I'm Back!!!

I just got back last night from my Brisbane trip with Katie and Dana. I had so much fun and it was a very relaxing week. We really felt like we were on vacation because all of our accommodations were very classy (well, compared to the backpacker hostels that we would be staying at if we had planned the whole trip ourselves). It felt really great to finally be able to visit Steve Irwin's zoo (Australia Zoo in Beerwah, QLD) and I enjoyed seeing all of his beloved crocodiles and other animals. Most of the animals at the zoo had been rescued and Steve had designed the animals' enclosures himself. I really liked how there was such a strong emphasis on wildlife conservation at the zoo. It is huge and there are hundreds of animals including Tasmanian devils, tigers, Asian elephants, dingoes, wombats, koalas, kookaburras, tropical birds/birds of prey, otters, camels, kangaroos, wallabies, komodo dragons, perenties, snakes, foxes, tortoises, turtles, lizards, cassowaries, saltwater crocs, and there was even an estimated 140-year old freshwater crocodile. I took lots of photos and I posted a lot of them to my photo site to make sure to check out those!
Fraser Island was gorgeous and although it was a bit chilly at night since we were quite a ways south of Cairns, the days were still sunny and warm. We stayed at the Kingfisher Bay Resort which was nice and we felt pretty isolated since there isn't much on Fraser Island besides forests, sand dunes, freshwater lakes, and picture-perfect coasts. Fraser Island is also known for its dingo population. We spent all day Friday hiking (we were trying to go see Lake Mackenzie) but it was a bit further than we had anticipated which was disappointing but we still got to see some spectacular views.
We spent the majority of Saturday at the Brisbane airport because we had a 7-hour layover, but it gave me time to fill out postcards and such. Next time I'm at the Brisbane airport I will be waiting for a flight home to the states! It's sad that I only have 2 months left, but I will be very anxious to see my family and friends again and also to enjoy a Vermont summer before heading back to SMC for my final year of college (undergrad college anyways).