Moreton Island is the 3rd largest island made up of completely sand in the world. We took a ferry across the sea and were loaded up onto a 4 wheel drive. The "road" on the island was a sand path. At some points it was a two way path about 8 feet wide. The whole island was a natural reserve, so there was incredible views of nature for the whole trip up the hill. Once we arrived at the top of the island, we unloaded some thin, waxed strips of wood which we were to ride down the 100ft sand dune. We got off the truck to some spectacular views of the Desert. Our guide told us that the record for sand boarding was 10 times. After 4 times of climbing up the dune I thought I was going to go into cardiac arrest. It was such a thrill regardless. We got up to speeds of about 35mph and had a full meal's worth of sand.
After sand boarding we took the trail back down to the beach where we had a session of snorkeling old ship wrecks. After a nice lunch and some time to relax on the beach, we geared up with snorkels, masks, wetsuits and fins. We spent about an hour swimming around the wrecks (mostly floating in our buoyant wetsuits which we all decided would be a purchase. Great for lounging around the pool in the backyard right?) We saw sharks, rays, ducks, and to steal Jeff's line: the entire cast of Finding Nemo. We could have stayed there all day. After snorkeling we boarded back up on the ferry and headed back to Brisbane to celebrate Adam's 21st birthday.
We had a nice Thai dinner (I had a really good Duck stir fry solidifying how duck might be one of my favorite meats) and then took to the town. My mate Andrew was nice enough to come down and show us some of the best bars/clubs in the area. The area, Fortitude Valley, is completely lined with bars and needless to say, we had a good time. Between making friends with the Jagermeister girls, finding Budweiser specials, and making our way in and out of a few places, we stumbled back home for a nice, long, deep sleep. Quite the jam packed day, but heaps of fun for sure.
Just a few hours ago I got back from this weekend's trip to the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. I'll update you soon on the fun we had there. Other than the weekend trips, I'm still loving life at Bond Uni. It's been a great semester where I have really learned a lot about myself. I think being away from St. Louis for the first time in my life has really helped me develop an appreciation for the life I've been blessed with so far. It's great to meet new mates from literally all over the globe. Having this front row seat to this interaction of cultures has really helped me form a no worries lifestyle that will stay with me for the rest of my life. No Mom, the heavy drinking is not the cornerstone of that lifestyle. Instead, it is the conversations, lessons, and fun times I've had with these people Down Under. There has certainly been little to worry about so far...
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