What’s it like to LIVE in Australia?

Posted by Laura & Claire on Sep 1, 2011 | 6 comments

Adele, Claire’s cousin, is a teenager living in Australia. She has grown up in a completely different culture and environment than us, so we decided to interview her and get a glimpse of what life is like as a native Aussie!

Do you like living in Australia?

Yes, I love living in Australia! It’s a beautiful country.

Would you rather live anywhere else in the world?

Not really. I’ve always thought it would be exciting to live somewhere in Europe or Japan, however, I just can’t imagine living anywhere else other than Down Under!

What’s it like living somewhere that many people consider a paradise?

It’s hard to say. I’ve never lived anywhere else to compare it to. However, the older I get I realise more and more what a beautiful country Australia really is. We have world famous beaches, cute wildlife and hot weather.

What are your favorite places in Australia?

Hmm.. well I do love my home city, Melbourne. Sometimes overshadowed by Sydney, Melbourne has a lot to offer. It’s artier and celebrates individuality; it’s a very cool place. But I can’t not mention the Whitsundays! The group of islands neighboring the Great Barrier Reef is the closest I’ve been to heaven!

What are your plans after high school?

After finishing year 12, my friend and I are taking a gap year. A gap year is what we call when you defer from university for one year in order to get a job, travel etc. I am travelling to Europe, and doing a Contiki tour. I will also be staying with a friend in London, and working in a summer camp in the English countryside.

Where are you going to travel on your gap year?

As we will be mostly travelling in Europe’s wintertime, we’ll mainly stick to countries such as France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany.

Favorite spots in Melbourne?

Hmm it would have to be inner city Melbourne, in the general area of Bourke Street. The heart of Melbourne is scattered with historic laneways. Filled with cafes and boutiques.

Would you ever want to live somewhere else in Australia?

Yes. Australia is different from many other countries. For one, we have a very small population, but also we don’t border any other countries. We’re pretty isolated. If we want to travel outside of Australia, it’s a long flight!

Favorite thing to do in Melbourne?

For me and my friends, it’s probably shopping! I love living near the city centre. Melbourne has great shopping.

How do you deal with the heat each summer?

I usally go to the beach! One thing about Australia is that most of the population is living right on the coast. So it’s not far to go when you want to cool down! 10 minutes max!

What’s the most unique thing about living in Australia?

Hmmm, that’s hard. I would say that it’s our Aussie spirit!! We are a pretty chilled and laidback country. Everyone is pretty open and friendly!

What’s it like never seeing snow?

That’s one thing I think all Aussies wish were different in Australia! I would love to have a white Christmas! But it never gets cold enough to snow. Australian Christmas’s are usually very hot, as summer has just started!

SHARK WEEK

Posted by Laura & Claire on Aug 1, 2011 | 3 comments

As you may know, it is Shark Week, the one week out of the year that we feel it is perfectly acceptable to sit around with your eyes glued to the TV screen. Shark Week is dedicated to teaching its viewers about one of the oceans most fascinating yet terrifying creatures. The programs during shark week will take you around the world in exploration of a variety of sharks, as well as people and their stories. Though some of the stories will leave you filled with fear and thinking that the shark is a killing machine, others stories portray the shark as a confused animal that just wants to be left alone. What do you think? As ocean lovers we like to focus on the statistics that claim that you are more likely to be struck by lightning or crushed by a vending machine than to be killed by a shark. We have encountered small sharks while fishing, snorkeling, and diving, but cannot even imagine what it would be like to actually see a 15-20 foot great white in person. One day we would like to get up the courage to go cage diving with great whites. Has anyone ever done this? We know it would be terrifying but so amazing at the same time.

Shark Week : Discovery Channel

Great White Shark Cage Diving :: Great White Adventures :: Shark Cage Diving in the US & Mexico

Great White Sharks | Cage Diving Cape Town | Shark Dive South Africa

Our Favorites (so far)

Posted by Laura & Claire on Jul 30, 2011 | 6 comments

Here are a few of our favorite places in the world! Please leave us a comment telling us the places that top your lists…we love to get advice on where to go next :)

Our Favorite Cities

Melbourne, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Tel Aviv, Israel
Jerusalem, Israel
Rome, Italy
Istanbul, Turkey
San Francisco, California
Nashville, Tennessee
New York City, New York
Salt Lake City, Utah
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Our Favorite Beachside Escapes

Mornington, Australia
The Amalfi Coast, Italy (especially Positano!)
The isle of Capri, Italy
Tybee Island and Sea Island Georgia
Kusadasi, Turkey
Patmos, Greece
Anywhere along the Big Sur Coast, California
Florida: Fort Lauderdale and the Keys
Seaside, Florida

The Coolest Pool in the World

Posted by Laura & Claire on Jul 29, 2011 | 2 comments

The Bondi Icebergs beach club in Bondi Beach Australia is home to a very cool pool. Literally. The 50 meter olympic pool is full of ice cold water that splashes in from the ocean. Visitors can gain entry to the club for about five dollars per person. I was in Australia in January this year and luckily I missed my flight home and got to spend a day at Bondi beach relaxing by the pool and watching surfers (Bondi beach is famous for surfing!). I ended up spending five days in Sydney trying to get a flight back home. As stressful as it was trying to get a flight as a standby passenger, I am so glad that I had a chance to see some of what Sydney has to offer. If you are ever in the Sydney area you should definitely stop by The Icebergs. It is truly a unique and beautiful pool in an amazing location and it is no wonder that it has attracted many celebrities, tourists, and locals over the years. Read about how The Icebergs Club began here… Here are some of my photos from Bondi
-Laura

This pool would make for perfect UPrinting postcards.

Paradise

Posted by Claire on Apr 15, 2011 | 2 comments

I leaned over the front of the yacht as the wind swept through my hair like I was flying. There was nothing in sight ahead of me, just the bright blue ocean and sky. My family left behind civilization and set off on our seven-day yacht journey around the Great Barrier Reef.

Clank, clank, clank, swoosh.

This was my new alarm clock; the sound of the ropes from the sail hitting against the side of the boat and the waves splashing against my window. I walked to the kitchen, about ten feet away from my sleeping cabin, and had a quick breakfast before jumping into the refreshing, deep, clear, blue ocean for a morning swim. The water was the perfect color and temperature. I could see fish swimming by my feet. My brother, cousins, and I got back on the boat and awaited our adventure for the day. My uncle brought up the anchor and we set sail.

As we approached Whitehaven Beach, an island off the coast of Queensland, we all sat in awe of what we saw. The sand was blinding; if there was a perfect definition of white, this sand would be on that page of the dictionary. The water was the clearest we had ever seen. We saw sting rays and baby sharks scurry away as we sank the anchor. We spent the entire day on the island. We brought a picnic, built a dozen sand castles, explored the tropical forest, and built huts out of giant palm tree leaves. I even tried my first sip of coconut milk that day. As the sun began to set, it was time to get back to the yacht. Swimming up to it, I began to think about how I would miss the way the sand would squeak every time you set your bare feet into the pillowy, soft goodness, and how it seemed as if we were living in a fairy tale that day. But then I remembered that there is another adventure to begin tomorrow.

That night, a storm began to blow in.

The yacht was rocking and waves were crashing over the sides of the boat. Any sane human being, you would think, would be scared to death at the idea of being in the middle of the deep blue sea during a thunder storm this big. But I wasn’t, I felt complete comfort. My family sat together and watched the lighting reflect over the ocean. Once it died down, I went to bed and fell asleep to the sound of rain pattering on the ocean and waves ripping one after the other.

Before we knew it, it was already time for the journey to come to an end. After our daily expeditions and unforgettable sights and scenery, I had found my passion for travel that I have kept with me to this day. While I have still yet to go on a trip that runs this yacht expedition out of the ball park, I have gained a new appreciation for every piece of unique scenery and adventure that I come across. As much as I miss the adventures and experiences I was blessed to have in Australia, I know that I now have something spectacular to look back on.

-Claire

Crazy Ways To Get a Good Shot

Posted by Laura & Claire on Mar 27, 2011 | 0 comments

Sometimes we find ourselves in the oddest positions trying to get a good photo! To get the best possible shot, sometimes you gotta get creative! Check these out!