Brissy Life

Since returning from Byron Bay the other week life has been fairly normal.  It has been nice to hang out with friends, meet new people, and do some exploring around Brisbane!

At the beginning of the semester I joined the beach volleyball club and am absolutely in love with it (as evidenced by the five hours of volleyball played last Tuesday!).  The friends I have already made are awesome and I seem to meet new people at each session.  Two Saturdays ago was the social fours tournament which was a full day of volleyball, sweat, sand, and socializing.  Designated as team captain, I put on my best mean face and did my best to get the team pumped up to make it past pool play and into the final tournament.  Well, despite my efforts and the blood, sweat, and tears left on the court by us all, we went 0-3.  Having written off any hopes of tournament play, we were absolutely shocked to find out we somehow got a second chance and made it to the tournament.  We kept up our stellar performance from the previous games and lost our chance at redemption…and didn’t get a third chance this time.  So much for the creation of a dream team, but we did have a great time!

That night we went downtown to experience some Aussie comedy, courtesy of Josh Thomas, with a group of people from our study abroad group.  Between the trek to the Brisbane Powerhouse taking longer than expected and underestimating how long it takes four girls to get ready in one bathroom (especially considering I had been playing volleyball all day in 80+ degree weather), we made it to the show minutes before it started.  Josh Thomas was hilarious and it was only made funnier by the people in the crowd who went a little too hard at happy hour earlier that evening.  If you are intrigued, check him out on iTunes!  An added bonus was spectacular views of downtown Brisbane from the CityCat river ferry on our way home.  Unfortunately I didn’t get any good pictures of the view, but believe me, it was magnificent.

The next day was St. Patty’s day and we decided to head to the beaches at Gold Coast to visit friends and soak up some sun.  That day was a scorcher, so we quite literally had to sprint through the sand and dive into the water to prevent burning the bottoms of our feet.  Just as we were getting comfortable after a walk along the beach, a wind storm blew in from nowhere.  You may think that a breeze would feel good while roasting on the beach.  But this was no breeze.  After about ten seconds of being pelted by grains of sand we realized it was not going to let up, not to mention the flying sand started to become a bit painful, so we grabbed our things and ran.  So much for a full day at the beach…

Instead we went a bit up the coast to Surfer’s Paradise.  The beautiful beach, restaurants, shops, and clubs make it one of the most popular and touristy beaches at the Gold Coast.  People celebrating St. Patty’s day made for some great entertainment as we took in the environment that is Surfer’s.  All in all, it was a successful day.  Although the greatest success was Jess and I sprinting down the street once we got back to Brisbane in order to catch the very last CityCat ferry of the night back to our apartment.  Somehow we have made a habit of running after ferries and buses, sometimes successfully and other times we are not so lucky.  It would be very nice if we could break this habit.

This is pretty much what we looked like.

On a less exciting note, this week I took on the task of writing my first research paper of the semester about the representation of the Aussie bloke in Australian popular culture.  Considering that I have not had to write a paper in at least a year, it was a bit of a daunting task.  But the fact that one of my references was an article titled, “Beer, Glorious Beer” made it much more tolerable.  So yes, despite all the awesome things I have done here in Australia, I can say that I am taking part in the “study” part of study abroad.

This past Sunday a group of us went to Stradbroke Island (aka Straddie), which is the second largest sand island in the world.  Nearby are the world’s largest and third largest sand islands, Frasier and Moreton Islands.  The day started at the lovely hour of 7 AM with a bus ride to the ferry that would take us to Straddie.  Once we arrived, we got a lesson from an Aboriginal man about the different types of boomerangs—the take home message was that boomerangs are weapons, NOT toys.  One girl from the group learned this first hand as she got hit in the stomach by a rogue boomerang during our throwing practice.  She was fine, but will probably have a bruise for a while to remind her of the day.  Whoops.  And no, in case you were wondering, the rogue boomerang was not mine.  But I did attempt to throw one...and once it kind of came back in my general direction!

After Boomerang 101 we got to paint our own boomerangs!  As a wannabe arts and crafts major, it was one of the highlights of the day.  We all took this very seriously, trying to create something that could pass as authentically Aboriginal and not look like the work of a small child.  I’d say it was a success!

Later in the day we made it to one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen.  Once again, pictures cannot capture how awesome this place is, but here are a few anyway.  Not a bad place to spend a couple hours with great friends!

Luckily for Jess and I, we got dropped off at uni after the Straddie adventure so we did not have to sprint to catch public transportation.  Win! 

Cheers!

What Goes Up Must Come Down

I have been in Australia for about a month now and I keep falling more in love with this place every day.  I can’t believe I have already spent a whole month here and have a feeling that time is going to keep going faster and faster.  Make it slow down!  The rain has become less frequent which allows for more exploration around Brisbane and also contributed to the success of my first weekend excursion!

Last Friday I packed my bags and joined 200 other international students at UQ on the two hour trek down to Byron Bay.  And let me tell you, it was nothing like I expected.  Just like me, you might be imagining a tranquil, relaxing beach town with an ambiance similar to Cape Cod.  But this place was straight out of the 80s.  From the five acre, outdoor hostel where we stayed to the neon spray painted vans to the chill, relaxed vibe, it was hippie central.  The pictures say it all…

 Australian Water Dragon- these guys were running around all over the hostel!

 Chillin' at the hostel

Except for the cockroach encounter on the first night, I loved everything about the hostel and would definitely go back again (it is called the Arts Factory for anyone interested in staying there or just wanting to check it out).  One of the best parts about the hostel’s location was that it was literally right next door to the Bryon Bay Brewery.  The local beer was fantastic and only made better by sipping it outside on the terrace with great new friends and listening to local musicians.  

Saturday morning I crawled out of bed at 5AM after a mediocre night’s sleep in order to cross one other thing off my bucket list.  Desperately wishing for a coffee (hey, there was no luxury of a Starbucks on every other street corner beckoning in bleary eyed customers), we all made the trek down to the beach and up the hilly coastline to Byron Bay’s lighthouse.  Why put ourselves through this at such an early hour you may ask?  Because this lighthouse sits at the most easterly point of Australia and made for the perfect place to watch the sun rise over the Pacific Ocean.  And let me tell you, it was entirely worth it.  We made it to the lighthouse just as the sun started to rise over the horizon.  It was amazing; I could see the sun getting higher and higher by the minute.  Pictures didn’t do it justice, but here is my best shot:

As you may remember, I have been keeping track of events I experience for the first time while here in Australia.  And while this isn’t uniquely Australian, it is a monumental first nonetheless.  Any guesses?  The title of this blog post is a hint!

So after we returned from the sunrise walk (at around 8 AM mind you), we had three hours to prepare ourselves for what we completely willingly signed ourselves up to do.  After what seemed like a lifetime, we piled into the limo (yes, a limo came to pick us up for this adventure!) with a nervous and excited feeling in the pit of our stomachs.  After a 20 minute drive down the coast with beautiful scenery and the picturesque blue sky to calm our nerves, we arrived at our destination.  After signing our lives away, we watched a video of other people who had successfully accomplished what we were about to do—and I can’t help but to think that there was a reason behind this order of events.  Nevertheless, we suited up!

My roommate Jess and I were the last to go, so we got to see the rest of our friends leave and then come back from this adventure.  Just as our suspense shot through the roof, it was finally our turn.  We followed our instructors to the hanger and got our first glimpse of the tiny airplane that would take us 14,000 feet up in the air. 

At this point you better be able to guess what we were about to do.  Yep, WE WERE SKYDIVING!!

We piled into the smallest plane I have ever been in in my life; between me, Jess, the two instructors, and the pilot, the cabin was completely full.  The 20 minute ascent made for some beautiful views of the ocean and coastline and surprisingly I was not scared at all, just super excited.  Finally we got to our target height of 14,000 feet, the cabin door opened, and the cold wind rushed into the plane.  Jess jumped first and about 30 seconds later my instructor and I made our way to the door.  Hanging out of the plane, being pelted by wind, looking down at the Earth, and realizing how high up I actually was was unreal.  Words cannot even describe what that was like.  I didn’t have time to freak out because before I knew it we flipped out of the plane and started the 60 second free fall.  All I can say is I’m glad I have a video of the experience because that was the fastest minute of my life and it was so hard to comprehend what was actually happening.  Before I knew it, the chute was pulled and we began the seven minute descent to the ground.  Once I finally caught my breath and calmed down a bit, the instructor gave me the ropes to steer us for a few minutes and I just took in the beauty of everything around me.  Again, words cannot describe what that was like, so you are just going to have to try it for yourself!  I would skydive again in a heartbeat, so if anyone wants to know what it is like you know where to find me.

To top off the experience, there was a bottle of champagne waiting for us in the limo for the ride back to our hostel.  WIN.  We somehow found energy that night to check out Byron Bay’s night life, which was quite fun, and spent Sunday on the beach volleyball court and soaking up some sun at the beach.  My advice to you—if your travels ever bring you to Australia, be sure to check out Byron Bay!

Go Reds!… and… Surf’s up!

Remember how I said there were going to be many firsts for me while here in Australia? Well there are now two more adventures to add to the list!  This time, both experiences were planned, and though I thought I knew what to expect, both proved to be full of surprises. 

First #3: I went to my first Reds game!  To all you Cincinnatians and baseball fans…you heard me right.  My roommate Jess and I were excited to have our first experience watching the Reds play, and since it finally stopped raining Friday night, we suited up in red attire and headed down to Suncorp Stadium.  Even though we didn’t know exactly where we were going, following the mob of people dressed in red proved to be quite foolproof and before we knew it we were standing in front of the stadium gates.  We made our way to our seats (which were actually quite good) and excitedly bought our first overpriced stadium beer.  There’s nothing like being old enough to be ripped off for a drink…oh the joys of being legal.  Beer in hand, we were ready for kick off.  Though the team running out on the field was not as thrilling as in American football games, this match proved to be much more violent and intense and made up for the anticlimactic entrance.  After the first half, we were able to piece together some of the rules of the game, but were still quite confused.  Unfortunately, we ended up with seats surrounded by fans of the opposing team, so we couldn’t just cheer or boo whenever the people around us did.  But fortunately, the person next to me was friendly and willing to explain the rules of the game.  With this knowledge we were prepared for the second half and by the end of the game Jess and I could figure out when to cheer and when to scream in rage.  We were quite proud of ourselves.  And to make it even better, the Reds were victorious so it was a win for everyone that night.  Well, except for the people sitting around us…oh well.

So any guesses as to what sport the Reds play here in Australia??  If you said rugby, give yourself a pat on the back!  But do not confuse this type of rugby, which is Rugby League, with Footie (also known as AFL, or Australian Football League) or even Rugby Union.  There are very distinct differences between these three sports and each has their own set of obnoxious, diehard fans just like American sports.  Anyway, moral of the story—watching the Reds play in Australia is a lot more entertaining than watching the Reds in America. 

Go Reds!

First #4: I caught a wave! 

Now imagine an exquisite, sunny day on the beaches of Surfer’s Paradise in the Gold Coast.  Pretend you are lounging nearby, watching us lined up on the glistening sand with our surfboards, soaking up the sun and instructions of our attractive, perfectly tanned surf instructors.  Picture me nearly flawlessly riding a wave onto the shore as if surfing was in my blood.  Pretty awesome, huh?

I wish I was recounting this scenario from experience.

Now imagine this.  A cold rain is falling from the ominous, grey clouds, pelting us in the face as we lug our surfboards down to the beach.  Wave after wave crashes onto the shore, just beckoning us to run into the water for our first attempt at surfing.  Instead of a refreshing breeze, each gust of wind adds more goose bumps to our arms and legs.  Yep, this is what we faced.  At least the surf instructors were as described in the first scenario.

Despite the circumstances, surfing ended up being very fun!  We made the best of the situation and once we got in the water to put our newly acquired surfing knowledge to the test, the rain was barely noticeable.   And get this…I was eventually able to stand up!   

 That is me on the left and Jess on the right!

 Aaaaand here we are falling down at the same time.

If we could take on the beach in these circumstances, I can only imagine what it’d be like if we were surfing on the type of day you first pictured in your mind.  Moral of the story—surfers are just as awesome in real life as they are in the movies.