Break is Over: Back to My Incredible "Reality"

Hello, everyone! It's been a while since I have posted anything on my blog, so I thought it was about time to catch you up on my latest adventures! 

Since I got back to Newcastle after my New Zealand trip, it seems that Spring has been in full swing. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous--highs in the 80s and abundant sunshine. Perfect weather for a few relaxing days at the beach coupled with some great adventures!

Two of my favorite things about Australia are the warm, sunny beaches and the incredible wildlife. So, once I finished a few assignments for my classes, I indulged myself. 

After enough time at the beach, I think I am starting to become...well, not tan. Not ghost-like? Slightly pigmented? I guess that's beside the point. I enjoyed lying in the sand, letting waves crash against me, and poorly attempting to swim against the waves. The water was cool and refreshing, and even though I swallowed a ridiculous amount of salt water, I loved every second. 

At the end of the mid-semester break. I took a trip to Morriset, a suburb that's just a short train ride from Newcastle. After getting off the train, it was a 3 mile walk to a clearing off the side of a quiet highway. Sounds like the start of a great horror movie, right?

This clearing is special, though. It is home to a large troop of kangaroos (Yes, that's the collective noun for kangaroos. You could also call it a "mob.") who happen to love carrots. 

 

And I mean loooooooooooove carrots. The joeys especially loved them.

It's a pretty good life, wouldn't you say? Lounging around all day being fed by humans.

 

The kangaroos were for the most part well-behaved, but unlike the ones I saw at Oakvale a few weeks ago, these guys were a bit more forward when it came to food. Some stole the carrots out of my hands, and some even stood up tall on their hind legs (the older males were as tall as me) and intimidated me to get my carrots!

Hey, at least I didn't get kicked!

After even more beach days, I decided that I should probably switch things up from my usual days at Nobby's, and I went on the Bather's Way Beach Walk--a coastal walk along the many beaches of Newcastle. 

But when I had passed Nobby's and Newcastle Beaches, I realized that I was a short detour away from the Newcastle Cathedral. It is listed on all of the tourist websites a one of the top sites in Newcastle. I could see why, too. It is gorgeous.

Parts of the architecture remind me of Pulaski Heights UMC, my home church in Little Rock.

 It gave me so much peace to feel so close to home. 

Once I left the Cathedral, I continued my beach walk, enjoying the breathtaking scenery. The water was crystal clear, and there were dolphins swimming so close to shore!!

Other than these adventures, it's been a little taste of reality this past week as I prepare to finish out this semester. Just three more weeks of class to go!