Far North Queensland Holiday!

Hey Readers!

Can you believe we are almost in the throws of mid August? As your summer is winding down, I can feel spring is just around the corner here. The seasonal change still does not get old!

July was a fantastic month overall. Mostly thanks to the visit of my great friend Naomi from DC! We did EVERYTHING in Sydney plus 2 domestic excursions. For a long weekend we jetted up to Queensland to experience the Great Barrier Reef in the coastal towns of both Cairns and Port Douglas. The reef is one of the 7 wonders of the natural world, and boy they aren't kidding! It is larger than the Great Wall of China and is the only living thing that is visible from outer space! It is the most delicate and diverse ecosystem in the world and it was an absolute phenomenon to view.

Naomi and I took a cruise out to two reef sites to snorkel and SCUBA dive. It was our first time diving and I would say overall it went well! Though I don't think I need to do it again, it was the best way to see the reef. I found myself squealing with joy everytime I "found" Nemo or swam into a massive turtle. The colours of the reef are just so bright and vivid- I felt like I was on the set of Avatar! If you ever make it to this side of the world, seeing the reef is a must!

Other highlights of our holiday (vacation) include:
-walking through the Daintree Rainforest
-cruising on the Daintree river, spotting quite a few crocs
-relaxing on 4 mile Beach in Port Douglas
-holding a koala in the rainforest habitat (!!!)
-drinking in the restaurant Nautilus, an incredible restaurant set in the rain forest


We returned back to Sydney tanned and rested and ready to see more sites! I showed Naomi the Opera House, Watson's Bay, the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk, and more. We took a day trip to the Hunter Valley wine region in New South Wales which included 5 wineries and 2 cheese shops!

After 2 weeks spent together I definitely miss her and her companionship!

On our last day I ran the famed City2Surf 14 kilometre race from downtown to Bondi beach. With a record-breaking 80,000 runners, it is the worlds largest fun run. It was such a varied route with glorious weather and excited runners, spectators, and volunteers. EVERYONE runs the race. I saw everyting from strollers to wheelchairs to guys in gorilla suits. We ended the run with brunch on the beach and then moved to the popular Beach Road Hotel for beers at 11am with all the other stinky runners.

Only 2 weeks til my next guests come: Tali & Shari! We're doing all the fun Sydney sites plus Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road trip. Stay tuned!!