To Byron and Back

I apologize for the delay since the last post, but it has been a fairly eventful week, with an even more eventful weekend with a group trip down to Byron Bay.  Byron is about an hour south of Gold Coast in the Australian state of New South Wales (We are in Queensland).  We stayed in a hostel there called the Arts Factory, and although my experience with hostels is a bit limited, this one was most definitely unconventional.  Today I'll list a few tips/experiences when staying in hostels (they are a great way to go places on a budget)

-Never have an preconceived notion of what you will find upon your arrival.  We were greeting by the sounds of a drum circle

-The only guarantee you have is a bed (the where and how can vary quite greatly)

One half of our group slept in this giant treepee with 12 beds arranged in a circle

My accommodation was in this "wagon"

-This style of open bunking is great for meeting new people, so be sure to get out and make friends (I now have places to stay in Sydney and Brisbane should I ever want to)

-Ask people what the haps is in town; Byron Bay is the easternmost point of Australia and home to a lighthouse with a spectacular view

It ended up being a great weekend, and although we were without our helpful Arcadia guides, we had a great time exploring and getting around by ourselves.  This weekend will be the first official weekend at Bond, and is a much needed break!

Straddie.

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to get a free trip with my abroad group to North Stradbroke Island.  In addition to saving me heaps of money and time planning my own trip there, I got to do and experience so much more than I would have on my own.

Of particular interest was a presentation about Aboriginal culture and the stolen generation by Shane, a very open and honest native of the island.  Shane's nephew, a local aboriginal artist, also showed us how to throw boomerangs, and we got to paint our own!

Its hard to believe that so much fun and so many new experiences could be fit into such a short time, but here is an abridged list of what I did this weekend:

-Watched my first sunset on the ocean (and saw sharks and dolphins swim right by us!)

-Snorkeling in the Straddie bay

-Sea kayaking to a mangrove (the ocean's nursery)

-My first official surf lessons

(Practicing on land first)

(Waiting for the waves...)

-Sand boarding down the dunes (Stradbroke is the second largest sand island in the world)

-Going on a spectacular cliff top nature walk, it seems Australia has a never ending amount of gorgeous seascapes (and we saw a whale!)

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend filled with sun, surf, and good times.  Coming back to class on Monday was tough, but I have this weekend to look forward to and another trip on the calendar.  Stay tuned for updates from this upcoming weekend trip to Byron Bay!

G'day First Day

School is back in session!  I have successfully completed my first class at Bond, and although classes here are naturally much different from what I am used to in the states, school is still school with all that comes along with it. However, I only have classes Mondays and Tuesdays which is something that I could definately get used to.

Today's list is a compilation of Australian things that I have so far experienced, as well as things that people who are planning on coming to visit should keep an eye out for:

Tim Tams:  delicious chocolate cookie creations, everyone should participate in a "Tim Tam Slam"


Flat White:  coffee here is different in the sense that it is not the typical drip coffee normally ordered in the US, almost all of the drinks are espresso based (much better!).  My favorite aussie thing to order is an unsweetened Flat White, which can be compared to an Americano, although you just really need to have one to experience the difference.

Gotye:  In my never ending quest for new music, I was lucky enough to stumble upon this song my first day here, only to later discover that it is the current top hit on the Australian pop chart (and its not what you would expect)


Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: I'm told that everyone who visits Australia is supposed to pet a koala and a kangaroo and then decide which one is softer.  We are lucky enough to be only half an hour away from the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, and for $30AUS I now have unlimited park visits.  On Sunday, we woke up bright and early, and I got to see kangaroos for the second time, as well as a bunch of other amazing Aussie animals up close and personal.  Here I am with one of the national Australian emblems, the emu:

Fun fact: Australia chose the emu and kangaroo as its national emblems for the symbolic reason that both animals can only walk in a forward direction.

The Gold Coast: going to class in paradise

It has now been 4 days since my arrival at Bond University, and I must say that all the hype did not disappoint.  It is still the end of the Australian "winter" and they are now heading into springtime, which has meant beautiful sunny days on a campus that more closely resembles an exclusive resort than a college campus. 

A list of a few of the essential tips for a good semester at Bond:

-"Goon" = boxed wine, and also the only affordable option for any amount of drinking

-Gold Coast is the Australian equivalent of Las Vegas, and is host to a large number of casinos, nightclubs, and resorts

-There are sharks in the ocean, as well as in all the lakes/canals/ rivers running through the area

-Surfing is a normal daytime activity

-Australians, although a very laidback population, are sticklers for rules and are even less likely to make exceptions for Americans

-Dancing etiquette is far different than in the US, and let's just say that the Australian version of dancing is far closer to the real thing than what the kids are doing in the states now a days.

-Although I will only have classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, apparantly I am still expected to get work done

Classes commence Monday...... gear up for the weekend mates!

Greetings from the future... there are kangaroos!

From now on I am going to begin cataloging experiences in list format, to save you and me the boredom of writing/reading endless paragraphs about all the cool shit I'm doing down here in Australia.  Today's inaugural list's theme is...
THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT AUSTRALIA IN THE FIRST 48 HOURS:
-the moon is horizontal (like a smile)
-there are completely different constellations, don't even try to find the big dipper
-kangaroos can pause their pregnancies and restart them when there is enough food
-it is possible to go bushwacking through a park in pursuit of kangaroos
-HEAPS is the new way to say a lot
-walking on the left and crossing streets is alot harder than you think it would be
-it is an illegal offense to ride a bike without a helmet
-vegemite is a great source of vitamin b6, originating from the scum left in the bottom of beer kegs (and not entirely unpalatable)

Winter in Manly Beach, Sydney

Kangaroo tracking in Sorrento, Victoria

-there is HEAPS yet to learn and experience in this amazingly badass country, and the next 4 months are going to be a once in a lifetime experience


I have already made it more than halfway through my Saturday, so I send greetings from the future; its pretty great here.