My Life: Travel Edition, Part 2/2

As I stated in my previous post, I’ll be heading to Sydney in a couple of weeks. While that will definitely be the biggest trip I will have taken so far, I have already been on so many adventures. One of my favorites has been a trip to Australia Zoo, which belongs to the family of Steve Irwin, the famous “Crocodile Hunter.” My host family, lovely people that they are, decided to introduce me to the world of Australian animals with a bang. It was one of the most amazing places I have ever visited. Immediately upon entering we were able to interact with a multitude of exotic animals, including a baby crocodile and a huge cockatoo that gave an enthusiastic “thumbs-up” said “hello” in a creepily human-like voice. It was pretty obvious that it was Steve Irwin’s zoo, as there were colossal photos of him everywhere, and many of the animals (all of whom were named) had snippets written about them by the man himself. In a way, some of it was a bit cheesy, but I did not mind in the least, because it reminded me of my childhood spent watching him encounter poisonous snakes and ferocious crocs on TV. We went to the Wild Animal show where colorful birds swooped low over the audience in choreographed patterns and a massive croc leaped out of the water to catch meat. We stood in a huge line to feed elephants by hand and were rewarded with affectionate slobbers from the massive beasts, and accompanied a zookeeper while she walked a giant wombat on a leash (I can’t make this stuff up.) A guy tried to drape an enormous snake around my neck, which I politely declined, while secretly preparing to punch him in the gut and flee if he got any closer. He did convince me to touch it with one finger. While the entire zoo was a wonder, there were two things in particular that stood out about the day. The first was the kangaroos. The Kangaroo Sanctuary is a huge fenced area in which hundreds of the world’s laziest marsupials chill for hours on end. The greatest part, you ask? You get to go in, feed them, and scratch their bellies as if they were oversized house cats. We even had the immense pleasure of seeing a guy get punched in the face by a kangaroo who wasn’t particularly keen about being featured in a selfie. The best part of the day, however, was getting to cuddle a koala named Ellen. My host parents were kind enough to arrange a private encounter for me, and I will certainly never forget the experience. She was incredibly soft, sweet, and had Eucalyptus-y breath. If any of you get the chance to visit Australia, I highly recommend a trip to the zoo, as it was the most interactive and beautiful zoo I have ever seen.

Meeting the elephant

Kangaroo feeding

The next trip we took was to Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island. It was the perfect opportunity for Greg, my host dad, to try out the new 4WD, as the only way to get around on the island is to off-road. We arrived in Hervey Bay, a whale watching paradise, and stayed the night in a resort before making the ferry crossing very early the next morning. We drove all around the island, and it was a blast. I even got a chance to drive down the beach at 80k/hr.  The entire day we were on the lookout for dingoes (wild dogs known for eating children) but unfortunately we didn’t see one.  We visited a breathtaking old shipwreck that was used as a bombing range during WWII, and drove through splendid, nearly untouched rainforest. While the water off Fraser Island is gorgeous, it is extremely ill advised to enter, as it is teeming with sharks, fatally poisonous jellyfish and has a brutal rip. The next day we drove back via Rainbow Beach, which I believe has more colored sands than anywhere else in the world. Many of the beaches in Australia double as a highway, which is a bit of a weird concept, but made for a fun drive.

Ship wreck at Fraser Island

Sunrise over Fraser Island

One of my friends, Hattie (an English au pair,) and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Noosa (a resort town) for a night out. When we arrived via bus (after being verbally attacked by the most terrifying bus driver ever) it was dark and we had no plans whatsoever. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge planner and safety freak, so this was a big step for me. We found our way into a dingy youth hostel, and booked a room at the bar. We went to drop our stuff off and realized we were in a 10-man bunk. My bed was located above a surly French man, and had a dirty footprint on the side that could only have gotten there by an impressive roundhouse kick. Back at the bar, there was an old one-eyed man wearing a fedora and dancing ostentatiously to Michael Jackson. While the bar was sparsely populated, the night only got stranger from there. I was even told my one guy that I should “stop faking such a horrible American accent.” Once in bed, I spent the night clutching my belongings and hoping for morning. The next day we spent hours swimming in perfect water and tanning on the beach, before finding our way back home. Crazy? Yes. Worth it? Definitely.

While I’ve been on several other trips, this is all I have time to write about right now. Just as a completely unrelated side note: A bird attacked me while I was running this morning. It was one of the scariest experiences I’ve had in this country.