On Tuesday, Marina and I walked down to Glenmore (the local shopping center) and I showed her where I get all my fruits, veggies, etc... I didn't need that much at the time so I just bought some watermelon, onions, and bread and we were on our way!
Wednesday and Thursday consisted of attending lecture and camping out in the library. It wasn't very exciting but I finished what needed to be done!
Friday was a fun-filled cruise day to the Keppel Islands. We left Rockhampton via city bus at 8 AM to the Yeppoon Harbor where our boat left at about 9:30 or so. We sailed on a boat called Funtastic. It's owners was an older couple named Hans and Di. They were absolutely wonderful! They had spent four years renovating the cruise boat.
Fun Fact: in the 1960's 1970's, Hans was a part of a rock group called Shocking Blue. I had no idea who Shocking Blue was but they have a song called "Venus" that was an international chart topper! It even hit #1 in the States for a few weeks. Once Hans started singing a couple lines of it, I recognized it right away. It's the song playing in the background in the commercials for the Venus shaving razors? If you give the song a listen, I'm sure everyone will recognize it as well! :)
Anyways, it was sprinkling a bit as we left the harbor but the light showers only lasted for an hour or so. It was beautiful! It took us about two hours to get to our first stop. We took a short break at a abandoned conservatory lab that was located about half a mile of the coast of one of the islands. Here is where I had the opportunity to snorkel for the first time! This was a fantastic place to snorkel because the conservatory was mostly located underwater! There was a sunken boat as well as the underground lab where fish and other sea creatures had claimed for their own and made their home! It was breathtaking. Literally. I couldn't breathe haha. Snorkeling was difficult for me at first because when you go underwater, your brain is telling you not to breathe while simultaneously telling you that you can because of the breathing pipe. It took me a couple deep breaths for me to calm down and actually start exploring!
**Yeppoon Harbor
**The abandoned conservatory where we first stopped to snorkel.
**Great Keppel Island!
**Our cruise boat, Funtastic
**Sitting on the edge of the boat
Next, we traveled a bit further to Great Keppel Island. We stayed here for about two hours and just explored a bit of the island. They had a few small souvenir shops and a bar/ restaurant. Everything was very expensive here (as to be expected)! A Corona was $8. Extra for a lime or lemon wedge. I bought an ice cream bar for $4 and I was very content! The Keppel Islands are stunning. I was in awe the whole time we were there. Apparently, many people don't live on the islands. There are a fair amount of construction workers because there is a resort that's currently under renovation but other than that, there a few locals to run and maintain the shops and rental properties/ timeshares.
After re-boarding the boat, we sailed to another island to snorkel some more! This spot had a wonderful reef where plenty of sea life called home! It was amazing! This time, the water was very clear and I had the chance to see many beautiful creatures! I actually saw a sea turtle too! Some girls saw a small shark but luckily I was unaware because otherwise I would have gotten out of the water real quick! Apparently it was just a baby one but where there's a baby, there has to be a protective mother near by haha. I wanted no part of that! After snorkeling, we started our journey back home. The way home was quite the bumpy ride! It made for a fun time:)
Saturday was a typically nice and relaxing day under the Aussie sun! Marina and I sat outside and did homework for a while. I'm sure going to miss being able to do that! Because it's autumn here, it's getting considerably cooler. I would compare it to a warm South Dakota spring! In the evening's the temperature drops down quite a bit and I'm starting to have to shut my window now. I'm beginning to realize just how spoiled I have been with this weather:)
Today a group of about 10 of us went and visited Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary. This is located in the middle of nowhere about 40 minutes north of Rockhampton. It was fantastic! Today, I was able to pet kangaroos, donkey's, dingo's, and peacocks. As well as hold a koala, Eastern Bearded Dragon, a parrot, and a carpet python! Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of me with those animals yet as my friends Marina and Ben were so kind to take them for me! I'll post those pictures as soon as I get them! Today was an amazing day and I learned so much about the different animals native to Australia. I liked this zoo because it primarily focused on the native species rather than a typical zoo that has animals that are found worldwide. Another great part of this place was the fact that it was a sanctuary. A large majority of the animals here are orphans, have injuries/ in recovery, or their homes had been destroyed because of development. All of the proceeds from admissions and animal encounters go to feeding and housing the animals as well as paying for caretakers and vets! The Cooberrie Sanctuary receives no government funding whatsoever and runs on admissions, encounter fees, gift shop profits, and donations! I'll post more pictures of today once I can get my hands on them!
**The entrance!
**One of the many peacocks roaming around. They ate right out of my hand and have pretty vicious pecks when they grab their food!
This past week has been absolutely wonderful! Filled with friends and fun! Not to mention some adorable creatures. :) As usual, I hope that everyone is doing well at home! I can't wait to return! I'm definitely missing South Dakota and my family/ friends!
Toodles!
Tina
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