Another night the 6 of us went to the local RSL club to participate in their weekly meat draw and pokies (poker machines, which are in almost every bar in Australia). We didn't win but had a delicious dinner and good fun playing around. The second week we returned and won 2 meat trays! SCORE!
Our last day in India was a bit surreal. We were really excited to be heading to Australia but we were also a bit sad because the traveling portion of our trip was nearing its end. That’s right we’re going to be integrating back into society…whether we want to or not! In addition to seeing the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge we got to visit with one of Andrew’s friends, Graham, who he worked with back in Edmonton. It was a short but sweet visit where we all got to catch up on what each other’s years had been like. Andrew also got caught up on some of the gossip he missed over the last year! Christmas arrived faster than 35 centimeters of snow in Canada for us and we were off to spend Christmas Eve with Amy’s Dad and his family out at their rural home. They were really welcoming and they helped us to come to terms with BBQing, swimming and playing badminton outside as Christmas activities. Luckily they had a fireplace for Santa to enter the house, it wasn’t burning but it was ready to receive him! After a really nice time opening gifts and a delicious Christmas morning brunch at Amy’s Dad’s place we zipped off to Sid’s parents’ house for Christmas lunch! We were so used to eating vegetarian food in India that our bodies had to perform super-human feats of digestion to keep up to the barrage of Christmas deliciousness! With our bellies full to our throats we jumped in the car and headed down the coast to Amy's Pop's house where Amy's mom had prepared us a lovely Christmas dinner. We don't know how we did it but we managed to stuff three huge meals plus dessert into our guts. We were both so happy to be spending the holidays with close friends and their families. We got to experience what Christmas is all about in Australia and loved each minute of it! Thank you to all the families who opened their hearts and homes to us, we really appreciated all your lovely gestures! The next 10 days were spent at Amy's Caravan in Ulladulla. It's a caravan park right next to the beach but also has a swimming pool, bouncing pillow, and activities center. Courtney's good friend Amy E (old roommate from second year Uni) and her boyfriend Stefan came down to spend the holidays with us as well. We all had a great time enjoying the beach, going for runs, partying, and making the most delicious BBQs! One day we went on an excursion to Pebbly beach, known for having wild kangaroos stroll with you down the beach. Unfortunately we didn't see any kangaroos but we did enjoy the beautiful beach and ultra friendly birds! After we went and had fish and chips in Batemans Bay! One evening Pop invited us all out to fish, he's a seasoned fisherman and wanted to show us what the South Coast had to offer. Below was the cheering section! The fishing trip was successful with the group catching 3 small fish that Pop and chris ate the next day for lunch! Pop however asked that we never join him again due to all the line snags, loud disturbances, and flash lights turning on and off! Next time he only took the boys! Another night the 6 of us went to the local RSL club to participate in their weekly meat draw and pokies (poker machines, which are in almost every bar in Australia). We didn't win but had a delicious dinner and good fun playing around. The second week we returned and won 2 meat trays! SCORE! On a different day Stefan drove his car down down Monkey road, which ended up being 20km of unpaved bumpiness ending at Pigeon House Mountain. After our stomachs settled we hiked up a nice, well beaten trail then climbed insanely steep ladders where we reached the top for some views of the area. It being overcast allowed us to hike without keeling over with heat exhaustion, however the view wasn't too speculator. Amy and Sid drove to Sydney to spend New Years in the city, while we stayed and enjoyed the night in Ulladulla! In the evening we walked to the town and and watched fireworks from a patio bar. After the 9:00pm show we headed to the local fair where we rode bumper cars, ate pizza, and enjoyed some cotton candy then returned to the bar. It was a great time! The next morning we woke up and were feeling not half bad so we decided to head out to an animal park. We had an amazing time petting and feeding the Australian animals! On another adventure Sid, Andrew, Chris (Amy's Mom), and I walked along 5 different beaches to the lighthouse. The walk was very nice with some great views of pelicans. The last few nights were spent playing with the neighbour's 5 boys! Each night we would have an incredibly fun soccer game usually resulting in the girls (better known as The Bashers) winning!
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