Whitehaven Beach

Australian beaches are kind of awesome. I mean, it IS Australia after all.

Whitehaven Beach was no exception. 

The sand was out of this word. Not only was it pristinely white, it was also very soft and squeaky! The silica content makes it this way, and I had never encountered anything like it.

Located on Whitsunday Island, the beach was about a 45 minute boat ride away from Hamilton Island. Best part of the boat ride: seeing Humpback Whales!

Once there, we had time to lay out, take naps, and perfect jumping pictures.

This is definitely a place I need to come back to.

A respite from winter's cold

Let me just say it. 

Not having summer for a year really blows. My timing with this move was impeccable! 

Therefore, it was high time for a quick holiday to a warm destination.

Enter: Hamilton Island, located in Queensland in what is called the Whitsunday Islands.

I'd been wanting to go there since Will started teasing me with pictures of it two years ago. To me, it looked like absolute paradise. 

I wanted to cry with happiness when we got off the plane and stepped into WARMTH and HUMIDITY. My god, I never thought I'd be so happy to encounter humidity again!

Ok, so, picture the mountain resort from Dirty Dancing. Now transplant it to an island instead. That's pretty much the best way I can describe Hamilton Island. It's a resort island with one main street where the shops and eateries are, and the rest is accommodation. Fun fact: Julia Roberts has a house there! And Pit Bull. Random.

There are also no cars, aside from service and official island vehicles. Everyone gets around by foot or by golf cart. Bonus: the golf carts had the steering wheel on the left side! 

Except for a couple super swanky, exclusive places, everyone on the island has access to all the hotels and their pools and restaurants. So basically it's a relaxing [not so] free for all. We stayed in very nice-sized apartment right across from the beach, which was my main objective in seeking a place to stay.

It was such a magical, relaxing weekend, and we did quite a few fun things. More posts to come!

In my new life, I go to things like the Sheep and Wool Show

Sheep are big business in Australia. 

They're cute, they bah, and they're yummy. 

They're such big business, in fact, that there are whole shows dedicated to them! Imagine a rodeo, minus the actual rodeo part. But there is indeed a shearing competition!

My favorite part was the huge building filled with row after row of show sheep. Not dirty, out in the paddock sheep. Show sheep. Perfectly coiffed, regal, GIANT. And all available for patting! 

Baah ram ewe.

Throwing a party in another country

...is just like throwing one in the US. 

Except this one was with 30+ people in an apartment overlooking Melbourne. And it was the first party I've thrown in my own place of residence since uni [please excuse me as I use words to sound like the people I interact with every day]!

The occasion was a SURPRISE birthday shindig for our wonderful housemate, Veri, complete with hiding, jumping out of the dark, and toilet paper streamers. 

Saying it was a fun night would be an understatement. Any party that has margaritas, guacamole, AND Tim Tam cake balls is bound to be a good time.

Next party: 4th of July hut party. Words cannot express my excitement. 

The bay that I misjudged

So a friend informed me that the bay Melbourne is on is actually really huge and pretty, but I just happened to go to a dodgy bit of it on my first try. 

I hereby take back what I said about the bay!

Will and I took a nice drive south of the city to what is called the Mornington Peninsula, which has lots of cute beach towns and very pretty beaches. The weather has been nice [though now it's spitting rain], so it was the perfect day for beach strolls and fish & chips!

That's the city wayyy back there.

Why Indian weddings are the best- Round 2

It wouldn't be normal if I didn't have at least one more wedding before I left, and being a bridesmaid in this Haritha & Karthik's was a great way to end my tenure as the girl who goes to the most weddings.

 I'm a bit disappointed that this is my last Indian wedding because they're so much fun [though reallyyy long].

Goal for Australia: Make Indian friends and make sure to get invited to their weddings.