My Dreams are Coming True

September 2, 2014 by Madison O 10 Comments

A kangaroo selfie!

I survived my first weekend as a backpacker! My new and improved, minimalist, self managed to fit a weekend of clothes into a overstuffed backpack. I also stayed in..*cough*..survived..my first hostel. It was three days that I will never forget and that were worth every Australian dollar I spent.

We left for Cairns, home of the Great Barrier Reef, on Friday after class let out at 2pm. With our flight set for departure at 3:40, I was a nervous mess the whole way to the airport, fearing we would miss it. In the US, it is normal to plan a good 2-3 hours for the airport, am I right?! I couldn’t sit still and I ate way too many Tim Tams. When we arrived at the airport, (I already checked in online so as to save the little time we had), security was, surprisingly, a breeze. I did not remove my shoes/jewelry/jacket, I did not take out any liquids, I did not even show a form of ID. Is this airport for real? We were through to the gates within 10 minutes. I laughed at myself for overreacting. We were shocked at how relaxed the process was; NOT the normal trip to the airport. It was extremely different from home and we did not worry about our return trip.

Cairns is at the very north of Australia, so much closer to the equator, therefore MUCH warmer weather. It was a great mini spring break. A beachy, touristy town minus the beach (it’s next to water, but beaches are north). I got sunburn, yay!

When searching around for a place to stay, Gilligan’s Hotel & Resort caught our eye and was suggested to us by a few people on our program, so we figured if it was well-known, cheap, and excluded the word “hostel” in its name, it would be a good chance. We were pleasantly surprised by the live music and cheap dinners along with a nice pool and adjoining bar – all for cheap travelers! The entertainment was great until it was 2:30am and we were all trying to sleep and the DJ continued to play the bass-dropping, summer club bangers and the drunken backpackers yelled in the open-air hallways outside our room until the sun came up. And let’s not forget our foreign roommates who came home at 3am puking excessively for an hour. I lay facing the wall, fingers in ears, unable to sleep. Let’s just say we tried to avoid Gilligan’s until bedtime. What an experience!

Me and Hogan (NOT pooping)

A little old grandpa, don’t you agree!?

Saturday, we took a trip to the Kuranda rainforest to hike the trails and see some native animals. I was feeling a bit light-headed at the top of the mountain (I was guessing it was from the altitude), but quickly got over that once we started exploring. There were Aboriginal markets with hand-made trinkets such as boomerangs and clothes made from animal furs. We made our way to the Koala Gardens where I got to make one of my dreams come true and nuzzle up with my favorite animal. His name was Hogan and he was continuously pooping on everyone (They are only awake for 3 hours so they have to go some time). I held my arm out as his “branch” and he rested in my other arm. I felt bad because he didn’t seem to be having as great a time as I was. They are so tired and peaceful, they remind me of little old furry grandpas. So adorbs.

After I held Hogan, I tried Crocodile curry! It tasted just like chicken, I was a bit disappointed as I was getting ready to experience a new flavor.

Later, we walked through the rainforest trails and ended up at the train station to head home. Rather than taking the bus, my friend Alexa and I took the Kuranda Scenic Railway home. It took us through the mountains, passing the enormous Barron Falls and other man-made tunnels and gorgeous waterfalls.

 

 

 

 

Barron Falls

Alexa drinking the stream water!

Breathtaking waterfall

The next day was the highlight of my trip: Scuba Diving in the Great Barrier Reef. Unbelievable. Life-changing. Spectacular. Stunning. Breathtaking (but not literally because I was BREATHING underwater). I really wanted to see a sea turtle! I have to admit, it did not start out this way. Never having snorkeled or traveled on a boat in the open sea, I was in unfamiliar territory. I was nervous, but I told myself not to think twice as I was preparing to swim in one of the Seven Wonders of the World! This doesn’t happen every day, sometimes EVER. The trip out to the reef was gorgeous: the ocean was a shade of blue that you only see in children’s colorings of the “ideal” sea. A true blue. The water was even warm, too, at 25 degrees Celsius (that’s around 75-80 Fahrenheit). NOTHING like the Jersey shore 😉 It was a perfect day with clear skies and a nice breeze; setting us up for a beautiful day on the ocean. I sat through the prep meeting for divers and listened to the instructions. At the end, they listed the groups of 4 that would link arms and accompany an instructor during our dives. I was in the first group. With three strangers! I tried not to worry about diving right into it (sorry about the pun, I had to), got suited up with all my gear, and made my way to the step that led into the water.

The best dive group in Cairns

I THINK you can spot the Reef!

Before we could go deeper than the surface, we had to pass two “tests” to prove we were ready. In the first stage, I had to get comfortable breathing with the oxygen mask. That was when I panicked. The water is lapping up behind my head and I am adjusting my goggles to get the water out of my eyes all while I am listening to my breaths quicken underwater and watching bubbles block my view. Just looking down into the open ocean floor overwhelmed me. I was going to have to back out. But I didn’t quit just yet and lowered down onto a wide ladder with my group where we had to remove our mouthpiece to show that we were not holding our breath for stage 2. This is important in case your mouthpiece is knocked out and so that you are properly stretching your lungs in the different levels of pressure.

This put me over the edge. I rose to the top in a state of shock, telling one of the crew members that I could not do it. He motivated me to try again, which I did, but I came up again and pulled myself out of the water. Defeated. I was so disappointed. It was a feeling of wanting to accomplish my goal, but also so fearful that I didn’t know if I could try again. I snorkeled for the rest of the time at the first diving site, acclimating myself with the reef and getting up close and personal with some of the most colorful fish ever. I WISH I had a GoPro on this trip! I was really getting comfortable with the ocean, and breathing with the snorkel, which I wish I would have done rather than jumping right into diving.

After site 1, we had lunch and traveled over to site 2. Here, one of the crew members came over to talk to us and was motivating me to try again. He was optimistic about my second time and offered to take me down on a solo dive so that I could go at my own pace and come up when I needed. I was hesitant, but I knew this is what I came here for, so I decided to give it another go. This was the best decision I ever made.

These pictures are from the semi-submersible boat.

I didn’t have any waterproof equipment, so these were the best I could do.

Though foggy and plain in these photos, the coral reef was beautiful.

My second dive, I slowly made my way underwater, without hesitation. It wasn’t as much of a shock having already been familiar with this assisted breathing. I took the instructor’s hand and he led me through the foreign ocean world. He pointed out all the sea creatures to me and it was amazing being on the same level as them. I felt like I was intruding on their habitat, like I was on the other side of the glass tank at the aquarium, except in the wild. It was extraordinary. Going as a duo allowed us to kneel on the bottom and touch things like a giant clam, sea cucumbers, and coral – really becoming a part of the water world. Making our way around the bend of the reef, he shakes my hand and points: a sea turtle resting on the sea floor. I fake scream and grab my chest – only able to communicate with signals, a remarkable exercise I must say. He led me toward the docile creature and we touched his shell! Touched it! It was as if the turtle bowed his head in acceptance when we reached out. At this point, I had to give my “thumbs up” signal to take a quick breath above the surface and proclaim my excitement. I was so taken aback by being up close and personal! I have chills thinking about it right now.

Then, we turn around and see a shark in the distance. I was meant to go down on this second dive. I was seeing everything and everyone! Under a wall of coral he spotted a stingray blending in with the sand. Next, he took me to an anemone, and I got to feel the tentacles stick to my fingers as Nemo lingered on the other side of his home. By now, my dive time was up and we made our way back to the boat, only to spot a barracuda waiting in the distance, as I reached for the boat’s ladder. I basically made friends with the cast of Finding Nemo in a matter of 20 minutes. UNREAL.

I accomplished my goal and even made my dreams come true. I was so proud of myself to give it a second try. When we made it back to the dock, I received my honorary certificate for my first scuba dive. It was a monumental moment.

I know this was a long post, but it was one of the top experiences on my list of things to do during my Australian adventures. One of my biggest life realizations while living here is to take advantage of every opportunity. I am learning to challenge myself and take risks – two things that usually make me hesitate. Planning this trip was a big step in itself, but now I my steps are becoming even bigger. I’m the girl that is too afraid to ride on a roller-coaster and watch scary movies! This is a whole new me and I’m loving every minute of it.