Reef Scuba, Opals, Blisters, & Sydney

Here are some pics from the Great Barrier Reef.
It was all under water, so you really can't see much.
When you look at the water pics - see if you can tell the different blues.
One is water, the other is coral (under water).
Lots of cool HUMONGOUS clams, beautiful fish, rough coral, and fun turtles (those big Finding Nemo ones). I had lots of fun w/ our boat crew and other passengers. We made 6 dives!!!!
Even a night one - the lights made it look like Star Wars under water w/ our light sabers. That is a picture of the boat I stayed on for a 2 day, 1 night trip. It was great - and seeing the stars at night w/ the southern cross, wow. And the sunrise.
When I got back to Cairns (pronounced CANS), I bought a beautiful opal for a ring. It was a gift from God for me. Its my birth stone. (October) I love the fire in it.
I stayed at a hostel in Cairns and doctored my foot. 6 dives and my heel had had it with my fins. It was the 1st time I used my 1st aid kit on the whole trip... 4 months, amazing.
Then I flew back to sydney and got to attend the most BEAUTIFUL symphony I have ever heard. They played Beethovan or something, and it sounded like water flowing over smooth stones. Wow. It was like I was in heaven, listening to God be the Master Conductor of the Universe. Then I got to help Tamara & Nadia celebrate God's provision of a beautiful condo to live in, located in a fun part of sydney. The next morning, I got on a train to the airport... on my way to India... and right before I left, I got an email from my brother saying that he was coming to travel with me! I couldn't believe it! It was an amazing gift from God and from my brother.

Great Barrier Reef - A Bit Like Hollywood

I just got back from an overnight, 6-dive scuba adventure on the Great Barrier Reef... it was really cool.

I'm up in Cairns (pronounced Cans) on the northeast coast of Australia. From Brisbane, in the middle of the east coast, to Cairns, is like driving from Indiana to Colorado - about 22 hours. Australia is huge. I was thankful to fly instead.

Australia, Gold Coast w/ Gunny GIrls!

So here are the Gunny Girls in Australia...
Becky and Tamara - both from Gunnison, Colorado,
all of us in Sydney, Australia at the same time... amazing.
I lived in Gunny for 4 months before I traveled, but had no idea these
girls would be in australia at the same time! We had so much fun together.
Checking out Tamara's grad school, meeting her fun friends 
(love you, Nadia! and Sarah from Sweden),
going SURFING! 
(becky was by far the best... maybe i'll get the video's of us up on the blog)
visiting Hillsong church (not the big main one, but a satallite in Sydney)
and then, after getting back from scuba at the Great Barrier Reef, 
I went to a concert at the Opera House.
It was the most beautiful music I have ever heard... 
I think b/c of the acoustics of the Hall ~ it is gorgeous.

Surfing Results in email to Gunnison, CO

Hi Dear Gunny family,
Just wanted to drop a quick line to say - guess where I am and who I'm hanging/hung out with?
In Sydney, Australia with Tamara Coleman (residence hall person/foundry) and Becky Sears (bio prof/younger/foundry).
It has been the coolest thing!  Surfing stories below . . .

Heading to Sydney!!

Ok, so I quickly put up collages from my last few weeks in the South Island... I am getting ready to fly to SYDNEY, Australia... tomorrow morning, if everything goes as planned! :)

It has been ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL in NEW ZEALAND!
I love it here! obviously, b/c i spent 2x as much time as originally planned... but that's ok.

God is teaching me lots of things - like SLOW DOWN when I need to . . .