Whats Up Byron Bay?

The last few days I have been on an "Extreme Adventures" tour with a group of international students down to Byron Bay. It has been quite an experience! Before Byron we stopped at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. We got so see kangaroos, koalas, tasmanian devils, snakes, and dingoes. It was a cool experience especially petting and feeding a kangaroo.Kangaroos outnumber humans in Australia 6 to 1!

 

After the wildlife sanctuary we continued on to Byron, and entered New South Whales- about a 50 minute ride, when we arrived we immediately went on a hike up to a lighthouse. It was very sunny and hot, and we all were having a hard time getting up to the top- once we made, the view was worth it. I think that may have been my favorite part of the weekend. I learned about a mountain called Mt. Danger which is the highest peak in the Byron skyline and the first people (hundreds of years ago) to settle there were scared because they thought that the top of Mt. Danger blew off and landed in the ocean. The tops were actually peaks of previously active volcanoes in the ocean that you could see, so they did not want to settle in the area. I am missing a lot of the story but from what I heard the tour guides explain, was that later the town eventually did become inhabited and sort of turned into a small hippie town and was built up by the locals. 

There are maybe four to six blocks of shops with everything from organic food to souvenirs to pharmacies and delicious coffee! I was happy that I got a chance to walk the town everyday- sometimes twice a day, because that gave me a feeling that I got to know the area well. We started to recognize the streets and shops as we walked by the second or third time and I will be able to remember a lot more of the town because of that. 

 

 

The second night was the best out of the two. We started at the hostel with a BBQ and live music. Australians eat a lot of sausages and wrap them in plain bread, it is called a "sausage sizzle". There was live acoustic music, which was amazing. The musician sang Oasis, Green Day and other artists that I recognized :) Then we went out to a bar called Woody’s Surf Shack and I really enjoyed it. The ceiling had surf boards and the walls were wood like a real surf shack. There were pictures all on the walls of the locals and the surf/beach and just Byron in general. It was very relaxed; people were playing pool and chilling on couches.  The people of Byron seemed friendly and even more relaxed than those in Gold Coast.

Another highlight of the trip was the surfing session. We got to spend time with some surf instructors who helped us to learn to surf. I have tried surfing before, but it was really helpful to listen to an expert break down the steps. Back home, I just always watched others who were doing it, but now I understand a bit more. I stood up probably ten to fifteen times, but not for long. I want to keep practicing though! Another cool part about the surfing was that the water was a dark red color- I guess the rain from the night before had washed debris from the surrounding tea trees whose bark gave the darker coloration. In turn, the water had tea tree oil in it which is really good for your skin!

We also went sea kayaking- I was paired with a guy from Germany. This part of the trip would have been way cooler with less people. We had too many kayaks and everyone kept smashing into one another. I was getting frustrated because people didn't pay attention and the next thing you know your boat is hitting someone else which is very dangerous with the huge waves. We went pretty far out in the ocean over a reef and we were supposed to see dolphins and sea turtles but none came. I don’t know if I would do it again, but I am glad to say that I have tried it once. I think my favorite part was going over the waves, so maybe white water rafting might be a good fit for me. 

Byron was an amazing place, if we get the chance to go back, we will go with a small group of four to six, do our own thing and check out the waterfalls at Nimbin- the one place we didn't make it to. Nimbin apparently has day trips which will take you to swimming holes and places to jump off of a waterfall cliff. For now, I am so glad to be home in my own bed and to get a nice hot shower- this weekend has definitely been an experience!!!

One week down, nineteen to go!

This week so far has flown by! In the U.S. I am used to getting everything done so quickly. Here, I feel like grocery shopping takes the entire afternoon. I am getting used to the public transportation system and walking a lot more. Last night my friend Destiny from Canada and I walked thirty minutes each way to get a coffee down the street. I definitely appreciate my car back home! 

Roommates!

Billabong shop and hotels in Surfers

Me and Destiny

The weather here is beautiful – it is hot during the middle of the day, and we don't have AC so I have been getting into the habit of wearing sunscreen wherever I go. I also can't find any sunscreen here over spf30- which seems surprising because apparently there is a hole in the ozone over Australia. 

Because the weather is so nice we have been able to get a lot done- Tuesday we arrived, Wednesday we went to Australia fair, Thursday we went to Uni and out to Surfers Paradise for dinner, Friday we went to Pacific Fair and yesterday, we went grocery shopping and to the pool. Last night we went to Surfer’s Paradise again just to walk around and see the scenery, there was a sand sculpture contest going on as well as the regular night life and I got a homemade ice cream cone. 

 

Tomorrow starts orientation at Uni (that’s the generic aussie word used for any university) and the beginning of “O Week” which is basically a week long party. So far I have met a lot of friends, and I am trying my best to remember all of their names and hometowns. Destiny is from Toronto, Ali is from Illinois, Christian is from Chicago, Matt and Artu are from Finland, Vicki and Jeremy and someone else who won’t tell anyone his real name are from Dubai, and Angie, Tamara, Phoebe, Beck, Kim, Morgan,( and more that I can’t remember right now ) are from Australia. We have had quite a few new people arrive this past two days I just met about a half dozen at the pool earlier today.

Shopping in Pacific Fair

Going down the travelator!

Australian "travelators" not escalators

When we went to Pacific fair, we had lunch at a small shop called Goldstein’s where I had my first pie. Pies seem to be very popular here and you can get just about anything in them from steak to chicken or even breakfast pies with egg bacon and cheese. The food here is good, and I have to remember that they do not tip at all here, it is not expected and the price on the menu is including tax. It is nice to know what you have to pay upfront as I think everyone here is on a budget (including myself). Overall the food is just about the same as in the states. The coffee however is completely different. I have noticed that it is hard to get a "regular" cup of coffee here as all of their drinks are made from espresso. I also had my first latte and to my surprise I realized that I didn't even need sugar. The coffee is strong but not bitter. I have really enjoyed trying it so far.

First Adventures

Hello and Happy (Late) Valentines Day! Today we had a lot of "firsts" - the first adventure, the first meal at an Australian restaurant- Bam Burgers,  the first time taking the public transportation bus, and first time meeting new students at Nexus Apartments.

The students here are very social- everyone is so friendly, and today we were able to sit outside the "common area" and just chat with everyone. I think that we could probably sit outside all day and not get bored. Everyone including the owners chat for hours and really enjoy relaxing and getting to talk with each other. So far I have met girls from Canada, the US, and Dubai. There are "heaps" (which means a lot) of people from all over Australia, including our new roommate, Tamarah.

Shopping today was a blast! Australia has outdoor and indoor combination shopping centers called "Fairs" and today we went to "Australia Fair" in Southport, about a ten minute ride from the apartments. Our new friend and neighbor from a few doors down at the apartment dropped us on her way to class. The weather was absolutely beautiful - sunny, warm and breezy. We also got to see the Southport Campus of Griffith University- tomorrow we will go to our campus at Gold Coast. Here are pictures from Southport, and the panoramic view from above the shopping center was absolutely amazing. Oh- and I got to see my first koala! Too bad it was a statue :(










We had a great day and just relaxed this afternoon after taking our first ride on the TransLink bus. It picked us up right from Australia Fair with all of our shopping bags and dropped us back at Nexus. Viewing the city on the return made me realize how clean and beautiful this area of Australia is. I am happy to be here and cant wait to explore some more of Gold Coast! Tomorrow we are going to the University for the first time and Surfers Paradise for dinner and dancing! Until then, Cheers!

Packed and Ready to Fly!

In three days I will be leaving for my trip :) I remember when I was applying for this study abroad program, and hoping to get accepted- I almost can't believe it has been a year and I am finally leaving! At this point I am excited to go and see all that Australia has to offer. I have spoken to so many people who have been before, and everyone has been encouraging.

There are so many places I want to see and things that I want to do. I am looking forward to seeing my apartment for the first time and meeting my roommate (which is called a flatmate in Australia). I can’t wait to check out the campus and of course the beach- I am living only 10 minutes from Surfers Paradise.

For now, I will just focus getting through the 6 hour flight to LA, and then the 14 hour flight to Brisbane! It will definitely be an experience, luckily my friend Arielle will be traveling with me for this whole trip. 

I hope to keep in touch with everyone while I am gone, so check back for posts and of course I would love to hear from everyone! Let me know what is going on at home in the USA :) Well, the next time I write it will be from Australia! Bon Voyage!