Mount Tamborine

Today I went on a day trip to Mount Tamborine with Arcadia (Oct. 14th)! Mazz picked us up super early and drove us there. When we got up the mountain we could see a view of the whole Gold Coast. We started off with a hike through the national park. I had rented out one of the nice cameras from Bond and was trying to snap some nice shots, but it was hard because I didn’t really know how to work all the settings yet and I was trying to keep up with the group at the same time. But I’m learning! 

After the hike we went to the glow worm cave. They only live in a few spots in Australia so we were really lucky to get to see them! They’re so beautiful. It looks like you’re looking at a starry sky. Which is apparently what they try to do. Flying bugs think that they can fly straight up into the sky, but end up getting trapped in the glow worm’s trap. We learned that the worms can turn off their glow when they’re not hungry to save energy and they grow extra bright when they’re really hungry.

Didn't take this picture....

....or this one.

After the glow worm’s we did some wine, cheese, and olive oil tasting at a little vineyard and then had a picnic lunch outside.

After lunch we had some free time to explore the town. In October, the town has a scarecrow festival so there were scarecrows all over. There were a bunch of different themes and some really cool ones. It’s so cute, everybody gets really into it! 

Next we went to a little swimming hole. I didn’t swim because I was a bit chilly, but the scenery was amazing and there was a beautiful waterfall! 

Sydney

The view of the harbour from the Botanical Gardens.

Just got back from a crazy and fun-filled few days in Sydney (Sept 28^th-Oct 2)! I stayed with my friend Roxy. She goes to school in SF, but lives in Sydney. She has a cute house in Leichhardt, which is one of the suburbs of Sydney. I arrived late Wednesday night and Roxy took me to her friend Elliot’s house and we hung out with some of her friends.

Thursday morning we went out to breakfast in Newtown. Roxy had work for a few hours (she works at a pub close to her house called Gladstone Park Hotel). So while she was working I explored the city a bit on my own. I caught a bus to Chinatown and then walked through Cockle Bay all the way up to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. It caught me off-guard. I just turned a corned and it was right there! Thursday evening I met up with Chelsea. She’s my friend from Santa Clara. She graduated last year and is working in Sydney for a while. We strolled around for a bit and checked out the University of Sydney.We got dinner at this cute little café called Badde Manors. It's one of the top places to eat in Glebe and was so delicious! That night me and Roxy went out to a pub for a few hours. Pubs are really big in Sydney. They’re just a nice casual meeting place to get food or a couple drinks.

The University of Sydney... Basically Hogwarts.

On Friday Roxy took me to Manly beach and we got lunch at a pub. That night I hung out at Chelsea’s place with some of her housemates. She’s living in a little flat with a bunch of really fun international people from New Zealand and England and all over. We brought in pizza and made sangria, and just hung out and had a lot of fun. 

Roxy and me at Manly Beach.

Saturday I went to the horseraces at Randwick with Chelsea! They’re really big in Sydney and everybody gets super dressed up. All the guys wear suits and all the girls wear fancy dresses with fascinators (the little decorated hats with feathers, bow, and lace). I only got a little flower to put in my hair because I didn’t really know what to expect. I wish I would’ve gone all out though, because I feel like that’s one of the only times in my life I would’ve been able to do that. I bet on two races and lost both times, but I didn’t mind. I just wanted to bet to say I had bet at the horseraces!

At the races!

After the horseraces I met up with Roxy for her going away BBQ. After the BBQ we all went out to a pub in Annandale. After a few hours Roxy and I went to a bar called Cargo right in Darling Harbour. It was definitely the fanciest bar I’ve ever been to. All the guys were wearing suits! Roxy new a guy that was working so she got us into the VIP lounge. We danced and hung out...It was so fun!

On Sunday morning I got breakfast with Bec. She went to Sonora High for a year on an exchange and is now just finishing up her studies at University of Sydney. After breakfast Bec took Chelsea and I to the Botanical Gardens. The three of us strolled around and got some nice shots of the harbour. After that it was time for me to head to the airport and return home. 

Bec and me at the Botanical Gardens.

P.S. 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney doesn't really exist! 

 P.P.S. While Sydney observed daylight savings time on Sunday, Gold Coast did not. Figured that one out when I tried to show up to class an hour early today....oops!