Sydney's in Sydney!!: Part V

Ohh My God. Finally. Finished. Over a month afterwards. Jeez Sydney.
I didn't have time to make another blog after my previous one.
On Tuesday the 13th, my family and I were off to Cairns (does anyone know how to pronounce that? My parents say "Canes". I say "canes" or "carns"... something like that.)!
It was AMAZING!!!!!
We first took a plane to Brisbane, and from there went to Cairns.
Getting there in the afternoon, we couldn't really do anything but rest.
On Wednesday, we took a ferry to Green Island, an island on the Great Barrier Reef. There, we got to snorkel IN THE FREAKING GREAT BARRIER REEF and take a trip in a semi-submarine! :D We saw giant clams and beautiful fish and so much coral! I even saw a turtle!!
Damn. My dad had the camera and he was lagging way too far behind.
"No it's too far away for Daddy. I'm going to look for another turtle!"
Excuses, excuses. It was a turtle! A SEA TURTLE!! I even touched it... hehe. Just petted it a little (okay, okay, I petted it a lot and swam after it for quite a while... but that's beside the point!). But my dad! He can't even keep up with a turtle.
He should've tossed the camera to me.
*Sighs*. I don't think he knows how amazing an opportunity like that is. Seriously.
Thursday. We visited the Cairns Tropical Zoo. And I can say right now that it will be the best zoo you will have ever seen in your entire life. Just get there by 9 so you can listen to a zookeeper talk about kangaroos, and 9:30 you can feed pelicans! But you can feed the kangaroos anytime :)
I also got to have my picture taken while holding a live koala. Amazing, I know. They're so cute!! I also fed the pelicans and saw alligators and had amazing Belgian waffles and drank about half of my mom's delicious iced coffee (it was at least half cream! Seriously!
Well, Mom did say they put ice cream in it...)
The next day (Friday), we checked out of Hilton and walked around town a bit. We had breakfast and swam in the public outdoor pool (just me and my brother, it was freezing!), then had lunch (the pumpkin soup was AMAZING.)and flew back to Sydney. Apparently, my dad also chatted with a Channel Seven news producer/reporter. How awesome is that?!
On Saturday, my dad, brother and I went to... well, I wouldn't really call it a town. It was Main Street, I think. At least something like that. Tyler got a mohawk, and then my uncle drove me and my family to a local national park. We got to check out CAPTAIN COOK'S LANDING SPOT!!! As in, the precise spot in which Captain Cook's ship first landed in Australia. Really. There was a little monument!
Sunday, we went to my grandpa's grave (R.I.P. YeYe. Tyler never got to know him. Sad...). Afterwards, my mom's friend Carmen took us to Blue Mountain, where we toured around, looking at wildlife and such. After Blue Mountain came Pancakes on the Rocks, the most amazing pancake place imaginable. Carmen and I shared a Devil's Delight (chocolate pancakes with chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and strawberries. To DIE for!) and Mom, Dad, and Tyler had a banana/chocolate sort of pancake... I forgot the name.
Monday, we visited the SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK!!! I swam in probably the same pool MICHAEL PHELPS did! Possibly the same lane. I don't know about that. Besides that, there wasn't much that happened. Heh.
On Tuesday ... we went to Darling Harbour. I think my dad's friend came over... I don't remember if it was Tuesday though. My parents and I also stopped by the Miranda supermarket/mall and bought kangaroo meat and quails. Kangaroo meat!! They were apparently "bad" kangaroos, so not to worry, Sydney! (Notice that activities start dwindling down now ... we left on Thursday.)
Wednesday... we ate the kangaroo and quails. Heh. The kangaroo tastes and looks exactly like beef... Very good though. :)
Thursday. Last day in Australia. Sad... We had to wake up around 5 or 5:30. For a plane at 9:30. Sigh. Then we flew out of Sydney, and that was that. Our vacation in Sydney was over.
Sad ending? Nahh. As Dr. Seuss said once: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
So. General recap? Here we go:
Monday 7/5
Arrived at Sydney International Airport
Parents checked out 2 local swimming pools
Had lobster dinner ($100/kilo, it wasn't even that good!)
Tuesday 7/6
Visited Queen Victoria Building and got caricatures (just me and Dad)
Visited Hyde Park
Couldn't visit Sydney Tower :( Tickets were so pricy!
Wednesday 7/7
Parents went to Hunter Valley
Thursday 7/8
Visited the Sydney Opera House
Took a ferry to Manly (yes, Manly. I guess it's a suburb or something.)
Friday 7/9
Went to University of Sydney (where my dad got his masters degree)
Went to Sydney Fish Market
Saw Shrek Forever After
Saturday 7/10
Went to Tarango Zoo (boring and overcrowded, if you ask me.)
Had dinner with Carmen (Mom's friend) (Sushi dinner @ Down town)
Took pictures of Sydney at night
Sunday 7/11
Saw The Karate Kid
Dad forgot his "his-bag" at the theater
Dad's friend+friend's kids visit (Jeffery was UGLY!... sorry. Heh.)
Monday 7/12
Dad retrieved his "his-bag" from the movie theater
Tyler and Dad got hair cut at Brushhair (or something like that...)
Visited MaMa's house in Kirrawee
Tuesday 7/13
Flew to Cairns
Arrived at Hilton (awesome hotel...)
Checked out Barrier Reef Fleet Terminal
Checked out downtown
Wednesday 7/14
Boat ride to Green Island (on the Great Barrier Reef)
Glass bottom semi-submarine tour
Buffet lunch (too much ham...)
Snorkeling at the beach (more like using goggles+foot-long fins and holding my breath)
Yummy Japanese noodles for dinner
Thursday 7/15
Went to Cairns Tropical Zoo
Came back and went in hot tub and swimming pool in Hilton
Had more yummy Japanese noodles
Friday 7/16
Ate breakfast (the cheapest meal ever)
Played in the public pool (FREEZING)
Had lunch (amazing creamy pumpkin soup)
Flew back to Sydney
Dad apparently chatted with a Channel Seven producer/reporter
Saturday 7/17
Tyler had a Mohawk hair cut (sort of)
Visited local national park+Captain Cook's landing spot+whale watching(no whales!)
Sunday 7/18
Visited YeYe's grave
Went to Blue Mountain
Pancakes at the Rocks for dinner (shared Devil's Delight with Carmen)
Monday 7/19
Visited Sydney Olympic Aquatic Center
Went to Miranda market/mall
Bought kangaroo meat and quails
Tuesday 7/20
Activity-less
Packing I guess...
Wednesday 7/21
Had an awesome dinner (quails, kangaroo, ribs)
Thursday 7/22
Got up early (5:30!)
Flew out of Sydney @ 9:30 AM

YES. I'M DONE. WITH THE RECAP.
That's my vacation in Australia!! Amazing place (:

A little update... or two.

So, a little update, maybe?
Sydney's in Sydney!!: Part V is currently in progress. I'm typing up a recap of the 3 week vacation and I have been waay too lazy to really finish it. I will though.
I'm moving up!!
Going to Regionals!!!
Wahoooooo!!!!!!!
Michelle is too. Olivia and Gabby probably are too, but I don't know for sure.
I haven't started on piano yet! Oh dear...
Anyway, I discovered the band Madina Lake a few days ago.
Absolutely in love with them.
Heehee!!!
The twins are hot. Even though they're 29.
O__o
Yesterday, I found out that Matthew Leone (the bassist) was beaten NEARLY TO DEATH while trying to stop the insane dude from beating up his (the insane dude) wife any further.
I think I'm a bit late though. That happened at the end of June.
*shrug*
Matthew, best wishes for a safe and speedy recovery~~ (if you're not already fully recovered... I don't know.)
Well, anyways...
It's been boiling the past few days. Seriously.
I'm going to an American Idol Concert this Friday!!!
It's Chase's early 11th birthday party.
Sooo. That's pretty much it.
Off to drown myself in Madina Lake music...