Author Archives: sem5349

Farewell Oz


Tonight is my last night here in Wollongong. It decided to be a rainy gloomy day. I guess that makes it easier to leave tomorrow. In approximately 11hours, I’ll be on my way back to the USA. YIPPEE!!

Overall, I am pleased that I chose to come to Australia for the semester, however I definitely experienced many ups and downs. It has been my dream to study abroad in Australia since before I even knew where I would attend college. If I had it to do over, I would probably choose to do a summer study abroad program. Leaving Penn State for a semester was so much harder than I could have ever expected. Studying abroad felt like first semester freshman year all over again, attempting to make new friends, get involved (there really aren’t any opportunities to get involved here at University of Wollongong), and adjust to a new schooling system. I wish my program had had other Penn State students in it, a factor I thought would not bother me. (If you’re reading this and coming to Wollongong in July, there are 2 of you!) I think a program that included more travel in a shorter period of time would really be the best option for study abroad (for instance the RPTM embedded summer courses in Australia). Of all the places to study in Australia, I think Wollongong was the perfect choice, as the closeness to the beach kept me relaxed and the city has what you need to get by, but not the overwhelming atmosphere of a big city. Sydney is a train ride away and has an airport that will get you anywhere you need to go. It does get cold in Australia and the beach weather doesn’t last forever, something I expected by still hate. A semester abroad depends 100% on what you make of it, and I believe I did my best to make this semester as amazing as I possibly could, yet nothing can compare to Penn State and I have been missing my home at PSU since the moment I left.

Here are some things to consider if you’re thinking about studying abroad in Wollongong, or Australia in general.

·      Australia is EXPENSIVE. The conversion rate isn’t bad, but things cost more in Australia, especially toiletries. A tube of mascara or nail polish that may cost $7 at home costs about $18 here. A bottle of Gatorade or Coke costs $4. Fajitas at a Mexican restaurant run about $30 a plate. Eating out is not in any college students’ price range. Even McDonalds is more expensive!

o   Pack all the toiletries you may need (shampoo, lotion, medicines, makeup…) so you don’t have to buy them here. You’ll then have space in your suitcase for souvenirs on the way home.

o   The cheapest souvenirs you’ll find are at Patty’s Market in Sydney. Go here before you buy anything else!

o   Donuts are at least $2.50 each… still can’t figure this one out.

·      You can find affordable flights to other cities, but once you’re there expect to spend lots of money… even if you eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day. Remember though that even if you don’t want to shell out $50 for a tour, this is most likely your only opporuntity to see that something awesome or do that something cool so just do it!

·      The train from Wollongong to the Sydney airport is $20 one way. The train to Sydney Central is $17 return (round trip).

·      Hostels are gross, loud, and uncomfortable. For $40 a night, you are stuck sharing a room with 4 to 20 other people and have to walk to the bathroom. This is frustrating considering that in the US you could stay at a motel with three other people for less than $75 a night.

o   Make sure you pack your shower shoes while staying at a hostel. And call about towels… some give them to you, some don’t, and some charge you.

·      If you’re coming to Wollongong, I recommend staying at Campus East. It’s the closest to the beach, you have your own room, and you don’t have to worry about cooking meals as you have a meal plan. Also, most Americans are here so there are tons of people wanting to make friends.

o   Weerona is like living in PSU East Halls. Great for first years, but frustrating when you’re not in the mood for loud music and dirty bathrooms all the time. The food is horrible, but better than cooking for yourself I suppose. It’s a 20 minute walk to downtown, the beach, or campus which is a very nice feature. The buses are frustrating but can get you were you want to go…. only until about 6pm and only Mon-Fri. They don’t run at night and are a nightmare on the weekends.

o   Marketview is great if you want your own room with a TV and bathroom (it used to be a hotel) and you want to be right downtown. It’s 10 minutes from the beach. You have to make your own food in a shared kitchen that got disgusting according to my friend there. It’s not as social as Campus East or Weerona and they are very strict about having visitors.

o   I don’t know of anyone that liked Koollabong, it’s run-down and only walking distance to campus. International House is also close to campus and more of a dorm style like Weerona, though much quieter.

·      The internet costs $30 a month for 15GB.  It’s not wireless so pack an ethernet cord. The University gives you 2GB free for the semester. That won’t last you the semester. It’s the equivalent of about 4 hours of Skype.

·      Many people open a bank account at National Australia Bank (NAB), which is what I did. It costs to transfer money, but it also costs to use most credit cards in a foreign country.

o   My recommendation is get a credit card in the US that doesn’t charge you fees to use it internationally.

o   American Express isn’t widely accepted in Australia.

·      You’ve made it all the way to Australia so travel. It’s expensive but it’s worth it. Pick a few places you really want to visit before you come and start planning your trips within the first couple weeks of your arrival. People start to run out of money fast so if you wait to plan and budget til later, it may be harder to find people to go with you.

o   Reach out to the other people in your program or the other people in your dorm (Facebook groups work great for this) because chances are someone else wants to make that same trip too.

o   At Wollongong, there is a week study period before the two week exam period and lots of people travel during this time, though you won’t know you’re exam schedule until mid-semester.

o   Some of the most popular places people go are Melbourne, Byron Bay, Cairns, New Zealand, and Fiji. Cairns and New Zealand are popular for semester break and Fiji is where many people are going during exam period. Some other places to consider are Uluru (I’d highly recommend it!) and Tasmania. You can go to Sydney for the day and there are day trips from there like Hunter Valley.

·      The grading system is much harder in Australia than at Penn State, but your grades will be adjusted when they are transferred back.

·      I was told before coming here and upon arrival that Australian students are independent learners and work much harder than Americans, but this is not true. They procrastinate too. It’s also common practice for Aussies to give a presentation while sitting down and reading straight off their paper or PowerPoint, something I would never dream of doing back at PSU.

·      Some friends who were abroad before I left to come to Australia told me to pack light. I have to say I’m glad I over packed. My roommate got tired of her small wardrobe after about one week and seriously regretted not having sweat pants to lounge around in.

o   Laundry is $2 a load for the washer and $2 for the dryer, so the more clothes you bring, the less you have to do wash.

o   Pack a jacket (like the black North Face that seemingly everyone at Penn State owns) because it does get cold, especially if you travel in May or June and if you go to New Zealand, Melbourne, Uluru, or Tasmania. Gloves will come in handy too if you visit these places.

o   A nice dress/outfit is good to have as the residence halls have formal banquets once a semester.

o   Australians generally don’t go to class in sweatpants and hoodies, but leggings are common and most people go for the beachy/surfer look.

o   You’ll want clothes for the beach and comfy clothes for wearing around your dorm. I wore pajamas and sweats to dinner all the time since it was only a 30 second walk down the hall.

·      Skype is a great way to call home. For $7 a month you can have unlimited minutes. There are cheaper plans if you’re not into communication, but I talked to my parents about 20 minutes a day (I do this when I’m at PSU too).

o   Using Skype to call (without video) doesn’t use up much of your internet quota.

·      Getting a phone plan here is annoying and confusing, but just do what everyone else does and know that you’ll probably be adjusting your plan at some point.

o   If you have an unlocked phone that takes a sim card that you can bring with you, do. A super crappy phone here is $30.

·      The campus gym (URAC) is expensive, but all gyms are. Ask some Aussies who live in your residence what they think is best and what’s closest.

o   A lot of the gyms (including URAC) have 3 month memberships, so don’t wait until your last month to start your membership.

·      Beets actually don’t taste that bad… even though they turn everything else on your plate hot pink.

·      If you have to go to the bathroom, you just ask for the “toilet.” That’s a hard phrase to adjust to saying.

For whatever preconceived notions you have in Australia, there is somewhere that can fulfill these notions. It really is a huge country with so much to explore. In my three and a half months in Australia, I…

·      I learned to surfing (and by learned I mean I had a lesson and then fell off a surf board repeatedly)

·      Went looking for crocodiles,

·      Played with kangaroos

·      Held a koala

·      Spent a lot of time sun baking on the beach

·      Went bushwalking (hiking)

·      Ate fish and chips

·      Went to the Outback (and even ate at an Outback Steakhouse)

·      Road a camel

·      Drank a Fosters (though that’s not actually a common beer here)

·      Drove on the wrong side of the road

·      Ate vegemite

·      Snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef

·      Saw the Sydney Opera House

·      Walked around Uluru

Thank you Wollongong for being a wonderful host this semester. In the words of my RA who just came to say goodbye…. “Have a nice life.”


Location: Wollongong, Australia

Some good advice: Don’t get injured while abroad.

My advice for your time abroad? Don’t get injured… and use your time efficiently!

I currently have 9 days left in Wollongong. I had plans to go to Sydney this weekend or to hike Royal National Park. I’d hoped to go see the sunrise during my last week here. I’d planned to walk around town taking pictures so I could have visuals of Wollongong to show my family and friends as I told them stories. I was going to get out and check things off my bucket list that I’d left for the last minute.

Then I fell down. Hard.

What happened is embarrassing, I’ll admit it. I’ve never been one to engage in physical activity and running has never been my favorite way to keep in shape, but I didn’t think I was that bad at it. I was just casually running in town on my way to the gym and I had just been contemplating how uneven the sidewalk was. “It’d be pretty easy to trip,” I told myself. 30 seconds I was flat on the ground iPod and water bottle scattered around me wondering what just happened. Sure enough, I’d tripped on some uneven pavement and made contact with the hard ground not only with my knees and palms but also my face. I suffered two horribly bloody knees and some rock splinters in my hands. Thankfully, I only slightly bruised my right cheek and it’s not noticeable. I accepted a ride from a strange man in a beat up truck because I was unable to make the walk back to my dorm. I think he was silently praying the whole way that I didn’t bleed on his seat.

I didn’t have to go to the hospital and my RA’s first aid kit was sufficient for bandaging up my knees, but walking is still a challenge even 3 days later (it’s more like a waddle). I wasn’t able to make it to class the next day as the bus stop is just way too far away and the pain was unbearable. I had a final essay due today, but thanks to my understanding and sympathetic teacher, I was granted a three day extension. Unfortunately, I have another essay due next Friday as well so I’ve been having to suck it up and force myself to focus.

All in all, it’s just been really disappointing to have this happen. This weekend was my last weekend to really do fun things before the final exams/essays and packing take over my life. I wish I’d gone out and explored while it was warmer and I was more agile. I’m thankful nothing more horrible happened in my time abroad, though it’d be great if everything had gone just peachy the entire time.

Overall, I’d just like to offer this lesson learned:

  • Utilize every second and don’t waste time. Do what you want to do and do it early. You never know what might happen and the you don’t want to leave your semester feeling like you didn’t achieve all that you wanted to.
  • Bad things really can happen. My injury wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to me while I was in Wollongong, but it did happen.
  • Always keep your phone on you. Or at least memorize people’s numbers. Or hope there are some really kind strangers around.
  • STAY SAFE!

Location: Wollongong, Australia

Melbourne & The Great Ocean Road

Melbourne is a town 30 minutes north of my hometown in Florida. It’s also the coolest city in Australia. And pronounced funny: Mel-BIN not Mel-BORN. There are lots of airline deals in Australia and we were able to get $50 flights each way on Tiger Airlines. I have heard that Tiger Airlines is unreliable and some warned to avoid it completely. However, it was cheap and the flights were nonstop. In the three years I’ve been at Penn State (and the trips I took to visit my senior year of high school), I have experienced more cancelled and delayed flights thanks to the Philadelphia and State College airports than most people will experience in their life. Needless to say, Tiger didn’t scare me and all in all my flights went smoothly (minus a frightening landing on the runway in Sydney). I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my entire semester in Melbourne since it’s further south and therefore colder, but I’d highly recommend it for a visit… or the entire semester if you’d consider yourself a hipster.

Day 1: St. Kilda. We arrived in Melbourne at 1:30pm. By the time we were picked up by the shuttle bus to take us to our hostel and weaved in and out of the city traffic, it was already 3:30pm. We stayed at Hotel Discovery (though it’s a hostel, not hotel), which was clean, cheap, centrally located and not too rowdy. Once settled, we took the city tram ($4 each way) to St. Kilda where we saw a beautiful sunset. After walking along the boardwalk and finding some delicious fish and chips along the main road in St. Kilda, we down the pier to find a small penguin colony. The penguins were adorable and made the funniest noises. It’s very rare to have wild penguins in such a populated area, so they’re colony is closely monitored by a local organization. There is a day trip from Melbourne to Phillips Island, which advertises wild penguin sightings, but we were able to see penguins for free in St. Kilda… so neat!

penguins.jpg Day 2: Street Art and Carlton United Brewers. Melbourne is famous for it’s street art. Some of the “art” is just your everyday graffiti, but if you find the right alley, you can stumble upon real creativity! One of my friends found a map of street art locations online and we used this as our guide. The map led us through some cute alleys that were lined with shops and boutiques – so trendy! We also took a stroll through Fitzroy Gardens. The gardens are a step above most city parks and reminded me of a garden I visited in San Francisco. After the gardens, we took a tram to the Carlton United Brewers factory. With a 2-for-1 coupon and a student discount, the factory tour only cost $10 a person. I love factories tours (especially ones with free tastings) so I had a lot of fun here, even though the factory operations had already shut down for the weekend. Carlton is one of the most common beers in Australia, but the CUB also makes other brews, including Fosters. Though most Americans would think Foster’s is super popular over here (after all, “Fosters is Australian for beer”), it’s actually not. After the tour, each guests was allowed to sample four beers out of a selection of ten, including two ciders. Even better was the opportunity to play dress up in a giant beer costume while standing behind the bar. Later on, we found some more street art and ate dinner at Trippy Taco in Fitzroy near Brunswick St. The $9 burritos were a steal for Mexican food in Australia and they were real tasty.

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carlton.jpgDay 3: Great Ocean Road. No trip to Melbourne is complete without a day trip along the Great Ocean Road. This is known as one of the most scenic drives in the world. The whole drive would take two days (to get to Adelaide), but the most popular route is from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles. My friend Bone was feeling adventurous and decided that he wanted to drive the road himself. Since tours of the Great Ocean Road leave you stuck on a big bus with no control of your day and they cost about $100 a person, we obliged to let Bone drive. The drive is frightening and I felt like I might throw up a couple times, but when I did have my eyes open looking over the side of the windy cliff, it was beautiful. We set out about 8:30am from Melbourne and saw our last sight at about 4:45pm. greatoceanarch.jpg

Our stops included:

  • Bells Beach – One of the best surf beaches in Australia. The ways were HUGE!
  • Split Point Lighthouse – This is a good alternative to the Otway Lighthouse if you don’t mind not climbing. The Otway Lighthouse is a pretty far detour and costs money to climb, but most tour groups go there.
  • Great Ocean Road Arch and Diggers Statue
  • Kennett River – There’s a campground and a small mini mart here. Just off the road you can see koalas up in the trees. It was unfortunately raining when we were here, but I did get to see a koala chowing down on some eucalyptus and then go hopping through the tree!

koala.jpg

  • Apollo Bay – This is the last town before the 12 Apostles so stop here if you’re hungry!
  • Gibson Steps
  • 12 Apostles – The main attraction along the Great Ocean Road. There were a million people here and it was so windy everyone was blowing around, but the 12 Apostles really are an impressive sight!

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  • Loch Arch and Gorge – Not a far walk from the car park so worth the stop. You can even walk down to the water here.
  • The Arch
  • London Bridge – It was so rainy I didn’t get out of the car here.
  • The Grotto – The Arch, London Bridge, and the Grotto are all very close to each other once you’ve past the 12 Apostles. Not all the tour groups stop at these places.
  • Timboon – This is a random small town on the road back east to Melbourne. We had some great pizza at the only open food shop there. From here it was an hour and 40-minute drive back to Melbourne along dark forest roads and highway.

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Uluru, the Outback, & Camels

Everyone’s seen a picture of Uluru. The big red rock in the Australian Outback is one of the most recognized natural landmarks in the world. It’s a popular destination for people visiting Australia, but many students studying abroad don’t make the trip because it’s not very cost effective staring at a big rock isn’t the #1 thing on many college students agendas. I have no idea if I’ll ever return to Australia, so I figured why not make a trip out to Uluru to see what all the hype is about. Just like the trip to Cairns, I’d have a lot of recommendations for someone making this same trip, but this trip was incredible and a must do for anyone who appreciates nature. At the University of Wollongong I am taking two classes in Indigenous Studies so my new found appreciation for the Aboriginal culture also influenced my decision to make the trip.

IMG_4147.JPGTo clarify, Uluru is the traditional Ananju name for the rock. It is located in Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park. Kata Tjuta is a second rock formation with religious significance to the Ananju people and mostly closed off from visitors. Ayers Rocks is the name given to Uluru by the first whitemen to travel through the area. The tourist area outside of Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park is known as Ayers Rock Resort. We flew into Ayers Rock Airport and stayed at the Outback Pioneer Lodge (a YHA hostel), but many people make the trip to the national park from Alice Springs. There are many overnight tour options that leave from Alice Springs to see Uluru, but the cost of flying from Syndey to Alice Springs was twice that of the cost to fly into Ayers Rock Resort.

On our first night in the area, we took a sunset camel tour. This is one of my top two Australian experiences (the other being holding a koala) and no trip to Uluru should be without a camel ride. After being picked up at our hostel, we were taken to the camel farm and given a briefing about how to ride. I was riding Hercules, the largest camel at the farm (did they really think I needed the biggest camel?). There were about 15 other camels in the caravan and for the ride, the camels were all attached to each other at the nose. A little strange, but this has been the way camel caravans have worked for centuries. As we trotted through the outback, the tour guides gave us some information about camels and the area. After about 45 minutes of walking, we stopped to watch the colors change over Uluru as the sun set in the distance. This was not as stunningly beautiful as some postcards may make it out to seem, but who cares because I got to watch the sunset while riding a camel! To top off a great night, we were treated to homemade bread and sparkling Australian wine after our hour ride.

IMG_5397.jpgThe next day we woke up early (5am) and  took the Uluru Express to Uluru. This shuttle bus is $60 and the cheapest way to get from Ayers Rock Resort to Uluru. After watching the sunrise from a viewing area with a million other tour groups and attempting not to freeze, we were dropped off right next to Uluru. We joined the 8am guided ranger walk which took us along the Mala Walk. The ranger told us the Anangu traditions of the area (though she was not an Aboriginal person herself) and pointed out some of the significant sights along the trail. After this hour walk, we continued our way around Uluru along the Base Walk. This 10km walk takes 3-4 hours but is the best way to see Uluru. Each step you take gives you a different perspective of Uluru. It seemed that from every angle you were looking at a different rock! I have never been so in awe of a natural structure. Let me tell you, Uluru cannot be done justice by a simple picture!! After our walk, we went to the Cultural Center to view some Aboriginal artwork and learn a little more information about the park. Surprisingly, there are very few Aboriginal Australians who work in the park and nearly zero who work in the Ayers Rock Resort. This is an example of the continued power struggle between Aboriginal Australians and the Australian government.

ulurusunrise042912.jpgOn day 3 we took a tour of Kata Tjuta with the SEIT Outback tour company. You can visit Kata Tjuta with the Uluru Express (about $80 for a shuttle), though we chose to do a tour for a little more money in hopes that it would be educational – and it was! We learned about the formation of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, why they are red (they’re made of iron), and what it’s like to live in Ayers Rock Resort with only 800 other people (a little boring). Our tour took us through the Wapa Gorge after we saw the most incredible sunrise over Uluru. While I was not near as impressed with Kata Tjuta as I was with Uluru, the sunrise was the 2nd best highlight of the trip (not much can top a camel ride). We flew out of Ayers Rock Airport the next day after lounging by the pool all morning.

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My recommendations:

  • Do not climb Uluru – it’s dangerous (people fall off the rock and die), disrespectful to the local Aboriginal people, and harmful to the environment (your presence pollutes the water at the top of Uluru and you are causing physical damage to the rock).
  • Do a sunset camel ride. You HAVE to. The farm also offers 15 minute rides around the farm or a sunrise ride, but I’d recommend the sunset one as it’s warmer than sunrise and would give you a longer ride during while the sun is out.
  • Stay two nights. We stayed three and this was too long. You could do the camel tour in the same day as Uluru or Kata Tjuta.
  • Wake up early. Even though it was freezing in the mornings as we watched the sunrise, the sunrises were beautiful and you’ll be happy you’re not out walking in the peak heat of the day.
  • Do the Valley of the Winds walk at Kata Tjuta. We did not do this because we didn’t want two long walks in two days, but I regret not seeing this part of Kata Tjuta as some people consider it more incredible than Uluru.
  • Go to the Cultural Center near Uluru and learn something!
  • Research/book your tours before you go.
  • Uluru is located in the desert which means it can get very cold in the autumn/winter. In April, the temperatures in the morning were 40 degrees. I wish I’d had gloves and a hat. I wore three t-shirts, a jacket, scarf, and leggings and even I was still cold. You can take off layers as you walk, but until the sun is fully up around 11, it’s chilly!!!!

Location: Ayers Rock, Australia

Semester Break in Cairns

The top two semester break destinations for American students studying in Eastern Australia tends to be Cairns or New Zealand. Cairns, home to the Great Barrier Reef, is located in northern Queensland and is a 3-hour flight from Sydney. While I’m sure New Zealand is beautiful and just as amazing as everyone says it, I was hoping to jam in as many uniquely Australian adventures as I could into my semester so Cairns was my destination of choice. Cairns is extremely popular for its endless amount of activities: snorkeling, rafting, skydiving, bungee jumping, and rainforest trekking, to name a few. I’d say it’s hard to beat just how “Australian” my trip was, and though I’d have a lot of recommendations for someone making a trip to the area (feel free to contact me if you’re reading this and headed to Cairns!), overall I definitely had a memorable and successful trip.

schreyerlionGBR.jpgDay 1: The Lagoon. Cairns does not have a beach, so the city created “The Lagoon” located on The Esplanade (boardwalk) that is a large, shallow pool with a small stretch of makeshift beach and lots of picnic areas. The weather in Cairns was a hot and sunny 85 degrees, perfect pool and sun-baking weather. We also strolled around the shops of Cairns (mostly tourist gift shops) before returning to our hostel for a BBQ dinner.

IMG_3938.JPGDay 2: The Reef. I could not have asked for a more perfect day for snorkeling. The trip out to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns takes about 2 hours and the sea was completely flat. One day later and our trip would have been bumpy seas and partly cloudy skies, factors that would have changed the experience entirely. I could have spent all day lying out on the front of our big catamaran. We were on the Passions of Paradise boat. There are a million different reef tour operators in Cairns, some of which have HUGE boats with elevator lifts that drop you straight into the water (no jumping in or climbing up a ladder required), but this just seemed a little too commercialized for my taste. The first reef we snorkelled was actually surrounding a sandbar that doubled as a bird sanctuary. I was extremely impressed with the health of the reef here and I loved getting to see new reef creatures (like the guitarfish pictured below) as well as some of my Florida Keys favorites like the parrot fish. The second reef we visited was not near as healthy and a little bit deeper. As an ocean lover and lifelong snorkeler, I was disappointed with the lack of care shown by the tour operators for the reef – not once did they tell people to not stand on the reef or inform them of the threats currently jeopardizing the existence of coral reefs. However, with the amount of visitors the Great Barrier Reef sees every year, I suppose the damage to the reefs could be even greater. 

F1000004.JPGDay 3: Driving on the Left & Platypus Spotting. Since Cairns does not have any beaches, my friends and I rented a car to take us to the beaches north of Cairns. You could also take a $5 bus, but I wanted the experience of driving on the “wrong” side of the road, as well as the freedom to travel between beaches. We chose to go to Palm Cove and Trinity Beach, both of which were beautiful and lined with Palm Trees. I’d recommend Palm Cove for anyone taking the bus up to the beaches, but if you’re renting a car, go a little further up the Captain Cook Highway and explore some of the beaches right of the road that have amazing views. They aren’t lifeguarded or protected from jellyfish, so don’t go to these if you want to swim! After spending time at the beaches, we drove an hour to Yungaburra, a tiny town known for its platypuses. At dusk and dawn, you can sometimes see them swimming in the creek. We stopped in the visitor’s center before it closed at 5 to find out where was the best place for a sighting. We then spent an hour sitting in silence, not moving, slightly freezing, waiting to see an elusive platypus. Thankfully, we finally saw one (they’re SO small!) swimming in the creek. Spotting a platypus is not too common, so we definitely got lucky. The drive home was through the windiest and darkest roads I’ve ever driven (definitely frightening when you’re on the wrong side of the road) but halfway home we pulled over to look at the stars and it was truly incredible. Never have I seen so many stars in the sky – you could even see the Milky Way! While renting a car and going to Yungaburra aren’t two things you need to do in Cairns, they were two of the highlights of my trip.

IMG_4024.JPGDay 4: Go Wild! Tour. The Go Wild! jungle tour can be done as a day tour or overnight tour. If you’re interested in snorkeling in Port Douglas (less visited than the reefs off Cairns), horseback riding, or zip lining, look into the overnight tours! This day felt very “Australian” as we started off at the Wildlife Habitat where I got to HOLD A KOALA. It was so soft and cuddly, but boy did it have sharp claws! Koala “cuddling” is only legal in Queensland and will set you back about $16, but it was one of my top 3 Australian experiences. Our bus drove us along the beautiful and scenic Captain Cook Highway (known as one of the best drives in Australia) to the Daintree River. Here we took a river cruise to spot some wild crocodiles. The river reminded me of home in Florida with so many mangroves. Afterwards, we took a stroll through the Daintree Rainforest to see big spiders and poisonous plants, all while trying to avoid getting drenched. The last stop before our drive back to Cairns was Cape Tribulation where Cook first landed in Australia. It was too rainy and cloudy for sun baking which was quite a bummer.

sarakoala.jpgDay 5/6: Just Chillen. The last two days we were in Cairns, we wandered around the town some more, spent what little sunshine time there was at the Lagoon, and ate the best fajitas any of us had ever tasted. A restaurant called Cactus Jacks has a $20 fajita and margarita deal on Thursday nights and if you’re reading this and ever find yourself in Cairns on a Thursday, you MUST go. The fajitas were cooked with a little bit of BBQ sauce which made them so amazingly delicious. It would have been great to add in another day trip or some fun activity, but with the not so great weather, I don’t think rafting/bungee jumping/more snorkelling would have been as enjoyable. 

IMG_7036.jpgCrocodiles, platypus, and koalas… snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef… getting rained on in a rainforest… driving on the left side of the road… sunbaking… Could I have had a more “Aussie” Easter Break experience??

A few recommendations:

  • Njoy is a fine hostel but a little far away from town and with a very unreliable shuttle bus.
  • Gilligan’s is the most popular hostel in the area and a non stop party… seriously people who stay there said the place was never quiet. If you’re looking for no sleep and lots of fun, it’s probably the place for you.
  • Don’t be afraid to wait until you’re in Cairns to book trips – you aren’t going to get amazing last minute deals, but there are a million travel agencies in town with unending tour options.
  • Ask your hostel where the cheapest traveler meals are – it’s possible to have dinner for $5!
  • Look into Port Douglas and other reef towns – many places have shuttles from the airport.
  • Cactus Jack’s on for Thursday night fajitas!!
  • Rent a high quality digital camera in town for $40 (includes all your pictures put on a DVD) instead of buying a $20 disposable camera that only let’s you take 20 pictures and then costs $15 to get developed (and they’re crappy pictures!!)

 


Location: Cairns, Australia

Hunter Valley (March 17, 2012)

Hunter Valley is known as one of the premier wine regions in Australia. Before leaving for Australia, I spent time researching possible trips I wanted to take during the semester. Hunter Valley seemed like the perfect place – a close location and lots of wine. I love planning trips, but knowing nothing about Hunter Valley, but seeing as Hunter Valley is about 6 hours by public transportation from Wollongong and the area is pretty hard to get around without a car, we decided to take a Colorful Trips tour leaving out of Sydney. Colorful Trips targets a younger market of travelers, meaning our tour was made up of twelve 20-somethings and not any snooty wine connoisseurs who actually sniff their wine and know what it’s supposed to smell like.      

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The drive from Sydney to Hunter Valley was 2 hours and very rainy. The rain had subsided once we arrived and the rolling hills of grapevines looked picturesque under a blanket of fog. Our first stop was Drayton’s Family Winery, one of the oldest in the area. In addition to the reds and whites, we tasted a couple port wines and chocolate liqueurs – all of which were a puckering sweet like nothing I’d ever tasted before. After our first tasting, we had a BBQ sausage lunch prepared by our tour guide Wazzo. The highlight of lunch was getting to try a taste of kangaroo meat. It was hard not too feel bad eating it, but it tasted just like steak.

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Our next winery was McGuigan’s Wines. Here we sat on stools at a round table while our host went around and poured each wine and explained its flavor. Here you definitely felt like a classy wine connoisseur. The most interesting thing I learned about Australian wine is that a rose is not nearly as sweet as we would think it to be in the US. Another fun fact is that many of their sweet whites are variations of a moscato, a wine that is not commonly thought of as high-test in the US. All the wines we sampled were available for purchase and I hoped to buy a bottle to bring back as a present to my parents, but seeing as I was almost over the weight limit on both my suitcases I brought with me to Australia, I figured a bottle of wine might be too heavy – sorry mom and dad!

The other stops on our tour were the Hunter Valley shopping area, a collection of cute shops and candy stores, and the Blue Tongue Brewery. At the brewery, you had the option to sample beers, but we chose to forgo the $10 sampling fee and continue testing wines. While we were there, a bride was arriving for her wedding reception. Hunter Valley is apparently a popular place to get married – getting married at a vineyard seems like a fairytale to me! Before we left the valley for our two hours rainy drive home, we stopped at a scenic overlook to sample some strange cheeses.

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Overall, the trip to Hunter Valley was a fun excursion and I would highly recommend it to those looking for a more laid back adventure. If I ever become a snooty wine connoisseur, I would love to go back to Hunter Valley on a sunny day and do more exploring in the area. Though next time, I’ll pass on the kangaroo meat.


Location: Hunter Valley, Australia

Week One – THON and Orientation

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I have officially been in Australia for one week. Last Monday, I touched down in Syndey at 6:30am and headed straight to Wollongong. I had twenty minutes to drop my bags off in my room and change my clothes before I joined up with my CIEE group for our orientation. Before I get into Wollongong details, let’s backtrack a few days back to the greatest weekend of the year… THON Weekend.

On February 14, I began my journey to Australia with a 5 day pit stop in Happy Valley. Since THON has been such a huge part of my life at Penn State since freshman year and missing it just seemed wrong, no matter how much I wanted to study abroad. Thankfully, everything worked out and at 1pm on Friday February 17, I was lined up outside the BJC with my sorority Omega Phi Alpha and our fraternity pair Alpha Gamma Rho as we waited to enter the BJC. From the time the BJC doors opened at 4pm until 9am Saturday morning, I was in the stands dancing with my friends. Saying my goodbyes Saturday morning was rough, especially while exhausted and with tired feet. At 11am, I was at the State College airport, ready to begin my first of three flights that would bring me to Australia.

I’ll never forget how I found out the THON 2012 total. I was picked up at the Sydney airport by a shuttle service that would take me to Wollongong. At 7:55 am Australia time, my mom called me and I listened as the THON organization totals were listed off on the live feed she had playing on her computer. When the total of 10,686,924.83 MILLION DOLLARS was announced, I had to ask my mom to repeat it multiple times… I was in shock. No matter what happened this year, Penn Staters came together and show that we are a family and we will find a cure.

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I arrived in Australia Monday February 21. My first day here, I joined the 12 other CIEE Wollongong students and our program advisors as we drove around the city and university campus. Later in the day, we went to the Crowne Street Mall to get cell phones and other necessities. Australia is EXPENSIVE. Toiletries are a few dollars more than they would be in the States, not to mention that things in AUD are already more than USD. Along the lines of things that cost too much, Internet access is $30 a month… and you have a quota. I miss Penn State’s wifi.

Tuesday was the uni’s international student orientation. Wednesday and Thursday were free days that I used as beach days and getting settled days. The beach here is beautiful with a picturesque lighthouse looking over it. It’s a 25-minute walk from my dorm, Weerona College, but Wollongong is an easy to navigate place and it’s an easy stroll.

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Over the weekend, we had our CIEE orientation trip to Merry Beach, 4 hours south of Wollongong. On the way, we stopped at 7 Mile Beach near Kiama for surfing lessons. Turns out that even though I’m a native Floridian, I can’t surf. After standing up once and ingesting gallons of salt water, I called it a day and “sun baked” on the beach while everyone else looked like they had sponsorships from Hurley.

At Merry Beach, we stayed in a vacation home overlooking the beach. Not bad for a bunch of college students. We were enamored by the wild kangaroos, which the residents consider pests, just like as we would consider armadillos or raccoons. I’d estimate I have over 200 kangaroo photos on my camera from a two-day span. On Saturday, we hiked Mt. Gulaga with an aboriginal guide. At the top of the mountain (an excruciating 2 hour hike up) our guide explained to us the creation story of the aboriginal Australians and lead us through symbolic boulders. To hear how this area which most hikers overlook is actually her sacred ground was eye opening. As interesting as it was, getting back to the bottom of the mountain and downing a $4 Powerade was so refreshing.

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Today starts the first day of classes but fortunately for me, I only have class Tuesday – Thursday. I am nervous to see how the classes are administered here. Everyone says that the US equivalent of a C is a great grade… wow. I’m only taking 3 classes, yet it transfers back as 14 credits. Each class has a lecture and tutorial (discussion) component that both meet once a week. I’m excited to start classes after my two month long winter break, I definitely started to think I was never going back to school. Thankfully, with classes just starting, the beach is still a daily ritual and tomorrow I’ll remember to use more sunscreen. My red sunburn doesn’t go well with my complexion.


Location: Wollongong, Australia

Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Sara Matulonis and I’m currently a junior here at Penn State. I love Penn State but I’m definitely not a fan of weather under 65 degrees, so next semester I’ll be taking a break from the winter and studying abroad in Wollongong, Australia! (It’s a little south of Sydney) I’m a Photojournalism major and go everywhere with my camera in hand, so expect lots of pictures. I love all things beachy and I’m beyond excited to get to experience the coastal lifestyle of Wollongong while taking classes at the University of Wollongong.

Parting with Penn State in two weeks is going to be rough, but I’m cold so I’m not complaining. I leave for Australia February 18th, 3 days before my birthday. After lots of strategic planning, I figured out a way that I can still study abroad but not miss the most important weekend of the year – THON! The thought of missing THON was too much to handle, so I’m flying up earlier in the week and staying until noon on Saturday of THON, then starting my journey from the State College aiport. Thank goodness I’ll have 20 hours of flying to catch up on sleep before touching down Down Under!

75 days til THON, 77 days til Wollongong! 

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Location: State College, PA