Holiday Reflections (by Wei Xin)

My family went to Australia on 11 June. I was thrilled. We arrived at Brisbane after a an eight-hour flight. It was really cold there even though it was only the first month of winter. My father rented a car and drove us to the hotel. When we reached the hotel, we saw that there was an outdoor ice rink opposite the hotel. My brother asked my parents if we could go ice skating and they agreed. It was the first time that I did ice skating outdoor. I lost my balance and fell a few times. My clothes were wet and it was freezing cold.

The next day,we went to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. There were a lot of kangaroos and we bought two packets of food to feed them. Some of them were sleeping while some were just lying around or playing with each other. I fed the kangaroos and got their saliva all over my palm... it felt really gross. I also cuddled a koala and took some photos. It felt just like a teddy bear with a coat of thick fur and sharp claws and its grip was really tight.

After spending two days in Brisbane, my father drove us to Gold Coast. We went to Dreamworld and SeaWorld. There were a lot of roller coaster rides. The one that I had the most fun on was the Jet Rescue in SeaWorld. Another exciting activity was the high elements. There was three floors with different challenges. It was windy and my legs were stiff, but I managed to finish all the levels. I also saw kangaroos with its joeys in their pouches. They looked really adorable.

What I love most was AVPX. It is created according to the movie Alien Vs Predator. We went into a big, dark room and put on suits with a gun attached to it. It has lights on our shoulders and the front and back of the suit. Then we were separated into two teams. One of the teams represents the humans infected by aliens while the other team represents the humans. The human team is supposed to shoot the other team and the 'queen alien' and the 'eggs', in order to score points, while the other team is to protect the 'queen alien' and the 'eggs'.

After spending three days in Gold Coast, my father drove us to Sydney which took 14 hours. On the way to Sydney, we encountered a kangaroo which was about 6 feet tall. We also saw a rabbit crossing the road.

Finally, we arrived at Sydney after a long drive. We went on a buffet cruise at Darling Harbour and we met a couple. We talked to them and exchanged emails. Then only we found out that the lady is actually a successful pianist in the US. We met up with my mother's sister and brother.They took us to Blue Mountain, Sydney Fish Market, Sydney Opera House, Watsons Bay, Bondi Beach,and some other places.

I really had a lot of fun in Australia and I am so glad that I could meet up with my uncle and aunt whom I have not seen for years. I love the people as they are very friendly and the amazing views in Australia. I hope that I can go there for a vacation again.