North Island

Well we finally headed up to the top of the south island and made it to the ferry in Picton. Once we boarded our car at 10:25pm and headed up into the lounge we tirelessly waited 3 hours to dock. Once we got back down to our car and tried to turn it on...I bet you can guess what happened next. It had died because I left the light on...oops. All the cars had to go around us while they jumped us...Now we are 3/3. Currently we are in Taupo in the national park where L of the R was filmed with volcanoes, lava, craters and wetlands. We are making dinner and it smells good...lets hope we make it home alive...think of us..

Schools Out

So Mary Kate and I finished school! The last two days were canceled bc of severe flooding! So we didn't even get to say goodbye to our classes! We spent the weekend playing with the kids in our family and enjoying relaxing time before we headed to New Zealand for 2 weeks to travel around in a camper van! We flew into Christchurch and slept in the airport to wake up the next morning to get our Rental Camper. We started driving down to Dunedin and stayed the night there. The scenery is GORGEOUS. Straight out of Lord of the Rings-geek, I know. The next day we woke up to drive to Queenstown, which is a ski town with a ton of backpackers. It was in this faithful mountainous and breathtaking town that our van battery died. We had to call a company early in the morning and have the man come jump our car. It was also here that Mary Kate and I karaoked to 'Oops I did it again' by the notorious B. Spears. The next morning we drove along the lakes that were enclosed by mountains to 'Paradise Gates', where Lord of the Rings was filmed-don't judge me it was really pretty. After that experience, we continued our drive up to Fox Glacier where we hiked a GLACIER. Yes, thats right, we had on 'clamp on' claws to our boots and hiked around on this massive glacier of ice. It was ridiculous. But exhausting. With sore legs and tired minds we drove to Greymouth-where our car decided to die again. We went to the nearby gas station and decided to ask the man if there was anyway he had a jumper cable. He didnt. But his friend, Phil, who was taking a shower behind the gas station? could help us. So he jumped our car for us and we were on our way. We got to Panikik and got our car stuck at a picnic area...we had to push the car out of the mud...but we did it. We slept in Panikiki and the next morning continued our drive to Westport and up to Nelson where we are currently. We are exhausted and are trying to recoup before heading to the north island. Many more stories to come...at least our driving on the opp side of the car and road is improving...somewhat.....

Sleeping in Cars

Mary Kate and I just got back from a six day excursion to Melbourne in which we 'hired' (rented) a car.  We started on Thursday morning and drove 'The Great Ocean Road', which is a road that runs along the southern coast of Australia.  We then made our way up to 'Halls Gap' that contains the Grampian Mountains and did a few hikes and visited a winery.  The wine tour we went on, to our surprise, was composed of 25 people from an elderly home.  We wove our way back to Melbourne and stayed there for two days before returning the car and flying back to Kingscliff.  

Needless to say, the most entertaining part of this entire trip was the fact that we slept in our car every night.  Perhaps not the safest thing in the world, but definitely the cheapest.   We laid both seats back and brought sleeping bags.  We would wake up every morning at 6:45am with the sunrise and get started on our day driving to wherever the day took us. It was a beautiful adventure but a very homeless one.  We learned that you need little to get by...

All in all, its good to be sleeping in a bed and regularly showering again.

Rando Weekend

So this weekend Mary Kate and I got on a bus after school to Byron.  We forgot our confirmation number-rather we didn't know we even had one- so we had to convince the bus driver we actually bought a ticket. He thought we were scamming the system.  After arriving in Byron we walked around for about an hour looking for our hostel.  We finally found 'The Aquarius' and met our amazing roommates composed of 4 girls from England, 1 guy from Germany and 1 girl from Sweden.  The guy from Germany is apparently on their version of CSI and also raps. He said we could be in his rap video when he made one.  The girls were really nice and were going sky diving on Sunday.  They had me convinced to go but we had to be picked up on Saturday so our plans wouldn't coordinate.  I intend to hopefully do it in New Zealand if I have time....

Sunday was composed of eating, walking around downtown and riding our bikes to the local art festival, followed by lounging by the pool and reading.  Currently I am reading an awful book by Danielle Steel.  I would highly recommend to never read her books. Poor writing. 

School was back on today and dreadfully dragged on.  Luckily the naughtiest boy is still away on holiday so the class is well behaved.  Mary kate and I leave for Melbourne on Thursday and are counting down the days....

Back to school

So our three week holiday is over. Sad story.  We had a staff day on Tuesday and our first day back today...everyone was dragging.  On the plus side had a wonderful holiday and my parents came to Kingscliff to meet my Australian family.  They both loved each other, which was nice since I was attacked by the children.  I showed them around the area and took them to Byron Bay and to Currumbin so that they could hold and feed the koala and kangaroos.  I was really sad for them to leave.  It was also Little 5 at home so I was doubly depressed.

We are learning how to surf this weekend and next weekend we will be traveling to Melbourne for a week...fun stories to come I am sure....

3 Week Holiday

(The fam in Sydney-first night here!)

Mary-Kate and I are free from school for three weeks for our Spring Holiday! We hung out for the weekend and went to the horse races on Saturday. Sunday my host family had a party for my 22nd birthday on Monday. We celebrated with an excellent meal and beautiful cake. So sweet of them to throw me a party. Mary Kate and I flew to Sydney on Monday morning and stayed at the 'Funkhouse' hostel. Lets just say it should have been called the Fungashouse=sick. We met some cool guys from England and Mary Kate and I also got sucked into a pool tournament. Needless to say we lost, but one of our friends won!

(The Blue Mountains-'The Three Sisters")
My parents flew in to Sydney on Tuesday and we met up with them. We walked the Sydney Harbor Bridge, saw the Opera House, played at Luna Park, rode the fairy around Darling Harbor, went to the fish market and ate a seafood platter all in one day. Thursday we drove up to the Blue Mountains where the famous 'Three Sisters' rock formation is. It basically looks like the Grand Canyon except there was a railway car that we took that was the steepest in the world to get to the bottom. It was STRAIGHT down...awful. To be honest, Rog driving on the left side of the car and street for 2 hours was more terrifying.

(pad and I at dinner)

Friday my parents and I flew to Cairns and are now staying in Port Douglas. Mary Kate will meet up with us in a few days at Hamilton Island. We have basically just been relaxing and hanging out here. Yesterday we scuba dived at the Great Barrier Reef. Incredible. One of the coolest things I have ever done.

(private island? Yes please)

Side Story: Rog and I are descending into the ocean and every meter you have to equalize your ears and nose. We are in a group of four and there is a lady who I could tell from the get go would be the weakest link and cause problems because she was struggling with the 'rules' on land. We finally all get to the bottom of the ocean and I look over to see my dad giving the 'distress' sign. He is apparently hyperventilatling and cant breathe properly. Of course the weakest link turns out to be my father. Needless to say the scuba instructor, Stephanie, held his hand for the entire 30 minute scuba. I feel so encouraged to know my padre is a true hercules who will always protect me in a moment of need....

Wildlife and wild times

(Kanga and roo)

This weekend Mary Kate and I went to several nearby beaches and to Currumbin Wildlife Center.  The beaches included Rainbow Bay, Point Danger, and Snapper Rocks.  They were all right in a row and Snapper Rocks was really cool to watch because it was all surfers surfing right next to sharp rocks.

We stayed the weekend at one of the teacher's homes who let us borrow it while she was away.  We thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time and enjoyed going out and watching Harry Potter.  We took a bus to Coolangatta to go out but we were rejected by the bouncer because Mary Kate had a 'rubber thong' on and glass could hurt her foot....needless to say we went back to Harry.

Sunday we went to the Wildlife center and got to hold a koala (which smelled like a wet rag) and play with kangaroos.  It was really fun to see all of the animals that are native to Australia and to learn about them.  Angela and the kids joined us at the center and fed the kangaroos with us.  

(Regan feeding a kangaroo) (Me and the stinky koala)

(Mary Kate kissing a snake haha) (Me and my new pal, Kanga)

It has been raining for so long here and we are ready for some sunshine! We only have three more days till our three week holiday!....

Surfer's Paradise

(Laila and I...so sassy)


So school has been really fun.  The kids astound me with their level of academic success and their obedience.  They are adorable as well with their accents and uniforms.  The weeks fly by and before I know it, it's a weekend again.  

(A jelly fish on the beach by my house we found compared to my flip flop)

This weekend Mary Kate and I went to Surfer's Paradise.  It was VERY commercialized and reminded me of Spring Break in Ft. Lauderdale.  Lots of hotels, bars, and people.  We stayed at a backpacker's hostel flat and had our own room but shared a lounge with two Swedish boys.  They were really nice and we hung out with them the whole time we were there practically.  It was funny to compare various perspectives with them and hear what they thought about certain issues.  They also were our protectors when we went out at night so no creeps would talk to us since they were so big. During the day we pretty much laid out on the beach or by our hostel pool.

(Mary Kate and I at one of the bars)                       (The two Swedish boys)

One of my favorite moments was waking up at 6am and walking down to get coffee and taking it on the beach.  I love waking up early and seeing the sunrise (esp. with my caffeine).  I watched all of the surfers catch their morning waves.  

It was really fun sharing the flat with the boys because we all looked after each other and it was fun to meet new people and have them to hang out with.  They left for Byron on Sunday to stay there for four weeks so we may meet up with them again there.  

It's already Monday tomorrow and school will come all too quickly. 

Australia!

OK I can't believe I am blogging...don't judge me...but everyone was hounding me about details and pictures so I decided to do this. 

I finally made it to the Gold Coast! The scenery is beautiful and full of lush vegetation with oceans that have gorgeous turquoise water and white sand.  My home is right on the beach which means amazing after school beach time and sunrise runs before school. Mary Kate lives literally 2 minutes from me and we walk to each other's houses all the time. She lives with my teacher, Leonie, and her husband Paul and 4 kids.

(Pic I took while running in the morning.)

I live with the most welcoming and lovely family. Angela and James (the principal of my school) have three children: Regan (an adorable quiet boy of 7), Juliet (a friendly and sweet girl of 6 who is ironically in the class I teach) and Laila (a sassy 4 year old who has insights a 24 year old would have.)

(Juliet on the left and Laila on the right)

The school is almost all outdoors and the day is broken up with 'morning tea' (snack outside), recess/lunch, a cross country run around the school grounds and other science activities outside.  I feel like I am teaching in a tropical rainforest but its sunny.  The students all wear uniforms even though its a public school.  They wear red hats (mandatory to go outside), girls wear white shirts and long red shorts and boys were khaki shorts and a red polo.  I teach year one and they are so adorable and obedient.  They thought my accent was so funny and for some reason at first thought I was French. Once they realized I was American, they started asking me if I personally knew every famous person from America.  Our accent is a big hit here because it is apparently like 'hearing TV in real life'.

 (the kids having a run at school)

We have visited Byron Bay this past weekend (which is hippie and full of backpackers from around the world). We met so many people, but primarily people from England.  We also went to a birthday party at Coolangatta Beach which was interesting and fun to meet people. We will be going to surfer's paradise this weekend which will be fun. 

(Mary Kate and I at Byron Bay)                          (The light house at Byron Bay)

I am still adjusting to the complete time change and not being able to talk to someone at 8pm here because it's only 5am the day before in the States.