Day 56: What We’ve Done

by ashleighpenrod

In only a few short days, here’s a smattering of things Ciara and I have done in Australia so far:

  • Gone through two full bottles of SPF 70 sunscreen
  • Gotten minor sunburns
  • Met wonderful, funny, smart and welcoming people who laughed with us and made us feel right at home (especially the lovely folks on Maggie Island)
  • Taken part in the first-ever dance party at the Marlin Bay restaurant
  • Gotten lost and made our way out of the bush and back into Australian civilization
  • Hiked until our hearts were happy and our calves were useless
  • Swam in the prettiest water in the world
  • Worn stinger suits in order to not get stung by deadly jellyfish in the prettiest water in the world
  • Washed what I’m convinced was a tiny animal out of a cut on my toe (apparently it may have been seaweed)
  • Awoke at 3 a.m. to the screams of the Curlew birds
  • Quietly stalked a very easygoing Echidna outside his home in a large, knotted tree
  • Tried to smash coconuts (impossible) while yelling, “WILSON!”
  • Tripped (four times each) on that one funky stair at the Airlie Beach YHA hostel
  • Eaten lots of pizza
  • Consumed at least 60 liters of water between the two of us
  • Referenced “rubbish” instead of “trash”
  • Sweat (we continue to sweat)
  • Planned a sailing trip, which we’ve been on for the last two days (more on that later!)
  • Driven over 600 kilometers and seen landscapes from this (note the stinger suits drying in the tree):

Stinger suits

To this:

Bush

And this: 

Airlie Beach

More to come.