Last Post "Down Under"

This past Monday, Autumn and I packed up all of our belongings, cleaned our apartment, turned in our keys, and said goodbye to where we have called “home” for the past 4½ months. It was more difficult than I thought it would be. We really grew comfortable in our little town of Ashmore. It was sad to think that we might never see our “go to spots” any more. It was even harder to leave Nexus Place, our apartment complex. We spent so much time there and have so many good memories. The hardest part was saying goodbye to all of our friends we had made since arriving back in February.

To all of my friends in Australia - I am so glad that I met all of you. Thank you for all of the good times we all shared, all the laughs, all the inside jokes, and all the memories!

On the bright side of things, I am excited to be going home to Florida. It is a bittersweet feeling, just as it was leaving home and coming to Australia.

To all of my loved ones back home – Thank you for being so supportive of my time spent in Australia and I can’t wait to see you all!

I feel great about my time spent in Australia – I became familiar and comfortable with the area that I lived in, I adjusted to going to a new University in a different country, I learned how to use the public transportation system, I learned the Aussie lingo, I made “heaps” of friends, I traveled lots, and I challenged myself constantly. This experience has taught me so much, I have grown as a person, and I feel so grateful for this opportunity.

Here is to the end of one chapter in my life, and to the beginning of another :)

North Stradbroke Island

As our time in Australia has been wrapping up, Autumn and I decided to go on one more short trip before we head back home to America. We took the train from the Gold Coast up to Brisbane on Monday (6/25) and spent the night in the city.

Yesterday (6/26) we went on a full day guided tour of North Stradbroke Island. It was just a short (50 min.) ferry ride from Brisbane. "Straddie" is the second largest sand island in the world, and the Island is famous for its scenic headlands, stretches of rolling surf, and white sandy beaches. We visited Brown Lake, which has Ti Tree oil stained waters. We walked the Gorge and saw some beautiful views, and heard the "blow" from Whale Rock (there is a certain spot between two rocks where the water shoots up and makes a "blow" sound just like from a whale's blowhole). We visited Point Lookout, and all the other popular spots, like Cylinder, Frenchman's/Deadman's and Main Beaches, the historical town of Dunwich, and the fishing village of Amity. We stopped at the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel, where the pub is said to quite possibly have the best view in Australia.

We were also able to spot some koalas and kangaroos in the wild one last time before heading back to America.

I even found a little kangaroo to ride! ;)

Unfortunately the weather was not on our side for this day tour – it was very cold, very windy, and it rained all day long. This is apparently very unusual as all the locals, and even the tour guide himself, were surprised. The weather made things a little less enjoyable, but it was still amazing to be exploring another part of Australia. I can only imagine how beautiful North Stradbroke Island is in its usual sunny weather.

Aussie Lingo

Australians speak English - FACT
Australians sounds like they are speaking another language at time - FACT


Most of us are all familiar with the typical "Aussie" words..

G’day: hello

Bloke: man

Sheila: woman

Mate: friend, buddy

Barbie: barbecue

.. but here are some of the many other words that I have picked up on over the past 4 months in Australia

Arvo: afternoon

Aussie: Australian

Avos: avocados

"Ay?": said when someone didn't hear what you said; "excuse me/pardon me"
Biscuit: cookie

Bludger: a lazy person, one who doesn't work

Boomerang: Aboriginal tool that was originally developed to be used for hunting; a flat, curved, usually wooden missile configured so that when thrown, it returns to the thrower

Boot: trunk of the car

Bottle shop: liquor store

Brekkie: breakfast

Budgie smuggler: speedo

Bug: small crab (this freaked me out a few times when I read on a menu something like, "Fettuccine with Bugs")

Chemist: pharmacy or drugstore
Chips: french fries

"Crikey!": an expression of astonishment

Didgeridoo: Aboriginal wind musical instrument

Dodgy: sketchy

Doona: comforter

Fair dinkum: true, genuine

Fairy floss: cotton candy

Flatmate: roommate

Fortnight: biweekly, every two weeks

Fullstop: period (.)

"Good on ya!": "good for you/well done"

Heaps: a lot
"Hey?": "What?" (used when you didn't hear what someone said)
"How you going?": "How are you?"

Holiday: vacation

Hungry Jack's: Burger King
Jelly: Jello

Joey: baby kangaroo

Jumper: coat or jacket

Keen: interested

Kiwi: a New Zealander

Lamington: sponge cake covered in chocolate and coconut

Lift: elevator

Lollies: candy, sweets

Maccas (pronounced "Mackers"): McDonald's

"No worries!": expression of reassurance or forgiveness; "no problem/that's ok"

Noggin: head (I learned that one from Finding Nemo!)

"Oy!": a way to call out to someone

Oz: Australia

Ozzie: Australian
Parcel: package
Petrol: gas

Pokies: gambling slot machines

Prawn: shrimp

"Ra, ra, ra": equivalent to how we say, "blah, blah, blah"

"Reckon": 2 meanings.. to think or "you bet/absolutely"

Roo: kangaroo
Rubbish: trash, garbage

Singlet: tank-top

Spewin': 2 meanings.. throwing up/vomiting, or angry/mad/upset/disappointed

Sunnies: sunglasses

Swimmers: swimsuit

Thongs: sandals/flip-flops.. not underwear

Tim Tam: a brand of chocolate biscuit

Toilets: a given they mean restrooms/bathrooms, but it sounds so unclassy
Tomato sauce: ketchup

"Too easy!": a phrase in response to anything that needs doing or has been done
Trolley: shopping cart

Uni: university

Unit: apartment

Vegemite: brown yeast sandwich spread

Wanker: a male person that is really stupid, but they think they are the greatest

Waffle: talking nonsense ("waffle, waffle, waffle")

Wholemeal: wheat

Go Queensland Maroons!

Rugby league football (“footy”) is one of, if not the most popular sport in Australia. The elite professional rugby league club competition is the National Rugby League (NRL).

The Rugby League State of Origin is an annual best-of-three series of Australian interstate rugby league matches between the two strongest rugby league states - the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues. It is highly anticipated by Australians, and it was compared to the American Super Bowl to me.

Game 1 was played in Melbourne on May 23, and Queensland took a win!

Final score: QLD 18 / NSW 10

A bunch of us all went to the Tavern right by our apartment complex to enjoy a few jugs of beer while watching the game.

Game 2 was played yesterday (June 13) in Sydney, and New South Wales won.

Final score: NSW 16 / QLD 12

Queensland didn’t win this game unfortunately, but at least the series is still alive now and game 3 will be intense.

Go Queensland!

Excitingly, Autumn won tickets on the radio to watch the game at the Robina Event Cinema! So off we went, decked out in Queensland gear, to watch the action on the big screen! We had a great time. Watching the game on such a huge screen and being surrounded by cheering fans almost made me feel like we were actually at the game. We were also given free popcorn, M&Ms, and soda, which were all the largest portion sizes I have ever seen. I said they were like American sizes, but even larger! I did my best, but I barely even made a dent in my ginormous bucket of popcorn.

Extra, Extra Large Popcorn, Soda, and M&Ms!

Candy Station!

Game 3 is going to be played in Brisbane on July 4. I will be back in America by then, celebrating the 4^th of July, but I will have to watch the game online to (hopefully) see Queensland take another series victory! The Queensland Maroons have won the past 6 years in a row!

Rugby is an incredibly aggressive contact sport and there are some intense tackles that go down. What is crazy to me is that rugby players wear the bare minimum of protective gear. No helmets or pads, they just simply wear their uniforms, cleats, and mouth guards.

Here is a video of some of the highlights of game 2:

State of Origin 2012 Game 2 Big Hits

Tip for the ladies: there are “heaps” of good-looking men who play professional footy. And, they all wear tight shirts and short shorts! And, they have the most muscular thighs I have ever seen! Even if you don’t like sports, you’d probably love Aussie footy ;)

Road Trip to Noosa

Friday (6/8), after just getting back from Cairns the night before, Autumn and I had plans with our friend from Uni, Lori-Anne. I had recently been hearing a lot of great things about Noosa and I was really interested in visiting. Lori-Anne, more than generously, offered to take us! She picked us up bright and early and we headed out to the Sunshine Coast for a day of fun :) Lori-Anne had planned a mini road trip up, with famous and “touristy” stops along the way.

Our first stop was at Ettamogah Pub, which is apparently the most photographed pub in the world! It is a quirky shaped building that stands 18m (60 feet) in height. The pub is filled with pictures of cartoons, and the building itself has a caricature appearance. There is even a truck on top of the bright red roof of the pub. The Aussie word “ettamogah” is Aboriginal for “place of good drink!”

Our next stop was at the Big Pineapple, which I was super excited for! The Big Pineapple is a famous Australian tourism landmark. This pineapple was BIG.. it stood 16m (52 feet) high. You could even “climb the pine” to the top, and through the inside of the pineapple were facts, figures, pictures, pineapple products, etc.

Our last stop before Noosa was the Ginger Factory. The shop itself was a ginger-lover’s paradise! There was an endless selection of ginger products. Gingertown consisted of “heaps” of cute little shops. There was a honey shop, a macadamia nut shop, and a “lollie” shop where I was able to buy licorice :) We had a snack here to hold us over until lunch in Noosa. I had a Ginger beer and a gingerbread man :)

I could immediately feel the vibe of luxury when arriving in Noosa. The main street (Hastings Street) was lined with upscale shops and restaurants. After walking around for a little while, we grabbed lunch. After lunch we were going to do one of the coastal walks along the beach, but the weather decided to turn on us. We got a quick peak of the beach before it started raining, and I can just imagine how beautiful it is on a sunny day.

We journeyed back from the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast, and Lori-Anne brought us back to her house to meet her parents. They were so friendly and they warmly welcomed us into their home. We went on an "adventure" to find kangaroos, and we did find one just hanging out on a golf course!

Her parents picked up pizza for dinner and we watched a movie while eating. I chose Finding Nemo. I thought that was certainly an appropriate movie to watch since we had just snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef two days earlier! Finding Nemo has always been one of my favorite movies, and I have watched it 10+ times. It is amazing just how realistic and accurate that movie is. I haven’t seen Finding Nemo since I have been living in Australia, and it was so fun to watch it again because I picked up on so much more than I ever had before. I was able to understand the Aussie lingo that was incorporated, which I would have never completely understood before. It was a pretty cool feeling.

We had a long, fun-filled day. Actually, the past week has been packed with traveling and exploring. Sunday was our day trip to Mt. Tamborine, Monday-Thursday we were in Cairns, and Friday was our Noosa road trip. I have had a great time! These next couple of days will be spent catching up on sleep and studying for my first final exam on Tuesday in Special Interest Tourism.. wish me luck!

Cairns

Australians have a designated study week break from when classes officially end to when the exam period begins. At Griffith University, our “study week” was June 4–8. With this time off, Autumn and I ventured off on our last major trip within Australia.. we flew to Cairns!

We arrived Monday (6/4) afternoon and took advantage of the beautiful weather straight away. The weather on the Gold Coast has certainly been getting cooler recently, and the couple of days before we left had been filled with rain. So when we arrived at Cairns to a clear, sunny, hot day we couldn’t have been more excited. In the middle of town there is a lagoon that is a major attraction for locals and visitors. We relaxed there all afternoon, soaking up the sunshine.

Tuesday we had a day planned to explore the rainforest village of Kuranda. Kuranda is located 1,000 feet above Cairns in the middle of world heritage rainforest. We took the skyrail cableway up, stopping along the way at some lookout points (Red Peak and Barron Falls). The skyrail was pretty cool, as we glided effortlessly high above everything. We felt like we were flying. Once we made it to the top, we explored the quaint little town. I enjoyed walking through the original markets and the heritage markets. I also didn’t mind visiting the Candy Kitchen and the Fudge Bar ;) On the way down we took the train. The scenic railway gave us great views as we made our way back down.

Bright and early Wednesday morning we headed out for our snorkeling adventure on the Great Barrier Reef! This is what I was most looking forward to, but I was also a little nervous. We went with a company called Silver Swift, and they were great. I highly recommend them.


It took about two hours to get out to the first reef we were stopping at. It was a rough ride out, but luckily I remembered to take seasickness pills and I was ok for the whole day. I rented a stinger suit for the day to stay protected from the sun and from anything in the water that might brush up against me. That suit was impossible to change in and out of, especially once it got wet. (Thank goodness for Autumn helping me!)


We visited three different Outer Great Barrier Reef sites in all and spent between an hour and two hours at each spot. We stayed in the water the entire time at each site, until the ship's horn called us back, signaling it was time to move on. The water was warm, much warmer than the windy air once we got out of the water. Throughout the day, while traveling between reefs, we were provided with endless food and beverage refreshments.


The reefs were amazing and absolutely beautiful! We saw so much coral, so many fish, and all different kinds of sea life. I found Nemo and friends on the anemone! I also saw a sea turtle from the boat. Most exciting of all.. we saw (and swam) with a shark! Surprisingly (and strangely), I wasn’t nervous when I saw him. I felt nothing more than as if I were seeing a clown fish. It was more exciting to me than scary. The best part is that we were able to catch him on video swimming right by us (see my videos on Facebook). It is a good thing I have proof, because I am sure some people wouldn’t believe that I swam with a shark on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (when I say it out loud, it is even hard to believe it myself!)


We had a great day snorkeling and exploring the reefs, enjoying the sun, mingling with new friends, and eating “heaps” of food!

On Thursday I flew back to the Gold Coast sun kissed, relaxed, and completely happy with my time spent in Cairns :) The Great Barrier Reef was just as beautiful as it has been painted to be in our minds. It was an amazing experience, which I am truly grateful for!

Mt. Tamborine

All semester long I have wanted to visit Mt. Tamborine, but not having a car here has made it difficult. Luckily, the other day my friend from Uni, Christian, offered to take Autumn and I. I was so excited! We invited another friend from Uni, Ian, to come along as well. So that is how I spent my day today.. exploring Mt. Tamborine with friends :)

Tamborine Mountain is just inland from the Gold Coast. It only took us about half an hour to get there. The atmosphere was very tranquil in the mountain top rainforest. There were a bunch of cute little shops, cafes, restaurants, and B&B’s. There were numerous wineries, a brewery, and a distillery, which I was happy to explore. They also had a bunch of chocolate, fudge, ice cream, and lollie shops (candy shops). They even had a cheese factory, which was cool to see.

Christian is from Germany, and he recommended that we have lunch at a German restaurant that he had been to before. So off we went to the Bavarian Grill Haus for a taste of Germany in Mt. Tamborine! The food was delicious.. we each indulged in a huge authentic meal AND dessert! Personally, I was very excited to be able to have a German beer with my meal.. I had an Erdinger Kristall.

After lunch, we went on to explore the glow-worm caves! It was pretty cool seeing these glow-worms glow in an otherwise pitch black cave. It was like looking up at the night sky and seeing stars.

The weather has been awful on the Gold Coast the past couple of days, so we weren’t expecting a nice day. We didn’t care however, because we weren’t going to give up the opportunity to go or let the weather ruin our day. It did clear up a lot as the day went on and on our way back home, we were able to stop at all the lookouts and see distant mountain ranges and coastal shores.

Ian, Autumn, and I

Autumn, Christian, and I

All in all, it was a great day. We got to hang out with new friends and explore a new area. Now I can cross Mt. Tamborine off of my Australia checklist :)

Autumn and I have a very early start tomorrow morning (4am), since we have an 8am flight to Cairns! We will be there for 4 days. I’ll post about our adventures when I get back in a few days. Until then everyone :)