Uni, Uni, & More Uni

            The month of May in summary: uni, uni, sleep, eat, and more uni. As I sit here with 10 tabs opened and an obscene amount of word documents in front of me, I can’t help but be jealous of my friends at home who are on summer vacation. It's just starting to cool down here, which means less beach days and more nights in. There have been a lot of late nights spent in the library and classrooms, with the occasional movie night, sleepover, or potluck dinner. Other than that I've been on a number of small adventures (and a pretty big one to Sydney that I'll talk about next time).   

One of those adventures was my first ever rugby game! This was at the beginning of May and it was incredibly rainy. We had planned to go to the Australia vs New Zealand test game on May 1st, but most of Brisbane ended up closing down. The trains stopped running due to the tracks flooding about fifteen minutes before we reached the train station, and some of our friends (who had left half an hour ahead of us) ended up stuck on a train for 6 hours. The game ended up being rescheduled to Sunday, which was also the day of the Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight, meaning Brisbane was super crowded. It ended up being a beautiful day and the game was a lot of fun (even though I had no idea what was happening half the time) and I can safely say that I have a greater appreciation and understanding of rugby.

 
 

The next few weeks after the rugby game held a lot of studying, but in the mean time I also went on a field trip to the Australia Zoo (in the pouring rain), said my first goodbye to a new friend (Iris, who went back home to the Netherlands), Mitchell took me to Montville and Maleny in the Hinterlands, and Kim and I went and met some new friends on Ocean Street.
  
I am so incredibly lucky to have been blessed with such wonderful friends who never allow for a dull moment. This has been especially helpful considering the stress of uni and handing in several reports at once. Everyday has been a good one (even when I'm at the library until 2AM) and I can't imagine having done anything differently.

Next blog post will be about my incredible trip to Sydney and Ladies Oaks Day Races! Stay tuned!

Sincerely,
Julie

Wondering to Wander: Whitsunday Islands

Hey all! So I am finally back after a 9 day holiday to the Whitsunday Islands! If I could only describe those 9 days in one sentence I would say "It was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had." The trip was organized by MonniTravels, a Travel Agency started up by the one and only Monni Will. Monni, along with a number of other incredible and fascinating wanderers, led our trip. There were 80 students from USC present (mostly internationals), 60 of which were taking a bus (including myself), and the other 20 renting cars and meeting us at Airlie Beach. 

We departed from the Sunshine Coast on Friday night for an exhausting 14 hour bus trip, with a few stops at some 24-hour gas stations being our temporary reprieves. We arrived at Airlie beach on Saturday evening and checked into Nomads (our hostel) and spent the day exploring our new surroundings. Easter Sunday followed and Olivia and I decided to go Kayak with Sea Turtles for the day through the company Salty Dog Sea Kayaking. Even though it felt weird not being with my family on Easter, I had an incredible time. We kayaked to a small island made entirely of coral and I snorkeled for the first time! We didn’t end up seeing any turtles but it was absolutely refreshing to be boating again and it ended up being a really cool and memorable experience.                      
 

The next morning we woke up at 5AM to see the sunrise over the ocean, which I would 10 out of 10 recommend to anyone because it was a truly beautiful phenomenon. 

Olivia, Tyler, and I decided to spend the day away from the group and took a bus to Conway National Park instead. We ended up hiking through the rain forest to Swamp Bay. (Side note: For those of you who have never been to Swamp Bay, it’s not actually a swamp, but a beautiful and secluded beach that overlooks the Whitsunday Islands.)
 
        

Our hike went smoothly, and everything was fine until we returned to where the bus had dropped us off. As we were sitting on the side of the road waiting for the bus, these tiny bugs (which we later learned were sand flies) appeared out of the bush and started swarming us and biting at our legs, leaving at least 50 bites each on Olivia and I (I still have the scars, almost 3 weeks later). Let’s just say I've never been happier to get onto a bus in my life. 

And so ends the first half of our trip! Defeated by fatigue and bugs, we went to bed knowing that the next morning we'd be getting on a Catamaran to our own private island of South Molle.
South Molle, also known as Koala Adventure Island, is a beautiful (yet slightly creepy) place with an interesting past. The island is oddly vacant and run down in the more remote areas. Not going to lie, I felt like I was walking into a horror movie when I first arrived. Apparently Koala Adventure Island Resort was a popular tourist destination until a hurricane destroyed it in the 1970’s. After the hurricane, the owners sold it and ever since it has not been utilized as it was years ago. However, the main living areas and pool/bar were well maintained so I wasn't always uneasy. However, I did find an abandoned golf course and a run down shack in the middle of the night (just to name a few).  
 

Even though it was initially creepy, our group brought the island to life again and there ended up being a number of small adventures during our brief stay on South Molle. We enjoyed some of the simpler pleasures of island life, such as: trying (and succeeding) to break open a coconut with a rock, star gazing and making shapes from clouds on the pier, tying feathers of native birds into our hair (a rainbow lorikeet feather for me), sharing stories, and exploring the beautiful landscape. Though all of these moments were great, one of the most memorable moments on the island (and quite possibly of the entire trip) was hiking to the top of Mount Jeffreys. On the way up the mountain, surrounded by rolling grassy hills and a beautiful overhead view of the islands, we found thousands of azure blue butterflies. Seeing the air filled with these gorgeous creatures was one of the most magical and beautiful moments that I have ever witnessed. Although we were all taking pictures, it was impossible to catch the novelty of that moment.
  

Out of the 3 days spent on South Molle, the final one was dedicated to exploring Whitsunday Island. We took a long and wavy ride out to sea, snorkeled in the reef, and stopped for a few hours at Whitehaven Beach- ranked one of the top ten beaches in the world. After seeing it, I easily believe it. Whitehaven is known for its pure-white sand, made of 98% silica. The sand doesn’t retain heat and has been noted as being good for exfoliating skin, cleaning teeth, and shining jewelry. So naturally I rolled around in it and brushed my teeth with it. If nothing else, those two short hours on Whitehaven made the entire trip worth it.

  

On the way back we watched the sunset and saw the stars slowly appear in the sky. The sunset had some of the most vibrant colors I've ever seen and the Milky Way was so incredibly visible without the lights of the city. Seeing these natural wonders that were so much bigger than myself seemed to put everything into perspective. 

 

The following morning we headed back to Airlie to spend our last day at the Airlie Beach Markets. Having grown up going to artists markets with my mom, I assumed that these markets would be a walk through tents filled with over-priced crafts and paintings, but oh was I wrong. There were tents lining the beach selling fresh produce, artwork, jewelry, and a number of other really cool products. They were even selling camel rides along the beach! We also found a cool store nearby called “Whitsunday Opals & Didgeridoos” that gave us a free didgeridoo lesson and sold opals and aboriginal artwork (some of which I may have purchased). After eating at our usual noodle place, accurately named Noodles & Rice, we left Airlie beach to head back to the Sunshine Coast. 

     

Fourteen hours and a few strategic cuddles later, we were back home. Even though I was exhausted, covered in bug bites, and my legs were both asleep from being squished the entire bus ride, I was so grateful for such an incredible experience and for the wonderful people I met.

 

Since then it’s been the same old same, a couple of day trips to the beach and a ton of homework. However, a trip to the Gold Coast and a Rugby game are on the agenda for the next couple of weeks so stay posted! Until then, keep wandering! 

Brisbane Calling

Welcome to autumn in Oz! Classes are now in full swing and I’m perfectly content in saying that taking pictures of kangaroos and spending all of my free time at the beach hasn't lost its charm yet, nor do I think it ever will. In the past month, a lot of my time has been spent at uni working on homework and projects, while the rest of my time is spent enjoying the adventures of daily life in the Sunshine Coast. Whether it’s watching movies, trying new things (praise sweet chili sauce), exploring nearby areas, cooking, or just sitting around with friends, each day brings something wonderful and new.

          

One of the particularly cool things I did this month was take a train to Brisbane with a group to meet up with our friend’s cousin from the Netherlands. While in Brisbane I spent my first night in a hostel, which I had been pretty nervous about. The hostel was much nicer than I had expected (most likely because I had envisioned a hostel to look like a grungy motel) and the guy at the front desk gave us popsicles and told us some of the best places to visit.  It rained almost the entire time we were in Brisbane, but we made the best of it by buying ponchos from a local shop and wearing them around the city. Despite the rain, we still managed to shop at the Queen Street mall, experience some of the restaurants and night clubs in the Valley, explore South Bank, and visit the Queensland Art Gallery before heading home. All in all it was a good way to spend the weekend and proved to be a great way to experience some of the more urban areas of Queensland. 

Tonight I am leaving for a week-long trip to the Whitsundays for mid-semester break! I couldn't be more excited and I am positive that there will be a lot to talk about when I get back, so stay posted for more pictures and blogs in the near future!  

Sincerely, 

Julie

Cyclones, Wooly's, and Macca's

It's been just over 2 weeks since we've arrived at the Sunshine Coast and each day has brought some sort of new experience for me. We arrived during the onset of a level 5 cyclone that was further down the coast which meant the weather conditions were rainy and windy for our first 4 days. The rain didn't stop us from going out and exploring, though. Olivia, Rachel, Amber, and I walked to campus in the rain in hopes of seeing Kangaroos, and boy did we find them. And like typical tourists seeing their first kangaroo, we took about a thousand pictures.

         

During this time we also had our first trip to the grocery store, courtesy of our new Australian friend Sam. Oddly enough, this is when I first experienced culture shock. There were so many people rushing around and so many different brands and labels I had never seen that my head was swimming. Not to mention we were bumping into people because in America we're accustomed to walking on the right side of an aisle whereas here people walk on the left side. It was extremely overwhelming, but I survived and have conquered Wooly's three times since that first traumatic trip. I'm practically a seasoned pro by now.

When the rain finally cleared up we had our first impromptu Australian beach experience in Kawana on our way back from 7/11. Shortly after we took the bus to Noosa Heads and found the beautiful and secluded Tea Tree Beach. The view was unlike anything I had ever seen before and there is no doubt in my mind I will be going back there in the near future. Olivia and Amber learned to paddle board (which I plan on doing at some point during my stay on the coast) and we had a delicious lunch accompanied by outrageously overpriced Mango Daiquiris to celebrate the sunny weather.  

  

The next couple of days held our trip to the Australian Zoo where we cuddled Kangaroos and saw an incredible bird show, got working Australian phone numbers, ate at McDonald's (AKA Macca's), and started our first week of classes. I could write paragraphs about how beautiful and amazing this place is but I know that words could never do it justice. The culture here is so care-free and I have yet to meet someone who is unkind. It is already feeling like home here and I can't wait to see what the next couple of months have in store for me! Until next time!

Sincerely,
Julie  

I'm Going on an Adventure!

Hello, friends! After months of preparation it’s all come down to this. There are only 6 days between me and a long flight to Brisbane International Airport in Queensland, Australia! I have been dreaming of this trip for a little over a year and it is incredible to think that it is less than a week away.  I guess you could say that I’m kind of nervous, but at the same time I’m so excited and I can only begin to imagine the kinds of adventures I’m going to have. I am keeping myself occupied by daydreaming about the excursions I want to take while I’m there, wondering how my classes are going to go, and being even more curious as to who I’m going to meet. The more challenging part of this week is mentally preparing myself for a completely new setting with completely new people. Not to mention packing and getting everything I need together (So many clothes, so little space…).  Even though there are so many uncertainties, I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am for this opportunity. I know that this trip is going to be one hell of a time! Stay tuned for pictures and more posts!

See you all Down Under!

Sincerely,

Julie