Weeks Forty-six to Forty-eight: The Bucket List

Ahhh, the bucket list. The quick scribble of last-minute Australian experiences, noted down in a post-feasting haze, has taken on a life of its own. At the time of writing, it consists of upwards of 25 items, ranging from brunches to skinny dips.

In the past week alone, we have ticked off several. We have visited Newy Museum and Art Gallery (#1 and #2, respectively). We've popped to Jordans Bakery Cafe for beautiful bluebird hot chocolates, which come in the form of a huge honeycomb-chocolate chunk, stirred into hot milk (#10). We've (sorry, Dad) gone skinny dipping in the ocean baths (#6)  - it had to be done! We've spent an incredible day sampling the Hunter Valley's most famous produce on a wine tour (#4). We've finally, FINALLY made it to Paymasters Cafe for the most incredible breakfast (#5) - we actually managed five breakfasts between the four of us, much to the astonishment of the waiters! We also spent a very soggy day down on the Central Coast, visiting Terrigal (#18). It's been an adventure!

#10: Bluebird hot chocolate, yum!

#4: Hunter Valley wine tour!

#4 continued...

#4 continued - a vineyard in winter.

Two weeks ago, the surf was HUGE, and the waves at Newcastle beach were topping 10ft. The entire ocean baths was under water - it was a pretty amazing sight. The waves on Wednesday are supposedly going to dwarf those though - with swells of 15ft expected. I'm pretty excited to get down there and see it!

The kids baths, overflowing.

The entire ocean baths complex was underwater!

My second semester of Aussie uni has come to a close, and I've been very busy finishing off assignments and tying up loose ends. Now all that remains is two exams, before I bid adieu to the University of Newcastle, Australia FOREVER. What a strange thought.

I've also finished my job at the Merewether Surfhouse (thankfully)! I am not going to miss being a dishy - or walking the 5km back home in the dead of night! I will miss the wages though - it will be a shock to the system going home and getting a job paying only £6 or £7 an hour. Here, the minimum wage is $15, and most jobs pay upwards of $20 - which is about £12!

The past three weeks have flown by! Each weekend I mean to sit down and write a new blog, but each time I've been distracted by this or that. It's completely mental how fast time is going now. In exactly 16 days - just 16! - I will have transformed into the Crazy Crying Plane Girl, cruising over Northern Australia at 33,00ft. Waaaah :(

:)

Newcastle, we love you!

This week, I have an exam on Wednesday afternoon, before we all up sticks and head to Sydney for the Vivid lights festival, then onto the Blue Mountains for the weekend (Bucket list #3). I'm so excited!

With all the comings and goings of my last few weeks here, it's likely that my next blog entry will be my last from Australia. That feels so wrong! I am definitely excited to escape the cockroaches and be reunited with Aussie hair products (which, funnily enough, they don't sell here), crunch creams and my nearest and dearest. I still can't quite get my head around it, though. It is going to feel WEIRD.

For now though, I am way too busy to spend too long thinking about it! I have countless coffees to drink, sights to see, goonbags to regret, cupcakes to nibble and experiences to have! The bucket list continues...