BRISBANE

so many new friends

It is kind of hard to sum up all of the fun we had in Brisbane, a lot of it could only really be appreciated if you were there.  I went with Laura, Sheila, and Mark from August 5th to 8th.  This was our first legitimate traveling experience in Australia, and for some of us our first time staying at a hostel.  That alone was an experience.  Let’s just say that not everyone went to Red Pine Camp for girls, so public living etiquette was slightly lacking.  However, the trip was still wonderful, and here are some of the highlights:

Our first day, we went to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where we saw many animals native to Australia as well as some other birds and such. Where the Sanctuary was slightly more like a zoo than we anticipated, it was still a fun stop, and my first time seeing some of Australia’s unique animals! 

From there, we took a brewery tour of the XXXX brewery, where I became best friends with our sassy tour guide (even though he wasn’t a very good tour guide). 

On Saturday, we had some X-TREME adventures in Moreton Island, the third largest sand island in the world.  We started the morning with a shipwreck snorkel.  After lunch, we went sand boarding, which is essentially sledding on sand dunes.  Overall, the day was a great success. 

me, Mark, Laura, and Sheila on the boat to Moreton Island

On Sunday, we took a walking tour of the city before heading back to Wollongong.  On the way we stopped at a local market, at lunch in a beautiful park, and I dropped my shoe in a fountain. 

sandboarding champion

Fun fact:  A kangaroo’s hop is actually an evolutionary advantage.  The spring in hopping helps kangaroos absorb and reuse energy, which helps them survive in some very nutrient poor environments.