Hello all! So much to catch up on... It's been a busy week and I finally have time to sit down and write...

This last Monday was a scheduled beach orientation trip through Deakin U. We departed Melbourne at about 930 am and headed toward the coast. On the way though we stopped in Geelong (pronounced Jalong) for a short and sweet presentation on the fun to be had followed by an amazing subway sandwich and cookie. From there we picked up several more students from that campus and headed toward the coast.

We all stopped at Bells beach, which for most of us was the first Aussie beach we'd seen since we got here. It was soo beautiful. The sand was hot and orange in color and the cliffs that had been eaten away at by the ocean were exposed. We spent about an hour walking the coast or sitting and enjoying the scene.

We then got back on the bus and headed toward Lorne which is a pretty little beach touristy town with amazing shops, food and ice cream. The cockatoos that I would normally see in pet shops flew wildly and screamed piercing screams every second. We got there in the afternoon with just enough time to head down to the beach. A group of us really wanted to finally meet the Australian ocean so we sprinted down to the beach to attack the waves. It was slightly chilly so we just shivered, laughed and jumped waves for an hour or so. My new friend Sam and I decided we wanted to leave so we headed the 100 feet up to the shops and layed in the grass, admiring strange birds and taking in the moment.

Eventually it was time for dinner so we walked back to shower and got ready for the night. Dinner was served at the Lorne Hotel on the roof where we watched the sun set and listened again to the cockatoos harass us while we ate. Our plates came with fresh fish and rice which we all devoured quickly, demanding seconds. As people finished they headed downstairs to the Thirsty Camel which is a fun little bar that had a dance floor and showed virtual dog races. I found this slightly bizarre, but it was fun to learn a little more about the culture. A small group of us decided to turn in early so that we would be able to peel ourselves out of bed the next morning. I was completely exhausted so I feel asleep very quickly considering my pillow was completely impossible and the blankets were thin.

The next morning, bright and early we got up for the days activities. Our group chose between yoga and Aussie Rules football of which I chose Yoga as I didn't feel up to running, throwing, and tackling that early in the morning. The yoga class was so relaxing and I ended up feeling 10 times better and more awake. We then headed out to the beach to wait for surfing. I was slightly dreading the activity because I new I would be terrible and not wanting to go very far out to catch waves. I watched the group before us attempt it and they seemed to be having fun so I opened up more to the idea. We all pulled on our wetsuits, snapped a few shots, and cracked up at how unflattering the suits were. Our instructors gaves us the basics on standing up which wore me out right at the start.

I ran in and headed out further to catch the surfable waves and dreaded what was about to happen. I was able to flip around and catch a small wave but was only able to make up to my knees before flipping onto my back sporadicly. It was quite embarrassing but everyone had the same problem so there was no shame. We surfed for a couple hours and I was completely worn out. Combing yoga and surfing in one day took the strength completely out of me. My roommate, Caitlin, Sam and I were hungry so we went back to our hostel to shower and clean up for lunch.

After searching the tiny strip for some food we stumbled into a small shop called The Bottle of Milk. They had burgers that I've only ever dreamed of..... amazing. And we ended up running into 3 of the surf instructors there. So we had a short lunch with them and talked about Aussie life, Aussie lingo, and life in general -- probably the best lunch I've ever had...ever. But hiking was next (yes another arduous physical activity).

We all caught a small bus that took us up to a trail that hiked through the bush (forest) where we saw 3 or so Koalas hanging out in the forks of trees as well as other amazing wildlife and plants. It smelled strongly of the delicious Eucalyptus trees which I wanted to eat after a while. Breathtaking!!

After tromping through the bush for 2 hours we found ourselves on the beach where there was a pier and rocks that caught the shadows just right. I took sooo many pictures and could have been there for days more. We then marched up to dinner where a buffet was waiting for us. We scarfed it down and went back again to the hostel to get ready for a night at our hostel bar where I met some more people and hung out for a few hours. At 2am we finally got into bed as we had another fairly early day.

We all boarded the bus again in the morning. Leaving Lorne was bittersweet as I was excited to begin the next adventure, but sad in that I grew to love the small town and beach. I didn't want to leave!! But we ventured a couple hours to see what they call London Bridge which is part of the 12 Apostles. These are free standing cliffs close to shore that were once part of shore but eaten away at by the ocean. Our guide told us 1 bridge connecting the shore to the rocks fell last year leaving several visitors stranded. Here I saw one of the most incredible things I'd EVER seen. Pictures can't even begin to describe the natural beauty. We spent a couple hours total at each of these landmarks, eating lunch and marveling at the scene. Sadly the trip was coming to an end as we headed back to Melbourne.

It was such a great trip and it was free!! So amazing....

Since then I've officially unpacked, cleaned, gone shopping for the much-need room supplies and planned an entire trip to New Zealand before classes start the 9th thanks to my good friend, hopeful roommate, and proud Canadian, Ayla. She had already traveled the islands so she helped us plan a cheap trip on the north Island. I'm sure there will be more stories about that when I return next Sunday. It should be an interesting adventure...