Byron Bay and Nimbin
Right after my mid semester break, I had yet another journey waiting. Laura's friend Patricia came in town and the three of us plus Laura's roommate Kira went on a weekend trip to visit the beautiful Byron Bay and experience Nimbin's Festival "MardiGrass". We had a lot of fun chilling in Byron Bay and seeing this beautiful hippie city one last time. After spending a day in Byron we drove over to Nimbin for their MardiGrass Festival. Now I don't know what you know about Nimbin, but when you say that word to an Australian, they just laugh. This city is very eccentric to say the least, and they are very pro the legalization of cannabis. Below are some of my pictures from my experience there and in Byron.
Hike to see the Sunrise (Yes I woke up early enough to see it)
Wild Wallaby!
He enjoyed the Sunrise too!
Kyra in front of the lighthouse
Now some pics from the parade.....
I know this is mean and rude and as a self proclaimed feminist I shouldn't be putting other women down, but please look up the term cheerleader effect because it describes this group of women perfectly......
Police watching the parade
YES THAT IS A MAN FISHING FOR POLICE WITH DONUTS!
GO Gold Coast Suns!
All international students were invited to see a Gold Coast Suns Game. Needless to say, it was very confusing and I still do not understand the sport. The Australian Football League (AFL for short) is rather confusing and kind or remind me of soccer, rugby, and American Football put together. Either way we all had a fun time trying to understand it.
The stadium
Surfer's Paradise Parade
Here are some images from a parade Surfer's Paradise put on.
GoPro Pics at the Pool
This probably doesn't deserve its own section, but I love some of the pics that came out of our fun day at the pool! :)
Sneaking up on Sami!
Sneaking to the Roof
Another section that doesn't need a full paragraph, but led to fun times and incredible pics. Basically one day our elevator became unlocked (didn't need to have a key to get to intended floor), and our group discovered this and was able to go on the roof of our skyscraper!
Pool on the Roof!
.....Thanks Nico.
Without Nico
NEW ZEALAND!
I was so incredibly thrilled that I had the opportunity to go to New Zealand. It is truly beautiful and a great way to end my semester. While there, I stayed with my cousin Brent and his family. I got to meet my precious new cousin Tzipora and bond with the rest of the family. While in New Zealand I got showed downtown Auckland by my mom's friend and college roommate Rhonda and her family. It was nice being shown such warmth when I was traveling alone. Auckland is a cool city and I would love to go back one day during the summer time. Also while there, I went Black Water Rafting through the Waiotomo Caves. Some words to describe this experience are COLD, Exhilarating, Breathtaking, fun, and dark. Below you will see some of my pictures from New Zealand. And if Brent, Jill, or the Albom family reads this post, I just want to thank you again for showing me hospitality, I really had a great time!
She is a cutie!
Auckland
Met some American AEPhis after going through the caves
I had fun. I promise.
See!
Best photo to show you the Glowworms
Petting a Kiwi
Australia Zoo
As soon as I returned to the Gold Coast, I was off on another adventure. Sophia's friend Leah came to Australia and we took her to the Australian Zoo outside of Brisbane. We had a great time seeing the animals and just walking around the zoo. I was rather upset that Bindi Irwin never held a door open for me though :( (Happened when my roommates went to the Australian Zoo)
Day in Brisbane
Before leaving we had one last adventure in Brisbane. While there we played an intense game of Double Dog Dare, where we had to do whatever dare was challenged to us, but then we could challenge another member of the group. Some examples of this are Ryan (Ryne) asking a girl on a date in his cockney accent, Nico telling a stranger he didn't like him anymore, Janine falling on the street in the middle of Brisbane, and Laura making strangers bounce with her. There were numerous others, but those stand out to me. Here are some pictures from our adventures!
Ran into an Indian Festival
Love this pic!
Last Days in OZ
The last days in Oz were a whirlwind with many things happening to try to get the most out of our last days. On the last sunrise of our time in Australia, we had drunk Australians literally fall on top of us. Here are some of my favorite pics from it all.
They got dizzy after spinning
Goon from a blender....
My hashtag to look up some of my pics! :)
LML
I just like Ryan's expression in this
The drunk guys stumbling on us
He used my phone to take a selfie
Told You!
Last Sunrise
Last pic of Surfer's Paradise Gateway
Reflection
So now looking back posting this in September, I have been away for awhile now. It has been difficult readjusting to life back in florida and being so many miles away from my exchange home. Even though my time in Australia has ended, Some day I will go back and see the country/continent I love again. I have been trying to hold on to this experience as much as I can by talking to all my friends from their and joining UCF's study abroad/ exchange club GlobaLinks and even became the event coordinator of this wonderful club. I am excited to go into my senior year with this wonderful experience behind me and shaping me in my day to day life. I know because of it, I have learned and grown so much. Finally, I want to end this post by thanking the all the people that helped me to go on this adventure. First, Judy for inspiring me to go on this Exchange program, through her own experiences. Daniel, for helping me out and being a supportive big bother even if you insisted that I was in Austria the entire time. Mom and Dad, without you I would have never been able to go on this incredible journey. I just want to thank you both for being my rock and helping me with this journey and all my past, present, and future endeavors. I love you all so much and am so lucky to have you! Thanks to everyone else who talked to me while there, checked up on me, and followed my adventures. I love having you all as a part of my life!
Love,
Erica now back in America (for the time being ;) )
