The trip to Royal National Park was awesome! I borrowed my roommate's backpack and loaded it up with my raincoat, snacks, camera, towel, etc., put on my swimsuit, had a nice breakfast, and then headed to catch the bus. A group of boys from California (mentioned in earlier posts) has kind of adopted me, and me them, and we're all in Outdoor Ed together. So we sat together on the bus. I used Noah's phone to call Mom because mine was out of credit and I wanted to tell her that I was sick. I brought some sultanas to snack on, rah rah, then an hour bus ride later we were there.First stop was the potties and gift shop. I bought Anzac biscuits and was annoyed that they didn't have any Royal National Park specific post cards. The Anzac biscuits were amazing. Next we headed up to a car park, split into two groups, and headed off down a trail. My group went on a trail along the seaside cliffs. The weather was gorgeous and the sun perfectly highlighted the massive 
waves crashing into the rocks below us. We hiked through some bush and made our way down to a stream that we followed up a ways until we came to a beautiful pool at the foot of a waterfall. I hate cold water, but I wore my swimsuit so I could go swimming in places like this and after much time spent talking myself into it, I eased into the water. Yea, it was freezing. Two other guys got in and started swimming around like it was 90 out and this was some sort of refreshing dip. So by default, I entertained the group by scooching around the pool squealing and looking like a moron. In order to get to the waterfall, you have to pass through deeper water. I didn't want to get my top wet because then it would get my t-shirt wet for the rest of the hike, so I devised a plan. I asked one of the boys to carry me over on his shoulders; brilliant, no? So this super pale Canadian guy put me on his shoulders and started over towards the falls. As we got closer, the water went over his head and I thought he was going to drown so I started causing a scene which made me look like an even bigger moron. But soon enough he made it over to the otherside and I quickly got my picture with the waterfall before getting him to carrying me back.
waves crashing into the rocks below us. We hiked through some bush and made our way down to a stream that we followed up a ways until we came to a beautiful pool at the foot of a waterfall. I hate cold water, but I wore my swimsuit so I could go swimming in places like this and after much time spent talking myself into it, I eased into the water. Yea, it was freezing. Two other guys got in and started swimming around like it was 90 out and this was some sort of refreshing dip. So by default, I entertained the group by scooching around the pool squealing and looking like a moron. In order to get to the waterfall, you have to pass through deeper water. I didn't want to get my top wet because then it would get my t-shirt wet for the rest of the hike, so I devised a plan. I asked one of the boys to carry me over on his shoulders; brilliant, no? So this super pale Canadian guy put me on his shoulders and started over towards the falls. As we got closer, the water went over his head and I thought he was going to drown so I started causing a scene which made me look like an even bigger moron. But soon enough he made it over to the otherside and I quickly got my picture with the waterfall before getting him to carrying me back.After getting out of the water and toweling off for no more than 5 seconds, the lady guide said it was time to go to our next spot. She advised me to just leave my clothes off since I could swim at the next place too. So I put my shoes back and back pack on and kinda just tried to hold my towel. Yea, I felt real silly so I put my t-shirt back on too (good thing I didn't get my top wet). But I still didn't have any pants on so of course my friends took pictures of me and made fun of me because I was the pantsless bushwalker. Cool.
The next spot we stopped at was a cove that the stream had cut through the cliffs to swim and have lunch. The whole scene was once again breathtaking. I feel like I'm wasting my time and would be doing the place and you an injustice if I tried to describe it to you. At one point, I waded out to a rock and sat up on it just trying to take in the beauty of it all while the surf washed up over my legs. It was so amazing. After sufficiently goofing off, I headed back towards the main part of land to eat my PB&J. At the same time the lady guide said it was time to move on. So I took my PB&J to go and ate it during forced mediation time on some cliffs over the ocean. Then we went and chilled on a lovely beach with a picture perfect sailboat anchored right in the middle of a little harbor. Heaven.
Then we boarded the bus and headed back to Sydney. I worked out with Amber after the trip because I saw some pictures of myself taken in a swim suit and didn't like what I was seeing in the stomach department. And then I started feeling tired and sickly so I popped some meds and went to sleep.Sunday I was still feeling quite blah but Amber forced me out of bed around 11 and took me to Manly Beach, which is the most popular northern beach. It was lovely and the weather was once again perfect, but I basically just crashed and slept in the sand all afternoon. When we came back from the beach I met up with my group for the Outdoors presentation and we got a little bit done before I suggested I make dinner. Our topic is wilderness first aid and part of that is taking steps to prevent communicable diseases apparently. Anyway, Brett wouldn't let me in the kitchen, because according to his research "sick people are not allowed in the kitchen." Ok, who am I to fight that? So Brett made dinner while I goofed off on the computer. Then I invited Noah over so I could exchange some pasta for his Nyquil. They don't sell Nyquil over here, which is messed up, so I'm very lucky that he had some and was willing to give it to me. I took some Nyquil and the three of us goofed off until I fell asleep on the couch.
Today is Monday. That means all I do is homework to try and catch up with everything because I only have one class today. So that's what I did all day: loads and heaps and piles of homework. At least I managed to find a great place to study on campus finally: the law library. Its a bit hard to find because its underground, but the complex is brand new and aspects of it remind me of my favorite places to study in the LBC. Home sweet study lounge. Ok, misadventure time. I went for a bathroom break while exploring the law building and stuck my ipod on the toilet paper holder in the stall. Well, when I stood up I jerked the chord which catapulted my ipod into the air, it separated from the headset and clunked down INTO THE TOILET. EWWWW. Without thinking I shot my hand down into the bowl fast as lightening and fished it out. I was relieved to see that it seemed to still be working but then I FREAKED OUT because I was holding a potty water soaked ipod. I sounded the alarm and ran out of the stall with my pants undone headed toward the sink. I think there were other people in there, but I really have no idea because all I could think about was getting to the sink and somehow rectify the situation. Yea, totally embarrassing (yet absolutely hilarious). I don't know if it still works... I won't touch it yet.
The rest of my day has been pretty standard: more studying, dinner, gym, bother the boys, get ice cream, attempt to do more homework and fail miserably, and soon my Nyquil should be sending me off to sweet dreams.
hahahah this remeinds of the time in st. thomas when you were walking around in just swim suit bottoms and a tshirt and were yelled at by the police (: love you!
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