Australia is a land made for the adventure seeker and adrenaline junky. What the continent may lack in unique cultural landscape bountiful, it more than makes up for in unique natural beauty. I found a new hobby since being down here; surfing. I’ve tried it back in the United States, but I attended a surf camp here and that’s where I really fell in love with the activity. Every time I would jump off the board before reaching shore, I was eager to paddle back out and catch another wave, and often I was the last one back when the lesson was complete. Some of the friends I’ve made also have a house near the beach so whenever I have free time, I go surfing with them.
I also haven’t just surfed the waves, but also the land. I went to a town called Port Stephens one weekend, and they have these huge sand dunes right next to the ocean. You can sandboard down some of them, so my friends and I had to try it out. Although not as fun as being on the water (and sand got in places sand should never be) it was still one of my favorite memories.
When my sister came out to visit we went to Cairns to go snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. It has been on our both of our bucket lists, and finally seeing all the vibrant sea-life was definitely worth it. Make sure to bring enough sunblock as the deficiency in the Ozone layer is very real here, and you WILL get severely burned if you don’t have enough protection. We also went on a jungle tour in Cape Tribulation and saw some iconic Australian wildlife in a park. I even held a koala, although take caution of this because they are cute but gross and it may not be worth the $40.
In November I’ll be going out to the outback to go see Uluru and I can’t wait. All the pictures I have seen look fantastic with all the vivid colors of the red rock and blue sky contrast. I’ll also be sleeping under the stars, and with no light pollution, the stars should be absolutely breathtaking. I also love hiking, and it’s going to be four days of non stop hiking so it’s really going to keep me in shape!