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T and I elected to omit the zoo from our must do list and support a local Koala Park. Best choice ever. It was super ghetto and it reminded me of what a zoo would look like from behind the scenes. Roosters and peacocks roamed the park. T and I literally walked through a gate and were able to ride kangaroos (if we wanted to). The rest of this blog is in the form of a picture book....because I like pictures. (The pictures aren't working-will happen soon.)

Highlights Continued

In natural conversation with some Australian friends, we learned of a local sport, aquagolf. You can probably infer what this involves but I will treat you to a more in depth analysis of this athletic activity. To be successful at this, you must be able to hit a golf ball while it is still. (This requirement is the reason it is a spectator sport for me.) The clubber is aiming at non-moving targets reinforced by poles. It is quite similar to a driving range however the lush green grass is replaced with water. Matt was quite good at this and Tiff was improving drastically with every hit. I, however, failed to hit many of the floater golf balls on the fourth try. Matt proceeded to explain that it was my form. Of course.

Highlights of the week!

Monday

Matty, T, and I took a road trip south to Kiama. We witnessed the Kiama blow hole in action, took pictures, and moved to the next stop. At shellharbour we met up with their first friend on the island, Ken. (side note- they have tons of neat friends out here. It has been such a blast to get to know them and hear their hearts. I am so happy they have such a strong group of friends!) Ken was super neat and excited to share about his recent travels to Africa. While we were saying good-byes, he suggested we visit the Illawarra fly. Luckily, we took his advice and delighted in magnificent views of the coast. We headed out in search of the Nan Tien Temple. (In fine print, the brochure explained it was open to the public every day excluding Mondays. However, we read this after our efforts to get in the gate which I suggested would open if we got close enough. INEFFECTIVE.) We decided to drive home via the Pacific Coast and enjoy the scenery, consisting mainly of the ocean.

An Adult's Playground

After an early morning with street teams, Tiffy, Frances, and I sprinted out to Bondi Beach. As rainclouds crowded the sky today, I began to fret over our excursion. However, they only amplified the beauty of the sky. It was quite magnificent. I loved serving as an ornament in the pictures we took at the beach. Our goal was to capture the angry waves smashing against the rocks, but I don’t believe we have had much luck with that. We did enjoy a beachfront hike from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. It took a little bit longer than we expected so we hailed a cab back to our car in Bondi. From there, we raced to the extension of Hillsong in the city. Running 30 minutes late, we reached our destination. Of course, the service was amazing and the speaker gave encouragement and shared many deep thoughts. To top of the evening, we headed over to Darling Harbour and shared music and fireworks with fellow onlookers. Tiffany explained later that she knew of the AU Post Office celebration of 200 years and wanted to share that moment with us.
This place is truly an adult’s playground as the key phrase is “no worries.” Australia is a laid back environment allowing both natives and tourists to experience the surrounding beauty. This community reminds me very much of Hawaii. It is so enjoyable experiencing this with Tiffy and living her life for a few weeks. I am super stoked that I have a decent amount of time left to spend here.
As a side note, I feel slightly inclined to share a bit of tragic news I omitted on the previous blogs. My time here has been amazing, excluding a 10 minute blurp on our hike at the Wentworth Falls. During the short-cut section at the end of the trail, I decided to speed up the process and engage in jogging activities. These activities proved fatal as I reached a location where my foot intersected with a muddy step and a rock. I believe I sprained my ankle and have since attempted to speed up the recovery process. That is all for now.

It's a BOY!!

Australian/ English Dictionary- Brush up!

Brekky- Breakfast
Dink-Dual income no kids (Matt and Tiffy)
Boot- Trunk of the car
Bookbash- Cramming for an exam
Bonnet -Hood of the car
Rubbish - Trash
Nappy - Diaper
Fringe- Bangs
Heap- a lot
Footy- Football
Bikkies- Biscuits but actually cookies
Jelly and jam are not interchangeable. Jello is jelly.

Highlights to feed your third eye

BEAUTY!

Tiffy catching me striking a pose!

Overlooking the top of the waterfall!