After my exciting 3 days in the Whitsunday Islands, I left Airlie Beach on Thursday morning to head to Brisbane (or Bris-Vegas, as some call it). I was scheduled to go out to the burbs where Sayaka, who I met in Cairns, was staying with her host family (when she was in college in Tokyo, she came to Brisbane to study English). After missing the bus to the ferry to the plane in Airlie Beach on Wednesday, transportation in Brisbane didn’t get much better – missed train stop, couldn’t find the bus stop. Ugh! I eventually made it about an hour and a half late. I guess I have to expect having days like those once in awhile… Sayaka made the most wonderful Japanese meal, including miso soup, and sushi rolls. I learned “Kanpai” (pronounced Con-Pie) means “Cheers!” in Japanese. Her host family (originally from Malaysia) were so open to my visit. Once again, here I was being taken in and fed a wonderful meal in a complete stranger’s house on the other side of the world. It was so nice to have another family gathering and home cooked meal after a week of nonstop traveling.
The next morning I got up early and took the train to The Australia Zoo (Steve Irwin’s Zoo). It ended up being a beautiful day. The zoo was really well kept. There were birds, lizards, and even kangaroos wondering about freely throughout the zoo. I couldn’t believe it. I ended up missing the 10am koala photo session (which was pretty much the main reason I went to the zoo –the state of Queensland, Australia is the only place which allows holding a koala). It required me to stay a few extra hours than expected, which was not really what I had planned, as a few hours at the zoo alone is more than enough time; but I ended up seeing every square inch of that zoo. From tigers to cheetahs, wombats to tasmanian devils (their names are quite perfect – the little bugger would hardly let me get a picture of him). I fed elephants and kangaroos (they hopped right up and ate out of my hand). I watched the sleepy koalas (they sleep 18-20 hours a day b/c their diet only includes eucalyptus, which doesn’t provide a ton of energy) and was even able to pet them while they were hanging out in the trees. I made sure I was an hour early to the 2pm koala photo session. There was no way I was missing this one. The koala was so soft and cuddly – just as I imagined it would be. I could tell he had done this a few times – just like a professional, he wrapped his arms around me and posed for the camera. He was so cute and definitely worth waiting for. That night I met Sayaka in Southbank for the night markets. Southbank was such a cute part of Brisbane – lots of shops, cafes. I wished I had longer in Brisbane, as I would have loved to see it during the day.
The following morning Sayaka and I rented a car and headed to Noosa in the sunshine coast (north of Brisbane). Because she requires an international drivers license, it was up to me to drive us there and back. OMG! First time driving on the right side of the car on the left side of the road was not easy. Everything is backwards – the seatbelt, the blinkers, the windshield wipers. Not to mention it was pouring rain for the majority of the trip. Thankfully Sayaka is used to driving on the left side of the road, so she kindly helped direct me. I scared her a bit by hugging the left side and running off the road a few times (oops), but we made it to Noosa in one piece. Noosa was a cute, trendy, posh surfing town. Unfortunately, it was raining, so we only got a chance to go out to the beach for about 30 mins. The rest of the day, we toured the shops and had a nice lunch. We didn’t get to hike the Noosa National Park either, which was a bummer. We decided to get back on the road back to Brisbane, where we stopped in Montville and hiked to some waterfalls. Sayaka and I were a muddy mess by the time we made it back to the car, so we got a kick out of washing up in the little sink outside the bathroom. Two girly girls, there was no way we were getting in that car wet and muddy to sit for a few hours’ drive. :) Thankfully I got us back to Brisbane safely. I dropped Sayaka off at her host family’s house. Minnie (Sayaka’s host mother) re-heat the evening’s meal (skewers with peanut sauce and rice) and my belly was happily fed once again.
I was sad I didn’t get to see more of the Sunshine Coast and the day spent in Noosa wasn’t all that sunny; but it was a wonderful few days of memories, especially those made with my new friend, Sayaka. She wrote down a few Japanese words for me (in English and in Japanese). The characters are so beautiful and I knew I could never re-write them as she did, so I taped that little piece of paper right in my journal, where it will always be safe. I was so sad to leave her, as I don’t know when I will get to see her again. She kindly offered her apartment in Tokyo if I ever want to visit. Japan might just be another stop on this journey. At this rate, I may never make it back to Chicago…
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