Feb 20, 2013 - The Whitsundays

Up at 4 a.m to start our journey to Airlie Beach where we will board the catamaran taking us on a short tour round the Whitsundays with a stop off at Whitehaven Beach and Day Dream Island. The sun is shining so we took two seats on the upper deck and off we set. Our first port of call was Day Dream Island where we dropped off some passengers who weren’t doing the tour. Then onto Hamilton Island, to repeat the process. It took us two hours to reach Whitehaven but the wait was worth it. It is truly spectacular. Miles of white sand, without an...

Nov 18, 2012 - Not goodbye just Catch ya's

As Winnie the Pooh once said, "How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard". Today was very bittersweet as I said goodbye to my Uni Hall family to come home. I am looking forward to seeing the family at home but these past five months have allowed me to make friendships that go deeper than any I have back in the states. I have fallen in love with Australia but what made it so amazing were the people that I shared my time with. I have never met a group of nicer people in my life and I will be forever grateful for...

Nov 10, 2012 - Where did the time go?

In just a week I will be returning home and it is a bittersweet time for me. I am excited to see the family and to celebrate Thanksgiving, and even better Black Friday, but knowing that I only have a week left with my new found Australian family is one of the saddest feelings I have ever felt. I know that in just a few short months I will be back here but they have all contributed to changing me for the better in such a way that I don't think I will be able to go the 3 months without them. My finals are finally over with and I know I aced...

Oct 30, 2012 - Whose the best? UNI HALL!

"We are from Uni, from Uni we are Beer Bongs and B****es, best college by far Getting ready for a gobbler with a brick in his hand Don't you just wish you were a uni hall man The smoking, the drinking, the swearing, the sex Trying to get your hard on you know we're the best WHOSE THE BEST? -UNI HALL WHICH HALL? -UNI HALL -UNI HALL, UNI HALL" This was the war cry that was yelled out all night on Thursday after we unexpectantly won the Fisher Shield! The Fisher Shield is the ultimate award given out to the college who competed the best in...

Oct 20, 2012 - Val Ball

Last night was Val Ball which is a banquet put on for the graduating seniors here in Uni Hall. It was so much fun we all had a blast. It was held at a hotel in town and there was an open bar all night and an amazing 3 course meal. There were a lot of speeches made and awards given out and then we all left and went to town around midnight. All of the girls wore beautiful dresses and the boys all cleaned up nice in their suits. When we got back from town all of the boys continued the pranking that has been going on in the hall by dressing up...

Oct 17, 2012 - Breezeway Sleepovers

Hey everyone! It is nice and hot out here today, I am currently sitting in my room with my fan on full blast and still dying of the heat. And it is still only spring here! This week is full of fun stuff which is a nice end to the semester because starting next week we all need to crack down and study for finals. This past weekend all the boys went to their friends 21st but my friend Sarah and I stayed back and were the only ones left on our floor so we decided to play a prank on the boys. We took their beds and put them out in the breezeway...

Oct 13, 2012 - Townsville Qld

Townsville: 13 - 15 October 2012 We were all very excited when we arrived in Townsville as we were staying with Sean's sister Gail & Peter PLUS it was Jesse's 14th Birthday on Sunday 14 October. We had a great time catching up with Gail & Peter and as a special treat, Gail cooked up a beautiful birthday dinner for Jesse and baked his favourite cake: a chocolate mud cake. We also had the chance to catch up with Scott & Bec (Bronte's God-parents) who moved up to Townsville 6 months ago when Scott accepted the senior ministers position at...

Oct 9, 2012 - Day in townsville

We spent the morning travelling around exploring a drive down the strand and out to tge marina/ jupiters casino, driving around the v8 racing car track and then a trip up castle hill. It amazes me that people our out waking in 32 deg heat ESP with the incline. The view at the top of each point is amazing and we didn't realise how big Townsville was until we were up here. Home for some lunch then off to reef hq aquarium to show joshie some coral reef, tropical fish and sharks. It's expensive for what it is $28/ adult but we figured it was an...

Oct 8, 2012 - Airlie beach to townsville

Heading for Townsville today. Its a hot 31 degrees and we are feeling it. The landscape looks all the same, we definitely know we are in sugar cane country. It's pretty in its own way with farmlands of cane and the mountains surrounding us. Travelling the last few weeks had given me a greater appreciation for our natural resources and the work our farmers need to do just to harvest a crop. Doesn't matter whether its mangoes pineapples sugar beef or grain it sure is hard work. We cross an awesome bridge on our travels. Expecting to see...

Oct 7, 2012 - Field Trips and Internships

So it is Monday and unfortunately that means classes again but luckily I only have one and it isn't until 5:00pm. We aren't lucky enough here to have the long weekend like all of you back home. I heard that Grandma made spaghetti tonight and I am very jealous because not even fish and chips day can beat the rarity that is Grandma Superneau's spaghetti sauce! Yesterday was spent in the rainforest on a field trip which I thought was going to be miserable but ended up actually being a lot of fun. We spent the day hiking and identifying plants...

Oct 3, 2012 - Back to Reality

So unfortunately it has been back to reality as lecture recess ended but I figured I would tell you all the good parts of my lecture recess. Sydney was awful for the most part but the days were filled with fun. The first day there we took a tour of the opera house which was amazing. I learned so much too! The design was the winner in a world wide competition and an architect by the name of Utzon won. The building of it went 7 years and $95,000,000 over budget. Utzon ended up getting into a fight with Australia and left before the...

Sep 25, 2012 - Spring Break Trip or Horror Movie Plot?

I am finally sitting in the Sydney airport getting ready to go back to Townsville after what has seemed like the longest 5 days of my life. After our horrible experience in the first hostel we were able to spend 2 nights in the nice hostel but were then evicted early Tuesday morning and were once again left with no where to go. We had no choice but to stay in yet a 3rd hostel that wasn't as sketchy as the first one but was still scary and gross. The woman who owned it definitely spent the majority of her life doing drugs and we were lucky...