I went to the Great Barrier Reef and I didn’t scuba.
I didn’t make the typical backpacker’s pilgrimage up to Cairns to play in the jungle or go skydiving on the coast, nor did I go sailing in the Whitsundays.
I distinctly remember sitting in a shuttle bus outside Sydney Airport about to commence my semester abroad in Australia, gazing up at the palm trees lining the parking lot, when I made a decision: I would extend my stay and live in Sydney for a full year.
Ah, New Zealand: land of lakes, mountains, fiords, adventure sports, Lord of the Rings, sheep, and colorful thermal pools.
On the latter front, the North Island is home to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, where volcanic activity manifests in brightly colored pools and geysers.
Well, this one was a long time coming. I find myself flashing back to Sydney on a weekly basis, so it’s all too appropriate that I share one such flashback on ye olde blog.
New Zealand is just ridiculous. It’s one of those places that’s endlessly blessed with natural beauty. She couldn’t take a bad photo if she tried.
I spent 4 weeks in New Zealand in January/February 2006, just before starting my year abroad at Sydney University.
For the inaugural Flashback Friday post, I think it’s only right to feature the place that still tugs at my heartstrings: Australia (more specifically: Kata Tjuta).
I spent most of 2006 living, studying, and traveling in Australia.