Hello! Spring Break 2025 is officially in the books. It was a very special week with fun-filled adventures and my boyfriend, Danny, making the trek all the way out!

Spring Break in Cairns

Recalling back now, it feels like I was in Cairns a lifetime ago. From Sydney, it was approximately a three-hour flight, which, after doing the six-hour to fifteen-hour flight from New Jersey to Sydney, felt like a piece of cake. Getting off the plane Saturday afternoon, it felt like I was transported somewhere far from the Australia I had come to know—I miss Sydney very much. Cairns is very humid. I will admit I had to lug my body-bag of a suitcase through the airport, which probably didn’t help, but when we reached our hotel, just walking to the bathroom to change into swimsuits, we were all covered in sweat. And let me just say that the hotel had the warmest pool I’ve ever been in, and nobody was happy about it, but as always, we made the best of the situation even if we didn’t get to properly cool off. When it was finally check-in time, Ariana, Sienna, and I were in a panic that our room’s electricity was broken as no AC was coming through, and none of the lights would switch on. Turns out that you had to put your hotel room key into a slot to activate the AC and the lights—the more you know! Saturday night, we attended the Welcome Dinner across the street, where I had smoked chicken alfredo pasta, and it was yummy!

Sunday

Sunday was the big day: Great Barrier Reef, and my boyfriend Danny’s arrival day. Snorkeling was great, but definitely a long day! Ariana and I even started our day earlier at 6:30 by walking to the nearest coffee spot to pick up coffees and pastries for the group while they continued to sleep. The boat was really nice, and we had smooth sailing all day. The snorkeling was intense. We had to wear these full wetsuits that covered our feet, hands, and even had a hood with a neon yellow stripe. They were intended to not only provide protection from the sun—yes, please—but also to help prevent stings, and as someone who got stung by a mere bluebottle jellyfish, I was not going to take my chances. The water was quite warm, and unfortunately, I could clearly see the coral bleaching effects on the reef. There were still plenty of fish and colorful coral, but there were large pockets of dead coral. Nonetheless, the exploration was amazing, and I loved being an observer of the underwater world. It was so cool to be able to watch the movement patterns of fish and the way every animal moved through the water. There was one fish in particular that I watched for probably two minutes just picking up rocks, one after another, and I was trying to figure out the purpose but came up with no conclusions. I was very hyper-aware of the reality of sharks, especially as my PopPop brought it to my attention and asked me not to go in the water before I left—sorry, PopPop! At the first dive spot, everything was clear, and at the second location, Ariana, Sienna, and I focused on eating lunch and enjoying the boat, but at the third location, there was a shark sighting. Stella had told me a reef shark went underfoot, but when Jonah said he had seen a shark about the size of him, Sienna and I took that as our sign to call it a day. The boat ride back, I took a great nap outside, which helped pass the time before I got to see Danny!

When I finally got off the boat, I was walking as fast as I could to the restaurant he was at when all of a sudden, he was standing on the side dock. He was understandably tired from his travels, and I was also tired from the long day in the sun, so we DoorDashed Indian food for dinner. Sadly, the Indian food did not compare to my favorite place back in Sydney, but nonetheless, it still hit the spot, and Danny tried his first TimTam for dessert!

Monday

I gave no rest to the weary as Danny and I had our own Waterfall Tablelands tour that started at 7:30, but it was totally worth it. The ten-hour tour was easily my favorite activity we did. Our tour guide, Orion, was a big hit and brought a special energy that made the day all the better. It was predominantly a bus tour as the Tablelands are so vast, but we got to stop at several key destinations and engage with nature. Our first stop was Lake Eacham, where we got to see turtles and, thankfully, not see “the” crocodile that inhabits the lake. Danny and I did jump into the water, being very mindful of keeping our legs as far from the bottom of the lake as possible. I loved how calm the area was, and the peaceful sounds of the wildlife were a great way to start the morning after listening to acoustic music covers on the bus ride over.

Our second stop was at a platypus sighting ground, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any as they are nocturnal creatures. After the platypus lookout point, the third stop was lunch! We got to pop into the town and thank goodness because we were able to grab some snacks and cool beverages to keep us going for the rest of the day. At our lunch spot, Danny rode a mechanical bull! He was the first brave volunteer to do it and he held on for 26 seconds; nobody managed to beat his record. For lunch, we got lasagna and it was delicious! After our quick stop, we headed back on the bus to our third stop Millaa Millaa Falls, where iconic commercials such as the Herbal Essence shampoo commercial were filmed. Coincidentally, the Bucknell tour group arrived just two minutes after us, which was a nice surprise.

Our fourth stop was to Josephine Falls. It did start raining, but Danny and I pressed on to go down the natural water slide—and it was well worth it. The water was really nice, and Buck Hill Falls, where my grandparents live, has its own natural waterslide, so going down another was super neat.

Our fifth and final stop was to the Boulders, which had an Aboriginal folk/ghost story. The SparkNotes version: there was an Aboriginal princess named Oolana from the area. One night, there was a gathering, a party, as she was set to marry the tribe leader at the time. The thing is, she fell in love with another man from another tribe. Knowing that they couldn’t be together, they ran away to go into hiding together—very Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately, their tribes caught up to them and captured them. The man was taken back to his tribe for punishment. The same was going to happen to the princess, and knowing she’d probably never see her true love again, she threw herself into the nearby water where she sadly drowned. That spot is now called “Devil’s Pool,” where since the 1960s, there have been over 20 reported deaths in or near the same spot, and 19 of them have been young men. So the story goes that Oolana’s spirit resides in the Devil’s Pool, trying to lure young men in an attempt to find her long-lost love.

Overall, it was a very scenic and informative tour that was a highlight of my week. Experiencing such a different side of Australia, far from the bustling city life of Sydney, really highlighted the vast diversity within the country.

Tuesday
The others went to Crocodile Park, so Danny, Ariana, and I had a pool day! It was really peaceful and felt like a proper vacation. Unfortunately, sunburns did emerge, but luckily, I still had some aloe from Sydney, so we were able to recover.

Wednesday
Fitzroy Island Day! We opted out of snorkeling and instead focused on the beach. This was my first beach with seashells, and I was so happy to scavenge around—everyone else ended up gathering their own shell collections too.

Thursday
Brunch and another pool day for me and Danny. I got to enjoy some quality reading time, which was a nice way to slow down and soak in the last bit of relaxation before heading back to reality.

Friday
Our final day, and as if it knew, the rain set in. As a group, we wandered around Cairns City, but the rain just kept getting worse. Eventually, Stella, Maddie, Danny, and I decided to escape to the Cairns Aquarium. I actually had a blast and got to see so many different animals, but I must admit—I have not, nor will I ever, forget what a giant burrowing cockroach looks like. I do wish the aquarium listed the level of poison or danger for most of these animals and how common they are because, let’s be real, that’s the important stuff. Nonetheless, it was fascinating, though I couldn’t help but feel bad about how small the enclosures were.

Saturday: See You Soons
Saturday morning was brutal. Not only did I have to wake up super early, but both Danny and Sienna were leaving. Danny and I had such a great time together, and I know that, just like Sydney, these next eight weeks are going to fly by—54 days and counting until we’re together again. And we’re already talking of heading back to Sydney perhaps when my sister does this program!

As for Sienna, who so kindly wrote about me in her last blog, selfishly I’m really sad she didn’t choose Singapore, but I know Auckland will be the perfect fit for her in the long run. I never could have imagined how close we’d get in just eight weeks or how much I would learn from her. Sienna is so intentional about everything she does, and I love how she’s like a sponge, always wanting to learn and grow—hopefully, I can now channel that. There’s no better way to describe our friendship than to say we were cut from the same cloth. I can look at her and know exactly what she’s thinking, or as she’s saying something, I was already thinking about it. I always hear adults say they found their forever friends in college, and with Sienna, I can confidently say I have. I can speak for the group when I say it won’t be the same without her, but we know she’s going to have a blast, and our study abroad connection will last a lifetime beyond these eight weeks together. I’m just thankful that I’m doing this amazing experience in 2025, where the internet allows for constant communication, but I’m looking forward to being in person again with my peeps real soon.

Stay tuned for my first week in Singapore…it’s going to be good. Lots of new observations to come!

Cheers!

– Alexa