Spring Break Wins

(wins are listed in chronological order)

Brisbane

People told us there was nothing to do, but we had a great time! We especially liked the Botanical Gardens, the Parliament House, the views by the river, and the city's public lagoon. I also totally recommend Brisbane Backpacker's Resort (BBR) if you're looking for a cheap, social hostel.

Gin Gin

During our overnight road trip, civilized towns were few and far between. The cozy diner in Gin Gin saved us from the starvation that could have evolved into cannibalism.

Sarina

We almost ran out of gas in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. Sarina had the first open gas station we had seen in two hours.

Sunsets

We saw incredible sunsets almost every night.

Spam
I had spam for the first time, cooked by my friend Mellanie who grew up on the stuff. Don't get me wrong - it wasn't the greatest delicacy of my life. But it honestly wasn't bad either.


Easter Feaster

For Easter dinner we made lamb chops, mashed potatoes, garlic bread and veggies. We finished two bottles of champagne. Delicious!

The Sailing Trip

We sailed on the Apollo for three days and two nights over the beautiful Whitsunday Islands with the nicest crew, the chillest passengers, yummy food, abundant drinks, and incredible scenery both in and out of the water.

Scuba Diving

I went on the first three dives of my life during our sailing trip and couldn't have enjoyed them more. The first was a short intro dive. The second was a half hour with a depth of seven meters. The third was a depth of ten meters until my air ran out. If you've never gone diving, go do it!!!

Wildlife

I saw the most amazing wild animals including hundreds of colorful parrots and fish, a freshwater eel, cane toads and green tree frogs, heaps of lizards and goannas, scary spiders, sharks, dolphins, and a dingo!

Fish Divine

We went to the restaurant in Airlie Beach to celebrate our friendship and our journey together. The seafood really was incredible.

Farmstay Company

We stayed on the farm with three older women, one who was celebrating her 70th birthday. They were awesome company, feeding us roasted marshmallows and leading a campfire sing-along. I hope I'm that active when I'm older.

Tiger Airways

On the way here I got through security with my friend's boarding pass and she with mine. On the way home, I got through the metal detector with a cell phone in my pocket.

Spring Break Fails

(Fails are listed in chronological order)

Down Under Bar/Club

Let me make it clear that there is nothing wrong with the venue itself.  We were having an awesome time until the night took a wrong turn. We noticed that everyone was wearing sombreros and fake mustaches, so we assumed there was a theme and that the theme was Mexican. That made sense because tequilas were the cheap special that night. Then we noticed leis and some Hawaiian looking garb. We asked around. The theme of the night was “beach”. Whatevs we can live with a weirdly executed theme if it meant we still got to dance to fun music with cheap drinks.

And then the wet t-shirt contest started. There were either six or seven girls involved, but only three are worth noting. For story’s sake I will refer to them as Desperate, Massive, and Brazilian. So Desperate comes out with her black rhinestone and lace bra still on, her white t-shirt already shredded beyond any form of modesty. Massive is massive. Clearly wearing nothing under her t-shirt, but at least the t-shirt is still on and intact. Brazilian is tiny and kind of cute and seemed pretty shy about the whole thing. At first. Then the music starts and the squirt guns come out. Massive has clearly done this before, as she performs a meticulously choreographed burlesque, ending the first song with nothing left to the imagination, her shirt ripped in half. Desperate started with her own drunken groove, but soon began to follow everything Massive did. I felt bad for her. Brazilian started out strong, but was so visibly repulsed by Massive’s performance next to her that she decided to give up on a routine and just had fun dancing, not showing anything. Brazilian ended up as the crowd favorite, winning the $300, her boyfriend jumping on stage to show off his prize upon the announcement of the win.

Camera

My Nikon died again, but luckily my parents came up and my dad dropped off his old Kodak. But this Kodak takes bad night pictures, even when totally still. Also, I may or may not have submerged it when I fell into shark infested waters. But it still works. (Don't worry dad!)

4x4 Rental

We were informed that Queensland had passed a new law that stated that nobody who goes to Fraser Island could rent a 4x4 without also taking a guide. Unsure of the truth in this statement, we decided to wait until getting to Queensland to book our 4x4. Unfortunately, everyone else in the world must have had the same spring break plans as we, as every single 4x4 on the island was booked. Rather than our planned 3 day 2 night camping trip, we took a day tour. We had a great time anyway, but we didn’t get to see nearly as much as we had wanted.

Frogs in the Road

During our 13-hour overnight drive, I was so excited to see the infamous Cane Toads of Queensland. However, I quickly learned that they refused to move for cars. They make loud popping sounds when they get run over. But they’re smarter than the smaller frogs who actually jump towards the headlights of the car. I tried to think of it as a game of Frogger so I wouldn’t feel so bad.

Elle's Ipod

Dolores only played the bad songs on shuffle.

Residents of Queensland

In more touristy areas, the Queensland Aussies were overall really rude. We don’t know if it’s because we came during a tourist season or if it’s because we’re Americans or what, but we rarely had enjoyable interactions with the locals. Especially rude was the man working at the Airlie Beach information center. Do not seek information from him under any circumstances. Buy a map.

The Weather

If you know me, you know I have an inability to tan and yet I love to rotisserie in the sun anyway. I was particularly looking to lay out like a reptile during our three day two night sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands. The first day was perfect weather. Then it rained for the next four days until we traveled south to Mackay.

Nemo

I didn’t find him.

Nutrition

We cut a lot of money by eating at a low cost. It may take me years to once again enjoy pasta and rice. I never want to see another pb&j sandwich as long as I live.

The U.S. Dollar

For the duration of this trip, the Australian dollar was worth $1.10 U.S. dollars. And everything is already more expensive here. I should have studied abroad in Asia.

My Little Ponies

During our farmstay just outside of Mackay I ended up riding five horses, while most guests rode just one. One was too easy, so it was given to a more beginner rider. One was too large and didn't respond to my weight. One was too sore to go out. One fell while I was on him and jammed his ankle too badly to be ridden. The last one was the instructor's horse who had a bit of an attitude, but was manageable.