The End

Well the day has finally come where I have to say goodbye to my International friends and hop on a plane back to Minnesota. My bags are all packed, I literally just threw all my stuff in them and zipped them shut. These past 4 months have flown by! But I will say they were the best 4 months of my life. I’ve been calling Wilson’s my home, I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like being in Mazeppa. I’m excited to see my family and friends I just wish I could come back to Australia in a month and continue my adventures. I definitely feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself and grown as a person while studying abroad. People always ask me why I love Australia so much and it’s difficult to explain. It’s a combination of things, places, and people. How do you explain all of that to someone who hasn’t experienced the things you have? All I know is that I’ve made the best decision of my life to come to Australia and I’ll never forget the memories i’ve made, the people i’ve met, and the lessons I’ve learned. It’s been real Australia. Next stop: The Village in the Valley.

Cairns: Great Barrier Reef

Sadly this was my last trip while in Australia although it was one for the books! In Cairns we went on a Passions of Paradise boat to the Great Barrier Reef. I was extremely excited yet a little nervous because I’ve only scuba dived in a pool and lake before this. Once on the boat I learned that my friend Heidi and I were the only two certified scuba divers going out to the reef that day with one guide. That was nice because we would get extra attention and basically tour guided around the reef. After a little refresher on how to set up everything we suited up and were ready to start our first dive! The first dive was a flat reef and there were lots to explore. The time flew underwater because there was so much to see! I was probably the happiest person on earth at this point, I love scuba diving and the Great Barrier Reef was the best place to do it! After surfacing I was smiling ear to ear and couldn’t wait to begin dive number two. After relaxing in the front of the boat in those hammock-like things you always see in pictures we had some delicious lunch. They even had prawns which are big shrimp with the eyes and tentacles still on them. I tried one but couldn’t eat more than a bite because it weirded me out. Once we finished lunch it was time for our second dive! This one was about forty minutes long but literally seemed like ten because time flies when you’re having fun! This dive was at a reef wall which was amazing to see. There were different kinds of fish everywhere and things that I have no clue what they were because they didn’t look like fish but they were for sure moving haha. It’s a whole different world under there that’s for sure. I was sad to see my adventures underwater end but couldn’t wait to share the stories. Once back on deck and just looking out at the water I saw a giant sea turtle swimming on the surface and ten minutes later we saw a shark swimming a few feet under the water! It’s crazy to think I was just swimming with them no more than fifteen minutes ago and didn’t even run into them. As soon as I got back to my hostel that night I had to call my parents and let them know how grateful I was for them supporting me on my trip and allowing me to do these fun things while they’re stuck in snowy Minnesota. Words cannot describe how happy I was that day and I already want to go back and do it again! Maybe someday I’ll end up back at the Great Barrier Reef whether it’s for another guided dive or maybe this time I’ll be the guide. Oh the possibilities….

Anzac Day

April 25th was Anzac Day in Australia. It is equivalent to our Memorial Day. They commemorate the soldiers that have protected their country. Everyone wakes up for a dawn service which started at 5am. Afterwards we went to a veterans club and had breakfast. The rest of the day consisted of everyone drinking which is a little different than our memorial day. We had a barbecue with friends then headed to a workman’s club to play a game that is only legal one day of the year in Australia. It’s called 2up and it’s really simple. You crowd around in a circle and hold up the amount of money you want to bet. Once you find someone with the same amount you have you choose head or tails. Once you agree on what you each want the man in the middle flips three coins and if it’s what you chose, heads or tails, you win and get their money or you lose and they get the money. It’s a very exciting game once you’re in the swing of things and everyone’s yelling and getting really into it. After a few rounds of playing 2up we hung out around there for a bit then went out to another local bar. It was a great day and fun to get to experience something that only happens one day out of the year in Australia.

Sydney

For my trip to Sydney I took a plane ride to get there, it was a really short ride. I went with one of my Australian friends and stayed at her grandma’s house the first night in a little suburb right outside of Sydney. I got lots of great tips on what to see. The next day we hopped in her car and drove around. We went to some beautiful lookouts and took lots of pictures. We then drove to Bondi beach which is a really famous beach with such blue water! After we had some lunch there we went into Sydney. We drove over the Sydney Harbor Bridge then back under it in an underwater tunnel. That night we went to check out the nightlife in Sydney and I was surprised to find that it had more bars and less nightclubs. Apparently Kings Cross which is a nearby city has more nightclubs. I enjoyed the bars though they had lots of friendly people and were great to hang out at. The next few days consisted of many different things. I walked around Darling Harbor then to the Circular Quay which is where the ferries depart from. I went to the Sydney Opera house and took a stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens. The Paddy Markets are famous for cheap souvenirs so I went there and got lots of neat things. The Queen Victoria Building was gorgeous and filled with lots of high end expensive stores. Sydney had a lot of shopping; there were little shops all along most streets. One night we went to a show at the Opera House, Cirque De La Symphonie. It was such a great experience! Another night we went up the Sydney Tower and had some drinks and appetizers in the restaurant up there. It was a great view of the entire city and the floors rotated so after staying there for an hour I got a view of the entire city. Overall I really loved the atmosphere of Sydney; it was clean, beautiful, and had lots to do.

Fraser Island

Friday we woke up early to head to Fraser Island for our study break trip. Our first stop was Byron Bay so we jam packed 11 people into our little van/bus and five in the other jeep and headed to Byron. We got to lay on the beach for a little while and have lunch. We then drove to our first campsite at Mt. Warning. It was a campsite at the base of the mountain and unfortunately because of the recent storms and such we weren’t able to climb the mountain. The next day we woke up and got on the road again. We headed to Noosa for an everglade tour on the Noosa River. After the tour we headed to our second campsite and spend the evening there. On the third day we packed up and got to explore the town of Noosa a little more and go to the beaches by the ocean there. They were really packed because of the Easter holiday. After a few hours there we were off to Fraser Island. We drove on the beach for a little while then stopped for lunch before we hopped on the ferry to the Island. Once on the island we immediately saw a dingo! They’re these animals that are known to be on Fraser that look like a mix between a fox and a dog. They are actually sometimes bred with herding dogs although now it is illegal. They are super cute but can be viscous because they’re wild so you just have to keep your distance from them. After we snapped our pics of the dingo we drove along the beach a ways to get to our campsite. Our campsite was right on a sand dune overlooking the beach. Due to the crazy currents on Fraser you can’t really swim there but you can dip your toes in the water and there are lakes for swimming. While on Fraser we went to Lake Wabby, Lake McKensie, Eli Creek, and a shipwreck. Lake Mckensie was super clear because the water has no contaminants or plants really so it’s some of the purest water you can get.  Overall the trip was a nice relaxing time away from Lismore and it was great to get to camp right next to the beach and wake up to a beautiful sunrise oceanfront. 

It’s Been a While

I haven’t written in here in a while so I figured I’d fill in some of the gaps. Basically I’ve been having tons of fun between themed parties and trips. Recently we had a zombie themed party which was different and fun, tonight there is a tight and bright one as well. We went to Byron Bay one night to watch the sunset and then our friends gig. The Byron night life seems pretty fun so we’ll for sure have to spend the night here and check out all the cool places. I have had my first couple assignments due but they were way easier than anything I’ve had to do at Stout. One was a maximum of 300 words and the other was a maximum of 2,000 words but it was all about me and my health and the different roles that influence my wellbeing. I finished it in 2 hours so it wasn’t bad at all.  Tomorrow we leave for our study break trip which is basically our spring break. We will be heading to Frasier Island from Friday to Tuesday. Once I get back I’ll have to do a better job of keeping up the blog so I don’t forget about anything!

Nimbin, Rocky Creek Dam, & Minyon Falls

Saturday’s day trip consisted of a trip to Nimbin which is this little town with lots of different culture than you normally see. Everyone there has a hippie-like style and they’re all a little sketchy. They are a town known for their want to legalize marijuana. Just walking down the streets we got offered it at least ten times in 2 hours. In all the stores they sell things with pot plants on them even. Everyone knows the people do it there but it’s hard to stop it all. We looked through the museum dedicated to Nimbin’s history and even got a tarot card reading for free. I apparently am a spiritual healer of some sort. The lady said by looking at me she could tell I was someone like her who understood the spirits and was in touch with my inner self. She said my hugs have magical healing powers and that I’d be on t.v. someday. It was pretty interesting and entertaining to hear how into it she got. After we left Nimbin we then headed to the Rocky Creek Dam. It was supposedly closed but since we headed all that way we just ignored the danger signs and went and looked at it anyway. The water was just a little higher than normal apparently. We then hopped on the bus to our final stop which was a waterfall called Minyon falls. It was a beautiful waterfall with a 100 meter drop to the bottom. We got some nice pictures from the top of it then we went back home.

Outdoor Education Trip: Meebunn-bia

Tuesday morning we left for out outdoor education trip to Meebunn-bia. We had to be at the bus around six with our giant backpacks filled with everything from a sleeping bag to our three days worth of food. The bus ride was about 3 hours long and we all basically slept most of the way. Once we arrived we had no clue what to expect. We were given some fuel and stoves for our meals and then headed off to our first campsite. Carrying everything on our backs we walked up steep hills. Once we finally made it to our first campsite we then went to our first activity which was the giant swing. It is exactly what it sounds like, you drop from a giant pole (connected to a harness) and swing back and forth. The view from the hilltops was incredible! After we all got a chance to do that activity we went back to camp, set up our tents, and cooked some dinner in our cooking groups of 3 then started a bonfire. We told scary stories, played games, and got to know everyone a little better.
Wednesday we woke up bright and early and took down our tents then went off to do a navigation course. We were given a map with certain points we had to go to using a compass. The entire area was steep hills without paths so it was difficult but we were able to navigate to all our points without getting lost. After that activity we cleaned up our campsite and headed out to our second campsite. On our way there we abseiled down into a canyon which had a small creek in it. We then had lunch in the canyon which was difficult because we were on a steep slant so peoples food kept rolling down the hill. After lunch we continued on our way to the campsite. We ran into a little more than we expected when we got to the bottom of the canyon it was filled with water due to all the recent rains. They didn’t expect this because we were only the third group to go out camping in the new area since this place just relocated. We decided to take it one step at a time and ended up water sliding down a little waterfall of rocks while connected to harnesses. It was quite the unexpected adventure for everyone, even our guide Luke. Once we all made it down safely we had to walk the rest of the way through the canyon through a stream. This was difficult because it was slippery and we had our giant backpacks on. It was a great experience though because everyone helped each other out giving them a hand when needed or catching them before they landed in the stream. After we made it through all of that and up a few more hills we were finally at our second campsite. Due to the unforeseen events that day we had to skip our planned activities for that day although I’d say water sliding was a good enough activity. We put up our tents and ate some dinner. After dinner we started a fire and played more games and by this point we all had become a lot closer that the strangers we were at the beginning. When the fire died down a few of us star gazed because the night skies out there were magnificent! You could see billions of stars and even a few shooting ones. Tonight we had five people in our tents and ours was all girls so we had some girl talk and played those ridiculous sleepover games that all girls play then went to bed.
Thursday we woke up and once again cleaned up our campsite and hit the trails. We had two activities that day. The first one was a free fall. You basically climb up a tree to a platform then jump off and free fall for a few seconds then the ropes catch you and you come to a slow stop. It was so scary but once you did it you loved it. I fell off it backwards which was even scarier because it’s like a giant trust fall then. It was the scariest feeling but so much fun. After that activity we went to the second activity which was a zip line. That wasn’t scary at all compared to the heart dropping ones we just did it was more of a nice relaxing zip line to enjoy the scenery. We then went back to where we started our trip and reflected on the past few days then hopped on the bus to go home at last. We were all in much need of a shower and some clean clothes. After we got back we all got dolled up and had a fun night out. Overall the trip was a great learning experience and nice to get away from rainy Lismore and enjoy nature.

Surf Weekend

We left for our Mojo surf trip around 10pm Friday night and soon after getting on the bus it turned into a party bus. Everyone brought out their goon sacks and started drinking while music blared from some speakers in the front of the bus. It was a long trip and with all that goon we had to stop for a bathroom break even though the bus driver nearly refused to stop. After someone pulled out a bag and was about to pee in it he finally pulled over for us. We also ran into a big spider on the bus so our guide Jordan had to throw it out the window while all of us girls screamed our heads off and got as far away from the spider as possible. After arriving at Spot X we got our room assignments, all of us Stout girls were together, and we were shown our rooms. It was basically a little trailer with 2 bunk beds, a small bathroom and zero space to move around. It worked for the weekend though.
Saturday morning we went to our first surf lesson at 10. Surfing is amazing! I was able to get up on my board on my first try with the help of our instructor Jordan. After that I got up a bunch more on my own and enjoyed my time in the water. We took a short break for lunch then went out again at 3. This time the tide was different so the waves were a lot bigger and harsher. Not a lot of people were able to get up and it was such a struggle. After a while we were all just worn out from the waves so we headed in for dinner. After dinner 13 of us got to go in a bus for an alcohol run. Little did we know it would turn into another party bus even though the store was only 10 minutes away. We blasted music, sang backstreet boys, saw kangaroos, and danced through the drive up liquor store while buying heeps of goon for everyone back at the camp. Racheal bought a bottle of vodka and within the 10 minutes it took to get back to camp we passed it around the bus and finished it. It was a great start to an amazing night filled with drinking on the beach, dancing everywhere, meeting new people, and just enjoying the freedom of being right by the ocean with such fun, chill people.
Sunday we woke up and had one more surf lesson that morning at 10. The waves were better that morning so I caught a few of them but was still pretty worn out from yesterday’s surfing. After a little while jellyfish started to show up and people were getting stung left and right so we decided to get out and go get some lunch. After lunch we packed up our bags and it was time to leave our little weekend paradise. I honestly wanted to just stay there forever! The surfing atmosphere was exactly what I was looking for from Australia. Hopefully I can surf a bunch more while I’m here and get better at it.

Australian Slang

Here’s a little taste of the slang they use down here:
Muesli bars=granola bars
Arvo=afternoon
Jelly=jello
Keen=are you in
Jug=pitcher
Scooner=small glass
Skull=chug
Nudey run=streaking
No worries=your welcome
Heaps=a lot
Dodgy=sketchy
Breaky=breakfast
Mate=man or friend
Eski=a cooler
Bloak: some guy
Bag=Baug (they make fun of how we say it)
Drop bears=FAKE!