We’re officially past the half way point here in Sydney, and I am in no hurry to go back home. This past week was filled with plenty of fun, memorable excursions! Last week, my roommates and I spent the weekend in Cairns. The highlight of the trip was getting to see the Great Barrier Reef! I will admit, it wasn’t as colorful as the pictures on google images make it out to be, but it was still stunning. I saw tons of exotic fish plus a baby shark that didn’t look too deadly.

This past weekend, our program took a day trip to the iconic Blue Mountains. We took a scenic hike through the rainforest where we saw a few amazing waterfalls, and then concluded the hike at the top with a breathtaking view of the “3 Sisters,” (Not really sure where they got that name from but just go with it).

Lastly, just yesterday my friends and I bought last minute tickets to the famous State of Origin Rugby Game. This three game series is played between the rugby players from Queensland and New South Wales every year, and is known as the “Australian Super Bowl.” Queensland has won the series 12 times out of the last 14 years, however New South Wales came into last night’s game with a 1-0 series lead. Unfortunately, Queensland took Game 2, but it was still an experience I will never forget. The Olympic Park Stadium was filled to capacity, and the atmosphere was very similar to the Pitt-Penn State game.

My friends and I know our time is dwindling away in this beautiful city, so every day, we try to explore a different neighborhood, and do something fun. Examples of this include eating dinner at darling harbor, having a drink at the Sydney Opera House, or stuffing our faces with $2 tacos on Tuesday nights in the Rocks neighborhood. In fact, as I’m publishing this right now, I’m about to spend a night out with my friends in Newtown, a bustling local neighborhood filled with great restaurants and pubs for college students to hang out in!

Stay tuned to see what adventures I can fit in within the next 2 and a half weeks!