REWIND: Exhausting, Priceless Experience-Updated

Kit, a bonker yet much missed and loved high school friend, had finally travelled her way up from Sydney to this beautiful Sunshine State for a holiday, and to visit me. I don't recall this holiday as anywhere close to being relaxed except for the time spent on the beach for sun tanning. Sun tanning for Kit since she had been complaining about her skin which she claimed to be too fair and too pale. As for me, I came off the beach feeling like a roast chicken as I have always been tan anyway.

November 23, 2006

I brought Kit to Brisbane city on the very first day she arrived, and spent the entire day going around and then dinner with Yap (another of our high school mate). That day was hot. I don't recall the temperature and I didn't bother to jot it down either. But it was hot and we walked all day and took some shots of Brissy.

November 24 and 25, 2006

We spent the next two days volunteering at Moreton Bay Research Station for the Turtlefest 2006 event. This research station is situated on the beautiful island of North Stradbroke (reffered to as Straddie by the locals). We signed up for this event not knowing where it was or how to get there. The last time I went to Straddie, I went with a coach. This time, I travelled with my friend who had never heard of the place, and we were expected to find our way with all forms of public transportation that you can name- bus, train and ferry. It took us more than 3 hours to arrive at the station and on the ferry, we met another group of volunteers. It was good news for us seeing people of the same kind for we knew that we were on the right track. By the time we arrived, we were an hour late, just in time to unload our stuff, finished up what needs to be done and wahlah...it was lunch time!

Two days at the station felt like two weeks. The volunteering experience was not as exciting as we would have expected. With no experience and no gadgets to go down to the sea for coral hunting, we were only able to stay indoors and helped to set things up (putting up posters, pack souvenirs etc) for the event on the following day. The only 'wow' thing I can think of on top of my head was that time watching tiny baby crabs crawling out from the muddy shore. But, we were well fed and had a good decent place to sleep for a night. And they were all for free, which also means, we had a free 'holiday'.

We took the morning shift and eloped by noon with two other volunteers from Spain to our own agenda of exploring Straddie. One of them told the organiser that we had to leave earlier due to some lame excuses he came out with. We got the permission nevertheless, and were all set to leave this place for good. We took a bus which costs us a bomb (for the distance) to the breathtaking Point Lookout. Kit's jaw dropped and started her curse and swears. Despite the dollar notes we spent on the bus, it was a beautiful place beyond our imagination.

After Point Lookout, we randomly headed to the beach nearby and had our fun time in the sea and on the beach. The two mundane days were paid off in that couple of our last hours at Straddie.

November 26 and 27, 2006
Surfers Paradise at Gold Coast was next in our plan. I didn't remember going to GC as being this crazy. The first time I was there, we had a car to bring us around. The couple of other times, the train stopped at where our destination was. This time was different. We booked a self-contained unit where we have no clue where exactly it was and had to find our way with the help of a map and through the mouths of the locals. Our accommodation was beautiful and clean, a place I would recommend to anyone to spend their nights at GC.

Going to GC at this period of time was interesting. A tad scary for me yet exciting. Surfers Paradise became the largest spot for Schoolies Week every year at this period. Think of parties to celebrate the last day in school. Schoolies Week is like the rite of passage for high-school graduates in Australia after their final exams in late November. It can be really fun them but also can be outrages. Binge drinking, physical and sexual violance are not uncommon even with the care of police and securities. Tip is to stay at safe areas and never walk alone especially at wee hours.

That week we went, schoolies week had slowly died down- not as crazy as we would have expected compared to the very first week. Thank goodness. But it was good fun and good experience to witness the crowd. Something that I don't think the Malaysian government would ever approve their kids to do.

There was a lot of walking under the scorching sun with our luggage and perspiring. More sun tanning and tasting salt water. Visited the famous Carara Market. Shopping. Getting our temporary tattoos done- I got one on the back of my right shoulder while Kit had it around her groin area. Got lost. Got lost but found our way. Exhausting, yes. Experience, priceless!

Present
Kit is already back in Malaysia for summer break while I am busy packing and unpacking to move out to a new place by this Friday for the next few weeks. After that, I will wave Australia and the lovely people here goodbye and reunite with the other significant people in my life, Kit and my friends in Malaysia.