Tourists in Townville

A lot of activity is going on here in Townsville, QLD. Having visitors here is such a great time because I get to see everything I haven't seen since the beginning of the semester. Since I have been here for over 3 months, I feel like I fit into the culture and I don't feel like a tourist anymore. Even though technically I am a temporary visitor, everything just clicks now and I feel like I belong here in a way. The currency here has become the only one I know (I forget what American money looks like) and people driving on the left hand side of the road actually look normal. Casually crossing the road has become a normal occurrence and the accent doesn't sound out of place at all. Having my parents here has made me realize that I am much more familiar with the way things work here than the common American tourist. There are little things that they don't understand in terms of how people speak and how things are done here. They learned fast and it wasn't quite so difficult for them once they were here for about a week.

While they were here, we were able to see everything in just a short 2 1/2 days! Of course, you remember New Zealand. I think I have become a master at cramming more than one activity into a single day. They returned from Cairns on Friday night and they surprised me at my dorm room. They were ready for dinner, and so was I so we headed to the Lagoons, a common hang out for us Aussies. I wanted to show them the real way to do it, so we walked there. Um, I'm not quite sure if that was the right idea because Carol ended up with huge blisters on her feet. I guess since we walk it all the time, it seems like a walk in the park for us, but I guess it's not. There was a carnival going on there, but we decided to head on to a real restaurant because everyone was starving. My friends and I led them to the Willows where there are bars and great places to eat. After dinner, we had Cold Rock (aka Cold Stone in the USA), which is some of the best ice cream around. We decided to take a taxi back since the walk there wasn't so pleasant for the parentals.

Saturday we went to Magnetic Island! It was such a beautiful day outside and we were able to do a lot of things while we were there. Jen, a friend from CCU, was here visiting Todd so they came along and we made it a family event. Alma Bay was where we started so we could catch some rays at this beautiful beach! We took a swim and had some lunch and then continued on to the Forts. This was the same hike Wes, Sara, and I did when I first visited Maggie at the beginning of the semester. Of course, we saw wild koalas! Carol spotted the second one we saw and it was quite impressive because it was back in the scrub a bit. I think it gave my parents and Jen a real feeling of being in Australia. There was a great view from the very top of the Forts and we were able to show them the surroundings of the island. After we were done taking in the scenery we headed down to Horseshoe Bay for some dinner and a great sunset on the beach. The sunset was full of pinks, oranges, reds, and blues and the clouds made it that more spectacular! Seeing things like this makes me wish that Garrett was able to come and visit. He would love taking pictures of all the things there are to see here. After sunset, we headed back to the Ferry terminal and called it a day. We knew that Sunday was going to be even more eventful so a good night's rest was vital.


Sunday we toured the Townsville markets and bought some souvenirs and then headed to the Strand for another day at the beach! We needed the rest before our big hike up Castle Hill. After a couple hours at the beach, we decided to head on up the hill for a great view of the city. Everyone made it up, with a few struggles along the way. The day was absolutely perfect for it with a nice breeze to keep us cool. The hike was once again, worth it for the views. My parents said they felt like they were on top of the world. I was happy that they enjoyed another day in Townsville. We ended the day with a perfect Aussie BBQ on the Strand. Friends and family we able to enjoy sausages, kangaroo steaks, and veggie burgers (for our lovely Vego, Sara) together before my parents had to depart the next day. We had quite the spread and everyone stuffed their faces. Clark and Carol were able to meet some of the friends I hang out with and I think they enjoyed talking to them about their experiences here. I was tired, once again, from the action packed day, but I knew I had to get home to a paper that was due the next day, OH JOY!

Overall, the weekend went very smooth and it was filled with great times and good food! Now they are off to the Whitsunday Islands for a relaxing vacation on the beach. I hope you all enjoyed reading about our adventures! Until next time, miss you and love you.