We ended up getting together a group of 8 people (Me, Becca, Melissa, Amy, Justin, Nate, Lucas and Alex Bradley) and could not wait to get up north to some warmer weather. Becca's parents offered to pay for our hotel (nicest people in the WORLD) which ended up being a really nice 3 bedroom apartment. The only downfall was that it was on top of the BIGGEST HILL IN THE WORLD. I am not kidding. Pictures cannot even justify this thing. We took a ferry from the airport and then a bus from the ferry and unfortunately for us, got dropped off at the very bottom of the hill of doom. Becca and I took one look and immediately gave up haha. Luckily for us, Justin carried BOTH of our bags AND his up the hill (thank god or i probably would have died) and after an entire group struggle, we made it to the top.
The apartment was amazing, and we all fit very comfortably. That first night, we ventured down the hill into the center of town (Airlie Beach) and got some pizza. We then decided that it would be a great idea to start drinking at 6pm and were all completely passed out by 11! This actually turned out to be a smart decision because we all woke up super early and were able to start our day and explore the town. The town reminded me a lot of Cairns in that it was really beachy, laid back and beautiful. It even had a lagoon like Cairns did, but it wasn't as nice. We spent the day at the pool/lagoon and then went over to a travel booth to see what we could do in the area. We eventually decided on a boat tour of the islands that included snorkeling and diving and planned to do that the next day. That night also involved early drinking and a group game of spin the bottle...very funny and then we were off to bed early again because the van for snokeling was coming to pick us up at 7:45am.
We all managed to wake up on time and make it to the van. We got on our boat which was an all day adventure and took around the Whitsunday Islands. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life. The water is crystal clear blue and the sand is pure white. We were actually able to get out of the boat on one of the islands and take a tour around and hang out on the beach for a hour or so before lunch. It was really one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. Absolutely mesmerizing.
The second half of the day was filled with scuba diving and snorkeling, which Becca and I opted out of because we had already done it in Cairns and decided to lay on the beach instead. We got back, exhausted and the girls made dinner for the guys (pasta and garlic bread) and then we went down the hill to check out the night life in Airlie Beach. Because it was off season, there really weren't that many people there which is why it was so fun to go with a group of 8 people.The next day, our last full day, we went to the beach and hung out at the pool and shopped a little and went out that night for the last time. In the morning we had to clean the entire apartment, make breakfast, pack and leave by 10:30am. Somehow we got it all done and were out of there on time and made our way back to the ferry so that we could catch our flight. The airport that flies into the Whitsundays is literally a shack on the beach. There are maybe 4 flights a day and you wait outside for the plane to come--crazy! We got back to Sydney around 6pm and then Becca and I had to unpack, repack and get ready for our SEVEN AM flight the next morning to Melbourne.
Why we thought that going to Melbourne directly after spending four crazy nights in the Whitsundays, I have no idea. We were absolutely exhausted. We left for the airport at 5am, boarded our flight and got to Melbourne around 9. Little did we know, Melbourne was FREEZING. Probably in the high 40s when we got there after being in 80 degree weather all week and all I had were flip flops to wear..horrible. So, we got to our hotel which the sole intention of getting to our room and sleeping forever, only to find out that we couldn't check in for another 2 hours. Not a big deal. We decided we would just walk around the city and see what there was to see. This plan, however, was immediately foiled when we realized that it was Sunday and nothing was open. So, we wandered around the streets of Melbourne, freezing and starving until we found a cute little cafe to get some breakfast. The food was amazing and the hotel called us earlier than expected and said that we could check it, so it all ended up working out.
Later that night, we met up with Becca's friend Ying from Sydney who also happened to be in Melbourne that weekend and had the most amazing dinner with her and her friend on the harbour. We got back to our hotel and passed out early. The next day, Becca, Ying, and I walked around downtown Melbourne and shopped/sight(seed...sightsaw? whatever haha) all day. The architecture is really cool in the city and is a mix between very modern and victorian. Our flight was the next morning--short trip--and we were back in Sydney Tuesday evening.
I am so glad I was able to go on both of these trips. I obviously had more fun in the Whitsundays, but it was really great to see another major city in Australia and see how different they were. The group that went to the Whitsundays together was kind of a random mix of the people I met in Sydney and I didn't know a lot of them very well, but by the end of those 5 days, we were all really close friends. I'm really glad they all decided to come with Becca and me because I don't think I would have gotten to know them so well and they are all really great people.
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