After Fraser Island, we spent a couple days in Noosa, home of Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. The zoo is small but well done. We got to pet koalas and feed elephants and kangaroos, which thrilled Shana since she had yet to see a kangaroo. We also saw Terri Irwin host the crocodile show, though unfortunately her wannabe Miley Cyrus daughter Bindi couldn't make it. All in all I'd say it was one of the most wholesome days we've ever had, since we went home to Julia's divine homemade macaroni (our roommates were shocked by our portions and even more shocked when we calmly finished them & tucked into our XL chocolate bars....just doing our part to uphold the piggish American stereotype.) The next day at Noosa was spent at the beach, then we Greyhounded down to Brisbane, spending the night at our British friend Jamie's apartment. It was strange to say goodbye to him, because he is the only person we've seen throughout our trip, and now we'll probably never see him again. Ah, well, such is life.
One more Greyhound trip later, we were in Sydney, where we dropped off our luggage and immediately departed for a camping trip in the Blue Mountains with the boys we met in Bondi Beach at the very beginning of our trip. The boys were super-nice, the food was good, and the scenery gorgeous, but the sleeping situation was grotesque. Our tents were....sub-par, and our preparation skills were less than mediocre. It was absolutely freezing and we didn't have enough sleeping bags....and this was compounded by the fact that it poured the whole night, resulting in me & others "sleeping" literally in a puddle all night. It affected our moods negatively, to say the least. We had a good time, but I sure was glad to get back.
I had a much better time surfing the next day. I was nervous about this, since Julia spent hours trying to teach me how to body surf in Noosa and I never got the hang of it. Looking back, I'd say I was right to be nervous. Julia, I believe, is part mermaid, and born to be in the water-- she was really good. Shana was excellent as well. Meanwhile, while they were casually sitting on their boards and waiting for a choice wave, I was being pushed into waves by the instructors and alternately bellyflopping/backflipping off the board moments later. After 5 hours of this, we all hobbled back into our hostel feeling like shit but agreeing we had a great time.
And that's it. We spent our last day on the beach and our last night hanging out with the Bondi boys, and then we flew home. My immediate plans include Mardis Gras in a few weeks, then finding gainful employment for 6 months or so before heading off on another adventure abroad. If my life is exciting enough to keep updating this thing, I shall do so, but chances are it shan't be. Thanks for reading, everybody!
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