Tag Archives: abroad

A Successful Semester

I’m starting off my last official Australia post by saying that I’m not quite sure what to say. After a week at home recovering from jet lag, catching up on appointments, unpacking, and repacking for my summer internship, I’m still finding it hard to believe that my semester has concluded. While I’m incredibly excited to start my internship and begin a new exciting chapter of my life, I’m equally sad to be writing the last chapter on my semester in Australia. I feel so overwhelmed with the things I’ve learned and gained and experienced abroad, that I don’t even know where to start in wrapping it up.

Have Dreams, Will Travel

The past four and a half months have enforced that I love traveling. I also am very satisfied that I kept blogging throughout my time abroad, and have even decided to create my own personal blog for future travels! In total, I visited three countries and 12 major cities, took 13 flights, and spent approximately 77 hours on an airplane. Every experience I had brought new faces and new places. I also made many connections with people from all across the world that I now have the opportunity to stay connected with. Spending a semester abroad has reinforced my beliefs that studying abroad is a fantastic way to become a more knowledge person, get to know yourself and others better, and discover a love for trying new things. I encourage anyone who has this opportunity to follow their dreams.

Friends & I during the last week abroad

Oz

Since as far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to visit Australia. I’ve always thought it would be amazing, but it truly has exceeded all my expectations. Generally, Australian’s are very knowledgeable with world news, and very observant on how different events affect different countries. While major cities are a little more upbeat, most of the country is relaxed and their work ethics humane. Although costs of living there are higher overall than the average in the US, the benefits are also larger, and their way of life is less stressful. It was great to about the Australian way of life, and get to live it for a little while!

The spirit of Australia

I very much hope to make it back to Australia at some point in my future, but I feel like I am already left with a lifetime of beautiful memories. The most incredible thing for me is that I filled my semester to the MAX exploring, travelling, and checking things off my bucket list, however there were still many things left undone. I definitely did as much as physically possible, however there are just so many amazing opportunities throughout Australia. I had a life changing experience abroad, and until next time (there will be a next time), I’m left to say Cheers, mate!

Back to Bondi (Sydney Day 4)

Today our friends took us on another short driving tour of the city, exploring a different area.

Centennial Park

First we stopped at Centennial Park, which was designed in 1811 and opened to the public in 1888. This area is unique because it is a beautiful recreational park in the center of busy downtown Sydney. With stunning views, lovely wildlife, and happy people, it is definitely worth a visit!

Centennial Park

Duckling in Centennial Park

Wildlife in Centennial Park

Bondi Beach

Next we headed to Bondi Beach, which I had been lucky enough to visit when I was in Sydney earlier in the semester. Our friends walked with us through the town, and we went into a few shops in addition to taking in the beautiful Bondi Beach views. If you continue along the coast, you can follow the trail to the end destination of Coogee Beach.

Mom & I on the coastal walk

Bondi to Bronte

We followed the Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk trail to Bronte Beach, and the views along the way were just as breathtaking as I remembered. We took plenty of photos along the way, and made it to Bronte all to fast.

Classic coastal walk view

Since we had some extra time, we walked to the coastal lookout on the far side of Bronte, and checked out the original saltwater pool. This pool sits right on the ocean’s edge, and the waves overflow into the pool basin, filling it with nature saltwater. Originally this pool was only open to women for several hours of the day on specific days. Today, anyone can enjoy it free of charge. A more very similar, but more modern day, infinity pool is present at Bondi Beach, called Icebergs. Although it’s mimicked after Bronte’s pool, you must be a club member or pay to swim there!

Original saltwater pool (Bronte)

New saltwater pool (Bondi)

Rock formation near Bronte Beach

To wrap up our day, we had lunch at a café overlooking Bronte Beach, then headed back to our bed and breakfast to finish packing. Before we knew it, we were on the way to the airport for one last day in Brisbane prior to heading home!

Exploring Sydney (Days 2 & 3)

During the next two days, we explored downtown Sydney, Darling Harbor, and the surrounding areas.

The Rocks

This morning our friends drove us around the area of Paddington, a wealthier area that we were staying in during our visit. They showed us nearby suburbs and beaches, and eventually we made our way back to Darling Harbor. We visited the Rocks Markets, an open-street market held on Saturdays and Sundays just off of Darling Harbor. It is home to lovely little craft vendors and artisans, and we spent the afternoon wandering through the setup. After lunch at a nearby café, we caught a ferry ride back to Double Bay, where our friends picked us up after a full day of enjoying Darling Harbor.

Later that evening we took a long walk through the neighboring park, across the small suburb, down to Double Bay, and along the water to the Point. It was a relaxing way to end the evening, and a beautiful view of the water and marina. That evening we had leftovers and talked to our bed and breakfast host for a long while. It was quite a relaxing evening!

The Opera House

The next day we toured the iconic Opera House, and it was well worth it! The beautiful and magnificently structured building houses three smaller theaters, a larger concert hall, and opera/ballet theater. The original design was selected among around 200 others who entered a contest to see their work come to life. The building went through several obstacles during its construction, and by the time it was completed, the original designer, Jorn Utzon, was never able to actually see his work come to life. Regardless, the building is still a masterpiece, with a series of shells creating a roof far above the actual roof of the theater buildings.

Mom & I outside the Opera House

Inside of the Opera House

The Botanical Gardens

Next we explored Sydney’s Royal Botanical Gardens, a huge complex spanning for 30 hectares in the heart of the city. This beautiful property is very well kept, and is home to many species of flora. We had lunch at the café in the gardens, then explored through Hyde Park on our way to downtown.

Interesting tree in the botanical gardens

Ibis bird

Example of a hut used in aboriginal life

Pitt Street

Downtown, we walked around Pitt street, the shopping mecca of Sydney. We explored a bunch of shops, and visited the renovated Queen Victoria Building. Originally a municipal market, the QVB was restored in 1986, and now is home to fashion boutiques, jewelry stores, home shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Inside the Queen Victoria Building

Bei Amichi

For dinner, we joined our friends for a fantastic dinner at a well-reputed Italian restaurant. We spent the night catching up and remarking on the amazing food, and eventually headed back for our last evening in Sydney.

Exploring the past two days in Darling Harbor and Paddington was just lovely!

Blue Haze (Sydney Day 1)

This evening we arrived in Sydney, and enjoyed a lovely dinner at our friend’s apartment. By late evening we were exhausted, and headed across the street to the bed and breakfast we had booked.

Blue Haze

The next morning we visited the Blue Mountains, my second time, but my mom’s first time in the area. However, today was a unique day because planned burns were happening throughout the mountains. This area of Australia has been very dry lately, which makes forest fires more of a threat. In order to reduce the risk of fires, planned burns are carried out, leaving the entire area in a bit of a blue haze. In fact, the smoke is so strong and travels so far, that it even was hazy that morning in the city (it takes and hour and a half to drive to the blue mountains).

Leura

Our first official stop of the day was at a small town in the Blue Mountains called Leura. We visited this quaint area for high tea, which was a treat from our friends who highly suggested we go. It’s basically a fancy English-style tea, with tea or coffee, scones, mini desserts, and petite sandwiches. It was quite and enjoyable morning! We spent a little while walking through artsy shops, then headed to the actual mountain area.

High tea table setting

High Tea room

Scenic World

Although a bit touristy, we were glad to stop at this attraction center. Based at the top of the mountains, this discovery center offers a railway or cableway down to a walkway in a lower level of the forest, and a skyway car that travels across a mountain gap and over a huge waterfall. We took the railway down, then walked through the beautiful forest enjoying natural and the local artist exhibitions placed throughout the trail. Then we took the cableway back up, and also went across on the skyway. The center itself was very crowded and the lines were long, but overall it was a great experience!

“Tunnel of Love” artwork along the trail

View from Skyway

View of waterfall from Skyway

Darling Harbor

For dinner, we headed to Darling Harbor, and enjoyed fantastic food at Olive, an Italian restaurant on the water. Since it was Saturday night, was also saw the harbor’s weekly firework show. It was a beautiful evening and wrapped the day up perfectly!

Fireworks over Darling Harbor

Little Italy of Australia (Tasmania Day 3)

Looking off of our balcony this morning, it reminds me exactly of the Italian countryside. Apparently, Hobart is the Little Italy of Australia!

MONA

Today we visited the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), which is a very popular attraction in Hobart that nearly everyone told us to visit. It might not be for everyone, but I am incredibly happy went! We started by taking a lovely ferry from downtown Hobart up the Derwin River. Upon arrival, it doesn’t look like much, but at the top of the 99 entrance steps and underground lays the art museum with remarkable architecture and creativity.

Ferry’s view of MONA

Entrance to MONA

Stage area behind MONA

We explored outside, then entered the museum, looking at and thinking about all the artwork inside. Some was a bit dark or disturbing, but majority of the works were very interesting to view. Our of everyone we’ve met, this gallery gives different people very different views. You either love it, or hate it. Luckily, my mom and I thought it was well worth the visit and a fantastic way to spend our last morning in Hobart. If you’re interested in art and creativity, I highly recommend visiting MONA!

Organ/flower artwork

Skull made of colorful beetles

Wall of art

Live tattoo art

By afternoon we were on the way to the airport, headed to Sydney!

Port Arthur (Tasmania Day 2)

Today was probably one of the most incredible days I’ve spent in Australia! We took a three-hour wildlife cruise along the Tasman cliff faces, and later explored Port Arthur.

Pennicott Wilderness Journeys

Our day started with an hour’s drive from Hobart to Eaglehawk Neck. We enjoyed morning tea at a local café, then were transferred to the coast to board our boat. It was a 32-seat boat built like a giant inflatable raft with a roof.

Pennicott Wilderness Journey’s cruise boat

The Cruise

We soon set our to explore the incredible Tasman landscape by way of the ocean! We travelled along the eastern cliff edges of the Tasman Sea, down south and around that land section, and eventually into the water channel leading to Port Arthur. Stunned by the staggering cliffs and open sea caves, we soon stopped Waterfall bay, where you could see the marking of where a huge waterfall would flow with enough rain.

Cliff faces

Sea caves

Our next stop was at a calm inland bay, where an old jetty and boat remains were sunken in the ocean. Years ago a ship ran aground there, and the story can still be envisioned today. Here we saw a flock of birds native to Tasmania that look remarkably similar to penguins. The main difference is they can fly. We also saw a nest of white-chested sea eagles, however did not see any of the actual birds themselves! This area is also a popular camping destination, and although it wasn’t the right season at the time, it can fill up to hold 1200 campers.

Shipwreck

This was probably the most exciting boat ride I’ve been on, a bit adrenaline pumping but also awesome. As we cruised along the cliff edges, I was so impressed by their brutal beauty. The Southern ocean is not protected by any land masses prior to this point, so by the time Antarctic swells reach the edge of Tasmania, they are extremely powerful. Along the way, we also saw dolphins and seals lying along the cliff edges.

Seals along the cliff edges

The Black Coast

Today the swell was a mere 3 meters (distance between the trough and peak of a wave), but next week they are predicting that the largest swell in 10 years is to pass through, at 20 meters. Glad we visited today! These massive swells make the ocean too powerful to take tours out in, and today was one of only 50 days of the year that the water was acceptable to take the tour down the entire coast to Port Arthur, along the most dangerous area called the Black Coast. Typically, a tour will go out at the same start spot, cruise, return to that spot, then be driven down to Port Arthur. However, we were lucky enough to explore the magic of the Southern Ocean and Black Coast!

Port Arthur

This small town started as a convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, built during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. It is a beautiful property, but has a very dark past.

View of Port Arthur from the water

The English empire started sending convicts down to Tasmania because they were running out of room in their prisons. Due to Tasmania’s location and extreme landscaping, it created a natural prison because people literally could not leave the island. This penitentiary was actually built with the intention to help boost the economy by prisoners doing work to send supplies back to Europe and settle the area. In fact, most “prisoners” were not even imprisoned, but were expected to work various jobs around the area, such as fishing or cutting down trees.

Unfortunately, Port Arthur is also the location of Australia’s worst mass murder event, where 35 innocent people lost their lives. This in turn pushed the enactment of Australia’s very strict gun laws, which still exist today.

Inside a penitentiary wing

After two devastating fires among the years, Port Arthur ceased working. At the time, the Queen of England encouraged everyone to gather leftover supplies to rebuild the community, leaving just a shell of the original property. Some has been reconstructed, but you can still imagine its original look. Now, Port Arthur is Tasmania’s top tourist attraction.

View of Port Arthur on land

Rosney Hill Lookout

On the bus ride home, our driver surprised us and drove to a beautiful hilltop lookout over Hobart (after sunset). With clusters of downtown areas and homes lit up on the hillside, it was an incredible view, and a perfect way to end such a fantastic day!

Bruny Island (Tasmania Day 1)

Yesterday we arrived in Hobart, Tasmania, and spent the rest of the day exploring downtown and shopping around. Tasmania is located at the Southeast corner of Australia, the only state not attached to the mainland. It is the closest you can get to Antarctica while still in Australia! The town of Hobart is located on the central Southern coast, was founded in 1803 as a penal colony, and is the second oldest city after Sydney.

Today, we took a food and scenery tour of Bruny Island. We woke up to hear the first snowfall had hit the top of Mt. Wellington overnight, quite a cold shock after my days in sunny Gold Coast! After catching the ferry from Kettering, we docked in Robert’s Point, and started our day:

Map of Bruny Island with associated tour stop locations

1. Bruny Island Cheese Co.

This artisan cheese producer provided a fantastic cheese tasting of two hard, one soft, and one fresh cheese. They were all delicious, and the outdoor setup was just charming. We also tasted two craft beers that were available at their shop. After nearly 10 years of making cheese in many different countries, the owner set up shop on Bruny Island, and has been quite successful since then.

Window showcase of cheese wheels

Outside of Bruny Island Cheese Co. tasting setup

2. Get Shucked Oysters

Due to its location, Tasmania is known for its quality fish industry, and oysters are also popular. The owner of this company purchased the business at age of 18, and has thrived. Although I am a vegetarian, I decided prior to traveling that if I came across a cultural food containing meat I MIGHT try it. However, this has been the first time I’ve actually followed through. I tried one oyster, and it tasted like a quality one, but I don’t think I would care to try them again. Most of tour group had the same opinion, but a few people enjoyed the extras!

Oyster tasting

3. Truganini Lookout

Bruny Island is made up of the two islands, north and south, connected by a strip of land called the Neck. We walked up to the lookout, and had a spectacular view of the islands and surrounding waters. It’s the perfect place to see the spectacular white sands, which get their light color from their high silica content.

Panoramic view of Bruny Island

The Neck lookout

This area also contains a colony of little fairy penguins. They are the smallest penguin species in the world, with a 40cm height and 1kg weight maximum. They breed in colonies here, nesting and burrowing in the ground. Like the St. Kilda penguins in Melbourne, they feed during day and come in at night. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see any since we were only visiting during the day!

Penguin burrows (darker holes in ground)

4. White wallabies

You learn something new everyday, and today I learned that wallabies come in white too! Wallabies are typically a brown color, but here on Bruny Island they contain a gene that gives a white color. Since the gene is recessive, they are born either entirely brown or pure white, and at times you will even see a white one in a brown mother’s pouch, or vice versa. We were lucky enough to see two up close (so we know they actually exist and aren’t just ghost wallabies), but not quite quick enough to get a picture!

5. Morning tea

Next we enjoyed a lovely tea at a beachside café off Adventure Bay. The coffee and blueberry muffin was a great little snack to fit into our morning while enjoyed the (finally) beautiful weather.

Teatime view

6. Bruny Island Premium Wines

For lunch, we headed to the island winery, where we tasted two whites and three red wines. I had a mushroom and halloumi (firm white cooked cheese) dish, which was AMAZING. I think it may have been the best dish I’ve have so far in Australia. Definitely a recommend stop on the island.

7. Chocolate Factory Outlet

For desert, we headed to a chocolate producer, where we tasted hazelnut, caramel, and chocolate fudge, and chocolate-covered honeycomb. It was definitely caloric, but a great way to enjoy the holiday! While driving from here, we passed by Satellite Island, which a man inherited from distant family. He built a resort on property, and now you’re able to rent out the entire island, starting at $1200 a night!

Chocolate Factory Outlet

8. Bruny Island House of Whiskey

Our last stop of the day was at the island’s whiskey distillery, where we sampled either whiskey or a gin and tonic. This was a great stop to wrap up the day, and was a stunning property overlooking the water and northern edge of the island.

View off House of Whiskey front deck

Overall, I had a fantastic impression of Bruny Island. The people are lovely, and the scenery is gorgeous. My favorite part is that the buildings look like charming little toy buildings that were dropped throughout the land. It just looks like a peaceful little dream island where people go to relax and escape.

A very worthwhile and enjoyable day!

The Great Barrier Reef (Cairns Day 3)

Today I got to check off another major life bucket list item, visiting the iconic Great Barrier Reef!

Based on square meters, the Great Barrier Reef is the most diverse ecosystem in the world. The reef is located about an hour and a half off of the coastline, and is made up of coral cays, which are essentially semi circles of reef formations, with the more built up areas on the southern side. As the currents push water and sand south, it builds up into these formations. The reef has over 2,900 reef cays, and stretches over 1,400 miles of the Coral Sea. This area is so large that it is the only living thing on planet Earth that can be seen from outer space, and is the world’s largest single structure made by living organisms. It is categorized as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Combined with the Whitsunday Islands, it generates $3 billion of tourism revenue per year.

Unfortunately, human activity on the reefs has drastically impacted the health of the ecosystem. The coast of downtown Cairns is essentially a contaminated mud flat where boats dock, leaving a not so attractive view. However, the reef protects the ocean closer to land, therefore providing a natural barrier, which makes the water relatively calm. Unfortunately the windy and rainy weather the past few days has made the visibility in the water not very good, but there is also a problem with coral bleaching. Tragically, over 50% of the reef has already been killed off, so it is extremely important to make sure products being used are environmentally friendly.

Snorkel Trip One

To explore the reef, we took a 60-person tour with Ocean Freedom. The crew was extremely knowledgeable, very friendly, and helpful. After our boat ride out, we docked and went for a half hour snorkel. Although visibility was low, we still were able to see a lot of wildlife! Our first friend was a barracuda over a meter long that likes to hang out around the back of boat (according to the staff). Although this wasn’t particularly my favorite sighting, it was still a story that I survived to tell! We also saw sea turtles, which are gorgeous and impressive creatures. One of our guides explained to us that most wildlife on the reef gets their name because it literally looks like what it’s named after. For example, brain coral looks like a brain, and boulder coral looks like a boulder. To follow this story, I saw a unique fish that was yellow with black dots, and was shaped sort of like a box. When I later looked it up, it was in fact called a “yellow box fish,” creative! I also saw a humphead wrasse fish, which is basically a large dark-colored fish with a bump-like structure on its head. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but it was massive, probably about three feet long!

Bumphead Parrotfish (picture from http://www.swissnomads.com/2014/09/best-dive-sites-lhaviyani-atoll-maldives/)

Bumphead Wrasse (picture from http://www.swissnomads.com/2014/09/best-dive-sites-lhaviyani-atoll-maldives/)

Parrotfish (picture from https://phishdoc.com/2015/09/14/parrotfish-i/)

One of my favorite fish was the parrotfish, which males are a rainbow of colors, and females are beige and brown. They are absolutely beautiful, but also contribute to a large portion of bioerosion on the reefs. They consume microscopic organisms that live on an in coral rock by using their beak-like teeth, and in the process destroy the coral. This natural devastation of the reef actually accounts for a large portion of the ecological loss. Parrotfish also do this cool thing at night where they spit out a large cocoon of balloon-like skin, which they swim inside of it and sleep there for the night. The properties of this sticky skin make it so that other sea creatures cannot sense its presence by its electrical impulses. If a predator were to attempt to break this casing, it would be repelled my the thickness and stickiness of it. Our tour guide said he was once on a dive where a friend picked up the bubble with the parrotfish asleep inside, and it didn’t even wake up!

My mom and I before snorkeling

My mom and I post snorkeling

Glass Bottom Boat

Next I took two back to back trips in the glass bottom boat, because you never know what you’re going to find in the big blue sea at any given moment! We saw countless sea cucumbers and blue starfish, and got briefed on many different types of coral and fish. After returning to the boat, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch, then headed to the second snorkeling location. This was just a short distance away, on the other side of the cay. Marine life there was about the same as the previous location, but it was great to see two different areas on the same trip.

Snorkel Trip Two

Since there was more of a current in this area, we took the smaller boat out ahead of the cruise boat, then jumped into the water and followed the current back to the main boat. A staff member swam with us, teaching us about various ocean facts. She also led us to a sort of coral cave where there were often sharks. Lucky for us, they were hiding out there! You had to dive down a little and look under a ledge, but we did get to see a few incredible black-tipped sharks. About the only “big” thing we didn’t see was a manta ray. Small blue-spotted rays are very common in the sandier areas where we were, I just didn’t happen to see any. I also got to see my other favorite fish, nemo’s! Or, “clownfish,” if you want to be technical. They are definitely the other most adorable thing I’ve see in Cairns, in addition to the aforementioned baby crocodiles. Despite the cloudiness of the water and roughness of the waves, we were able to see quite a satisfying amount of ocean life!

Enjoying the Great Barrier Reef

Tour Advice

Overall, I would say that our tour was extremely successful! If you are looking for what tour to do here, I would recommend Ocean Freedom for several reasons. Their company is one of the few family-owned businesses left, and they truly do act like a family. All staff was very well educated, and everything on the boat was clean and organized. Their was plenty of food throughout the day and it was always good, and staff was quite accommodating. I didn’t bring along any sort of underwater camera, but if you have one, bring it! When the water is clear, the footage is great, especially with a mounted GoPro. However, if the water quality isn’t very clear, you’re honestly better just enjoying the trip and not bothering with trying to get decent photos. If you get seasick or motion sick easily, and find yourself here during rough weather, definitely take something prior to heading on the boat. Additionally, when the weather is more rough, snorkeling in the ocean is also a little more difficult that you may imagine. Pretty much anyone can do it (they even will personally take you out with a life guard ring and guide if you’re elderly etc), but you do need to be aware of strong currents and larger waves. It’s a little different than snorkeling in calm water, but far worth it! If you are nervous about trying it out, there’s a huge scale of beginner to advanced options, so definitely go for it!

Cairns

After docking at the marina, we walked to the lagoon pool and took a few photos in the beautiful infinity pool built right on the beach. Cairns has fun things like giant stinging jellyfish and plankton that don’t hurt you but make your skin tingle, so the lagoon is a great option for when these creatures are in season! We got back around dinnertime, still feeling somewhat like we were on a boat, and had a relaxed evening. Cairns still gives me a slightly weird feeling that I haven’t gotten anywhere else in Australia, I am 100% glad to have come and that I was able to do everything on my Cairns bucket list! However, I think if I come back for this sort of trip, I will try somewhere new, like farther up North (where snorkeling is supposedly even better), the Whitsunday Islands, or Fiji. Tomorrow we will head to the airport in preparation for Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road!

Cairns boardwalk

Sydney Sites (Sydney Day 1)

This week my friends and I went on a tour through Sydney, with the highlight being the Pride Mardi Gras celebration! It was a wonderful weekend filled with incredible sites and experiences, and definitely worth the trip. We started out by taking an overnight bus to Sydney Thursday evening, taking about 12 hours to get to the city. The bus ride didn’t seem too long, but it was a bit weird arriving early morning and jumping right into the day!

Downtown Walking Tour

After arriving to Sydney early morning, we checked into Maze Backpackers Hostel, which was my first time staying at a hostel! It wasn’t the most glamorous accommodation, but considering we were pretty much only there to sleep, it worked well for the purposes of our trip. We all freshened up and headed out on a walking tour through the downtown area.

Our first stop was at Hyde Park War Memorial, which is an Anzac memorial in Hyde Park South. This building commemorates all Australians who served in the war, and is the principle State War Memorial in New South Wales. Built in 1934, the structure has been preserved very well, and is still in great condition today. Our next stop was the Hyde Park Archibald Fountain. This gift was built in 1932 for the City of Sydney in J.F. Archibald’s will. The fountain was created by Francois Sicard, and commemorates the relationship between Australia and France in World War One. We next visited St. Mary’s Cathedral, which stands just across the road from the Archibald Fountain. This English-style gothic church represents spiritual origins of the Catholic Church in Australia, and was built by William Wilkinson Wardell from local yellow-block sandstone just like the city is built on. The inside of the building is just as picturesque as the outside, and has a very warm and inviting color scheme in addition to the detailed architecture.

Hyde Park War Memorial

Hyde Park Archibald Fountain

St. Mary’s Cathedral of Sydney

Inside of St. Mary’s Cathedral

From there we walked to and through the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney, 30 hectares of gardens in the middle of the city. Started in 1816, this property spans around Farm Cove at the edge of Sydney Harbour, and inhibits plants from Australia and the world.

I think my favorite area of the gardens was when it opened up to the edge of the harbor, giving a view of the water and opera house in the background. Following the pathways out of the gardens, we walked to the iconic Opera House, where I was ecstatic to see this beautiful work of art in person!

The opera house is known as Australia’s most recognizable building, and took 16 years to build (1957-1973). A master of modern architectural design, engineering, and construction technology, it truly is an impressive work of art. We spent about an hour walking around the property, taking in the sites of Darling Harbour, and enjoying lunch on the water at Searock Grill.

The last stop on our sites walking tour was the Sydney Harbour Bridge, where we climbed the first pylon to see a spectacular view of Sydney. After walking out to the center of the bridge, we climbed 200 stairs to the Pylon lookout, 87 meters above sea level. This iconic bridge initiated construction in 1922, and opened in 1932. Even though we were not on the very top pylon of the bridge, it was still a spectacular view of the surrounding area!

Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

View from Sydney Harbour Bridge first pylon lookout

At the conclusion of our walking tour, we headed back to the area near our hostel. We made a brief stop at Patty’s, a market center in Chinatown, to pick up a few last-minute costume additions for our Mardi Gras outfits, then headed back to the hostel to get ready for the evening.

Darling Harbour Sunset Cruise

In the evening we walked back down to the Darling Harbour area, and along the way passed many people and decorations present for the weekend’s celebration. Seeing all the pride colors was heart-warming and very festive! Walking through the harbour area at nighttime was very pretty as well, with all the lights and evening bustle around the waterfront. We soon boarded a dinner cruise boat for the evening, and spent the night on the water. It was a lovely evening with friends, food, and beautiful skyline views of the city at night. After a few hours on the water, we docked and headed on a party bus to Side Bar, a local bar that was included with our tour package. We returned to the hostel after exploring Sydney nightlife for a little while, and got ready for our next day of adventures!

View of Sydney Harbour on the dinner cruise

G’Day Bond!

Over a week after landing in Gold Coast, Australia, I finally am having the opportunity to sit down and write a little about what adventures I’ve had over the past week! Between all the things we’ve done and the technological difficulties, it took a little while to get the first post up! I’ve decided to post at least once a week, with extra posts for additional adventures. Here’s a day by day breakdown of the events and experiences I’ve had during orientation, or O-week:

Monday

After a 15 hour flight to Hong Kong, 6 hour layover, 9 hour flight to Brisbane, hotel stay, and hour shuttle ride to Gold Coast, I arrived at my apartment complex! Since it’s right across Lake Orr from the school, we could see campus upon arrival. Looking at the Bond University sign mounted on a building was very surreal!

I checked into Varsity Towers, dropped my stuff off in my new studio apartment, and headed with a friend to check her into the dorms. We walked around campus, and got all the logistics done like getting our ID cards and checking classes. We attended our first Australian Barbecue ever! I later went back to my apartment to unpack some essentials, attend a building orientation, and change to go experience our first night about town. We met a few Australians on campus who gave us some advice and information about the area, and soon we all headed to Surfers Paradise. We met a few interesting people traveling over Holiday, and by the next morning could not BELIEVE we had only been in Gold Coast for less than 24 hours. It seemed like a fantastic eternity since we had done so many new and exciting things!

Lake view off Varsity Tower apartments

Tuesday

I attended a Writing Workshop to see what expectations there would be for classes here at Bond. It was a good session to get a taste of the work ethic here. A few of us then went to “Sandstone to Sunset,” a formal reception welcoming new students to campus. There were several speakers, as well as a traditional indigenous performance and blessing. We also got alumni class pins. After unpacking a little more (it took basically all week), we got ready for the ABC (anything but clothes) party. Since the legal age is 18 in Australia, there is a fully licensed on-campus bar called Don’s that hosts theme parties every Thursday night, and afterward provides buses to and from downtown Surfers Paradise. People get really into theme parties here!

On the way home that evening walking on the lake boardwalk back to my apartment, I had a moment thinking how lucky I am to be in this beautiful place. It was peaceful and calming and I cannot WAIT to experience living here.

Nightlife in Surfer’s Paradise

Wednesday

The only part of jetlag that has been hitting me is that I keep waking up, wide awake, at 6:30am. This isn’t terrible, but I’m sure I’ll get adjusted soon! Today, I attended “Wednesday by the Water” BBQ, checked out the campus gym and pool area, and went with a group of friends on a campus tour. The things that strike me the most about campus here is that it is absolutely breathtaking, and SO much smaller than Penn State’s campus. The bookstore is inside the library, and the gift shop at home is about six times larger than the actual textbook store is at Bond. There’s also only one dining hall and a “large” class has max 40 people in it. Campus life is a little different here, but I think it will be exciting!

Thursday

I woke up early and ventured out to Pacific Fair Mall, where I took care of my phone plan and got a few groceries. I made it back just in time for the student abroad welcome BBQ, then a bunch of my friends and I checked out some of the surrounding area. We went to the pool at one of their apartments, the Cape, which is a large gated villa complex with real sand at the pool. We spent some time in the sun then checked out Market Square nearby, a small downtown area where we got sushi. A few of us also stopped for coffee on the way out, which was delicious. Fun fact, they typically serve ice cream in iced coffee here! For the first Thursday of the January semester, Don’s hosted the Tight & Bright party later that evening.

A balcony picture prior to Tight & Bright

A balcony picture at the Cape prior to Tight & Bright

Friday

I got up early and went for a run around Lake Orr, which is located literally right next to campus. I ran down through Market Square, and along the boardwalk to a beautiful view of the lake. A few of us later headed to IT to take care of some school logistics, then attended the “Recovery BBQ” and “G’Day Bond,” a general information session for new students. I went to the Robina Town Centre mall with a few friends to pick up a few more groceries and check out the area, and Friday ended up being the calmest day of all week!

A view of Lake Orr

Saturday

Today was a catch up day for most of us, I took some time to organize my apartment and catch up on small details that had been pushed aside during our first week [of vacation] here. Then, a large group of us headed off downtown for our first ever bar tour. We got to know a few locals and got a few tips on the nearby area. It was also a great way to get to know a few more friends around campus!

Nightlife in Surfer’s Paradise

Sunday

A friend and I went back to Robina mall to shop a little, since despite the fact that I put so much energy into packing, I definitely did not pack well enough for my time here. It’s hard to pack for beautiful sunny weather when you’re heading into the cold Winter atmosphere at home! Going off of this, there are definitely a lot of small details we needed to figure out over the first week here. Most of them are settled out, and hopefully the rest will fall into place.

Overall, I am absolutely in LOVE with Gold Coast!