What Goes Up Must Come Down

I have been in Australia for about a month now and I keep falling more in love with this place every day.  I can’t believe I have already spent a whole month here and have a feeling that time is going to keep going faster and faster.  Make it slow down!  The rain has become less frequent which allows for more exploration around Brisbane and also contributed to the success of my first weekend excursion!

Last Friday I packed my bags and joined 200 other international students at UQ on the two hour trek down to Byron Bay.  And let me tell you, it was nothing like I expected.  Just like me, you might be imagining a tranquil, relaxing beach town with an ambiance similar to Cape Cod.  But this place was straight out of the 80s.  From the five acre, outdoor hostel where we stayed to the neon spray painted vans to the chill, relaxed vibe, it was hippie central.  The pictures say it all…

 Australian Water Dragon- these guys were running around all over the hostel!

 Chillin' at the hostel

Except for the cockroach encounter on the first night, I loved everything about the hostel and would definitely go back again (it is called the Arts Factory for anyone interested in staying there or just wanting to check it out).  One of the best parts about the hostel’s location was that it was literally right next door to the Bryon Bay Brewery.  The local beer was fantastic and only made better by sipping it outside on the terrace with great new friends and listening to local musicians.  

Saturday morning I crawled out of bed at 5AM after a mediocre night’s sleep in order to cross one other thing off my bucket list.  Desperately wishing for a coffee (hey, there was no luxury of a Starbucks on every other street corner beckoning in bleary eyed customers), we all made the trek down to the beach and up the hilly coastline to Byron Bay’s lighthouse.  Why put ourselves through this at such an early hour you may ask?  Because this lighthouse sits at the most easterly point of Australia and made for the perfect place to watch the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean.  And let me tell you, it was entirely worth it.  We made it to the lighthouse just as the sun started to rise over the horizon.  It was amazing; I could see the sun getting higher and higher by the minute.  Pictures didn’t do it justice, but here is my best shot:

As you may remember, I have been keeping track of events I experience for the first time while here in Australia.  And while this isn’t uniquely Australian, it is a monumental first nonetheless.  Any guesses?  The title of this blog post is a hint!

So after we returned from the sunrise walk (at around 8 AM mind you), we had three hours to prepare ourselves for what we completely willingly signed ourselves up to do.  After what seemed like a lifetime, we piled into the limo (yes, a limo came to pick us up for this adventure!) with a nervous and excited feeling in the pit of our stomachs.  After a 20 minute drive down the coast with beautiful scenery and the picturesque blue sky to calm our nerves, we arrived at our destination.  After signing our lives away, we watched a video of other people who had successfully accomplished what we were about to do—and I can’t help but to think that there was a reason behind this order of events.  Nevertheless, we suited up!

My roommate Jess and I were the last to go, so we got to see the rest of our friends leave and then come back from this adventure.  Just as our suspense shot through the roof, it was finally our turn.  We followed our instructors to the hanger and got our first glimpse of the tiny airplane that would take us 14,000 feet up in the air. 

At this point you better be able to guess what we were about to do.  Yep, WE WERE SKYDIVING!!

We piled into the smallest plane I have ever been in in my life; between me, Jess, the two instructors, and the pilot, the cabin was completely full.  The 20 minute ascent made for some beautiful views of the ocean and coastline and surprisingly I was not scared at all, just super excited.  Finally we got to our target height of 14,000 feet, the cabin door opened, and the cold wind rushed into the plane.  Jess jumped first and about 30 seconds later my instructor and I made our way to the door.  Hanging out of the plane, being pelted by wind, looking down at the Earth, and realizing how high up I actually was was unreal.  Words cannot even describe what that was like.  I didn’t have time to freak out because before I knew it we flipped out of the plane and started the 60 second free fall.  All I can say is I’m glad I have a video of the experience because that was the fastest minute of my life and it was so hard to comprehend what was actually happening.  Before I knew it, the chute was pulled and we began the seven minute descent to the ground.  Once I finally caught my breath and calmed down a bit, the instructor gave me the ropes to steer us for a few minutes and I just took in the beauty of everything around me.  Again, words cannot describe what that was like, so you are just going to have to try it for yourself!  I would skydive again in a heartbeat, so if anyone wants to know what it is like you know where to find me.

To top off the experience, there was a bottle of champagne waiting for us in the limo for the ride back to our hostel.  WIN.  We somehow found energy that night to check out Byron Bay’s night life, which was quite fun, and spent Sunday on the beach volleyball court and soaking up some sun at the beach.  My advice to you—if your travels ever bring you to Australia, be sure to check out Byron Bay!