rotto take two day two

Tags

adventure, adventures, Australia, Australian weather, beach, bucket list, Coconut Cake, college, friends, fun, Notre Dame, planting, Plants, quokka, Quokkas, rottnest, student exchange, study abroad, trees, volunteer

Okay so it had been a while since I posted, was super busy with all my essays and in the middle of exams! But good and bad news, I have finished my essays! Yay cause finally no more essay work but nooo cause the semester is nearly over and still two exams left. Okay so I will attempt to say what we did but been a while ago so I hopefully I remember all of it!
Anyway we didn’t have to get up early due to us working like five minutes away from the site! Now the night before I never said that one of the girls Celine, had gotten locked out of their cabin cause her roommates had fallen asleep so she had no way to get in! So she ended up staying With us cause we had two spare beds!
I woke up at ridiculous o clock due to the coldness in the room! Oh god it was so cold! Kept waking up and falling back asleep until at half six I decided I might as well get up and maybe have some coffee to warm me up! Celine was awake and decided she would try and get back into her cabin, and Soohyun was awake and going for a shower. The two American girls were still asleep. I made my porridge, made my coffee and was about to go outside when there was a knock on the door.
I won’t lie I thought we had got the time wrong and would have to rush out but it was our other roommate JoAine! After quick introductions we decided to sit outside so we could talk and not wake up the other girls. After awhile we decided to wake the American girls but they were already awake and dressed. We set off for the site and we were excited for the day!
So I was dressed in jeans, cause we were told to wear long pants cause of prickly bushes, it was still early in the day but we were already regretting our decision! It was meant to be cold and rainy but by the looks of it we were in to a scorcher! After we were giving the safety talk and demonstration to use the equipment we set off to our site. We were being divided up between three different sites but luckily all of us were on the same place. me and Celine got partnered up, the two American girls and then Soohyun and JoAine.
Celine and I soon realised that we were not very good gardeners…… We do not possess a green thumb so we were a bit worried. A luckily JoAine is our gardener in the group so she face us some tips and tricks and we were ready. On our first plant we broke the stick by hitting it too hard with the mallet, we forgot the fertiliser tablet and didn’t dig a deep enough hole for the plant itself. Not the mention it was impossible to get the plant out of the plant box! I soon got a knack for it but regardless of how many times or different ways Celine tried, she just couldn’t get the plants out. So I was in charge of getting the plants out and she was in charge of digging the hole.
After a while we had run out off plants, we were done! Well for this site! We went off for our lunch and ate all the food in our possession. We then set off to one of the other sites to lend a helping hand only to discover that they were only breaking up for lunch now….
Oops, turns out we would have an hour free where we were free to go back to our cabin, eat food etc…….. So we went back to the cabin and took a nap! There was another group that went to their cabin so seen as we didn’t know where the next site was we decided to wait for them and then we would walk with them. This was an incredible idea aside from the fact that they had to finish work on their site before going to Geordie bay……… So we were stuck and attempted to find it ourselves. Now as I had been to a rotto before, I knew where Geordie Bay was. The problem was its a big place and we had to find the specific place where we would be working. After a few phone calls we found out where to go and set off. Again. Hopefully to the right place cause we were already a thirty minute walk in!
Luckily we found it! Mainly cause you can’t miss a group of people on top of s hill carrying plant boxes and such! This site was a bit trickier due to the fact that it was on a sandy hill, and it was sooooooooo hot. We got Through it and at three we were finished for the day!

We decided to go get food at subway, looked for cheap wine to no success and went to the bakery to try a Lamington. Which was delish! We then headed back to watch the sunset up by the lighthouse and of course to take pretty pictures!
Unfortunately we had to head to bed early as we were to be out early and at the Dome for nine, which was a walk away and we had to rent a locker etc. so bed early for us! Celine unfortunately would have to get the first ferry back in the morning so we would not be seeing her the next day! Although we said we would go to bed early we stayed up talking and exchanged numbers etc to meet UK when we got back. The American girls had disappeared for the evening and showed up just to promptly pass out! So they weren’t much company!  After heading to bed after a quick shower we turned on the heater so that hopefully we wouldn’t be woken up by the cold during the night!

Nanny cause you asked the picture is off a quokka! Only found on this island and is said to be the happiest animal in the world cause it is always smiling! But in the dark looks like s gigantic rat and scared the bejesus out of everybody!

Rotto Take Two Day One

Tags

adventure, adventures, Australia, Australian weather, beach, bucket list, cabin, college, comedy, friends, fun, lucky, pub, quokka, rottnest, rotto, volunteer, weekend away

So as most of you will know I spent the past weekend at Rottnest! I signed up to volunteer over in Rotto planting trees and such and in return I got to spend three days and two nights there for only 35$. To put this in perspective the ferry alone is around 70$… Not to mention the two nights accommodation.

so I signed up at the start of semester but there was only fifteen places for Notre dame students and about thirty people applied so I had all fingers and toes crossed and success I was picked! And it came at an amazing time too! I had a double essay week and then at that weekend I would be heading to rotto where in theory I could relax after my stressful double essay week!

so upon finishing and handing in my essays I got my bag ready and was set to go to rotto! I checked the weather forecast and just my luck rain was scheduled! So I packed for cold weather with only bringing jeans and long pants! No shorts or my swimming stuff cause it was. Want to rain and be cold! After my lecture on the Friday I went to buy my motion sickness tablets and some food to bring! I did debate brining my five dollar bottle of wine over but as I didn’t know anyone that was going over I didn’t want to bring wine and people be all judging cause we were volunteering not there to drink. So I opted against it and lucky I did cause the queue in the chemist was super long and I just about had time to get food and run to collect my ferry ticket!

after a very, very bumpy ferry ride over I set off to find my cabin and hopeful befriend my cabin mates! Upon arriving the keys were in the door which meant I was the first to arrive! This was a good thing cause I got pick of the beds! I picked a bottom bunk right beside the heater and away from the door! No more sketchy shack for me! Oh I should say that we were staying in a different part of the island as well! So once I was settled in I set off to explore the island a bit before it got dark! I got some pretty pictures and then headed back to the cabin. I left the door open to let some air in and began to fill out a form for Trish(the coordinator). I got uo and closed the door and then as I was filling out this form I could see movement through my hair. Thinking it was just my hair I was like meh until I moved my hair behind my shoulder and seen there was a thing in the room with me! It’s okay it wasn’t a rat but a quokka! The happiest animal in the world so I breathed a sigh of relief! I mean one of my goals while I was back in rotto was to get a quokka selfie this was my chance! So slowly making my way toward him(before I kicked him out of the cabin) so I tried to get a selfie but he kept moving way to quickly! So I decided enough was enough and I was getting him out of the cabin! I opened the door and tried to usher him out to no avail. I tried to like brush him out but that didn’t work so I know we aren’t meant to feed them human food but I had to get him out of the room! So I got a cracker and enticed him out of the room! Success!! Apart from before I could close the door he snuck back in and hid under one of the beds……. Out came another cracker and this time I made sure to bring him far away and closed the door before he could get back in!

I spent some time outside with the quokka getting some pictures, but he moved to quickly so most came out blurry. I sat on the floor attempting once more for my quokka selfie but he kept trying to climb up on me and even attempted to sniff/eat my hair! I was done, I no longer wanted a quokka selfie! But I then had to sneak back into the room before he could which I managed to do! Luckily cause I didn’t want to give him anymore of my crackers!

it got dark really quick so I made myself some dinner. I was then wondering where my cabin mates where! I thought they had got lost! After having my pasta, which I had to cook in a covered bowl with boiling water cause the hot plate wasn’t working! Anyway I went over to Trish’s cabin to give her my form and found out she had gone down to collect them at the ferry that the had gotten the later one cause of uni work! So I wouldn’t be by myself for long! After chatting to these guys for a while I headed back to the cabin!but not after I had been told to keep the door closed cause quokkas could get in(oops I thought) and also was told not to pet them cause they carried salmonella………

after about ten minutes my cabin mates arrived! After introductions and deciding what to do cause they couldn’t explore in the dark and everywhere was closed! We settled on heading to the pub cause two of the girls wanted chips! So after consulting my map I knew where we were heading. Walking to the pub was a different story cause there is minimal street lights and quokkas look like giant rats in the dark…. Who like to run out in front of you….. I think we scared some away from screaming…..

when we got to the pub we found out they were doing a comedy night and would have to pay ten dollars to get in! We eventually were allowed in cause we had thirty minutes before it was starting so time to get our “grub and get out” direct quote from the bouncer, such a lovely gentlemen! When we were nearly finished the chips a guy(the person who set up this comedy night) came over and asked us to stay for the comedy night and that we wouldn’t have to pay the ten dollars. So we were like meh we got nothing else to do…..

BIG MISTAKE! The people were not funny at all! One did racist jokes and jokes about suburbs in australia (which we obviously didn’t get) and another had the most boring monotonous voice and his “jokes” was just describing what he did during the week….. Finally someone semi funny got on and we thought things were looking up! Until the guy telling the racist jokes kept coming on and playing “funny songs” between the eh acts and we were like ugh what have we gotten ourselves into! The last guy we seen was hilarious! So we decided to leave on a high note and get out quick! But cause there wasn’t that many people as we stood up (all five of us) they were like oh there is another performer etc etc we were like no we have to go etc. worst decision ever!

back to the cabin we went and chatted for a while before going to bed cause we were up early in the morning! Il do another post soon about what we did! Friday was a free day so we had no work but Saturday we were working from 9 until 3:30 so a long day of planting trees! Sorry for the uber long post but rotto is so amazing I love it!

Monday train blues

So after having a semi blissful week off uni today was the day where I had to go back! After having a week off I wanted another week to just relax and this time not have to rush to do an essay due the Middle of your week off…. Also did I say every other school has two weeks off……
Anyway luckily on Monday I’m not in till half twelve so I have time for a lie in! This is all well and good but today decided to go in early cause GOT was on last night and I wanted an hour to watch it….. I know I have my priorities straight! I have an essay due Thursday that I haven’t even looked at yet! But anyway this was my plan!
After a semi relaxing morning I set off in high spirits even if it was a Monday and I was back in uni! The rain had cleared up so was lovely and sunny, today was going to be a good day. That is until I got to the train station! There were no times up for the next train but this has happened before so I went down to the platform only to read that due to a power failure the train was out between whitfords and Stirling. To get a replacement bus…. I detest replacement buses! Anyway back up I went to see the doors closing on the replacement bus! Luckily one of the transperth people stopped him and the doors were opened to let me on! I thought ok not too bad it’s not rush hour will probably be at Stirling before I know it….
I was wrong! Firstly the start of the journey was windy and me who gets sick if I’m facing the wrong way in the train, sea sick and sometimes even car sick, this was not good! Oh did I mention there were no seats so I was standing! Holding on to pole for dear life, with shoes that have no grip on whatsoever! So it was a very bad sign! I was slipping and sliding all over the place, holding on to this pole with two hands and still was being shoved all around the place cause everyone else who was standing were being slid all around. Finally we hit the straight roads(the windy  bit is only in the train station) and thought I would be fine but no there was a guy in front of me blocking the front view so I was stuck looking out the door window and made me feel ill!
Coming up to the highway the bus driver took the wrong turn so instead of heading to perth we would be heading in the opposite direction to Joondalup….. Not a good thing! So instead of getting on the highway and turning ant the next exit the bus driver decided to do a highly illegal u turn, right turn thing a Ma jig…… Out into oncoming traffic…….
Ok it wasn’t as dramatic he did wait for a gap between cars but still! My life flashed before my eyes as I was flung against the pole.
When we finally reached Stirling, fifteen minutes after we were meant to be there we then had to run for dear life for the next train! On all the signs it said next train in twenty-five minutes so we were all huffing and puffing about having to wait we were going to be late for doctors appointments, uni, the beach etc. Another train had pulled up at this time and hundred ps of people poured out all heading up one set of stairs, the stairs we were heading down. So we were jostled down, I had to tag on again so not sure if I tagged on or off cause I was already tagged on in Warwick but anyway they wouldn’t let me pass until I tagged on again. With the hundreds of people going through two places it was rather cramped so I didn’t even get to read the screen to see if it was on or off!
Jostled down these stairs we heard an announcement that the train to Perth was leaving now so we then had to run down these stairs, make sure we got on the right train and finally head off to Perth…….
Now cause of this confusion they put extra trains on, a good thing cause who would want to wait another twenty-five minutes for another trina? A bad thing cause we had to keep stopping in the middle of the tracks for the train up ahead to leave etc……
When we arrived in Perth I had to run to catch the fremantle train with four minutes on the clock and this being a four-minute walk I set off, not running cause I would probably keel over before I got to the train! But instead power walking and I made the train with a minute to spare! Well chuffed I boarded and began to type this. So looks like I will not have time to watch GoT but instead will be awkwardly early for my lecture…..
Such a good day ruined cause of silly trains! I swear I get all the luck when it comes to trains! Hoping that the problem is fixed when I am heading home! Might actually do work for this assignment now that I don’t have time for GOT! Wish me luck guys I need it! Well that or another week off…….

Random Shenagins

Tags

adventure, adventures, assignment, Australia, Bathers Beach, beach, blog, bucket list, cinema, college, competition, cousins, dolphins, friends, Kings Park, memories, picnic, Sea, student, student exchange, study, study abroad, study break, swim

So I realised that I have been incredibly bad at doing posts this semester! Partially cause I have been busy, partially because I keep forgetting to update this and partially cause I haven’t been up to much! Just been hanging out on the beach and the new students from this semester.  So I can’t even remember what I have posted about or rather what I haven’t posted about! So I will just ramble about stuff and feel free to skip parts that I have already told you about!

so for Louise’s birthday I offered to mind holly and Jamie for a day as her birthday present! The day was long and hard! No I’m kidding! We had a day spent at the park, doing craft and puzzles! It was good to spend a day with them both after being away for the month! I had been busy cause I had to go straight back into uni when I came back so was nice to spend the day with them! We walked to the big park, an impossible journey that holly was unable to walk that far before. Unfortunately the last time I brought her to the park that we usually go to, there was glass there so I didn’t want to risk bringing her back there. So holly wanted to go to the park and so thought she would be able to walk that far. So we set off with Patch and armed with our picnic. Patch is a teddy bear that is owned by Hollys class and each weekend a different child brings the teddy home and brings it on adventures. They then take pictures and have a page in a display folder to the rest of the class see what adventures patch has been up to. So we were bringing patch to a picnic in the park. So a long walk later we were at the park and ready for our play and pictures with patch. Holly was just looking forward to her picnic  so we had our little picnic and set off home. I had to carry Jamie back cause the poor chap was exhausted! Jamie was put down for a nap and me and holly did craft. The rest of our day consisted of colouring and when Jamie woke up we did colouring and puzzles!

I attempted to get over my fear of swimming in the ocean! We had always hung out on the beach and the girls like to swim. So Rebecca told me that I finally had to get in and swim and no longer stay on the beach. So I decided enough was enough and I was going to conquer my fear! I told everybody so I couldn’t back out! I woke up got my bathers on and had my towel already packed! I was going to meet the girls at the beach after our lecture. I was semi prepped to do this. Until the day was horrendous and cloudy! Half way through my lecture it decided to rain…. So we decided to wait it out after our lecture and wait in Cleos. It didn’t stop raining and when it did it was really windy and cold, so I never did get to swim! I was so pumped to eventually conquer my fear and it didn’t happen! And of course the next day was a lovely sunny day! Haven’t had a chance to swim since! But just so you guys know, this happened on Friday the thirteenth so I took it as a sign that I was not meant to swim in the sea….. And so haven’t tried since

i have been busy doing assignments the past week while louise and Dave enjoyed themselves down in Denmark(a place down south). So I stayed and looked after Riley cause I can’t miss any days of uni! I went on another dig last Sunday which was good! Went out in Perth last Friday and that’s pretty much all I did while they were gone! What I was going to spend my week doing was watching movies but my essays had other plans! I ended up taking Louise’s bike out and cycled around the park to get a break from the essays!

i still go and get my burritos and enjoy getting fro-yo! I have a two hour break on Wednesday so I usually just hang out with the girls in my class and we decided to have a little picnic in the park. We had just sat down on the grass when we could hear music and after looking around we seen two people, a guy and a girl playing instruments! The girl was playing a violin and the guy a piccolo(I know this cause Ellie may decided to ask him!)

otherwise I have been up to the usually so won’t bother you with the ins and outs of my travels to college, essay work, forgetting to do things for class and having to rush do them while the tutor is talking! I thought I picked easy subjects this semester and would have less of a workload. This is semi true but I still have a lot of work to do! Wish me luck guys and I will attempt to do another post soon! Oh there is also a competition thing in my home uni where you can submit a blog post so if you guys want you can leave me a comment below and tell me which one you think I should enter! I am thinking of the dolphin one but would love to hear what you think!

Archaeology Dig

Tags

adventure, adventures, archeology, archeology dig, fun, history, student exchange, study abroad

So as most of you probably seen from my facebook post, I have been on an archaeology dig! I will have you know that I only had to use spell check three times before learning how to spell archaeology the right way! So it has actually been nearly two weeks since I went on this dig and in an attempt to be good I did not procrastinate and write a blog post. I know, something I have never done before! Not procrastinate? I didn’t think I even knew the meaning of the word(words?). I instead just spend a loooong time doing my research which I think 50% of my time was spent looking at the wall. But hey I wasn’t actively procrastinating, but my room never looked cleaner……

Any who, archaeology dig! Wow, I loved it! Best day ever! So at first I wasn’t that keen on going, I mean we were going to be leaving Fremantle at 8.45. Usually meh no biggie. Apart from, this was on a Sunday and trains don’t go regularly on a Sunday. So I would have to get the first train, wait in Perth twenty minutes and then get the first train to Fremantle and be there at like 8:20. Otherwise I would have to wait an hour for the next train…… You can see my hesitation? At first there were three of us going, Rebecca, another study abroad girl and me. The weather forecast was storms, rain, thunder, more rain, wind, rain and more rain. I am talking 100% chance of precipitation here! The night before the other study abroad girl decided not to go. So me and Rebecca were kinda on the fence but after checking the weather report, there was to be no storms! It would be sunny with a 33% chance of rain between 8:30 and 9:30.

We were in! Heading to bed at a ridiculous time in an attempt to brace myself for an early rise(it was still dark out people, five in the morning is not a good time to get up). Of course my plan failed and my brain didn’t want to shut off but I tried! I was woken by a horrendous noise(my alarm) and I wanted to stay in bed. I did have a moment’s hesitation where I was thinking I still had time to cancel. I decided against it and bravely faced the morning. Making my way into Freo was horrendous, I may have dozed a bit but  I honestly don’t even care. Arriving at Freo, I decided to get coffee, but oh no it was Sunday would anywhere even be open? Thank you 7Eleven for being 24 Hours and being my saviour and providing me with $2 coffee!

Prepped with coffee I head to Cleos to wait out the time before we were due to leave. A couple of us gathered around waiting for Shane to arrive and we head out. People were driving so me and Rebecca were luckily given a lift up by Shane, in his rusted, busted Ford something or other. The site is called Peeltown, but that is its originally name ie the name of the site and not the actual location. I actually am not allowed to give away the location in case some bottle collector decides to attend this site.

We were delegated jobs so at first I was on sieving. It was good! Essentially the name is what it says on the tin! We sieved, buckets of sand and collected anything of interest and then gave it to the bag people who categorised our findings. We found some cool stuff, we found like shots from a shotgun and a nail and such. Doesn’t seem like much but we were the first people since the eighteen hundreds that touched this stuff! How cool is that?

Well turns out second people to touch it… When I had my go at digging I was pretty nervous that I would destroy some priceless artefact. I did pretty good, a bit slow to start off but that was for fear of taking a chunk out of a vase or something, but it was pretty easy to identify if an object was there and such so was good fun. Essentially the diggers job is to use a trowel and slowly take away the dirt or sand, use a dustpan(we are talking high-tech equipment here guys) to put the material into the buckets which are given to the sievers to sieve.  Now I found two different things of note, a bolt(your titanic info came in helpful here dad!) and a lump of charcoal both seem not of note. BUT I had to put them in their own special bag! With special markings and all this kind of stuff. I wasn’t entrusted with the markings of the bag but I got to collect the things and put them in the bag!

So sieving and digging consisted of my day, with a few breaks to carry over buckets. My legs were killing me, my butt was numb and my knees were in bits but I loved every minute of it! Rebecca got attacked by an ant which apparently will bite you and it is extremely sore(we are not actually sure if this is true in hindsight but at the time we were like ahhh). I got completely covered in dirt and had to wash my face before I could get on the train home! It was super fun though and I am already signed up to do another one soon!

Sites on the train

Tags

adventure, adventures, america, Australia, bad luck, beach, dolphins, student, student exchange, study abroad, train, transperth, view

I have been busy with college and just life in general. But mostly have been travelling to and from college. I obviously go up to college on the train, nothing new there. To keep you all updated I decided to do a post on what strange encounters I have had on the train, only in the past week. I think this is proof that Perth is a very diverse city!

Firstly, the view from the train between North Fremantle and Victoria Street, is just gorgeous. I’m talking beautiful view of the ocean and the beautiful sandy beach. I always make a point of looking at this view. I will put my book down and look through the window at this view. Not to harp on about the view but you need to understand that I always do this. All the time! On every train journey. For the past week there have been people sitting directly across from me and seem to think that I am staring them out of it…….. Not good. I know make a point to be like wow what a view and act all touristy so they also turn around so it’s not as awkward. But it still is!

Anyway the train journey is full of awkward encounters and staring at people without realising you are staring etc. If you are claustrophobic, do not take the train during rush hour! Like at all! I have gotten way to close to people on the train. Do you remember that ad from a while ago of people on the train and this poor person is shoved beside this big burly guy with sweaty armpits? That happened to me, more than once! I am a small person so I get shoved into the corner with big tall people standing in front of me. I don’t really care that much cause then I get to hold on to the rail on the wall instead of stretching for the handrails on the top of the cart. One problem with this is that everybody else still stretches up, and I am the height of their armpit which gets pretty stinky after a hot day in Perth!

Speaking of awkward encounters, I managed to get a seat on a busy train, score for me. Until a middle aged guy with short shorts decided to stand right in front of me…… I would wear these shorts as underwear they were that short….. Not a view I wanted for a twenty minute train journey.

On a way better note(not that that’s that hard to do but anyway) who’s on the train home on evening while surrounded by high school kids(who really make me question my desire to become a teacher, like seriously what is wrong with the next generation?). Anyway mini rant over! On my way home on the train I was going over the Fremantle bridge and seen Dolphins!!! DOLPHINS PEOPLE,!!! Sorry I cannot contain my excitement! They were just cruising along beside the bridge like whatevs. And I was internally screaming!

Perth is a diverse city by the amount of people that are on the train that are not Australian! I mean seriously French, German, South african, irish(a lot of irish), English, Scottish, American! So much people! That’s not even half the people I have encountered! There have been good and there have been bad but hey it is an expeirence in itself!

wish me luck though cause I don’t think I can handle many more arm pit journeys! Just saying!

Irish Everywhere

Tags

adventure, adventures, Australia, Australian weather, beach, beach walk, college, holidays, Irish, Irish people, Irish weather, student exchange, study abroad, uni, Wifi

Hi guys! So I am currently writing this on the morning of the 25 but due to ridiculous wifi God only knows when I will be able to post it! All is going well. We are semi settled into our two bed apartment, feels like we are on holiday but then it doesn’t cause we still have to go to school and uni so it is a bit weird! We are literally staying right across the road from the beach! Went for a super long walk along the path that goes all the way up beside the beach and it was lovely, have a huge blister on the back of my ankle cause I didn’t realise how far I had actually gone and then had to turn around and walk the same distance again……. I was wearing my runners and all but my footsie sock kept slipping down so by the end of it I was semi limping, trying not to aggravate it!
I have no college tomorrow so will either spend the day at the beach, the day at the pool or will attempt work. Out of all the options I think I know which one I will choose… Speaking of college OMG, there is “Irish” people everywhere! I came to Australia to meet australian(possibly a nice hot rich guy, so far no luck!) and instead I meet Irish people EVERYWHERE! I mean I am using the term “Irish” very loosely here cause we have some people claiming to be Irish when in actual fact it was there great great grandparents kinda thing! Mostly they are second generation, with their parents being Irish. So far there has been Aimee(dad is Irish), rebecca(both parents are Irish and had an Irish accent until she went to school and picked up an American one instead), Max(both parents are Irish) Charlotte(parents) and Ella(her mum is Irish but she grew up in England and then moved here when she was nine). Nothing bonds people together than ancestral homes! Also this is the edited list, there have been more but I seriously cut the list down. For example there is no grandparents listed etc.
Every time I get the train there is at least one Irish person(sometimes more). I got asked directions by someone and low and behold they were Irish so of course we had to exchange hometowns etc etc. For such a small island we sure do have people everywhere. I have a theory that we are slowly going to take over the world! I mean the amount of Irish pubs around the globe has to be a record or something! I remember finding one in Africa for Petes sake! Africa of all places! I don’t even want to count the amount that is here! I only know of the one in Freo and the rest I try and ignore! Just cause I’m Irish does not mean I will frequent these places!
Anyway rant over! In summary Irish people are taking over the world and college is going good! Updates will come few and far between cause the Internet keeps crashing so refuses to post my post…

Radio Silence

Tags

adventure, adventures, Australia, beach, college, orientation week, Perth, scavenger hunt, student, student exchange, study, study abroad, summer, uni

Hi everyone! Long time no post! I had gone home on a surprise visit to Ireland just after Christmas, so was radio silent in the lead up to that as I didn’t want to give anything away. I was then radio silent when I was home cause this blog is for everyone at home, so I didn’t make sense for me to write a blog while I was at home with them!

Anyway I am currently back in Perth, just after starting my first week of college. Orientation week was last week, it was good cause I got to skip out on all the long boring meetings and only get to go to all the social events. That was fun! I met some cool people but couldn’t help but compare everybody I met to the people from last semester!

I flew back into Perth Monday night and started orientation week Tuesday morning. Lets just say I hate jet lag! I was awake at all hours, which was good at first cause I didn’t miss the first day. The problem with that is I was ready to pass out by three in the day, slight problem when you are meant to attend a dinner at seven. I had to skip out on dinner due to sheer exhaustion, but got to meet people that morning for breakfast and lunch so it wasn’t too bad!

As I could still go to the social events I was signed up to do the scavenger hunt again. I was brutal last year so I decided why not? Well turns out every team was talking about that girl who did this last semester so that team was going to win and all this stuff. I was famous before I had even shown up! I  was put on a team but before it started got swapped into a different team, cause they only had four people while everyone else had six or seven. The team I was put on, I knew one of the people so it wasn’t too bad. The leader of the team was the exact same leader that I had last semester! I was like crap and told him this time round he actually had to help us!(we came dead last, last semester).

So they were meant to have completely changed the scavenger hunt for this semester, but in actual fact they only changed some aspect of it, some of the clues were still the same. Good thing for my team….. if I had been any good last semester! With them told I was useless in charge of a map(which we didn’t get this time round) we set off hoping to place. We were on a roll, with me knowing where most of the places were etc. We had our lunch break and for the second half we just kinda wandered round Perth getting the last few bits done. We thought that we had blazed through things that morning and were obviously in the lead!

On returning to Fremantle we did the few bits there and then headed back to check in. Upon checking in, we were told to make a song, rap or poem. I had been expecting this but we just did a crappy acrostic poem last time so I was out of my element!

Turns out one girl on my team, Maddie, is a culturally genius and she had us singing to A Thousand Miles but changed the words around. We killed it! I swear it was so good and we made everyone laugh(which was intentional, we changed the do do do do do do part to digeri- digeri- doo. GENIUS!) Anyway turns out someone out geniused us, by doing the same thing but to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, so they won the twenty extra points! which we guessed would happen cause they were good!

Turns out we missed placing by like 2 points! We got 186(darn sight better than the measly 98 or something) the people in third got just under 190 or 190, I cant remember. It was good fun and am now in a week of proper college.

This semester I hope will not be as stressed as last, with me being in easy classes, cause why not? Hopefully will update soon but for now just a quick post to tell you all that I am still alive and enjoying being back in Perth(even if it had just been for a week). Oh we have also had to move out of our house due to construction  work, this place is located right across from the beach so as you can guess it is going to be a tough ten days!

New Years Day

Tags

adventure, adventures, Australia, Australian weather, babysitting, beach, book, book nerd, books, bucket list, chocolate, christmas, cousins, cute, kids, moore river, new years, wine

So yesterday was pretty much a perfect day! I mean we got up early To head down to Moore River. After a longish drive(I may have fallen asleep for a little while, so I’m not sure how long it actually was). So we are on top of this up huge hill looking down at this beautiful site. I am talking it’s where the river meets the sea, but there is a huge sand bar blocking the two from meeting. The contrast of the colours and just everything was just breathtaking! Yes I have pictures! Of course we had come prepped for everything, we had two packets of rolls, a full roast chicken, a jar of Mayo, sausage rolls, water, apples, grapes. Essentially you name it we probably had it, including plates and knifes!(to out Mayo on our rolls obviously, and we needed something to hack into the chicken). Anyway all this was just food, I haven’t included the tent, the picnic blanket, the bag of shovels and other beach toys, not to mention the two little kiddie kids!

dave went on ahead to check the way down etc, so we were set! Sort of…. Turns out we had to walk down the side of this hill, weighed down with all this gear. I was waiting for me to tumble-down cause this was a steep hill! I of course had Jamie so it wasn’t just my life on the line! Also holly was in front of me so if I fell she would be a goner too! Luckily we made it down safe, but we were really questioning how we would make it back up! I of course was in a dress, so climbing over fences and down hills was just an added bonus of things to worry about(the first being this breeze that would come ever now and again and would just insist on lifting my dress up). Safely at the bottom though we picked a spot on the sand bar and made our camp. I of course needed the loo, so I then had to set of on a journey of my own to find a toilet! I did, thank god but it was a good walk away, luckily I didn’t need to go that badly!

Alas I have grown slack in my watch for spiders, and of course when I was most vulnerable one decided to find me. Luckily I was on my way out of the toilet so I could just make a run for it! Making my way back I cam across a set of stairs… Which went right up to guess where? The car park! We had went down this treacherous slope for no reason! I figured we survived it unscathed so it was an adventure at least! As I was walking back I could hear someone calling my name, and Lo and behold Holly was squizzing around on the boogie board(with Dave pulling her along) having a blast! I went down to the beach, fully sure I got like third degree burns on my feet from this section of hot sand(it was only a patch of about five feet). I dipped my feet in the water and the water was nice! sitting back by the tent, you got a view of the ocean and the river, pure bliss.

I played with Jamie in the sand, we had our picnic, we went in the water, looked at the ocean, played in the tent. Jamie did this thing of squashing his face against the mesh back of the tent and just his face flaws hilarious! Gave me a giggle anyway!  I semi got a picture of that! Jamie didn’t want to get in the water and was ready to leave after we had our food! I distracted him by chasing him, for all of two seconds! I caught him and threw him in the air. When I was holding him he just looks at me and goes “car”, well looks like My plan of distraction crashed and burned ladies and gentlemen!

After another trip to the toilet, another dip in the water(for holly mostly to remove all the sand she had lodged into her skin) we packed up and fulfilled Jamie’s wishes of heading to the car. Back up the hill we went, me carrying Jamie again. I swear that was the only thing that stopped me from toppling back down and smushing holly and Louise! After a quick stop to catch my breath(hey the hill was steep and Jamie was heavy!) it was to the car! I fell asleep on the way home too! So I still have no idea how long the journey was!

i finished the day with a glass of wine, some chocolate and a book. Not a bad way to spend the first day of the year! Today I have been minding holly and Jamie so Louise and Dave could have a day off. Oh Jamie was just the cutest thing this morning! I was in the stage where you are awake, but you want that five more minutes just relaxing in your bed when I heard this patter of feet and someone trying to open my door. I was still half asleep as Louise came down and moved Jamie away from my door saying I was sleeping. Jamie was having none of this! He started to cry so Louise left him at the top of the hall hoping it would be quieter leaving him rather than him crying. As I opened my door to go out, Jamie was making his way back down th hall. When he seen me he started this run and looked to get picked up. How cute is that?

we had a day filled with frozen(again) craft and cars! i brought them down to the park before lunch. We lasted ten minutes, but we tried! There were no tears until I brushed Jamie’s teeth, he doesn’t like to get his teeth brushed! Otherwise I’m afraid to say Louise, they didn’t look for you! I find it funny though, cause they were on their best behaviour. They ate all their dinner, they had their fruit. There were no fights between them and Jamie Te his dinner in record time! Yet I am here nearly six months, so I’m like I know what you are like. I have seen the tantrums over dinner, yet once the babysitter mode is on they seem to act on their best behaviour. It’s funny!

anyway that is my past few days! Hope you all enjoyed New Years! I am currently debating a glass of wine and more chocolate! I have eaten my bar that I brought with me(eventually I can hear you mutter, well I only ate it cause I got another one from Christmas, that one however I am now debating over whether to open it or not….) I think I shall! I don’t make New Years resolutions so at least I’m not trying to be healthy! That’s all from me! I am off to get my wine and chocolate and curl up on the couch with my book!

It’s New Years!

Tags

adventure, adventures, Australia, beach, billabong, book, book nerd, christmas, college, cousins, new year, new years, new years day, new years eve, pizza, presents, Sea, shopping, student, student exchange, study abroad, study break, watertown

So while I write this it isn’t technically New Years but frankly I shall probably forget everything in the morning or just forget to do a post! So here it is, my post about New Years in the land down under! It is currently 11:05 pm so just under an hour to go!

Today I set off to buy my brother a wallet( I know I still haven’t sent Christmas presents, shame on me!), technically this is also a birthday present and his birthday was in October so double shame on me! Anyway he had a specific request, a dark brown billabong wallet(Aaron if your reading this you best like it otherwise there will be hell to pay!) (also I’m not really spoiling what you’re getting considering you asked me to get it so…no spoilers!) anyway like the good sister I am I set off early as I had my day all planned out! I was going to head out after my shower, spend an hour travelling to this shopping centre place and shop for this wallet. I mean I figured I knew what I needed, get in get out job done! Right? Wrong! So I rock up to this shop, that according to their website stocks billabong stuff. In preparation I had done my research! In this shopping place there was a couple of shops that sold billabong stuff! I had also went onto the billabong website, both Australian and European sites. I was going to take the cheats way out and order it online and have it delivered to him. Problem was it wouldn’t let me put in the shipping address correctly so I then had to research shops to traipse around in.

anyway it was a stinking hot day, I’m walking twenty minutes to the train catch the train, catch another train and then walk five minutes to this place. I then have to enter the maze that is known as “Watertown”, I got lost about twice, at one stage I thought the had got rid of the shop and replaced it with another one, but turns out I was just in the wrong place! Eventually after walking the whole way round the place(literally if I had just turned left when I first got in I would have seen this shop straight away!) I came to the shop! After battling around ever inch of the shop, through crowds of Boxing Day sales crowds, I discover my search was vain. In hope I went into every shop that sold men’s things in hopes of finding something, to no avail! It was then time to return to the train and go into Perth City itself. Found a shop that sold billabong stuff, this time including wallets. And I found three brown leather wallets that were billabong. The rest were weird colours like green? Or these Velcro contraptions for surfers. Out of these three only two were the desired dark brown, so Aaron you got the best out of a bad lot so be grateful I got you anything!

anyway returned home to prepare to go to the beach(I know, I have a tough life!). We were meeting some of Louise’s and Daves  friends down at the beach for pizza. Upon arrival we seen that there was a wedding going to happen…… Yay! Me and holly ended up gate crashing and photobomb ink some pictures(all accidental I swear!) me and holly were chasing the waves, or as holly says we get chased by the waves! We were having fun, God only knows how long we spent doing this! When we first went down the wedding had just begun and to get to the beach you had to go down steps that were about five feet in front of where the out the makeshift alter, hence the gatecrashing! Anyway we were having fun out chasing the waves when the couple decided to take pictures down on the beach. That’s fine I mean heck it was sunset now so the pictures woulda been nice and romantic and all that jazz. Now this beach was huge, there were a number of places the couple could have gone. Instead of the oodles of space they decided to take pictures where me holly, our next door neighbour teya and four random kids were chasing the waves. Me, holly and teya moved out-of-the-way thinking a few shots done and dusted then we can finish. Nope! The four random kids kept running into the water so the couple spent ages there! We waited ages finally thought they were done, went in one last time and got asked to move by the photographer cause they just needed “one shot”?! Maybe go behind us where there is no people! Anyway we then left the beach cause that was our fun over and it was time to leave anyway! We returned way past the kids bedtimes And spent the car journey back singing songs from frozen! Holly wanted the Christmas tree lights on so we lay down on the carpet with the main lights off looking at the lights on the ceiling.

Bedtime for the kids, the adults watched a movie. One viber call to dad and louise was off to bed! I am currently down in my room, with thirty minutes now left to go I figure I might as well stay up these last few minutes! My New Years eve day was good minus the shops! My night consisted of a movie and reading a book so as you can tell I am a real party animal! News years eve is a tad overrated though! Give me Christmas any day! The fireworks have started already and for a second there I thought I had missed New Years! Give me five minutes and il be in bed anyway! that’s all from me folks! until next year!(that’s another thing the whole talk to you next year/see you next year we are all very punny(see what I did there? Punny? Funny and pun?) anyway that’s one joke that will never get old! I would reminisce about what I was doing last year but frankly I can’t remember!

I will say though 2014 as been a pretty awesome year! I mean I am in australia doing my year study abroad! I met amazing people who I know will be friends for life. I have had experiences that you couldn’t pay for, frankly cause we were all broke so did free stuff to keep us amused! Here is to another year of adventures! hopefully this year will be much of the same, if I have half of the adventures I will be happy! To 2014, the year I finally broke out of my shell and did something I always wanted to do but never thought I could! May I be as daring in 2015! No more soppiness I swear! Happy New Years, to my family, friends, readers and fellow bloggers!

*Update* it is now 2015, instead of reigning in the new year with fireworks a helicopter was flying overhead instead! Close enough…..