Thursday:
We had the choice of going to the zoo or going to Bondi beach and snorkeling, but after a long day at the beach
surfing most of us wanted to go to the zoo, especially since we can go to Bondi beach for free anyday, but we'd have to
pay for the zoo. So that's what we did, and it's a good thing too because it rained a bit in the afternoon.
Ashley was really excited about the zoo but I think both of us were somewhat disappointed. It was cool because we saw
some animals native to the area, that we wouldn't otherwise see, but other than that it was all the same as the zoos everywhere
else in the world. There were giraffes and hippos and elephants and bears....woohoo... but it was neat that we got to pet
kangaroos if they came on the path we were walking on, which one kinda did and the other stopped right beside it so Ashley got to
pet it really well, I just touched its back before it jumped away. They are quite cute. The koalas were adorable too but they were
sleeping so I didn't get any good photos.. in fact most of the animals were sleeping. We watched a bird show and a seal show which
I enjoyed because they both had species native to the area and were very well done. In the bird show, the birds flew low over our heads
to the zoo keeper person. To get to the zoo we took the ferry and then a cable car or gondola type thing hanging from a wire. That was pretty
much the most excitement we had for the day.
Later in the evening we had a travel and work talk with Trent, the group leader, and after that we went out for dinner to Sauce, a restaurant right
by the hostel, because it was Fay's 25th birthday. Unfortunately it was ridiculously priced so I had a small chicken caesar salad and wasn't exactly
impressed with it. But that's alright.

Friday:
This was probably the best day I've had all week, other than the bit of time on Tuesday in the Aquarium that I enjoyed a lot... We went on a trip to the
blue mountains, and it was done by a guided tour, separate from Ozintro, so the person leading it was really informed
with the history of the place and plants and mountains we came across.It was a gorgeous day. Unfortunately we had to leave at 7 am, so I was up around 6am,
and then on a bus for close to 2 hours, but it was well worth it. On the way there our trip was broken down anyways, it wasn't 2 hours straight. First we stopped
at a national park because you're supposed to be able to see kangaroos in the wild. After 15 minutes or so of driving around, our guide found 3 kangaroos in a gully
off the path so we stopped to get out and see them. Then we stopped in a nearby little town for "morning tea" which is like what you eat after breakfast before your lunch,
or instead of breakfast...I don't really understand, but I was hungry and the bakery/coffeeshop had cinnamon toast and a hot mocha, so I was pleased with
that.
Once we finally got to the blue mountains it required a LOT of walking. The best bit didn't come until the very last section of our trip, but the first was just as
pretty. It took us down a path to the cliffside of the mountains, past a few waterfalls and breathtaking views. I spent an hour today trying to upload these photos to facebook
but it failed because the internet cut out...so I'll try to do that as soon as I can. Anyways, after we had walked to the cliffside - called suicide cliff or something like that,
where you were seriously on a path about 3 feet wide between the hard rocks of the mountain and the cliffs edge, where you would plummet over 400 feet to your death.....at least
I think it was feet, maybe it was metres, but that doesn't seem as far a fall. I felt like I was about to fall over the whole time we were out there so I was
clinging to the mountainside, and holding on tight to the one iron railing separating me from my deathfall.
When that was done they fed us sandwiches and pasta salad for lunch, in a picnik style, and then drove another half an hour to scenic park.This is what I was waiting for the
whole day because it had the steepest train ride in the world that we were going to take back up the mountain -- I was excited up until the moment I saw it
then I didn't want to take it anymore. haha. But I did and I survived. At one point we were pretty much standing up because it was so steep...and it went backwards so you're looking
down the mountain instead of towards the top where you're headed. I was afraid about losing my shoes since I'd already broken those other sandals haha.
I squished myself between glen and dean in the middle, and ashley took the other side of dean where its enclosed, because glen's side only had a rope ...the doorway was open.
Oh and we had no seat belts or lapbars. so I clung on for my life. hahah. It was quite entertaining.
Anyways...best day yet by far.

love Michelle