UNI

I always forgot to tell you that I passed all my exams with great results. Cannot say that I expected anything else.... ;-) I have enrolled for next semester which commends at 24th of Febuary. I'm actually looking forward to start.... The courses I will be taking are:

Environmental Studies
Tourism Management
Tourism Behaviour and Special Interest
Science Research Methods

Kveðja Habba

Merry Christmas everyone :-)

Now in Brisbane at an hotel, we have celebrated Christmas in an unusual style! To say the least. It was a litle bit strange yesterday to wander the streets in shorts, t-shirts and sunnies, knowing it was Christmas day! Of course they celebrate the 25. here in Australia so there were many people buying the last gifts yesterday.

I got amazing parcel from Sara in Denmark. She sent me a gift-calender for every day in December. Unfortunetely I just got it yesterday so I opened up all the litle packages and got a lot of Christmas ornaments so we could decorate the room. It was perfect, and what a work she put in to it. Amazing! Jóhanna, my causin, sent me decos as well and candles smelling of Christmas, so I have to admit that we got in a litle bit of Christmas mood....

The tree was a litle bit alternative, as you can see on the photo!!! It worked though!

Because we are staying in an hotel, we had to make a litle bit alternative Christmas dinner. (went for example specially to McDonalds to steel salt and peppar...) We made beef stake with heaps of vegetables, and different cakes for dessert. Then we opened up all the gifts, read and went to bed. Really nice Christmas :-)

Sydney

Yeah and then it happened, we missed our flight to Sydney! I was certain it was at 8:20 and not 6:20 so we arrived at the airport at 6:40 and I wanted to kill myself!!! Damn it! OK, so we had to by new tickets, that cost more then double then the first one!! We waited at the airport in Cairns for about 10 hours...and it was booooring ;-) But we got all the way to Sydney that night as you can see......

My god I was so excited to see the opera hous. I don't even remember how many years I have wanted to see it, and now I was there. WOW, how cool. I got chills and almost tears in my eyes...

The Harbour Bridge is beautiful as well and it is really spectacular standing there with the bridge on the left hand and the Opera hous on the right one. Actually it is really hard to take the eyes of the OH...so cool and beautiful building!

We checked out the Botanic gardens, the Rocks and Darling Harbour. Bought some Christmas gifts as well and relaxed at cafés. Sidney is a nice city, no doubt about that.

...more travel with Henry

After Airlie Beach we decided to drive as far as we could to Cairns. So we took off early in the morning. At one of the petrol stations we saw this sign with the Norwegian flag and it said: Merry Christmas and happy New Year. Come and talk to an old Norwegian. So we did that, and met Einar Mellembek, an old sailor who has lived in Australia for 60 years. I was really friendly and showed us Andrew his peacock and his fish and Mango trees! He told us some funny stories as well, and this short visit will definitley be one we will allways remember.

Australians often burn their acres to fertileise the soil and here you can see the smoke. The twilight is so beautiful but unfortunately my lovely camera doesn't do it justice! Sorry for that!

In Cairns we met Ali and Daniela again. They where a litle bit strandet and we helped them by driving their baggage to an hostel. And we spent a lot of time with them over the next few days. They are so great!

But on the second day we went on our own on a boat-trip to the Great Barrier Reef to snorkle and dive... and my goood we were so lucky. The visiability was about 20-30 meters, so the water was really clear and warm and wonderful. I couln't get on the boat again!!!

Henry did an introductory dive for 30 minutes and he loved it. I guess he has to get certified soon because now he has dived a few times and knows the drill!

I dived twice and it was so cool. I saw plenty of corals and fish. A huge sting ray which was completely cool. I saw to sharks! Both reef sharks so they weren't dangerous but it was a litle bit scary anyway! Especially later on when I was snorkeling on my own a litle bit far away from the boat. The bigger one must have been around 1.6-1.7 m. I can't help but recommending you all to dive! It is just so cool!

Next day we went with Ali and Daniela to a crocodile farm,after getting lost and driving for hours.... There we saw the crocs being fed and a show as well. We saw snakes, Koalas, wallaby's and birds. A completely touristy experience and not that spectacular, but we had a good day and I liked touching the snake...

Again we took off and this time we drove to Tabelland which is a beautiful area. But we didn't really know how big the area was so we spent most of the day in the car. Got stuck one time as a local farmer was driving his catle home from the field...just as it happens in the movies! It was so funny. The waterfall at Millae Millae was beautiful but I have to admit that the waterfalls in Iceland are bigger and better! :-)

I've been trying to upload photos on the photoalbum but it didn't work. Something wrong so I'll have to try later...

Sma frettir

I am at Blue Mountains with mom and Eirikur. Beautiful here. We will be heading off tomorrow and soon I hope I can finish my travel story with Henry as well as add some photos! The internet here is slow and cuts off sometimes....so I won't ever bother to try!

Later then, cheers!

More travel news

After one night in Mackay we took off early in the morning and drove to Airlie Beach. Took an easy day, relaxing a bit at the lagoona and checking out the gift shops. We made an honest try to BBQ in the evening, which took several hours because the BBQ's at the caravan park where either dirty or didn't work. To avoid mosquito, ants an other bugs we desided to eat inside the car...

We weren't really lucky at Airlie. We took a trip to the Withsundays, really similar as I did in September but this one was completely different. On the boat were around 60 people so everything took longer and we had to wait for a long time to get op on the look out over Whiteheaven Beach. When we finally got up, there was hight tide, so there wasn't really anything imprassive to see.....and I felt really bad for Henry to miss the beauty of the beach. You can see the difference in older blogs from September!!!

But at the beach we had some fun ;-) and the weather was beautiful and the water really warm. We didn't see any jellyfish, although they made us rent stinger suite for 5$ each...

I'll try to upload some photos in the album...my wireless is running out!!!

Shit happens

FUUUUUUCK!!!

Ok, my first time! We missed the plain! We were to take a plain to Sydney this morning and I was certain it was at 8 not 6!!!!!!!!!! So we are now at the airport....waiting.....for 10 hours to another flight!!!!

I'm happy that Henry took it so well....I would probably have screamed at him :-/

So I see you all later with more happier news

xxx