentive. We ended up both getting the lunch box special. It had a little bit of everything, white bean soup, beat salad, sausage roll and the best part, a praline éclair. It was delicious and we were on cloud nine. We then went home to look up the spa we had seen over the weekend. We found it and called to make appointments. They couldn’t get us in then but they were able to for the next day.
A little while later the other flatmates came home and we got ready for our big Friday night on the town. The first part of the night consisted of us having multiple guests over to start the night off. It was fun to have our little Australian home as a meeting place for our now expanding crew. We had the usually, the flatmates (Caitlin, Amy, Dean and me), Sam, and our new friends Danni and Nicole. We were all delved into wonderful conversation and lots of laughs. Danni is an actual Australian, so it was cool to have her over. Nicole had only been in Australia for a day and was mentioning she wasn’t thrilled with the location of the place she was living at. We mentioned we had a pull out couch that she could sleep on if she needed. She was overjoyed to hear that and said she would love to split rent 5 ways with us if we are serious because she loved us and our place. We instantly accepted and that is how we now have a 5th roommate. The rest of the evening went very well with some very funny mishaps along the way. It was a great night with some great stories for the recovery breakfast the next day.
After breakfast Caitlin and I were off for our spa appointment. We went to St. Kilda Beach where the spa was directly located. We were first escorted to the changing room where we got into our comfy robes and sleepers. We entered the relaxation room that had hot tea and water, comfortable lounge chairs and a view of the ocean. After a nice relaxing time in the area we were swept off into our massage room. The massage was literally the best massage I have ever had!!! I was so completely relax that when it was finished and we were back in the relaxation room I was like butter on the chair. After a bit we finally got up and went down to the pool and hot tub area. The weekend before we had seen for ourselves a few people actually swimming in the freezing cold ocean water then going back into this building. It turns out that they were running back into the hot tub and indoor pool. So like all responsible and sane minded people we decided to try it out ourselves. We left the hot tub to dare the winter air to find out it felt quite nice. I suppose the hot tub had brought our temperature up enough that the breeze was refreshing. Then we stuck our toes in and then yes, yes we did dunk our whole bodies in the cold ocean water. It actually wasn’t too bad but it definitely was still cold. However standing on the beach still felt good after. We finally went back in to enjoy the hot tub some more and of course some time in the steam room. By the time we left we were praising this place and in love with our wonderful day. We were so happy we decided to walk back because it was so nice out.
That night I had my first movie experience here in Melbourne with the girls. We went to the cinema down the road from our house. It turned out to be quite nice. It had curtains over the big screen and they opened when the previews started. The food was actually decently priced instead of ridiculous although the tickets would have been crazy expensive if it wasn’t for the backpackers discount. The popcorn was good but this cinema didn’t butter it. We watched Salt which we all loved all the plot twist and action. It was a perfect way to end a great day.
The next week Jamie moved to town. Jamie is my Kiwi friend that I met at the hostel over a month ago. He moved here for his new lawyer job. I invited him over for dinner with my roommates and I. Dinner ended up being delicious of course because I cooked! Later on that week Jamie and I went to the Rooftop bar in downtown Melbourne. It was awesome. The view of the city was just amazing and they had nice heat lamps to keep us nice and warm. We then went for a walk around the city with our take away coffees because it was such a nice night out.
Friday night was teacher’s drink night once again and this time we were determined to get there early enough to actually meet some of the other teachers. So we did. We got there at 6:30 and I stayed till 1:30am. So needless to say a good night. I met some teachers from our agency and some of the wonderful office workers who call me every day for my placements. Jamie also showed up to mingle with all of us. Dean met a girl he fancied and spent most of the night talking to her. The girls headed over to our friend Danni’s place across the street but I decided to stay and dance. It was a great bar in a nice area. The dance floor was packed and played great songs.


Saturday was a fun filled night that started off at Sam and Jamie’s hostel. We then headed downtown to the Red Bar to once again dance the night away. It was fun but while leaving we all got split up a bit. Caitlin and Dean thought we were leaving and went downstairs but the rest of us didn’t know it so they took a cab. Sam, Nicole (our newest roommate), Amy and I were ready to leave a bit later but had a hard time finding Jamie. We eventually left but poor Sam had heels on so I walked slowly with her.
Nicole and Amy didn’t realize and ended up going all the way to Flinder’s station by the time they figured it out we were way behind. They ended up getting a taxi from there and going home. Sam and I got to Swanston street in just enough time to get a little food before the bus got there to take us home. As we were getting on the bus I saw Jamie and shouted at him to get on the bus as well since it was goes past his hostel. We all got home safe just in many different ways that night. Sunday was a nice quiet day at home which was just what was needed. Upcoming this week is Amy and Sam’s bday on Wednesday and our last weekend home until our trip. So much excitement in the air!

Aussie Football and Beyond

So we are all just trying to get our butts in the work mentality especially since it is cold outside. It is hard being in a great city and not being able to just tour around all day everyday but I guess you have to make money somehow. I’ve gotten really lucky and most of my placements have been really good classes. It is nice not having any responsibilities past 3:30 and then I can jet and never think about work again until the next morning.


The week was jammed packed with a 5 day work week. I was sick for most of the week with a little cold so most nights I was just trying to get rest to feel better. Finally the weekend rolled around. We had some guests over on Friday night to start the night out. We order some Indian delivery food that was quite delicious. Then we all played a couple of card games before heading out to the Espy. The Espy was once a hotel that is now a pretty famous bar around here.
When we got there, there was a live band that was pretty good. At the end of the night we made a stop at the amazing bakery shop again and I had to get another chocolate croissant.



Saturday was the big day! My roommates, my new friend Tracy (that I had made at a school I worked at), Sam and I went to an Australian Football League game. We decided since we live beside St. Kilda and live on St. Kilda rd that St. Kilda would be the perfect team to cheer for. The game was very fun. The Aussie Rules Footy is so different from American football. We are planning on getting good seats at the playoffs here in a couple weeks. After the game we were starving and wanted to eat in a pub. It just seemed fitting. After what seemed like forever we finally made it back towards our area and ate at the Elephant and Wheelbarrel. It ended up being exactly what we needed. It was a cute pub with a fireplace and amazing food. Then we went home to all take a nap. It was 7pm when we passed out. Everyone started waking up to get ready around 10pm. I however did not. I just couldn’t do it, my body was exhausted. I had been sick plus I had only gotten 3 hours of sleep the night before because my stupidness drove me to Skype to a friend till 3:30am and then I got early Saturday before the game to Skype with my niece before she had to go to her dad’s for the weekend. So my Saturday night was spent catching up on my much needed sleep.


Thank goodness I did that too because the next day I woke up feeling like a million dollars. Caitlin and I had talked to a guy the day before on the tram that had said that if we wanted a good margarita we had to head down to our old stomping grounds (were we stayed in the hostel) and go to Ackland Street. So we did.


We couldn’t believe it but we actually found the most appetizing Mexican food!!! We split these delicious fajitas and of course we had to try one of the margaritas so we got a pink grapefruit one. After filling up our bellies we walked around shopping and then made our way to the beach at sunset. I took some beautiful pictures. Then we got to see the PENGUINS!!! They come out on the rocks on the beach just after sunset when people start to leave. It was a really neat experience. When walking back toward Ackland Street, Caitlin and I stumbled upon another great find….an indoor pool and spa. We walked in and found out that anyone could come in and pay a onetime fee to swim/ chill in the hot tub for the day. This is now our plan for Sunday next week! The rest of Sunday was nice. We went and got groceries and headed home. After watching Beauty and the Beast (Dean excluded himself from this) we crashed out.




So far this week has been once again full with work with a dose of working out and cooking at home! What can I say it is freezing outside at the moment and we need to keep our butts warm indoors. Watch out spring months, once you’re here there is no stopping us!

Fitting in!

So I have now been in Melbourne for over a month and pretty much a regular here hee hee not quite but I can pretend can't I? Work is set and I have worked a lot. Most days are great but none the less I would way rather be off exploring than working. Not that I mind being in the classroom but still....I'm in Australia.

Monday us girls had off because we mainly work in the public sector of the schools. Poor Dean had to work because he has been at a Private boys school everyday since he started working here. We all went to a cafe, used the internet and chatted away. Then we were off to chapel street for some shopping. I got a great dress and had a blast. The next couple of days were just normal workdays with coming home, eating and sleeping. However Thursday we decided we would live on the wild side and actually go out during the week, after all we are here to have fun first and foremost. We went to ladies night and had a blast. Friday at work was a little tough since we had stayed out a bit too late. So come Friday night we split up. Amy and I were in charge of ordering the delivery food and going to get junk food while Caitlin and Dean went to get the stuff to finally hook up our internet. We all met back and had a lovely night in, eating our chineese food and watching a movie. It was classic all of us snuggling together on the pull out couch in the living room watching Fun with Dick and Jane.

Saturday we were a little bit more livelier. Since we got paid on Friday it was time to truly shop hardcore. So off we were back on Chapel street. Dean, Caitlin and I hit the shops with a vengeance and found some awesome deals. Dean went with his must have items ie wieghts and a laundry basket where as Caitlin and I were after more important things like going out clothes. We did well and we even featured some of our new items when we went out on Fitzroy street that night. On the way home I had the best chocolate croissant of my life!!!! It was amazing and the bakery is open 24/7, it doesn't get better than that.

Sunday I was sick with a cold so I stayed in bed till 3pm which I never do. I wasn't sleeping however the whole time. We had finally set up the internet and all of us had to try it out on our own laptops in our own domains. We were literally skype chatting with each other even though we were just in our own rooms across the hall from each other. It was that kind of Sunday. We did get a lot accomplished though! We tagged and put up very important pictures on facebook as well as started planning our trip to Queensland!

Come Monday Dean had way too much time on his hands during work and practically planned out our next six months from the list of things we had all said we wanted to do which is amazing!!!! Now I am psyched that we have things rolling because I was getting very antsy. I have been wanting to start venturing outside of Melbourne. That night Caitlin and I joined Sam and her hostel mates to a comedy show downtown. It was hilarious and we had a great time. Loving life right now on a new side of the world.