Break Time Adventures

So, I am 2 weeks into my 5 week break, and have been pretty busy. Last Saturday, Elisabet and I went whale watching. It was an early morning for us, and we piled onto the boat, excited to see some of the humpback whales that migrate from Antarctica to have their babies. Apparently they cannot have babies in the cold Antarctica waters as the calves do not have the protective coating of blubber and would freeze instantly. Talk about a shock to the system! Elisabet and I picked someseats on the right side of the boat, and had a feeling we were in prime whale viewing spots. Boy were we wrong! As we pulled away from the docks, the captain announced that while we werefree to move around the boat, they would ensure the boat would be constantly turning, to allow everyone to see the whales from every seat. This turned out to be a lie! Every time we would see a whale on our side of the boat, they would turn it so the people on the left could see. Eventually, most of the people on the boat migrated to sit on the left side to see the whales as wecouldn't from our side. We, however, stupidly stayed in our seats, assuming the boat would be eventually turned. The captain came out to tell us finally that they "weren't going to turn the boat for just 2 people." We had to make our way through the throng of people on the front of the ship, but did finally get some prime spots. We got to see some whales breaching, and a few great tail shots.

Sunday we went to stay with a friend of ours, the beautiful Alana Maxwell. Her family is from a small town in the Sunshine Coast, called Maleny. It is picturesque, and was the perfect break from the day to day hassles of dorm life. The town was gorgeous, and the Maxwell family was so welcoming. We got some amazing meals (pumpkin soup, pork roast, lasagna) and comfy beds to sleep in, and a tour guide who was game for anything. We walked the main streets of Maleny, had a great cup of coffee in Monica's, and relaxed heartily for our first day there. The second day we decided to be a little more adventurous. First we went to the mountainview road lookout to see the Glass House Mountains, then it was off to the big kart track. Although it was her first time, Elisabet was a natural, and I showed just how little I've driven since I've been here, spinning out a total of 4 times... Next we had lunch in

Landsbourough and then drove to Mount Ngungun. The hike was very scenic and entertaining, and at some points a little treacherous. It was all worth it when we go to the top, and saw the mountains much closer, and the rolling valley of Maleny. For our last day, we drove to the Eumundi markets, did some shopping, and had lunch with a few Maleny locals. We had a leisurely drive home, stopping frequently, and finally visiting the local IKEA. I can't wait to go back, to visit the Australian Zoo, and see what else the great little town has to offer.

Finally, yesterday I convinced an Icelandic Viking, an Australian Kangaroo, a Slovenia Sheila, and an American Bro to become honourary Canadians and celebrate my great nation's 144th birthday. We listened to Canadian tunes, I sang the national anthem, we all sang Celine Dion, then we went down to a local bar that had imported a bunch of Canadian specials, including Clamato juice to make caesers. Have you ever tried to explain to someone what Clamato juice is?! Don't, it only results in horrified faces. But, I got them to try it anyways, and according to Ziva, "it tastes like pizza." We also ended up running into a few players of the Gold Coast Blue Tongues hockey team, making Joe and I more excited than we care to admit. The night was lots of fun, I got to meet a bunch of local Canadians, and everyone got home safely.

Now, the next few days will include a lot of relaxing, as I leave for New Zealand on the 5th. I've already booked my bunjy jump, canyon swing, chocolate factory tour, and other fun little adventures. Talk to you soon blog!