Saturday, October 30th was a pretty relaxed day in general. We slept in a bit and then went to Sea World in the afternoon. The previous time I had visited Seaworld was based mainly around the animals; I patted the stingrays, watched the polar bears and visited the aquarium. This time around I was going there to see the shows in particular. Sea World is known for having quite interesting performances with animals and props and there is a variety of shows to choose from. The first one I went to see was called 'Fish Detectives' and starred a few very sweet sea lions. I cannot believe how completely different and intricate the show actually was. These sea lions didn't just balance a ball on their nose or shake the hand of one of their trainers. They did jumps, they followed direction, and the best part of all was that they followed a story! The plot of the show was that the sea lions were detectives trying to catch a criminal, and you watched as they ran around chasing a human actor, doing tricks along the way. I was absolutely amazed that they were able to remember this long routine that lasted about 15 minutes. I don't know if I've ever actually seen a sea lion in real life other than this experience, but at least from the videos I have watched never have they performed such unique stunts. I was really amazed, and the sea lions were so sweet. I really wanted to run up and pet them, they seem like such friendly creatures.
After the sea lion show we went to the dolphin area and sat down for 'Imagine', a presentation featuring about 8 different dolphins in their HUGE man-made lagoon. Looking at them swimming around and playing in the gigantic pools made me feel sorry for the dolphins locked up at West Edmonton Mall because their home is about 1/20th of the size. The show itself was quite interesting, as it told a history of the dolphins in and around Australia all while they were performing tricks with their trainers. I couldn't believe how high they were able to jump, but my favorite part was when the trainers were able to ride on their backs. It reminded me of the movie 'Free Willy', which I loved as a kid. It was beautiful to see how they interacted with humans and how free and happy they seemed in their environment.
The final show we saw that day was 'Pirates Unleashed', which involved no animals but was definitely exciting to watch. The story was that two different groups, one set of pirates and one set of explorers, were searching a pirate ship to find the treasure map. The presentation itself was definitely unique because the show is based around acrobatics, and all of the actors in it are professional stunt men and women. Some of the performers jumped off of a real ship floating in the water, while others had sword fights and swung from huge ropes from one side of the boat to the other. It was really neat, like watching a live action movie. I was pretty impressed that the actors were so agile and capable of these dangerous stunts, and having never seen something like that I really enjoyed it.
As we were heading toward the exit, Cameron and I came across the penguin enclosure which wasn't open during our last visit to Seaworld. I was completely shocked at the tiny little penguins found here! I had been expecting the white and black penguins found in the North Pole, but instead I was viewing the miniature version! Australia is home to what are called 'Fairy Penguins' and they live along the coastline. These guys were the cutest things I've ever seen and there were so many of them running around, squeaking, and swimming in the water. I could watch them all day and I wish you could keep them as pets!
After the final show and the penguins Cameron and I headed back to his house. We sat down and had pizza with his family which was very nice. I did notice some interesting differences in the Pizza Huts here in Australia that differ from the ones in Canada. For one thing, all meat-lovers pizzas are on a BBQ sauce base and not a pizza sauce. I know that's not a big difference, but ALL pizza places here sell meat-lovers this way. Another difference is that the crust they consider 'regular' is what we'd call a flat crust pizza. If you were to order a regular pizza in Australia, you'll find you don't have much of a crust to grab onto. The final interesting thing I learnt is that there are pizza hut locations here that offer all-you-can-eat! I don't know if we actually have any of those in Canada, but I thought the idea was neat especially if you enjoyed pizza. I know those might not seem interesting to everyone, but the differences certainly surprised me!
After dinner Cameron and I went over to his brother's house to visit his new pet bird. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but birds are a very popular pet here. Apparently they are one of the best sellers right up there with cats and dogs. There are so many beautiful and different varieties here to own, so I can see why they'd be a good pick. Cameron's brother's bird, Lockie, is a trained cockatiel who was quite used to humans when they bought him and is able to roam around their house freely. Cameron's bird, Squirt, is about a year old but since he isn't trained yet he has to stay in his cage. I've never really had experience with birds before arriving here and I don't think I know anyone who was owned one. I have gotten accustomed to them now, however, and they're pretty sweet little creatures to play with (as long as they don't bite your fingers too hard). After we finished visiting the little guy, we headed home and went to bed.
The next day, Saturday the 31st, was a good day. It was beautiful outside again which I've obviously enjoyed. It's so nice to wake up to sun and not rain, even if it caused me to get sick the week before. This day in particular was special for another reason, because it was Halloween here! I've been told that Halloween isn't as popular here as it is in Canada because there aren't as many people that participate in it. There were only a few kids in Cameron's complex that went door to door, and not many houses had their lights on. Cameron's family, for one, did not give out candy this year and Cameron never went trick-or-treating as a child. Even though his house did have their lights off, some kids still did come and ring the bell. One teenager actually had the nerve to say, "if you don't have candy give me money then"! I can't imagine what my mom would do if she heard a kid talk like that to her! Either way, it didn't feel much like Halloween here, which was a bit sad to me. I've always loved Halloween and when I was younger it was my favorite holiday. I feel bad that kids don't get to experience it like I did when I was younger because it used to feel like the most exciting day of the year. I was also upset to miss handing out candy and seeing all of the cute little kids in costumes at home.
Earlier that day, before dinner time when the trick-or-treaters came, Cameron's whole family and I went out to lunch at a place called 'Bugzie's'. It is the same restaurant as where we got our big seafood platter together, so I knew I enjoyed the food before I even got there. We were out celebrating the fact that Cameron's uncle had come for a visit with his new girlfriend, and it was nice to sit down with his whole family for a while in such a lovely place. I tried a smoked salmon pasta, which at first I imagined I was going to hate but it turned out to be delicious! I think it's one of the first times I've been adventurous and tried something really new and out of the ordinary, but I thought, why not! Obviously coming to Australia is something I wouldn't normally do, and it's worked out pretty well so far.
After lunch Cameron and I went and spent the afternoon hanging around the pool in his complex. It was perfect for such a nice day, and I enjoyed finally getting the chance to swim outside when it was sunny out. I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but Cameron lives in a private gated complex that requires a password or a key to even enter. It's very safe and secluded, and the landscaping is absolutely beautiful. In addition to the pool they also have a private gym for the residents to use.
After we finished up at the pool and had dinner Cameron and I spent the rest of the night watching a movie. I found the pool to be pretty tiring and it didn't take me long to fall asleep. Sometimes I'm amazed at how relaxed I can be sleeping on a bed that isn't my own, but in a way I guess I've gotten so used to Cameron's house that I feel comfortable with everything. This is probably the first time I've ever felt that way about somewhere other than my own house and it's nice to know that I'm able to adapt to these new situations. I hope it means that I'll get better and better at traveling and feeling safe even when I'm not at home.
On the 1st of November I had to get up a bit earlier than normal to make my room presentable, as Cameron's uncle and his girlfriend were coming to stay at his house that day. The plan was for me to sleep in Cameron's room that night, so I moved a few of my things into his bedroom and then tidied up a bit. Now Cameron's house is already quite full with me, him, his grandma, his mom and his dad, so the addition of two new people meant there'd be a total of seven people sleeping there in one night! Unfortunately for Cameron he had to sleep on the floor as there weren't enough beds for everyone. I actually enjoyed having that many people around because I'm used to it being just the three of us at home. It's a different feeling to have so many people around you doing different things all at once.
Cameron and I went out for lunch that day and then headed to the pet store for fun. I got to see all of the popular animals for sale there, which included several different varieties of birds, a few puppies, and a large selection of lizards. I've noticed that wild lizards are EVERYWHERE here and are basically the equivalent of squirrels in Canada. They aren't dangerous and can't hurt you, but you'll see them just about anywhere. The kind they sell in stores isn't a type you'd find in Canada, and they're much different from a salamander because they are a lot more active. I took a look but I found the puppies to be much more interesting, but I guess I've always been more of a dog person. After playing with them for about 15 minutes while Cameron checked out the birds, I decided that a puppy is what I'll be asking for this Christmas! Maybe I'll finally get what I've wanted since I was a little kid this year and Santa will feel especially generous if I get home safely.
When I went back to Cameron in the bird section he was playing with a trained rainbow lorikeet which is the type of bird that you can often find in his backyard. This one in the pet store could roll over, let you rub his tummy, and likes to sit on people's shoulders. He is an absolutely beautiful bird and if he wasn't 600 dollars I'm sure Cameron would have loved to have gotten him. Even I would like to if he was allowed in Canada.
When we got home from the pet store we had a huge dinner with Cameron's entire family, including his brother Christian and his wife as well. The table was packed full of people and it was a delicious barbecue that everyone enjoyed. It wasn't an overly exciting day but I enjoyed it just the same. Doing anything here is awesome, no matter what it is!
Up to this point in my trip, I'd have to say that the 2nd of November has been my absolute favorite day thus far. It started off by getting up late in the morning, which is always nice. I know I'm on vacation and I technically should get up early to pack more things into a day, but I do love to sleep in. When I did get up I had my shower, got ready, and we headed out to Surfer's Paradise for lunch. Cameron and I picked a random restaurant along the street and had some nice sandwiches and chips before heading off towards Infinity. It was the reason we drove down to Surfer's and I had been excited about it since I first read about it months ago online. It's a one-of-a-kind attraction that involves mazes, mirrors, lasers and illusion. It's hard to describe, but you basically walk down several halls into a variety of rooms with different themes. Some of them have bouncy floors, others are filled with strobe lights, some are completely black. It was very trippy and most of it didn't even feel real. It was quite an interesting experience and there is nothing like it that I've ever heard of anywhere but here on the Gold Coast. I wish I had been allowed to take photos because the rooms were spectacular and it felt like walking through a dream.
We had to hurry home after Infinity because we had some very special dinner plans to get ready for that evening. I read about Dracula's Cabaret Restaurants months ago online, and I'd been looking forward to it throughout my entire trip. We had to make a reservation a few days ahead of time because it's one of the most popular attractions here. Dracula's is a dinner theater presentation but so much more exciting than a regular performance would be. Your dinner takes place inside of a huge castle with the interior so accurately decorated you could swear you really were surrounded by vampires in a real haunted house. There were skeletons on the wall, glass coffins on the floor, and all of the waiters and waitresses were so dedicated to their performances as vampires they completely convinced you everything you were seeing was real. Apparently most of them are studying theater at the local college so Dracula's must be a really fun place to get work experience and it's definitely the perfect job environment for them. When I first entered the house I had to walk into a small room and through a coffin to a creepy, squeaky staircase that lead up to their dimly-lit bar. The bartenders were tattooed, bloody, and looked about as evil as they could get. I tried a drink called a Carpathian which was one of their signature drinks that looked a little bit like a blood cocktail. It was very alcoholic, but very good. Cameron and I wandered around the bar area passing by skulls, cobwebs, and antique furniture. This place was nothing like any haunted house I've ever been to, it looked completely authentic and realistic and was ACTUALLY creepy inside. To get to the dining area, we had to take a ghost train ride (similar to one of the haunted house rides at Capital Ex) down from the bar. Both Cameron and I climbed into an upright coffin-chair, and away we went. It was quicker than the haunted house ride at capital ex, and at one point a hand shot out and grabbed Cameron from the side! The worst part is, everyone's reaction to the hand was filmed by a hidden camera and halfway through dinner was shown on a big screen. Lucky for me the hand grabbed Cameron or I guarantee I would have screamed and made an idiot out of myself. Everyone else had great reactions though, and I think the idea to tape us is brilliant! Anyways, as soon as we arrived a female vampire directed us to our seats along the back row and we got to listen to the band play some hit songs, vampire-style. That means they took regular songs and played them in a show-tunes sort of way, it was definitely strange and interesting to hear but quite creepy. I was even slightly scared because of how real everything was. I can understand why they'd have an age restriction because children would get way too nervous. One of the vampires brought us our entree while we listened and slowly the room filled up with the rest of the crowd. During our main courses the performers came out onto the stage, introduced themselves, then did a bit of stand-up comedy to keep us entertained during our meal. They took a short break as everyone had our dessert (which was a chocolate coffin filled with custard and berries) and then the show started. For nearly three hours we sat there and watched the band and the actors performing skits about nearly everything. They sang songs like "Bring Me to Life" and a Pink Floyd dedication, they made jokes about the Irwin Family and the Vancouver Olympics, and they even did some vampire comedy as well. The actors were amazing, switching quickly from character to character just like Saturday Night Live. I had no idea I would have such a fun time, or that I would be there for around five hours that night! Either way, it was INCREDIBLE. I've never been to anything like that in my life, and I wished that my mom and dad would've been able to come because I think they really would've enjoyed it as well. I know we have a few dinner theater places in Edmonton but I just don't think anything could compare to this environment. After the show Cameron and I headed home and went straight to bed since it was quite late, but that was without a doubt my favorite day here so far and one of the funnest things I've ever been to in my life.
The next day, November 3rd, was quite possibly just as exciting as the 2nd, but in different ways. I got to do another thing I had been looking forward to which was going to a place called 'Tropical Fruit World'. It's a huge plantation orchard farm that is home to the world's largest variety of tropical fruit. The drive to the orchard itself was beautiful and very scenic, and it was so cool to see some Australian farms with red dirt instead of brown. When we first arrived at the orchard I browsed through their plantation pavilion which sells the fresh fruit they've grown and they had a huge variety of different items. There were some things I've never even seen before, like a passion fruit and a red dragon fruit. I was very interested in trying each of them, and lucky for me I was about to! We went up to the counter and bought our tickets for the day which entitled us to a tour of the orchard as well as a visit to the miracle fruit show. We didn't have much time to run down from the entrance to the building the show was taking place inside of, but we managed to get there before it started. Cameron and I sat down in the front row and waited for the rest of the room to fill up, which happened quicker than I had imagined it would on a Wednesday afternoon. Around and in front of us were counters with little plates on them covered in different types of tropical fruit. Some of them were familiar like bananas and kiwis, but other ones I'd never heard of before like the 'Banana cream pie fruit' and the 'chocolate pudding fruit'. After the presenter gave us a small speech about each fruit we were allowed to walk up with our plates and try a sample of each of them. I really enjoyed the papaya, blood orange, chocolate pudding fruit, and the dragon fruit. My favorite by far was the chocolate pudding fruit, which is actually called a black sapote, because it really did taste just like chocolate! There were also a variety of different sauces and dressings there to try, all made from the fruits and vegetables grown on the plantation. Following our taste test we were lead down to a tractor with seats being towed on the back of it and we all sat down to prepare for our orchard tour. The tour itself lasted about half an hour and was much more exciting than you'd think a tour focused on a bunch of different types of plants would be. It was interesting to see what a coffee tree looked like, how bananas are grown and to view a real palm tree with coconuts. I was also able to see the pomegranate bush, 20 different types of apple trees, grape vines, and the tree where macadamia nuts grow on! We stopped at a few spots along the tractor tour, hopped off, and got to pick some of the fruit to try. At one area we pulled off some cherries and grapes, but the type I got was extremely bitter and not my favorite. I did really enjoy picking up some of the macadamia nuts and breaking them in half with the special machine they use there. While I was opening some of the shells, a wild bush turkey came up to me and I fed him a few! That's another neat thing about the orchard; there are wild animals throughout it that consider it their home. We were warned about a snake being near the washrooms when we first arrived, and when I was in the pavilion browsing fruit at the start there was a long white python hiding under one of the counters. I didn't go too close to it, but I did manage to get a photo of it's head!
Our tour with the tractor stopped at a beautiful little pond area where ducks and fish were swimming around and enjoying the weather. We fed some of the ducks pieces of bread and then walked towards the plantation's stables, which is home to some of the regular farm animals you'd find anywhere. Cameron and I bought a satchel of pet food and we fed the miniature donkeys, chickens, emus, kangaroos, and the horse. One very exciting discovery is that I'm no longer allergic to horses! I stuck my hand out flat and this big old horse ate the food off it in about half of a second. I took my chances feeding him, but I didn't react in any way so I'm happy to know I've outgrown that allergy since I've always loved horses. I also enjoyed feeding the donkeys because they were just so sweet and seemed happy to see me.
Once we finished feeding the animals we were escorted to a large boat that was floating on the small river that crosses through the plantation. It was absolutely incredible to see the beautiful trees, bushes and birds along the ride. The boat was quite slow so we fed the ducks along the way until we finally reached where we were headed; Treasure Island. At the very back of the plantation is a small island filled with things to do such as miniature golf, a basketball net, tennis, badminton, volleyball, a train ride, and much more. We all boarded the train for a small ride around the island and then ended up back where we started. The group of us stayed there for about half an hour, each doing something different. Cameron and I played at the basketball net where we had a game of Horse which I beat Cameron at. I was just as shocked as anyone else would be, considering I have never been good at sports, especially basketball. Cameron used to be on a basketball team! It only made my day that much better. Once our ride arrived (a golf buggy) we were driven back to the entrance of the orchard and allowed to browse through the gift shop. Cameron bought himself two containers of mango butter and I got one of the black sapotes (the chocolate pudding fruit). All in all, it was a wonderful day that I would love to do all over again. After that we returned home, had dinner, then went to bed. The only other exciting thing I can say I did that day was try two Australian junk foods; jaffas and burger rings. Jaffas are a bit like smarties, only they're filled with orange flavored chocolate. I really enjoyed them, despite the fact I don't normally like orange chocolate. Burger rings are just as you'd expect; burger flavored rings. They were good as well, and it's a wonder why Australia would carry these items but Canada wouldn't. I don't know why some foods are more popular in one country than the other, but it's interesting to see what the people here enjoy and generally, I enjoy it too!
We didn't have anything initially planned for the 4th of November, so we ended up taking things as they came that day. We went to KFC for lunch, where I had popcorn chicken that tasted nothing like the popcorn chicken I am used to. Theirs isn't as crunchy, and the meal itself is much more expensive. It's funny that some things, like pizza, are much cheaper than Canada (a large Pizza Hut pizza costs $6.95) and other things, like fast foods meals, can cost up to $16.00! Something else VERY strange about Australian restaurants is that they don't give you ketchup anywhere! At the fast food restaurants they will charge you 60 cents for the same small cup you'd fill up with one of those pump machines at our chain restaurants, and at the more upscale restaurants you need to request it to get any. I don't think I ever realized what a privilege it was to receive ketchup with my meals before, and as silly as it is I've missed having it with fries and on my burgers. They also call it 'tomato sauce' here, and it really does have more a tomato taste as compared to regular ketchup.
After we finished lunch we came home to pick up Cameron's bird, Squirt. I think I mentioned before that he isn't yet tame, and he isn't allowed out of his cage because when he's released he will fly everywhere and be very hard to catch. Cameron decided to take his bird to go and get it's wings clipped so it could be released without flying away and to tame him. Clipping a bird's wings is like cutting someone's nails so he didn't go through much pain and when we got him back home he kept pecking at his feathers. Cameron took him to his room and let him out and we watched the bird hop around on Cameron's bed for about half an hour. He really seemed to enjoy being free and especially looking at himself in the mirror. He flew into it once or twice trying to play with the bird on the other side.
After dinner Cameron and I went to go see 'Jackass 3D' in theaters, a spur of the moment decision that actually turned out to be fun. I didn't think I liked those type of movies, and I didn't enjoy the gross parts, but it was actually really funny otherwise. The performers did stupid stunts like jumping from a falling tree and super-gluing themselves to one another. It was like watching a million youtube videos all in a row, so in the end I had a good time. The movie ended late, at about 11PM, so when we returned home we went straight to bed.
The next day, the 5th of November, was a Friday, and initially it seemed like it would be a rather nice one. The sun was out shining when we first woke up and since we got up at 7am we decided to get ready quickly and then go to spend a day at a water park. Unfortunately we noticed as soon as we arrived that the sun started to hide behind the clouds which were changing from a nice fluffy white color to a medium gray. Since we were already there, and it was a half hour drive just to arrive, we decided to stay and go on a few rides. Wet 'n' Wild is one of two water parks found on the Gold Coast, and Cameron said it's usually the more popular one. Unfortunately we must have picked a day where all the rides were under repair, because out of the 10 rides 6 of them were closed. We did venture onto the River Rapids ride which featured 4 long, tame slides that reminded me of the ones at the water park I used to stay at in Penticton. We spent about 20 minute floating around and through Calypso Beach, which is a canal-type ride that goes in a constant loop. The riders are able to just sit on a circular floaty and ride the current around in a circle over and over. It's nothing exciting, but it's definitely relaxing and gives you a nice view of the park. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the wave pool, which creates much bigger waves than West Edmonton Mall or any of the other pools I've visited. These waves were just as big as the ones found in the ocean, and it gave me a good idea of what to expect when I go swimming. I kept finding myself floating deeper and deeper without realizing, and I'll have to watch for that when I swim in the real thing for the first time. It was extremely fun though, I loved the feeling of jumping up into the wave and having it push you along.
It started to rain while we were in the wave pool, and since Cameron and I were getting cold we decided to head home early. Once we got home and showered we got ready to go out for dinner. I really never intended to eat out this much, but there are just SO many interesting restaurants that I want to visit, and so little time. We went to a place called Hog's Breathe which is really just a very Australian-themed family restaurant. I got to try some of their potato skins (which I know Mom will be jealous of), curly fries (like a pig's tail), and vegetable spring rolls. I really enjoyed eating there, but then again, I don't think there's been a place I haven't liked! After dinner I returned home and began to write my blog, and here I am again just finishing it up! I really should update more often and it won't take me 3 hours just to make one post.
I'm flying to Sydney tomorrow and I won't have access to the internet so my next post will have to wait until I return. I hope to do many exciting things and it should be one of the highlights of my trip. I'm looking forward to it, and I've got to be up at 6am so to bed I go!
Seaworld
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| The snake hiding under the counter |
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| Top to bottom: Chocolate Pudding Fruit, Blood Orange, Kiwi fruit, Papaya, Dragon Fruit, Lemon Meringue Pie Fruit, Mango, Banana, Star Apple |
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| Chocolate Pudding Fruit |
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| The mini train |
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| The farms on the way to the plantation |
The day at Tropical Fruit World
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