Back from vacation mode. Went to Keuka Lake for the latter part of last week, which was an abbreviated version of last year’s trip. Was just as I left it…pretty and chill.

As for Australia, a week was nowhere near enough time to take it all in. We first stayed in Surfers Paradise, which felt a lot like a busy, touristy part of California/Florida. The second half of our trip was spent in Airlie Beach on the Whitsunday Coast, which still felt a little touristy but had more of a small town, tropical atmosphere like parts of Hawaii. Overall, pretty scenery, cute animals, and friendly peopar with lovely accents. Definitely one of my favorite vacations thus far. I shall be back to explore more.

Some highlights:

• Petting/feeding kangaroos and wallabies at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
• Waking/cracking up to the sound of kookaburras at the Airlie Cove Resort
• Spotting a whale while en route to the Great Barrier Reef
• Scuba diving for the first time at the Great Barrier Reef and not getting eaten by sharks
• Kayaking around Daydream Island. We spotted a turtle in the water and a couple of wallabies on a nearby beach. And we didn’t get eaten by sharks.

Some lowlights:

• Pretty bad service at Sayas Mexican Restaurant in Surfers Paradise
• Losing my pedometer at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
• Some difficulty finding/securing lodging our last night in Brisbane
• Airport security examining contents from my backpack very slowly and then asking what my dental floss was for

Some things we learned whilst in Australia:

• Pedestrians do NOT have right of way
• Paying for food and activities was similar to what you’d spend in California
• A common greeting: “How ya going?”
• A common response: “No worries.”
• Appetizers are called entrees
• Pharmacies are called chemists
• Liquor stores are called bottle shops

And finally, pictures to tell the rest of the story.