My Little Uni Blog

My travels and adventures...with a little education mixed in

[chxpotle]

[cailfornie]

indie/fashion/boho

[usydblog-blog]

Port Stephens

So, like the rational individuals we are, we decided to rent a BMW and drive the coast to Port Stephens to check out the area for the day.  

While there wasn't too much to see, we did get to spend some last minute time together as roommates in a swaggin whip.  

In addition to these pictures, we saw kangaroos, AND FED THEM. and it was epic

and amazing

but i was way too overwhelmed with happiness to take any pictures. I love kangaroos.

[usydblog-blog]

NSW ART GALLERY

On one of the many rainy days we have been having recently in Sydney, we went to the Art Gallery.  There was some pretty cool stuff there, it's pretty big, like 3 or 4 stories, so there is plenty to see.

I liked the older stuff rather than the newer stuff.  I have a hard time believing if some of it is actually art...I can do it myself. Like splatter painting and painting a canvas blue, or just hanging a mirror is kind of weird to me. 

But it was entertaining, and a good way to spend a day.

Then I went shopping downtown..that was more fun.

[usydblog-blog]

TOP TEN

Tomorrow marks the 10 day mark until I come back to the states...

So I'm going to do a Top 10 list. So a post a day about what my top 10 experiences in this magical land have been.

:)

[usydblog-blog]

Scuba Diving

The boat I went on was a dive boat where they took you out if you weren't certified and taught you the basics so you could dive.

It was incredible! Getting to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef, on the set of Finding Nemo, was unforgettable. We saw so many things it was unreal.

We saw:

Nemos, turtles, sharks, yellow fish, dory fish, star fish, lion fish, rock fish, bright colored fish, one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish, green eggs and ham.

Soooo cool :)

(sidenote: I'm delirious from studying for exams and haven't really slept. Sorry..I'm not that sorry)

But actually, the turtles were unbelievable. I swam over it for like 15 minutes! The whole experience was amazing.

Also on the boat when we were watching the sunset, 4 dolphins rode on our waves and we saw a whale in the distance. IT WAS MAGICAL

[usydblog-blog]

Whitehaven Beach

The week before exams I went to Cairns and then on a 3 day 3 night cruise through the Great Barrier Reef

One of the days we went to Whitehaven beach which is in the middle of the ocean located on the Whitsunday Islands, a string of 74 islands off the coast of Australia.  

The beach is known for its white sands that are 98% pure silica which is why it's so white.  I would have taken some in a jar or a bag but there is a 10,000 dollar fine for taking it from the beach.  Currently tripadvisor.com has it ranked as #3 most beautiful beach in the world...but I honestly don't see how anything else could exist that is more amazing than this place.  It's 7k of sand and nothing around it.  There is no civilization, nothing.  It is truly incredible.  

Since there is reef on the beach side, you have to pull your boat on the other side of the island and walk through a small rainforest to get to the beach.  It was honestly the most incredible thing I've ever seen.  

We spent about 5 hours just walking around on the beach, sitting in the water, and just enjoying everything it had to offer.  

I can actually die happy now that I've been to this place.  It is incredible!

[usydblog-blog]

VIVID

Vivid runs in Sydney from The end of May through the first week in June.  It happens all around Circular Quay (where the Opera House is and the Harbour bridge) and through the downtown city area as well as a little bit in Darling Harbour (Where the harbour cruises take off from).

There is a lot to see in the areas, some of the streets are completely lit up, there are light shows everywhere.  The main attractions are the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.  The Opera House has a 20 minute light show to music that is displayed on the outside of it on repeat all night long.  The Harbour bridge is also lit up and it's where the lights are broadcast from.

It's absolutely incredible, I've been about 5 times, even though it's the same each time.

It's beautiful. 

[usydblog-blog]

My roommates made this video for a competition, you should watch it...

The password to watch it is Australia if it doesn't work automatically

[usydblog-blog]

Coast Walk

Coogee to Bondi

There's a 7km walk that goes from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach.  Along the way you see some of the most beautiful views ever. The water here is so clear its unbelievable. 

Along the way we climbed rocks, went to the edge of the earth, and sat and enjoyed the scenery.  

The walk usually takes about 40 minutes...but with us messing around the whole time it took us about 3 hours. Oops..

[usydblog-blog]

Vanguard

Some of my roommates and I went to see a ballet at the opera house.  The place was so different at night, it was amazing.  

As beautiful as the Opera House was during the day at the tour, it was even more amazing at night.  The whole thing lit up and completely came alive. I'm obsessed with it.

[usydblog-blog]

Opera House Tour

Second time doing this but it was still amazing!

It's incredible inside and the harbour views are so beautiful.

The place completely transforms at night

[usydblog-blog]

Westfield Tower

The tower was amazing! We were lucky enough to go on a clear day where we could see everything! From the top of the tower you can see a full view of all of Sydney.  It's phenomenal.  In some fo the pictures you can see the Opera House and the Habour Bridge.

[usydblog-blog]

Aquarium

Literally my personal heaven. This place is the coolest aquarium ever (next to the one in Barcelona).  There were millions of fish to look at.  The sharks were the coolest, they were in one of those tunnels you walk through with the clear walls so you can see them all around you.  It was awesome! 

Best 3 hours ever.

[usydblog-blog]

Wildlife Park

Our house decided we needed to be more touristy and experience all Sydney has to offer before we leave in a few months.

Our first stop was the Wildlife Park.   We saw koalas, wallabys, kangaroos, butterflies, cassowaries (big birds), and tasmanian devils

[usydblog-blog]

Anzac Day

Anzac Day happened on April 25th and is sort of the equivalent to our memorial day or veterans day. The whole city shuts down and a lot of people go to services at local churches and what not.  Afterwards, the fun begins! It is the only day of the year when people can play a gambling game called two-up.  

Two-up takes place in an arena designed by the host location and everyone bets on the pennies.

The two-up rules are:

1. The decision of the ringkeeper will be final. 2. The ringkeeper shall select a spinner by offering the kip clockwise around the ring and shall hand the kip to the first person who accepts it. 3. There shall be two sets of seven pennies held by the ringkeeper. The spinner shall select two pennies from one of the sets, thrown down inside the ring by the ringkeeper. 4. Only two pennies shall be used. 5. A change of pennies shall be at the discretion of the ringkeeper. 6. The tail side of pennies will be marked with a white cross. 7. The spinner shall place pennies tails up on the kip. 8. The spinner shall select two other pennies from the remaining five of the set after throwing three consecutive pairs of heads. The ringkeeper shall retain the winning two pennies and throw down the balance of the set for the spinner to make the selection. 9. The spinner cannot take a dividend before three consecutive heads are thrown. 12. In the event that the spinner throws tails, the spinner shall lose the total of the moneys in the centre and the right to spin. 13. (a) The ringkeeper shall declare a spin invalid by announcing “no spin” or “barred” for any of the following reasons: (i) either or both pennies land outside the ring; (ii) either or both pennies hit any person or foreign object inside or outside the area of the ring; (iii) in the opinion of the ringkeeper the pennies have not been spun at least two metres above the head of the spinner; (iv) either or both pennies hit the ceiling; (v) the spinner is not standing within the boundaries of the ring as the pennies leave the kip; (vi) in the opinion of the ringkeeper the pennies have not been spun; or (vii) any other reason announced by the ringkeeper. (b) An invalid spin shall be declared as such prior to the pennies coming to rest. (c) After a spin has been declared invalid, the ringkeeper shall attempt to disturb the pennies prior to them coming to rest. 14. Centre monies shall be set in full before any side bets may be made. 15. Only the spinner shall be permitted within the boundaries of the ring during play. 16. A spinner after throwing three consecutive pairs of heads may withdraw from the centre. 17. No person under the age of 18 years shall be permitted in that area of the Two-up premises where the game is being conducted while the game is being conducted and played. 18. Unseemly conduct or offensive language shall not be tolerated. 19. The spinner shall hand the ringkeeper the amount of money the spinner wishes to spin for, the ringkeeper shall hold that money and the equivalent amount from a tail bettor to cover the bet.

  I'm not quite sure why this is illegal for the rest of the year...but it is. Well it is in the states of New South Wales and Victoria. but it is, and it makes it more fun to play on the one day when you legally can.

  I won 5 dollars.

[usydblog-blog]

Just realized that I haven't been on this very much lately.  We haven't done anything too exciting.  

I've been having a lot of school work come out of nowhere and have been trying to get that done while still having fun in the city and exploring.

[usydblog-blog]

Olympic Park

The Olympics were held in Sydney in 2000. 

Today, we went about a half hour outside the actual city to see the venue.  There were about 20 things to do, including scavenger hunts and walks, and tours. We chose about 5 things, ended up walking about 12 miles and seeing most of the grounds.  It was pretty cool. If I could go back I would take a tour of the ANZ building, where the opening/closing ceremonies took place (I think). We were stubborn and didn't want to pay the 18 dollars for the tour.  I might want to do it before we leve though.  

We'll see