beautiful – Jaclyn Grace

Cairnes Recap: Great Barrier Reef

On Saturday, our group woke up at 7 AM and headed out for a day of scuba diving and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Luckily the sun was shining and it was a beautiful perfect day. We chose to spend our day with a company called “The Reef Experience” and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.

We started our day off with delicious breakfast sandwiches and a 1.5 hour boat ride out to the reef. During this time, they did a crash course for those who were planning to do an introductory dive. They broke us up into groups of ten, and of course I was in the first group called out… so the first one in the water.

I was very excited but so nervous as soon as I put my wet suit on. Once I got in the water, they told me to put the breathing piece in my mouth and put my face in the water to try it out… I couldn’t breathe. I immediately picked my head up and took it out to tell the instructor. Instead of being concerned, he put the piece back in my mouth and pulled the deflating plug on my life jacket before pushing me all the way under the water. After a few minutes of feeling like I was hyperventilating, I caught my breath and began to enjoy myself. The instructor later told me that people tend to panic at the beginning and the best way to get them through it is to force them under the water. When you are in that situation, you will find a way to breathe (so he said…).

On my first dive we saw one huge, colorful fish and tons of coral. It was really beautiful and the photos don’t do it justice. I felt so grateful the entire time that I had the opportunity to see such a beautiful place.

After what felt like 5 seconds, the instructor started leading us back to the surface. I couldn’t believe it was already over and knew instantly that I was going to pay for another dive at the second location. I snorkeled for another hour or so while the rest of the groups scuba dived.

Next, we had chicken and sausage with salad for lunch as we cruised off to the next location. It was only about a 20 minute ride, but it was a perfect break to relax out of the water a bit.

Upon arrival at the second location, I was once again part of group number one. This time I was a little more excited to jump right into the water! 😉 Since we didn’t have to learn any basic skills again, we were able to explore the entire time. It felt like something out of a movie. We were going through little valleys and trenches along the ocean floor almost the entire time, and it was amazing.

I loved scuba diving and would definitely do it again. I wish there were more places back home to explore like this! We finished off the day with more snorkeling 🙂

Overall we had a great day on the Great Barrier Reef! Tomorrow I’ll write about the Barefoot Tour that we did on Sunday 🙂

xo,

Jaclyn

Yarra Valley Wine Country

Today was my favorite day so far in Australia. We were picked up at 9AM to commence on a full day wine, chocolate, and cheese tour around Yarra Valley. Of our entire group, 14 of us went and we visited 4 wineries, 1 dairy factory, 1 chocolate factory, and a brewery.

The first winery that we stopped at was very low-key and laid back. I wasn’t feeling great this morning (thanks to a cold that will not go away), but I tried to enjoy myself anyways.

The man in charge of the vineyard there taught us the proper way to taste wine, which was interesting. He also taught us a lot about the different kinds of grapes that go into the different types. The one that I liked the most was a very sweet dessert wine.. the others I didn’t really like.

Next, we stopped at the dairy farm. We were able to sample 5 types of cheese and they were delicious. They specialize in goat cheese, but also had their own small bakery inside. I purchased some cheese called “Juno.” It is basically goat cheese in a garlic/olive oil coating. My friend Mike and I also bought a gigantic baguette to split. It was probably almost 2 feet long and we ate just about the entire thing on the bus ride!

The second winery we stopped at was my favorite part of the day. I have never been somewhere with such breath-taking views. I never wanted to leave.

It looked like the perfect setting for a wedding scene out of a movie. The guide actually told us that it is a $35,000 minimum cost to have your wedding there!

This place wasn’t as much of a wine-tasting place. Instead, everybody got to choose between 4 types of wine and have a full glass of one. I picked one that is created only in Australia and is rare in other parts of the world. It was a sweet red wine.

I hope that someday I am successful enough to have a lifestyle that allows me to visit places like this often. A lot of us were saying that as we sat on the back patio and sipped our wine. 🙂

We also got a tour of where they actually make the wine and learned all about it.

The third winery we stopped at provided lunch for us. I was a little skeptical, as our lunch on the Philip Island tour yesterday was nothing to write home about, but it was spectacular. I ordered the Spicy Baby Calamari Salad and it was perfect. We also got a glass of wine with our meal (which I hated) and a coffee.

The last winery we stopped at wasn’t the best. The woman running the place was extremely rude and would not give us the time of day. It was really disappointing but we tried not to let it ruin the great day we were having.

Next we stopped at the chocolate factory!

I don’t think I have ever seen so much chocolate in one place. When you walked in there were heaping bowls of dark, milk, and white chocolate chips that you could help yourself to as you shopped around the store. It was a really fun environment and the chocolate was delicious. I bought a marshmallow truffle.. it was a chocolate cookie with a giant marshmallow on top of it, dipped in milk chocolate.. yum!

Our last stop of the day was at the White Rabbit Brewery. Some people in our group got a beer to try out, but I passed.

Overall, we had a great day. The sun was shining, we had a great group, and we had a lot of fun! Now I am getting my stuff ready for the work week ahead and going to sleep.

xo,

Jaclyn

Philip Island

Yesterday we took a school sponsored trip to Philip Island. We left at noon and didn’t return home until around midnight. It was a very long and busy day, but it was full of the most beautiful sights.

Our first stop was at a small wildlife zoo. We had lunch and “afternoon tea” before heading off for some interaction with the animals. It was basically the Australian version of a petting zoo.. instead of sheep, you could pet the wallabies and kangaroos!

10997623_815031618576241_1073105408991648399_n — Kangaroo

Next, we stopped at a chocolate factory for a quick snack. I had a chocolate covered banana and it was delicious. We didn’t spend much time here though, since on Sunday we are visiting another chocolate factory.

After that, they brought us to a different and more natural part of the island. It was absolutely stunning. Besides us, there were barely any people around and some of the most beautiful beaches and waterfronts I have ever seen.

The last thing we did for the day was visit the Penguin Parade. Every night around 8:05pm, over 1000 penguins come out of the ocean and begin walking to their burrows along the shore. Unfortunately no photos were allowed, but it was very cool. They came walking down the paths right besides us in groups of 20-30. It’s amazing that they know where they are going and come at just about the exact same time every night!

Run

Yesterday after work I went on a run through a park near our apartment complex. I don’t even like running, and I already can’t wait to go again because it was so beautiful. There were bootcamp classes going on everywhere, people reading on benches, and even a wedding that I passed! I was debating asking one of the bootcamp classes if I could join in while I’m here. It looked just like what I do sometimes back home with my mom and her friends. However, if I had these views back home I would run everyday.

Here are a few random snapshots that I took along the way…

IMAG1742 — Fitzroy Gardens is the biggest park in the area

IMAG1749 — This was so cool! A little mural on the bottom of a tree trunk

IMAG1750 — A random mini village tucked away in the woods

IMAG1741 — There are fountains everywhere!

I’ll be sure to post more pictures soon!

xo,

Jaclyn

Around Melbourne

Yesterday, we ended up walking all around the area that we will be living for the next 7 weeks. It is so clean, modern, and beautiful! It feels strange that we are going to be here for so long and it isn’t just a weekend long trip.

Here are a few photos of the area that we are staying in…

One thing that makes it so different from home is the greenery everywhere! There are huge parks all over the area. They would be perfect for running or biking in.

After we walked around for a bit, we decided to stop for lunch at a waterfront restaurant. They were having a deal of a personal pizza and a pint of beer for only $11 in American currency. I had a pizza loaded with spinach, beets, and goat cheese. It was delicious.

I did not like the beer – but even that combo was cheaper than a pizza alone. We all really enjoyed our lunch!

Here are a few more highlights of the area…

This church was absolutely stunning, especially surrounded by so many gardens.

They also have a lock of love bridge. I wish Cfab were here so that we could add to it! Maybe someday 🙂

After walking around in the sun all day, we were exhausted. We came home and passed out for a good 3.5 hours – almost missing dinner with our advisor! We luckily woke up just in time and made it to the gentleman’s apartment that we were visiting. He was a professor at my college for 30 years and then moved down here. He had a lot of insight on the area – especially in terms of safety.

Now we are moving to the apartment complex that we will be staying in for the next 7 weeks!

xo,

Jaclyn