Noosa, Australian Zoo, Eumundi, and O-week

I have had a really good week here on the eastern coast. Apparently northern Australia only goes through two seasons, the wet season and the dry season, and thankfully the wet season of humidity and rain is starting to wane. On Wednesday, two other UCSD girls and I headed up to Noosa on the Sunshine coast for a couple days of sun and relaxation (like we weren’t getting enough of that already). On the train ride up, an Australian man felt it was his duty to inform us about all the sites we were passing by. We got a very lengthy explanation on the Aboriginal stories about the Glass House Mountains, Germans use of the area during WWI, and all the fruit that was being produced in various regions we passed through. The area of Noosa was absolutely gorgeous. As a ritzy beach town, there was no sense of time or responsibility, and it was full of nice shops and sights unlike most surfing towns. We stayed at the Noosa River Hostel, about a 30 minute walk from the main beach, and met some really interesting people, like an English girl who was going to be cattle ranching in the Northern Territory. We went hiking in the National Park one day and really wanted to find a wild koala, but apparently we were looking in all the wrong spots. We did, however, see a sea turtle swimming in the waves which was pretty cool. Our hike showed us some pretty amazing views of the rugged coastline and gave us an opportunity to swim at the clearest and most refreshing beaches. Every night at about 6, thousands of bats would come piling out of a cave and fly right over our hostel. It was the craziest/scariest sight I had seen in awhile. We visited the Australian Zoo which is way more hands on than any other zoo I have ever been to. I got to feed an elephant, hug a kangaroo, pet a koala and camel, and see a crocodile leap up with its tail to grab food hanging in the air. It was kind of creepy how obsessed the zoo was with the Irwin family, and I have a feeling that Terri Irwin is using the kids to keep attention on the zoo. All in all though, the zoo was really fun, and I would recommend it to anyone who comes to the Brisbane area. That night, we saw one of the most spectacular lightning storms that I’ve ever seen…it made the whole river front turn a lavender color, and we sat and watched it for over an hour. On our way home the next day, we stopped in Eumundi (you-muhn-dee) for the weekend markets they have there. It was fun to walk around to all the booths and see all the interesting arts and crafts that were being produced locally. Even though it was nice to be out doing stuff, I was pretty ready to get home to my St. Lucia apartment, which I think is a good sign that this place is really becoming my home. Orientation week started today, and I feel like a freshman all over again. They gave us numbers on how many international students were studying from each country, and I was astounded to hear that only 79 Americans were here vs. the 238 Chinese students that came. I finally got my timetable figured out, and I will be taking 4 science classes this semester (Marine Science, Ecology, Metabolism and Nutrition, and Molecular Cell biology). It will probably be a pretty difficult semester, but I think all the subjects will be very intriguing. I’m rolling on my last week of summer vacation, and I’m hoping that I can get one more excursion done before Uni starts. I made a list of all the places I want to visit while I’m here, so maybe I’ll cross off some of the local ones this weekend. Thanks for catching up with me, and make sure to keep the bushfires in your thoughts and prayers!

-Erin
P.S. I posted all the pics from my trip. Click the link on the right to find the album

Some random thoughts

Hello, hello! Don’t get too excited…this post doesn’t contain a cool travel story or anything. I’ve gotten pretty used to getting around Brisbane. The buses go everywhere, and everything is discounted since I am a student. I rode the Citycat (ferry) into the city the other night and was floored at how cool the city looked, especially from the water. It made me wish that I could take the ferry to school at home. The people here are really nice too. I accidently left my wallet on my mailbox, and somebody personally returned it to me later that day, which was a huge relief for me. I have found that signing up for classes is a huge pain here, and the biology department is less helpful than the advisors at UCSD (who are painfully unhelpful). I don’t start school until March 2nd, so I still have time to put my timetable together. I visited a church service the other night and had a pretty interesting experience. I really liked it until the preacher started prophesying/praying over people then bashing them in the head as he healed them of unknown problems. Let’s just say I’m still looking for a church to attend. I got the opportunity to run around the campus yesterday, and I was really excited by everything I saw. The campus has multiple lakes and garden areas that are just beautiful right now because of all the rain. There is a tennis center on campus that has both hard courts and grass courts, which I have never played on before. Thankfully, Kate is also a tennis player, so I’ll be able to try out grass court tennis while I am here. The buildings at the Uni are very interesting. The bricks are made out of sandstone, and every brick contains different colors and shapes. When they are put all together, it creates an attention-grabbing affect that is really fun to look at. I’ll post some pictures up later so that you guys can all see. So far, I am having a really great time. However, wildlife problem of the day: I got chased around my kitchen by a bright red dragonfly…kind of scary. On the other hand, Kate and I noted my one week anniversary of being in Brisbane which made me feel pretty accomplished. I’m leaving for the Sunshine Coast and Noosa on Wednesday with some California girls, so I’ll write more once I’m back. Miss you guys!
-Erin

Sorry for the delay

Hello everyone!! Sorry for the gap in stories. A lot has been going on, and I'm still getting situated in my apartment in Brisbane. The rest of my stay in Sydney was a lot of fun. Saturday, we all went to Circular Quay and finally got to see the infamous Harbour Bridge and Opera House. It was pretty unreal being there. I spent so much time hearing about them, and actually seeing it all was a punch from reality that I am in Australia for a year, which my mind still hasn't grasped yet. Our group took a Sydney harbour cruise during the afternoon, but I spent more time finding spots out of the sun then actually looking at the city I think. The hole in the o-zone is directly over Australia, so my pale skin was not doing so well in the 100 degree, sunny weather. It would take me about 5 weeks of California sun to get as dark as my 3 day Australian tan. I found a group of girls from the program that wanted to explore the downtown area of Sydney, so we ended up staying near the harbour and wandering around the city at night, which was absolutely gorgeous. Sunday, a group of us headed over to Manly beach by ferry and spent the day lounging in the sun and looking at the coves and tide pools. The surf here is a lot stronger than in CA…one girl figured that out by getting her shoulder dislocated. On Monday, I flew from Sydney to Brisbane and got to meet my new housemate Kate. She is also a third year at UQ, and we have a lot in common. Our apartment is really nice…it reminds me of a beach house you might rent for vacation or something. Right now my room is pretty bare, but I was able to get a bed and a few other items from K-Mart. There are still many surprises to living here, such as having geckos run around my apartment, but I am getting more used to the language differences and wildlife. I’m only about a 10 minute walk to the University, and everything else is connected through the train, a bus, or a ferry. Brisbane is a very lovely area and is not as busy as Sydney was. The downtown area has really nice stores and walking areas, but the weather is usually really hot and humid which makes it harder to be outside. Recently it has been rainy, which is a relief from the high heat. The bushfires in Victoria have been all over the news…they are the worst natural disaster in all of Australian history. Please keep that area in your thoughts and prayers because it has been such a devastating time for a lot of families. A group of us are trying to plan a trip to the Sunshine coast for next week, so I’ll keep you updated on that. Hope all is well in the States!

-Erin

Hello from Sydney

After a long 14 hour plane ride sitting next to a Canadian and an Australian, I have finally landed in Sydney, Australia!! There are no words to describe how unique and intriguing this city is. I am already having a great time, and I've only been in Australia for less than a day. My hotel is near Rushcutters Bay, but we've been walking around King's Cross alot (which is a red light district) and the town hall area. The sites and architecture are comparable to Chicago, but the people and weather are unlike anything I've seen before. Tomorrow we are touring Sydney harbor, and I'm excited to finally get to see the Opera House and ride a ferry around. I got to talk to my roommate on the phone, and she has only said geat things about my apartment (an answer to my prayers) and the Brisbane area in general. Surprisingly, I've only had a little bit of alone time since I landed, and I'm looking forward to a good night of sleep. As of now, I have been able to use free internet in an Apple store and a McDonalds...I thought that was pretty ironic since I usually hate going into both of those places. Well, until I can find internet again...
-Erin

Preparing for my departure

Getting ready to leave has been quite an emotional experience for me. I'm a little nervous about moving to a new country, a little sad to say goodbyes, but most of all I am thrilled beyond measure at the experiences and memories that await me in Australia. I know that no amount of planning or researching could prepare me for the year I have ahead of me, but I am proud to say that I was able to organize myself enough to make this trip happen. As of now, I will be studying biology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane for 2 semesters. I found an apartment about 5 minutes walking distance from the school, and I will be living with an Australian girl that also goes to the university. I will try to write on this as often as I can with stories and updates, but if you want more information, you can always email me at eoswald@ucsd.edu. Alright,back to packing!

Love,
-Erin