Day 19 - Day 3 @ Lady Elliot Island and a Final Night

Today was the last full day together as a group, and we were determined to make the most of it. Since our flight off of LEI wasn't until two we were able to enjoy the entire morning by doing even more snorkeling and playing even more volleyball. My volleyball skills weren't as good as yesterday's, but still much better than the beginning of the trip. Even though we've been snorkeling for three days now, I still never got sick of looking at the same reefs. The variety of coral and fish is incredible, and I felt like wherever I swam I would find something new.

After flying back to the mainland in LEI's tiny planes we began our drive back down to Brisbane where we would spend the night. It was about a four hour drive, and by the time we got there it was already seven o' clock. We enjoyed a nice last dinner together followed by devotions and some group discussion.

Being our last night together as a group we wanted to head downtown for a taste of the Brisbane nightlife. Since it was already pretty late by the time we actually left our hostel, we only made it to one local place where we enjoyed good times and good conversation. I loved walking downtown as a big group, especially when we showed up at a place and completely took it over. There's nothing like walking in with twenty people and being surrounded by a bunch of your friends. After hanging out for a while it was time for us to head back to our hostel. When we got back a bunch of us ended up staying up pretty late just talking about the trip and all the fun times that we've had.

I feel like I've been ending the last few entries by talking about how our trip is almost over. Well, tomorrow morning the group officially leaves. Our time together as a group has been unforgettable, and I am so thankful for each and every person on this trip. We all get along real well and I wouldn't change a thing.

A view of LEI while flying in

Day 18 - Day 2 @ Lady Elliot Island

Today brought tons of more fun here at LEI. With the sun rising around 5am, it was tough to stay asleep in our small cabin that wasn't too good at blocking out light. I decided to get up around 6 and headed to the beach. I whipped up yesterday's blog and worked on my tan. Pretty soon others were beginning to get up so I joined some mates for breakfast.

Breakfast was delicious, as is all the food here, and eating while looking at the ocean was a real nice feeling. After breakfast some of us went snorkeling and we were able to see a manta ray and some more sharks. The visibility was great and provided for some sweet views.

When we were done snorkeling it was time for our group to go on a glass bottom boat and do some more viewing of the reefs. We also traveled out to a shipwreck that crashed in '99, and it was cool to see how the ocean and reefs just completely took over it. Our group then all jumped in and did some more snorkeling for a while.

Following a quick lunch, we spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach, swimming in the pool, and playing volleyball. Thanks to the help of a couple of all-star vball players, namely Jen Pluymert and Kim Start, my skills have been dramatically increasing. I've developed a new platform, and am setting like a pro.

The weather today was beautiful, and we all made sure to get as much time in the sun as possible. I might have gotten a little burnt, but hopefully the after tan will be worth it.

We spent the night playing cards and enjoying a couple of drinks, and then went out on the beach for another great session of star gazing. LEI has been a great place to see God's handiwork, whether it's in all the intricate details of the reefs and thousands of species of fish, or the clear night sky full of stars you'd never be able to see at home. I am truly amazed at all that's surrounding me here.

Tomorrow we fly out around 2, so we'll still have some time to enjoy a little more of the island. We then head back to Brisbane for our final night together as a group.

Day 17 - Day 1 @ Lady Elliot Island

Today we enjoyed our first day on the beautiful Lady Elliot Island. The island is situated at the very bottom of the great barrier reef and has the capacity for 65 guests. Theres an airstrip the length of the island that is accessible only by small planes. Our group was split into four separate flights with two leaving really early and two leaving at a more reasonable time. I was in the later group so we had some time in the morning to stop by the little shopping district at Hervey Bay and pick up some souvenirs and check out the amazing bay and water that is there. From there we went to the airport to start our trip to the island. Flying in was amazing, as we were in small planes that hold 12 people. I had never flown in a small plane before so that was a cool new experience for me. The views of flying in to the island were incredible and I was able to get lots of good pics.

After safely making it to the island we went through a bit of orientation and then were on our own to explore. The snorkeling is amazing here so the first thing we did was hit the water. We were swimming with sea turtles, sharks, manta rays, and thousands of beautiful fish. It felt like I was in a scene from "Finding Nemo" and made me never want to leave the water.

After snorkeling for a while on the west side of the island we took a break and headed to the east side. A bunch of us laid out on the beach and then decided to do some more snorkeling where we hadn't been yet.

This place is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and it feels like I'm in the Caribbean rather than Australia. In addition, the island is a paradise for bird lovers. They are literally everywhere and the staff estimate there are upwards of one million birds that call the island their home. I've already been pooped on once, while playing volleyball, as have several others in our group. While they certainly get annoying sometimes it's kind of cool to be in a place with so many birds flying all around you.

Later today we were given a presentation on the great barrier reef and how the island does its part to preserve it. In the middle of the presentation a bird flew in the room through one of the windows and would not leave and could not be caught. Unfortunately it flew into one of the ceiling fans and came down. It did however manage to get back up, where it was then caught and brought outside.

After the presentation it was already dark outside so a smaller group of us spent the remainder of the night just chilling on the beach talking and looking at the stars. With virtually no light pollution the stars out here are amazing and awesome to look at. I spent a lot of time just pondering and thinking about my life and the universe, and found it really relaxing to be able to just sit there and look to the sky for answers. The conversation with the group was great, and I can say that the night spent with each other was one of the best of the trip.

I can't get over the feeling of this place and I have absolutely no problems with that. I'm in a great mood twenty four seven and never want to leave. I feel truly blessed to be able to experience places like this at such a young stage in my life and hope to travel for the years to come.

Tomorrow we're headed out on a glass bottom boat where we'll look at some coral reefs and be able to do some more snorkeling. At night we'll be looking at some turtles nesting and I'm sure it will be another great night like today.

Day 16 - The Australian Zoo

We woke up early today to the bright Australian sun. Our plan for the day was to visit the Australian Zoo and then drive to Hervey Bay where we would spend the night. The closer we got to the zoo the more cloudy the sky got and by the time we got there it was raining. Nonetheless, we weren't going to let a little rain stop our animal adventures.

The first thing we did was visit the crocoseum where Steve Irwin's wife and two kids put on a show featuring birds and crocodiles. It was pretty crazy to see the size of a croc up close and to see how powerful and quick they are. The trainers swam in the pool with the croc so it made for an entertaining show. When asked where everyone in the audience was from, our group clearly put up the best cheer for the states.

After the show we hit up Roo Heaven, where we were able to get up close and personal with a bunch of kangaroos and wallabies. At Roo Heaven all the animals just roam around and chill, so you are able to get right up to them to feed and pet them. Some of us became masters of the "fake feed" - which is essentially faking that you have food so the Roo is interested in you. Us poor college kids are too cheap to actually buy food, so we work with what we got.

We then spent some time viewing crocs, tigers, koalas, and dingos. From there we visited the Africa exhibit to see some rhinos, giraffes, and zebras. It was a pretty cool setup and a good time.

From Africa we took part in feeding the elephants. The elephants come right to you and grab the food from your hand. It was a unique experience and I definitely enjoyed it.

After the zoo we began our trip up north to Hervey Bay, where we are spending the night before heading to Lady Elliot Island tomorrow. We went down towards the bay for dinner and enjoyed unlimited pasta. Following dinner we had some discussion time as a group and reflected on our travels thus far. We talked about where we've seen God in the trip, how we want to incorporate what we've learned into our own lives, and just overall funny memories that have happened so far.

When we were done with our discussion we had the night to ourselves. We played some wii tennis and I took part in teaching euchre to a couple people from the group. I love euchre and wish more people knew how to play it so I could play more than a couple times a year. Tomorrow we fly to Lady Elliot island where we will spend some time snorkeling and relaxing - I'm so pumped!

Day 15 - Tanks and Travel

We started off today by visiting The Lost Springs, a local spa that had multiple thermal pools that felt like giant hot tubs. It was a cool morning so the pools were a real nice way to get warm and relax. The owner of the place talked to us about how his trips to America inspired him to make a place where adults can come and be adults. He spent over twenty years making the place and it turned out beautiful.

From the thermal pools we began our trek back to Auckland so that we could fly to Brisbane at night. On the way we stopped at a mall for lunch and to do some last minute NZ shopping. A bunch of the guys scored some deals on some tank tops which have become quite the popular choice of attire for the trip. The freedom and style that tanks provide is just hard to beat. I also snagged a good deal on a new fleece that I will add to my collection of jackets.

We finally arrived at the airport a couple of hours before our flight and everyone got checked in and through security with no issues. I like flying with a group of people despite certain complications and delays that sometime happen. It was fun to be sitting next to your friends and people you knew. I tried to do some blogging on the plane but instead fell asleep for most of the trip. The flight was a little over three hours and before we knew it we were back on another bus traveling to our nights accommodation. With a three hour time change most of the group was pretty tired so we all just hung out and went to bed early.

Tomorrow we're headed to the Australian zoo where we're hoping to see some koalas and kangaroos. In a couple of days we'll be heading to Lady Elliot island which I absolutely cannot wait for.

Day 14 - Kayaks, Bones, and a Late Night

With today's activities not starting till the later part of the morning I was able to have some time video chatting with my family and some friends at school. It was nice to be able to communicate with them in a way other than this blog and started the day off in a great way.

Around 11 we headed to the beach to do some sea kayaking to NZ's infamous Cathedral Cove. The water was perfectly calm and the weather beautiful so conditions couldn't have been better. Upon our arrival to the cove our guides made us some gourmet coffees and we had time to swim and explore. A bunch of us swam out to rock where we were able to jump in and have a good swim. After our free time we started to paddle back to where we started exploring some reefs and a cave along the way.

Kyle and I were sharing a kayak and noticed some guys on a big yacht enjoying some beers. I jokingly asked if they had some for us and they told us to paddle over to the boat where we were greeted with two cold ones. Our group was jealous of our little refreshment and enjoying a brew while kayaking was a nice compliment to the trip. The water was crystal clear and we were able to see some sting rays along the bottom and several schools of fish.

After kayaking we went back into town where we took part in making our own bone carving necklaces. We were given a cutout shape and then had to use a Dremel to round the edges. After multiple stages of sanding and polishing we arrived at the final masterpiece. The process took a couple hours and while it was tedious work the end result was pretty cool. After completion of my necklace I put it on and am liking the "island" look that it gives me. With the combination of my necklace and accent I think I might be able to pull off to some people that I'm a local.

We were on our own for dinner tonight so we made some grilled cheese, tomato soup, and pasta. It was fun to cook together and have a "homemade" meal. Following dinner we decided to head downtown and get a taste of the areas nightlife. Being Monday night there wasn't too much going on but when you travel in a group you tend to bring the party where ever you go. We spent a couple hours at a local bar and enjoyed good conversation and some dancing.

The place closed pretty early so some of us headed to the beach to continue the fun. We ended up just talking the night away and before we knew it it was four o clock in the morning. It was certainly a great time and a night to remember.

Tomorrow is our last day in this great country of NZ and I can't believe how quickly time as passed. There's still plenty of exciting things coming up but it's sad to leave a place you've grown to love so much. Without a doubt will I someday make a trip back to continue my adventures in NZ.

Day 13 - Dolphins and Rapids

We started today bright and early to head on out to a dolphin boat with the high hopes of finding some dolphins to swim with. They took us all around the bay and out towards some small islands where there are usually huge pods of dolphins and sometimes orca whales. Unfortunately for us, we ended up spotting only 3 or 4 dolphins and no whales. They blamed the poor conditions on the shipwreck of the cargo ship Rena, which crashed mid November on a reef outside NZ. Just a few days ago the ship finally cracked in half leaving oil deposits and containers in the entire bay area. The local people are quite upset about the crash and the way the authorities are responding with poor cleanup efforts. With NZ being the way it is, it doesn't surprise me the way the community reacts when their beloved area becomes contaminated. Despite not seeing much wildlife, it was still a nice day to go on a boat cruise in the bay.

Following a brief lunch at McDonald's we headed to do some white water rafting. The river we went on is only open for rafting 26 days of the year, and the rest of the days is damned up for hydroelectricity. The river featured rapids from class 2 all the way to class 5, and provided for quite the thrill. At the bottom of one of the rapids known as "washing machine", we had the unique and somewhat scary experience of having our raft tip over. We were all dumped out and I was stuck under water for a little bit while I struggled to find an air pocket inside of the raft. Fortunately I was able to do so and we all recovered safely. Looking back on it tipping over didn't seem like too bad of an experience, but during the moment it was one of the scariest things of my life. Our guide was having a bit of bad luck that day, as he had never tipped a raft on that river in 10 years, and the day we did it he tipped twice - once with us and once with another group before us.

Although we tipped on one rapid we still were able to enjoy all of the others. There were several commands for rafting and it was quite the job remembering all that we had to do when given orders by our guide. On one rapid we were allowed to jump out of the raft and float down ourselves, which I of course did and had a blast doing so.

After an hour and half on the rapids we had finally reached our destination safely. We dragged the boats out of the water and prepared for our trip to the next hostel. The hostel we're staying at now is right on a bay, so it's pretty sweet to be able to walk right on to the beach. Being pretty tired from the days activities most of us went to bed fairly early.

Tomorrow too looks to be another great day in paradise, with sea kayaking and bone carving in the agenda. I can't believe our time in NZ is almost up already - it's a terribly sad realization that I'm trying to fight off with the promise of more good times in Australia.