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surveys-at-your-service · 7 years

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Survey #56

“no doubt about it, i got a bad, bad girlfriend.”

who was the last male you hung out with? we didn't really "hang out," but i was around bradley, colleen's husband. the last male i really did "hang out" with was my friend girt months ago. who is your favorite person to text? colleen when’s the last time you talked to the person you like? the last time i talked and he responded, via battle.net because we were both online. i asked him how school was going and such, despite in his responses it being obvious he didn't want to talk. last time i "talked" to him without his input in the conversation was when i wrote him a ten-page letter i've yet to mail him. who did you last take a picture with? colleen, chelsea, and mom. do you and your best friend ever fight? yes. we're in a fight now, actually. we're both very opinionated people and also very different, so. is there someone who can make you laugh no matter what? fucking jason. i would be crying and he could still make me laugh. has anyone ever mistaken you for being gay/lesbian/bi? yes. more than once. lmao at the store the other day, colleen ran into her preacher, and i was with her. it was kinda obvious he thought we were a couple. explain why you last threw up? had a baaaad stomach bug. ever kissed your best friend's significant other? definitely not! do you like the person you are becoming? no. more than anything, my happiness should NOT be so dependent on a man who doesn't even care about me. do you have anything embarrassing/sexual in your room? i do not. know anyone who has a pet gecko? my former best friend summer and my acquaintance caleb. do you like eating soup in the winter? i don't like soup period. do you like getting jewelry or do you not wear any? sure! when you were in high school did you ever have bomb threats? once because a kid my sister knew was stupid as fuck. did/do you get school cancellations because of snow? dude, we got cancellations if there was a chance of an inch of snow. who knows ALL of your secrets? jason is the only one, actually. i've literally told him everything. what does your typical outfit look like? yoga/sweatpants, graphic tee. did you have a job before you were in college? no, actually. do you think hunting is wrong? if so, why? for purely sport, kinda. just killing for fun doesn't seem right in the slightest? if you're in a survival situation or if you actually do eat what you kill, sure, hunt. have you ever thought about what it would be like to have a baby right now? not in-depth, no. it'd be... very hard. well first off, it'd be impossible for me to get pregnant, but let's just say i somehow did. i'm pretty sure i wouldn't be a "bad" mom, but an insufficient one. i'm pretty severely mentally ill and very unstable right now, and a child's malleable mind doesn't need to be exposed to that, especially when it's his/her mother. i also do not want to bring a child into this world when (s)he wouldn't have a father figure. fathers are just as important as mothers, imo, and a baby should be raised with both parents. the last thing a child needs is just a sick mother. despite the obvious issues though, holy hell would i do everything for that baby. do you have a sensitive gag reflex? VERY. i can't even put those things in my mouth at the dentist for when you get x-rays without a massive struggle. i usually have the get the kid ones. what was the last situation to upset you? colleen said something very ignorant. have you ever had an online argument? waaaaay more than one. i've been around the internet since what, 2007? i've had plenty. do any of your friends know you fill out surveys? online friends, sure, real life friends, not on tumblr, no. i occasionally/very rarely post a survey in facebook notes, so my friends obviously know, but they haven't seen even a microscopic quarter of the surveys i've done. i'm not entirely... against the idea, but like, i'd only ever maybe admit to colleen i have a survey blog. how do you typically style your hair? does it take long? no, because it's too thick for me personally to style. i would kill to have the emo/scene/whatever you call it hair, but my hair just doesn't work with me. when were you last offered something illegal? never, i think. what are you most confident about? most insecure about? uhhh. i mean, i guess my knowledge about meerkats is what i'm most confident about? most insecure about, my stomach. when are you most likely to say something you don’t mean? if you bring up jason. where’s the best place to get your favorite dish? my favorite dish ever is spicy shrimp fritas, which i get from olive garden. can you play guitar hero? yeah. i used to play almost everything on expert and sometimes get 100%, but now i play mostly on hard and a select few on expert. if you could move somewhere else, would you? yeah, closer to the mountains on the western side of the state. how many months until your birthday? less than one! do you want your tongue pierced? yes, i want the snake eyes tongue piercing. who was the last person to disappoint you? colleen are you emotionally strong? i honestly do not know? like i tell myself i wouldn't be alive otherwise, but simultaneously, i feel that if i was strong, so many things wouldn't bother me. you think ‘I love you’ are strong words? they were enough to ruin my life, so. on grand theft auto, do you just kill people or actually do the missions? i've never played it before, but i think i'd do the missions, since i play games to beat them. have you ever been to australia? no, but i'd kinda like to to meet my friend shay. i'm just scared of all the venomous shit they have, especially the spiders. do you watch adult swim? no. half the shit on there was immaculately immature the last time i saw it, anyway. do you have a favorite pair of underwear? i only have one pair because i never wear underwear unless there's an occasion i need to, and they're pink and black and lacy. what is your dad’s occupation? he's been a mailman for years and actually likes it. have you ever seen a baby snake? no, actually. i mean on television and stuff, sure, but not in real life. do you own any band tees? plenty. big part of my wardrobe. do you think they really landed on the moon, or it was fake? i've seen like all the evidence that it may have been faked, and i believe it's a possibility it was, but in general, i believe that we truly did land on the moon, despite some of the oddities. do you feel embarrassed to listen to music you love out loud around other people? no no no no no!! that's like, probably the only think about me i'm proud of revealing!! does your shower have a glass screen or a curtain? curtain when is the last time you sat around a campfire? years ago in new york. do you have a back-up career choice? what is it? not really, honestly... i mean my dream job is to be a meerkat biologist, but i'm not moving to africa, so that just won't happen. the only thing i want to do is be a photographer. are men more attractive with longer or shorter hair? i mean, it really depends on the man, but in general, i like longer hair. is there a name that you hear and cringe? rachel. what was the last computer game you played? world of warcraft, before my computer decided "hey let's keep restarting." i was about to get the long-forgotten hippogryph too, and i'm still salty about it. what would you say is your guiltiest pleasure? world of warcraft, again, and idk why. like there's nothing to be ashamed of, yet i am. like even when i get my computer fixed, i'm contemplating just not getting back into it to avoid the feeling of embarrassment. do you let your pets on your furniture? yes, because they live here??? can you usually tell when someone has feelings for you? with my history of thinking aaron liked me and believing jason would ask me out, i guess. what is your favorite thing to cook for someone else? the only thing i can really cook are some yummy scrambled eggs, with hot sauce. have you ever bought underwear simply because it made your underwear drawer look nice? no? how do you feel about kettle cooked chips? GROSS would you ever consider visiting texas? if my former best friend mini would talk to me again, sure. i'd love to visit her. who was the last person to turn you on? jason was good at that. what are your views on the death penalty? it is only for the coldest, hardest criminals where there is no doubt they committed the crime. some people just don't change and do deserve to die, imo. is the music you listen to 'weird’? i'm sure some people consider it such. have you ever played an instrument? i played flute all through middle and high schools are fingerless gloves awesome? sure, i have some from high school. do you fit any stereotypes? possibly. after all, the definition of certain stereotypes vary very slightly from person-to-person. i guess i fit both geek and emo in some ways. does your best friend have a driver’s license? yeah. what size drink do you usually get at fast food restaurants? medium. do you have underwear from victoria’s secret? i do not. do you want a relationship? i mean, yeah, i guess. i'm dangerously lonely and after dating jason, i know how good relationships feel. but i don't want to rush anything. are you uncomfortable staring into someone’s eyes who you like? no. i could stare into jason's forever. who was the first person you talked to today? via the internet, ummm i think it was shaylee. in real life, nicole, my little sister. honestly! do you think you’re better than anyone else? not at all. god told us we're equal, that's why. do you have any fish as pets? no. i'd really like a big saltwater tank, though. when was the last time you slept in your parents' bedroom? well, my parents have been divorced for years now, and mom doesn't currently have a room, she sleeps on the couch and i sleep in her old room, so i really don't know. do you like channing tatum? i think he's physically attractive, but that's it. do you have a common first name? very. who/what is one person/thing that had the biggest impact on your life? jason. what is the most pointless movie that you have ever seen? did you like it? "the purge," because the whole basis of the story was just... stupid? like, WHY to begin with would it ever be legally allowed to purge? the whole idea was just stupid. the movie itself was okay in general though. who is the most important person in your life right now? i'm trying to make it me. have you ever had a crush on someone of the same gender as you? nope. who did you last talk to about the person you love? mom, i think. who was the last person you sat next to on a bus? i haven't been on a bus since high school. but i always sat with jason. do you carry photos in your wallet? i'm pretty sure i have a picture on nicole somewhere in there. the last time you had sex, was it in their bed or yours? i've never had sex, but the last time i did something sexual, it was probably his bed. is there someone that you believe you will always be attached to? i don't "think" it, i know it. has anyone ever drunk called/texted you? nope. name two of your favorite colors. maroon, pink. do you want to get married? i do. are you afraid of roller coasters? yes, i am. what colors would you like to have at your wedding? i've actually considered many combinations. think i'll wait for my spouse's opinion 'til i really decide. tell me the truth, what made you start liking the person you like right now? he was so, so unique. strange. different. maddeningly bizarre. and, he cared. he approached me while i was pushing everyone away, and i just couldn't shove him, too. he wanted to know aaaall about me, and he seemed to like everything he heard... he backed me into a corner where i couldn't escape him, yet i wasn't afraid. now i'm damned for it. what was the last reason you cried? i missed jason. last person to tell you i love you? my mama what do you think your ex would say about you? "she's my psycho ex." think of your last kiss….was it cute? i don't remember my last kiss, because i didn't think it'd be the last. i was so blissfully ignorant. i was suspicious that something was wrong with jason, but... i never thought he'd leave. i mean don't get me wrong, every kiss we had was precious, but it was at the same time just another kiss. have you ever played golf? i've played putt-putt, but not golf. what was the last tv show you watched an episode of? probably something at colleen's, idk. do you like beer? if so, what's your favorite brand? never tried it, but i know it stinks to high heaven. how often do you update your facebook status? i never update my status unless something quite big happens. i only ever share funny pictures/posts or stuff i heavily relate to/agree with. do you feel bad when you throw food out? it's not something i think about all the time, but i do, because i know some people have much less than i. when was the last time you waxed anything on your body, if ever? months ago when i had my eyebrows done. i want to go more regularly, it's just a money thing. what is your favorite video game? "silent hill 2" would you ever consider getting plastic surgery? what would you have done? i don't think so. do you like shrimp? eh, usually. have you ever been in a car accident? i have. who is your favorite superhero? batman. what is your favorite fruit flavored soda [grape, strawberry, orange, etc]? strawberry have you ever slept in the same bed with the last person you kissed? pleeeenty of times. would you ever be a stripper? hell no. your ex is walking next to you, with their new partner, what do you do? fucking kill her. do you have a hard time letting go? i probably have a harder time letting go than anybody on the planet. is the last person you kissed a virgin? nope. he's had sex with rachel, and i'm sure he's fucked ashley by now. can't wait 'til he breaks her heart, too. have you ever cried uncontrollably on a boy’s shoulder before? more than once. how many times have you changed a diaper in your life? literally only once what do you think makes you a good girlfriend or boyfriend? i'm passionate and loyal as fuck. did you ever go to a mental hospital? four or five times, the numbers are honestly starting to blur. does your mom/dad smoke? dad does. how old are you? i'll be 21 in a few weeks. did an old person ever hit on you? yes, and it was fucking terrifying. do you believe that weed should be legalized? no, honestly. do you like apple jacks? yes! Are you afraid of the dark? nah. would you say your taste in music is in a very broad spectrum? no, honestly. i'm very limited in the type of music i enjoy. are you a moaner, a screamer, or totally silent? ... i'm going to pretend the fact this is on a survey doesn't bother me and just answer it. i tend to moan and gasp a lot. i've wanted to scream before, but haven't. what’s your middle name? marie have you ever written or received a suicide note? no, but more than once have i almost written one. ever kissed anyone with a nipple piercing? no. have you ever kissed someone who had a boyfriend/girlfriend? no, and i wouldn't unless it was jason and he was the one trying to kiss me. ever made out in a pool? no, but we might as well have that one time. do you have a pool? no, we had to sell ours for the money. are you an emotional person? too emotional anybody ever tell you that “you could do so much better” about a person? literally everyone tells me that?? how many full biological siblings do you have? full-blooded? just two. what is something you currently need to buy?  new tank tops for bed, badly. the last person you kissed asks you to marry him/her. how do you react? HA. no. apologize to me, number one, and fucking prove to me you won't leave again. do you wear hair extensions?  no, because i don't need them. how old were you when you started puberty? i have no memory of when i started. if you could have any magical power, what would you have? shape-shifting, i think. do you believe in love at first site? absolutely not. let’s say your dad came in your room one day and told you that you had to get married in the next week but you can pick the person but you have to stay with them for the rest of your life no getting out of it, who would you pick? "no getting out of it" my ass, i'd get out of it. he can disown my ass, whatever, i don't care. i take marriage way more seriously than that. if you could be the lead role in any movie, what would it be? honestly, i'd want to play a person driven crazy by events in her life. because same fam. when eating something are you more concerned with taste or nutrition? taste, honestly. what gender do you identify with? female, because i have a vagina. yes, i'm conservative about this matter. fight me m8. are you more of a science or math person? science, easily. what are your opinions on abortion? i'm viciously pro-life. if you identify as a girl, would you ever consider getting a pixie cut? no. please do not misunderstand this: i have no problem with bigger people, but generally, i find pixie cuts to look bad on bigger women like me. are you a metalhead? hell to the fuck yeah. do you even listen to metal? it's like... all i listen to. do you know anybody who is a wiccan or pagan? i'm pretty sure i know two or three wiccans do you watch supernatural? i don't anymore, 'cuz it's a ptsd trigger. it was the first show jason and i binge-watched together. stopped at the sixth season, i think. it's a really good show and i love it, i just tried to watch it one day, and i can't without him. what’s your favorite character in your favorite tv show? i'd say my overall favorite show is "fullmetal alchemist," so hmmm... shit man, i'm having a difficult time remembering all the characters. i feel like i really liked one of the seven deadly sins, i think it was greed? no... maybe envy? envy! the one i misgendered, lmao. i really like them. are you diabetic? i am not, but it runs in the family, so... where is the majority of your family from? mom's side, new york, dad's side, michigan. last person you slept in the same bed with? chelsea hate someone, who? i try so hard not to, but i'm pretty sure the feelings i have towards jason's current girlfriend is hatred. when was your first kiss? hmmmm. maybe like, may-ish four years ago? do you carry a purse? yeah. would you ever name a kid damien? it's a decent name, but no. bats are not spooky or are they? no no no, they're so precious!! especially flying foxes!! do you like listening to new music, or just sticking to your favorites? both. depends on the mood. are you one of those people who can eat anything and not gain a pound? fuck no. i'm the person who looks at cake and gains 10 pounds. do you like hot dogs? i do, i just don't think of how they're made. do you watch american horror story? again, i used to, but don't anymore due to it being a ptsd trigger. we watched the first season and most of the second together. do you have sensitive teeth? no would you date someone you had a 16 year age gap with? NO what is your sexuality? heterosexual, some asexual traits do you think suits are sexy? kill me yes fucking christ do you think earrings are attractive or unattractive on guys? ehhhh, i'm kinda neutral with guys and earrings. would you ever have a threesome with your friend and their bf/gf? fuck no. so sorry to offend, but you don't fucking love your significant other if you're comfortable fucking someone else with them. i'd lecture the heavens out of my friend if they suggested that. have you ever kissed just a friend? on the cheek, yes. what was the last graduation you attended? my little sister's have you ever pole danced before? nope. have you ever broken into someone’s house? wtf, no. would you ever kiss your best friend’s boyfriend/girlfriend? no, because i have respect for their relationship and i don't "like" her husband like that. have you ever seen a live bat? hmmm, i may have at the zoo, but otherwise, i'm not sure!

#survey #quiz #questions #asks #answered

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kazlifeadventures · 5 years

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N.O.L.A... ♥️

New Orleans 23 - 28 Sep

Oh wow...the food, the people, the things to see and do!

It’s incredible. The history here is amazing. The architecture of some of the old creole homes, the weather (how hot ? Not too hot, 90s and up every day with humidity) Yep I have finally given up trying to convert it back to Celsius, there’s a formula, but it involves maths and fractions so, yeah, mid nineties is how its gonna go.

After a late arrival due to flight delays, we got serenaded by the head flight attendant when we finally landed in New Orleans..... those videos that you see are obviously real ( I often thought they were just clever advertising). Had us all in stitches and a great end to a very long day we ended up 3 hrs late and had sat on the tarmac in San Antonio for nearly 2 hrs....

I was starving by the time I got to my hotel, and was pointed in the direction of a nearby 24hr place and recommended to have one of the local specialities - a ‘Po’ boy” pretty much a sub with the addition of your choice of either deep fried shrimp, crawfish, alligator, meats, you name it. It was tasty and whatever the sauce was that came with it added another dimension

New Orleans, or NOLA as its often referred, was founded in 1718. The city lies along the mighty Mississippi River, with the area also surrounded by vast lakes and swamp/bayou systems. Hurricane Katrina devastated large sections of the city in August 2005 when some of the man made levies broke, flooding large parts of downtown, the city still bears the scars today. NOLA is renowned for its music culture (oh the Jazz and blues!) Creole and Cajun cuisine, and its festivals. It has been described as the most unique city in America, a description that totally fits, and can only be understood by those who have visited this place.

My first day I decided to wander around and ended up jumping on a St Charles streetcar. The St Charles line is the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world and has been operating since 1835. I ran into an expat Aussie (who now lives in NZ) on the streetcar and wound up doing a mini walking tour with her. Lucky for me she had guidebook detailing the history of the houses we were looking at. The Gardens area is fantastic and houses some amazing architecture. FYI you can get a “jazzy pass” for the public transport here - $3 gives you 24hrs of transport anywhere in the city.

It’s been great meeting other tourists and locals as I am compiling a list of food places I need to try to visit. Not sure my waistline is going to appreciate it though!

Day 2 saw me head out for a meal at a local cafe, (catfish, smothered potatoes, eggs, and biscuits) another walk down Bourbon street, a wander around the French quarter, a tarot reading in one of the crystal stores there, beignets from the famous cafe du monde.. more walking... then a jazz and dinner cruise on the Creole Queen paddle steamer along the Mississippi River. As I boarded and was set at my table for one, a lovely lady came over to ask if I’d like to join their group. These 3 ladies had been in town for a massive administration professionals conference and it turned out to be an even more fantastic night, as its always better when your have company! The jazz trio were fabulous and the trip along the river gave stunning views of the city skyline.

The next day I was up for a late breakfast in readiness for my trip out to the swamp and bayous. This tour was fantastic. Somehow I ended up at the stern of the boat next to the captain (unfortunately he was married!) anyway it turns out, the lady the other side was another person who had been in town for the conference. Great fun to meet a new friend, and share some of our pics with each other. A swamp is classified as an area that has water running (to some degree) through vegetation. Capt Stefan explained how the ecology of the area operated and the impacts that introduced species of flora and fauna have had, as well as how they are combated today. This company is big on ecological tourism and only feeds the alligators, racoons, pigs etc special vegetable based pellets. They also ensure that the alligators have a healthy respect and fear of humans to make sure that they are not reliant on them for food. We saw many smaller alligators, huge fish, birds, a feral pig, and a gorgeous raccoon family. I had no idea that raccoons hands were so sensitive. Apparently they hunt for mussels and oysters in the mud of the swamps with their hands, sensing their location. Apparently that is where the term “cooning for mussels" comes from, the locals get on their hands and knees in the swamp mud feeling for them like the raccoons. I also didn’t know that the oysters here grew that way .... see there is always something new to learn! The raccoons were so cute climbing up the tree trunk to get to the pellets...It was a great trip and a heap of fun. I then headed out to another recommended spot to try the local oysters. Yep, those who know me I’m not a fan of this one seafood item.... but hey when in Rome, or in this case, New Orleans, you have to try them and the staff were great helping choose a version that was grilled with a garlic parmesan butter (ummm yum?). I had a lovely turtle soup, which was surprisingly meaty . Not sure what I was expecting, but gosh it was tasty! Then I grabbed a blackened alligator, nice flavours! Don't panic they were all appetizer sizes! Was stuffed after them though....

As I don't plan ahead alot, I then made a snap decision to try my luck at a show at preservation hall. The current preservation hall runs 45 min jazz shows every hour 5 or 6 times a day. They are designed to preserve the old jazz hall culture and raise money to continue the preservation. A small, intimate venue with same fabulous music, a must see in New Orleans, and worth the queue time to get in!

Plantation tour day was next, and wow. I'd chosen to spend the day visiting 2 of the main plantations. It was an educational and incredibly sobering experience. Whitney plantation was our first stop. This plantation has been set up as a memorial to the slaves and details life as it was during both periods of slavery. An emotional and haunting series of memorials intertwined with details of the processes used for slavery, how they lived, how they died. It included examples and documented memories of the slaves. On such a hot day it was incredibly emotional to think of what these people endured, while processing the 'white gold' for their masters. Even sadder to think that slavery is still perpetuated in parts of the world today (just in other guises like economic slavery). Researching the full details and timelines of what happened here is something well worth the time!

After Whitney we headed to the beautiful Oak Alley plantation. This one was picturesque with its 250 yr old oak trees lining the path to the main house. The slaves here had slightly better living conditions as their owner apparently paid them. Even money won't help if your freedom is not there. This plantation gives a respectful balanced approach to the details of the time, and the story told by our guide as we moved through the great house intertwined the impact of events on the plantation owners as well as their slaves. The area is also very set up for tourists and they make an awesome mint julep! I met two beautiful Californian ladies on this day trip (believe it or not they had been in town for the professionals conference 😂😂). We ended up out for dinner that night ticking off a place we all had on our must do list. I love this part of travelling, meeting new people and finding that connection. It was right at a time that I needed it...my heart is full!

New Orleans you have been amazing. I have met so many people here, learnt so much, eaten way too much, listened to some fantastic music and pretty much had an incredible time.

More photos to come!

I'm off on a train today (28th) to Memphis, the home of rock n roll and blues....

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chloeandgregoztravels · 7 years

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I spy something beginning with P

One of our favourite things to do on our travels is look for wild animals, journeying through the Atherton Tablelands we had heard of a good place to spot wild platypus and we were eager to try our luck. After a night in our car at the hostel ‘On the Wallaby’ we listened to some good tips from the girl at reception and got up at sunrise to spot the elusive platypus. Treading quietly, we passed the viewing platform and followed a little path down the river, patiently waiting for any sign of movement or bubbles. A mere 10 minutes passed and we both saw it, the tiny creature swimming on the surface before elegantly duck diving to get food with his bill. We watched him for a good 20 minutes before he left, presumably going back into his den, we were both very excited by our luck as another couple came and didn’t manage to get a photo of these mysterious critters.

Curtain Fig Tree

Still buzzing with excitement we began to explore the Atherton Tablelands, taking a brief stop at Lake Eacham where a group of people had braved the icy waters for a swim, deciding to stay dry we headed to a giant tree called the Curtain Fig Tree so named after the strangling fig that suffocated a tree causing it to fall onto another. The host tree died and rotted away but the fig stayed alive, creating a curtain of roots dangling against the new host tree that will one day suffer a similar fate. It was absolutely huge and quite magical with the sunlight sparkling through the gaps in the curtain, you can imagine how alive this part of the forest must become when night falls.

Down the road was an ominous sounding place called ‘The Crater’, I had images of a vast empty bowl stretching for hundreds of metres like a meteorite strike but in reality it is an old eroded volcanic pipe so it is more of a vertical drop about 120 metres down, 70m of which is water. A family were there when we arrived and the children were dropping stones over the edge, the echo emanated an impressive thundering rumble for the size of these stones. With time being of the essence we swiftly made our way to our next stop Malanda Falls, which wasn’t what I expected either, the small cascading waterfall is landscaped into a public swimming pool and was Queensland heritage listed as it had been around as a tourist attraction for generations.

Malanda Falls

There are a couple of tracks where it is possible to see the threatened species of tree kangaroo, but I had heard that you could see them at the Nerada farm so we tried our luck there instead.

Wild Tree Kangaroo

The Nerada tea farm is the biggest distributor of tea in Australia, after having a look around and enjoying some delicious cake we went to search for their resident tree kangaroos, the kind lady informed us that a mother with her baby were around and sometimes the dad. We were super lucky and spotted all three, the young one was so funny and such an explorer although it almost fell at one point as a a gust of wind took it by surprise! I could have watched them all afternoon as they were so sweet but the clock still ticked and we journeyed on.

Milla Milla Falls

Breaking away from the coast the Atherton Tablelands are known for their waterfalls, Milla Milla Falls is famously known as the set for a Herbal Essences advert and although we took lots of photos I didn’t jump in for the cliché hair flick because at the time I thought it was Josephine Falls! Oh well, I still loved the waterfall and even managed to venture over the slippy rocks to get behind it which was fun.

We finished our action packed day at ‘Paronella Park’ an incredible feat of human determination even at the disbelief of the locals. Your ticket to the park allows you on all the tours as well as a free nights camp, free printable photo, fish/terrapin food and a 2 year park pass should you ever come back. The history is long but I will try to give a brief summary of the important parts.

José Paronella came to Australia from Spain in 1913 to make a living but ended up very rich so he went home and married his wife Margarita, honeymooning back in Australia, they found and bought a huge plot of land with a waterfall too. He originated as just a simple baker but had dreams of creating and building this huge park fuelled by hydro electric power, he became known as the local crazy guy for his dreams. Not for long though as in 1935 the park was officially opened bringing all they promised and more, a theatre, ballroom, museum, tea gardens, swimming pool, tennis courts, kids playground and heaps of gardens, a Disneyland for the time. He had electricity before anybody else in North Queensland so of course it was an incredible tourist and local attraction that lit up the area for miles. The park has endured so many natural disasters, mostly floods and cyclones, that its incredible how much of it still stands today. After 1942 when José died the park changed hands multiple times over the years and the efforts needed to keep the park alive died out so it became a ruin. The current owners of the park Mark and Judy Evans bought the park in 1993 and through their tireless efforts along with the help of Josés’ daughter Teresa they managed to put the park back on the map and retell some of its incredible stories.

Refreshment Rooms at Night

We arrived just in time for the night tour which was honestly magical, I didn’t know what to expect, before coming I had just heard that it was an abandoned castle taken back by nature. The guide passionately described the history of the park to us as she gave us the grand tour, I was in awe of everything and couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of this place before. The finale of the tour culminated in a beautiful light display of the main ‘Refreshment Rooms’, before we met the current owner Mark who was great and very enthusiastic, I thought it was so touching that he makes the effort to come in everyday to tell people how much he believes in the park and how much he wants to bring it back to life.

Waterfall

After the tours finished Greg and I went back into the park in the dark for our own adventure, we tried to take some night photos of the castle but had a few problems without a tripod. Truth be told it was exceptionally eerie when alone in the dark so we didn’t stay long. Instead we awoke before sunrise to get some more shots without any tourists in our photos before joining the morning tour and making the most of our ticket.

Refreshment Rooms

Josephine Falls

Our last stop before Cairns was Josephine Falls (the waterfall I mistook for the herbal essences advert) it was so beautiful but the boardwalk and gate prevents you from going up too far. They continue down and cascade over rocks that can be used as a slide but we lost track of the time while chatting with another tourist so we had to skip a dip and get to Cairns.

Originally, our plans were to continue travelling around but the pressure of selling our car started to impact our mood and I didn’t feel like I could fully appreciate my surroundings as I couldn’t stop worrying. In the end, we spent an extra few days sorting the car and sold it before our 3 day trip to explore the Great Barrier Reef!

When boarding the Prodive boat butterflies filled my tummy as I was so excited to go scuba diving again, it was going to be an intensely busy few days. The boat was a lot bigger than our Whitsundays trimaran and it felt like luxury after living out of our car and hostels! During the journey to the reef we had the usual safety briefings about being on a boat as well as safety in the water and a guideline of our itinerary for the 3 days. We were surprised to hear that most of the dives would be self-guided, I was pretty nervous as we have always been with a local dive master, but all my fears were put at ease after our first dive.

View of the reef from the boat

Jumping in the water, geared up and raring to go we descended into Milln reef, with Greg navigating we were on our own to explore one of the seven natural wonders of the world. I had heard from a few people that it wasn’t what they expected and it was disappointing but we definitely weren’t, on our first dive alone we were greeted by a 2m Grey Reef shark! After being informed that all we would see (shark wise) was little white tip reef sharks we were surprised to say the least! We were often surrounded by many other colourful fish such as parrotfish, bicolour angelfish, butterflyfish and little humbugs, it was like being in paradise I was loving every moment. We were also lucky enough to see a couple hawksbill turtles!

Ready for a dive!

Although we had a few communication problems to begin with, a lot of shrugging was involved, the experience of being solo divers gave us a lot more confidence and I couldn’t wait to dive back in. With 11 dives total I needn’t give the low down on every dive but I’ll tell you some of the highlights of the trip.

The night dives were interesting because although it’s harder to see fish their behaviour is so different, these red bass would follow us like puppies and use our torchlight to hunt, darting towards the shimmers of fish in your spotlight. There are lots of crabs and shrimp out at night and the coral glistens with their eyes, Greg managed to spot a huge one hiding in coral, but my favourite sighting was definitely a moray eel.

On one of our early morning dives we saw a big grouper having his mouth cleaned by a little fish which really made us chuckle as we had just cleaned our teeth as well. The best morning dive was on the last day when we saw a school of 15 bumphead parrotfish all sleeping together it was so strange to see them all just floating like that.

Of course everyone loves seeing turtles, so when we took photos with one I was surprised at how wrong my depth perception was, I felt sure I was in touching distance of it but in the photos I’m so far away!

Along with seeing a fair few sharks I was happy to spot puffers (my favourite) and some other cool fish like sweet lips, a little yellow juvenile box fish, trumpetfish and cornetfish. I was happy to see the coral was not bleached like I thought it could be. It was good to carry on building my knowledge of fish, I always enjoy learning more about what I can see and they even had fish ID cards I could take with me! We met some great people on board, ate delicious food and we were even treated to some whales jumping out of the water and waving us goodbye as we left, one of my favourite adventures along the East Coast. I can’t wait to edit the footage into a video to show you all!

Our last adventure for the East Coast was with a wonderful American couple Wendi and Will who we met on our scuba trip. We hired a car and drove up to the Daintree rainforest and Cape Tribulation north of Cairns, something we thought we would have to miss out on after selling our car.

Balancing Rocks

First stop was a cute little beach that had been overrun with towers of balancing rocks, some were unbelievably precarious and others just astounding in height. I couldn’t believe how many stacks there were, after a photo shoot we drove onwards to Rex Lookout, where we showed Will and Wendi the drone in action.

Unfortunately in all the excitement and chatter we left Wills camera behind once we got back we luckily spotted a note from a kind hearted tourist who had picked it up and Will collected it that evening.

We rushed to the Daintree river where we had a cruise booked with Bruce Belcher to finally spot some wild crocodiles, I couldn’t wait! Bruce himself hosted our tour, he gave a friendly and informative talk and his dog came along for the ride too, it wasn’t long before we spotted our first wild croc! It is scary how well camouflaged they can be, Bruce taught us about ways of spotting them in the water and how to spot the mudslides they make when sliding into the river.

One of the croc’s

Papuan Frogmouths

While we pottered along the waterways, Bruce received some intel on the radio of 2 very camouflaged rare birds just down the river and we rushed down to hunt for them. We were told to look out for them about half way up the tree, having no clue what else to really look for, Greg spots them! Papuan frogmouths, they looked like stumps of a tree from a first glance and it wasn’t until one moved that you could see, and even then they looked almost lizard like, so cool! Throughout the trip we spotted 4 crocs, all female and between 2-3m long! Afterwards, we grabbed some lunch up the road and had our first taste of crocodile meat near this giant sculpture of a cod, the meat wasn’t as weird as I was expecting.

We continued north to Myall Beach in Cape Tribulation, there was a little boardwalk through the rainforest that led to the beach which was very beautiful and we chatted about how all the flora and fauna appears so aggressive and wants to kill you! The beach made for stunning photos as the dramatic rainforest crawls onto the white sand that’s spotted with bubbler crabs.

The lovely Will and Wendi

Cooling off with some delicious, local, homemade ice cream we stopped at a couple more lookouts on our way back to Cairns. We were so happy to have spent our last fun filled day on the east coast with new friends, especially as we thought we weren’t going to be able too.

The East Coast was truly unforgettable, I feel so lucky to have been able to experience it in our car meeting some wonderful people along the way, our travels weren’t over yet as we boarded the plane to Perth I thought of what lay in store over the next couple of weeks!

Thanks again for reading all!

Animal Encounters One of our favourite things to do on our travels is look for wild animals, journeying through the Atherton Tablelands we had heard of a good place to spot wild platypus and we were eager to try our luck.

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