There they go packing stadiums as Shady spits his flow.

Day 6 of our 2nd to last stay in Byron Bay and this place still doesn't leave much to be desired apart from alpine peaks that plunge into the massive expanses of beaches that are strewn across this great country.

Getting really pumped about bringing ideas back to the states in order to make some serious changes in what I have been doing for the environment. I may not be learning another language (although that can be debated at times) but I feel as though the drastic difference in ideas of how to be good stewards of our earth is enough to constitute a serious cultural experience. Really working hard to find some ways to fix our house and campus at Valpo to increase sustainability, but most importantly saving some greenbacks in the process.

The original sustainable house.

With our plans to go to Cooloola National Park squashed because we can't play dodge the cyclone on this trip either (definitely on the "thou shalt not" list), we journeyed down to New England National Park instead. We headed down with John Sinclair (http://www.sinclair.org.au/) who has pretty much seen everything and done whatever you have with some insane twist involved. He has worked on conserving Fraser Island especially but seems to have his hand in just about everything that is related to conservation and/or Australia.

Just a regular BAMF.

John drives a lifted, standard transmission Toyota Land Cruiser with a bumper and a snorkel, just so you know he's cool. We headed to a few different places while we were down in the park but most centered around an area that was situated in a cloud forest (see picture) which made for some er....interesting views. 

 Award for the worst placed lookout ever.

Listening to: Blood In Blood Out -- Jedi Mind Tricks

After seeing the views that were to be had here, we headed down the valley. Let me rephrase that, we headed down the side of a cliff. I didn't manage any pictures of this event but anyone who was with us can attest that we were dropping off the face of the earth as in my ears were popping at points of the hike.

 Jesh taking a break at "Weeping Rock".

After a few hours of controlled free fall, we started to climb back up but somehow we teleported and never really gained all of our elevation back. This miffed all of us when we made it back to the bus with little to no effort after such a dramatic entrance into the woods. Chatting with Collin Fields on Gmail chat right now, missing a senate budget meeting makes me feel all nostalgic inside. Definitely happy about skipping out on mid-west winter, but very sad that I missed a tornado outbreak in NC. Probably for the best. I digress. After this little adventure through the woods we headed back to our accommodations at Yarrando Lodge in the midst of the National Park.

Just another jam session. Yes 4 people in this room.

You see this room and probably cringe, we see it and smile. We even had our own veranda out the back of the room. Living in this country has been really great, tents, hostels, boats, trains, parks, the occasional apartment, and lofts in the midst of the rain forest. I can't ask for much more out of SIT. At Yarrando we even had the opportunity to try and burn the building down with a nice fire pit.

 

Next day in NENP we went to a place called Cathedral Rocks, now this place I could live at. It is just a giant rock/boulder outcrop that is in a rolling valley which has a great 360 degree view from the summit. So much potential for epic mountain bike trails and some serious boulder problems abound this great land.

Wait, left? Who has water?

Now, if you have been following this thing for any amount of time/have known me for any amount of time, my choices for activities are usually less than docile and to my mother's and my cello teacher's chagrin usually involve potential loss of limbs, if not mortal danger to myself or others around me. This hike was right down my alley for weekend activities. A short quick hike that went straight up a boulder field that had no established paths and was weathered granite that had tons of grip. Needless to say, I was back in my ideal element of the outdoors with a dose of (here you go Sally) certified certifiable insanity.

No SCUBA Diving, but this seems safe.

Well, got to hop all over boulders and I managed to get lost/stuck down here.

 Just at the crack NE of my shadow.

After a bit of bushwhacking and some unsafe ascending I managed to work my way around to the left of this picture and get back up to the group. Whoops. Oh well, no harm no foul.

Listening to:  The Way I Am -- Eminem

Got to go back to the worst placed lookout ever and it turns out that it does clear up every so often. So with our continued blessing by the weather gods (guess this degree is worth something) we got to see quite the panorama.

Blue Ridge Mountains or Australia?

Headed back down to go for a dip in a river. This way we save money on showers and all just smell the same instead of the body odor smell we just have a general stench to us.

 

 Driving back, we slammed on the breaks to save this little guy from a certain "Froggerish" end to his spikey life.

Echnidia

This pretty much wraps up the New England National Park trip. Great time all around. Sitting here in Why Not Cafe drinking the best Chocolate Chai that I have ever tasted. We have our final exam tomorrow then I head back to Lismore for 2 days with Gus' homestay, up to Brisbane for Easter weekend with Owen (Aussie we met back in February), then off to Darwin to forecast the weather for a month. Stoked out of my mind for these next few weeks. Going to whip out my fanny pack and join the tourist mobs at this place for sure in Darwin: CROCS!!!! Check it out, you won't be sorry, well you might be, but if you valued your time very much you wouldn't be reading this intellectual work of genius. All I have for now.

Cheers!

-zuey