High school was finally over, and I was turning eighteen in two weeks. The start of my summer break marked the dawning of a new era. I had three whole months to relax and travel before I went off to college. My family had planned a trip to Australia which I was certainly looking forward to. My Aunt lived in Australia and her two children were professional surfers whilst my Uncle was an experienced fisherman. I could not wait to surf and fish with them and maybe even meet some cute Australian Sheilas.
In the days that followed I along with my parents packed up our suitcases with all the essentials. We dropped off our two dogs to one of my dad's friend's house, they had a lovely garden so I was glad the dogs would have some fun running around this summer. The next morning we set off for the airport in an Uber which my dad had conveniently booked a day earlier. Even the Uber driver could tell that we were all quite excited, as he told us about his adventures in Australia. Apart from surfing and fishing, there is a vast variety of wildlife in Australia, one sees all sorts of animals there and it's hard to find anyone who doesn't love kangaroos. the kangaroo has always been my favourite animal and it's always been a childhood dream of mine to meet one with a baby in its pouch. I had always found wildlife to be fascinating and on top of that, the late Steve Irwin had a magical zoo in Australia which is a dream come true for wildlife enthusiasts like me.
After a while, we checked ourselves in at the airport and boarded the plane. I could already spot a couple of passengers wearing t-shirts with kangaroos on them, that made me wish I had bought one too. the inflight entertainment and food throughout the ten-hour long journey was brilliant. We finally landed, went through passport control, retrieved our baggage and exited Sydney Airport. My Uncle picked us up from the airport and drove us to their summer house where we would all be staying for the next two weeks. The car ride to their house was fun except for the moment where two spiders jumped onto me and put up quite a good fight until I finally managed to chuck the little eight-legged creatures out of the window. these Australian spiders were much tougher than the ones in England, my parents laughed as I complained about the Spiders to my Uncle.
We finally arrived at the summer house where my cousins and Aunt were waiting for us. Everyone greeted each other and after settling into our rooms we proceeded to the dining room. My Aunt was a tremendously talented chef, she could make the pictures in the recipe books look bad. My Uncle had always said that it's her magnolia pie that had convinced him to ask for her hand in marriage. After catching up with my cousins we made a plan to go surfing as soon as possible. The next morning my cousin Josh woke me up and said that they were going to surf. I immediately got my gear and accompanied them to the beach that was only a five-minute drive away. Four of Josh's friends met us at the beach, Josh introduced me to Brittney who was a girl in his class and also a highly talented surfer. I could feel my heart racing as I shook her perfectly manicured hand. We all went into the water and caught some massive waves, I was slightly wary of the infamous Australian sharks but they all assured me that this was a shark-free zone. A few hours later we decided to go to a nearby fish and chips restaurant because all that surfing really worked up an appetite. Brittney had this magical smile and eyes bluer than the ocean, I was truly mesmerized by this exotic girl who seemed interested in me as well. All of us had our fair share of fish and chips and went back to my Aunt's house. My Uncle and his mates along with my dad were drinking beer in the garden whilst my Mom helped my Aunt in the kitchen. Life in Australia was so much fun, I literally wanted to move here and live with Brittney forever. We exchanged numbers and followed each other on Instagram, after which I immediately proceeded to press the like button on all of her pictures. She giggled and in return liked a few of mine, we were both blushing at each other when suddenly Josh came over and announced that we will be visiting Australia Zoo tomorrow.
I could not believe my ears, I asked him if he was joking and he said no, one of his dad's friends Mike knew someone at the Zoo who got us tickets for the crocodile feeding show. We all started jumping around like a couple of kangaroos in heat, it was a sight to see.
After the friends had gone home we all went to bed earlier than usual as we wanted to be well-rested for the big day. The next morning the sound of my alarm clock woke everyone up as I had turned up its volume the night before. We all rushed downstairs to have some breakfast, my Aunt made us all pancakes with chocolate syrup, I gobbled them up as fast as I could as we waited for Brittney and the others to arrive. A few minutes after we were done with breakfast, our friends arrived at the front gate and we all rushed outside to set off for this promising trip to Australia Zoo.
The drive to the zoo was long but one of Josh's friends Adrian was a DJ and thus he made sure we all had plenty of good music to listen to on the way. In about three hours we arrived at the zoo, showed our tickets at the entrance and proceeded to meet my Uncle's friend's contact Bill who had been waiting for us in his office. They gave us all a warm welcome and we started our tour of this fascinating place. Brittney and I held hands as we saw amazing animals all around us, this was truly an amazing experience for all those in attendance as we got to learn so much about these wonderful creatures that walk the Earth with us.
Soon it was time for the crocodile feeding show and I was excited to see Robert Irwin hand feed a twelve feet long crocodile. After a spectacular introduction by one of the senior zoo staff members, the show started and Robert Irwin came onto the scene. The crowd roared with excitement, the Irwins are really famous and to see one of them in person was an amazing experience. My parents took more than a hundred selfies with various animals and I held a baby koala who refused to let go of me when it was time to give him back to his handler. Brittney found the kangaroo enclosure and we spent some time with some young joeys who even tried to kick me at one point.
This trip made me realize how fascinating wildlife truly is and I wanted to learn more about all the animals in the world. After we returned home I decided to move to Australia for college, my parents were slightly hesitant to hear that as they wanted me to stay closer to them, but I had made up my mind. Brittney was thrilled to hear this and gave me a big hug, my Aunt and Uncle offered me a place at their house. Thus, in conclusion, travelling, meeting new people and exploring new places is of the utmost importance as it broadens one's horizons and really helps one choose the best place to live, work and raise a family on this magnificent planet.
