Cairins

Study Abroad in Australia is one of the best experiences I have ever had. The reason I say this is because not only is learning here very interesting but the country has so much to offer in the way of travel.

This past weekend I took a group trip with Arcadia to Cairns. We had a very structured weekend, but managed to do many things and see some beautiful sites.

Thursday was for traveling from Surfers Paradise to Brisbane and then to Cairns. We arrived late Thursday night to Gilligan’s Backpackers Resort. Our rooms were very modern and relaxing.

Friday morning we began the weekends first events with snorkeling and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Let me just say the water was a shade of blue I could only imagine I would ever see and the actual diving was amazing. Words can’t describe the sights we saw and feelings I felt being in one of the seven wonders of the world. I am still speechless. We were able to hold sea cucumbers and see sting rays close up among many other things.

After that exciting experience, Saturday we headed to The Rain forest Habitat for breakfast with the birds and to see other wildlife. I got to hold Glenn the koala and see wallabies, crocodiles, and pythons.

We also went on an Aboriginal walking tour through the rain forest and learned about all the natural elements of the Aboriginal culture. After the walk we went to Mossman Gorge to relax and swim.

Saturday night a few of us went to Myail Beach to watch the stars and to tell ghost stories. It was a beautiful clear night and I saw two shooting stars.

Sunday was very eventful and exciting. We went zip lining in the Daintree rain forest, the oldest rain forest on the planet. Check out the Jungle Surfing website! (http://www.junglesurfing.com.au/location.html) We jumped off five platforms in a variety of ways ranging from upside down to backwards. Next we went bungy jumping at AJ Hackett’s back in Cairns. This was the most scary and fun thing I have ever done in my life. Here is a photo:

Overall, the weekend was about discovering new things about the world in which we live, but I also challenged myself and made lasting memories.

This weekend we are off to Sydney on our own trip! More to come for sure!

Ta for now!
Jocelyn