Aussie Critters!

 One of what seems endless water dragons.

 This koala was struggling...to stay awake.

 Caption: I really shouldn't have eaten that leaf.

 KANGAROOOOOOO.

 Little Joey :)

 Echidna! Saved this guy by escorting him OUT of the road.

Monotremes FTW!

Cheers,

Patrick

One for the Bucket List

Well we made it through our first week at the University of Queensland. I think we all now know the campus well enough now to find our way from the bus stop (past the lake with the water dragons and mutant turkeys) to our lecture hall and maybe to the student union for lunch, but beyond that it's still a bit of a mystery. All the UQ admin staff and professors are awesome and we're so excited to get to spend time with them over the next weeks.

Yesterday we had a huge treat organized by our wonderful UQ staff. We hopped on the CityCat (or "kitty cat" as some of us have fondly started calling it) to New Farm where we got to go barefoot lawn bowling - something vaguely resembling Bocci Ball but much more civilized and probably best suited for the old or the drunk. (We went for the latter.) After a quick demo and a trip to the bar to fill up our beer pitchers (or "jugs" as the Aussies say - pitcher is just for baseball) we all had a go at throwing the balls across the lawn, to varying degrees of success. But it was great fun for everyone, and our location was beautiful, right along the Brisbane river. Our time here coincides with the Brisbane Festival so after bowling we headed to the Southbank to watch the famous "city of lights" light show. Pretty cool scene.

Today, after a morning on campus, a group of us decided to make the most of the free afternoon and head over the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in a cute little suburb called Fig Tree Pocket. Definitely one for the bucket list. Not only did we get to hug koalas but also were able to get up close and personal with the kangaroos and joeys in the kangaroo enclosure. So cute. (Oh and we met some of the members of Yellowcard and might be seeing them at the pub later.) Not to mention all the other cool animals in the park, many of them looking like they would be more in place in Jurassic park. Seriously. There are some freaky looking things in this country. But we love it. Hopefully this weekend will bring some more adventures. There are some plans to head to the Gold Coast, but whatever happens we will definitely make the most of it since won't have another free day until October 14th. Certainly can't complain though.

Chillin with our new friends.

Just Another Day in Australia Studies...Thanks Bill Casey!

Our professor Bill Casey decided to educate us as to the wonderful array of folk songs found in Australia. Loving it!

Cheers,
P

Beautiful Morning in Brisbane!!

I hear we're going to be seeing some amazing sunrises on this trip, so just wanted to start off with a photo from our group's first morning in beautiful Brisbane!!!

-Beckie

Settlin' down in Brissie

Newbie blogger here - let's see what I can come up with. I'm one of the lucky ones that flew out a little earlier so has had a bit of time to explore and adapt to the Aussie lifestyle. I have a good friend and past co-counselor who lives by the beach just north of Sydney. I spent the first 4 days or so of my trip with her and her family, exploring Sydney a little bit (including the gorgeous Taronga Zoo) but mostly just enjoying the surfer lifestyle of the Northern Beaches...and spending some time getting over jetlag after my 22 hour journey from London (home when I'm not at Stanford). Already I've noticed so many little nuances of every day life that remind me of growing up back in England - driving on the left, A4 size paper, Cadbury's chocolate, tea, the metric system, the 'loo'... Random things like that, but it's funny being on the other side of the world and feeling a little taste of home. But while there are some subtle hints of Britishness, the friendliness of the people and the sunny climate so far definitely remind me a bit more of my home back on The Farm.

After 4 days of hearing nothing but Australian accents, flying up to Brisbane and being surrounded by Americans once again was slightly surreal, but it was great to be reunited with some familiar faces after summers apart. By about 6pm on Sunday, everyone had safely arrived at the Benson Court Motel in Toowong and after grabbing a bite to eat, we eventually headed out to the pub around the corner for some Sunday night entertainment.

This week is our orientation week so these first couple days have been spent getting to know our University of Queensland faculty, familiarizing ourselves with the (huge!) campus and our crazy schedule for the next 12 weeks. We've had intro lectures (including one on 'Venomous and Poisonous' creatures this afternoon) and done some new things like taking the ferry to class and getting morning tea breaks. Most of all, I think these first couple days have made us realize how incredibly lucky we are to be here. I can speak for everyone when I say we cannot wait for the adventures to come in the next 12 weeks. :) Pretty good vibes right about now.

This evening we parted ways to go to our respective homestays for the next couple weeks. Some people are alone, some in groups up to 4, but for everyone this should give us a nice sense of Australian life. And I'm sure there will be some funny stories to come...Nicole and I have already been warned that the cat has a habit of chasing possums across the tin roof in the middle of the night and that we'll probably wake up to the sound of Kookaburras. But hey, we came here to appreciate nature so that's just what we'll do.

Till next time.

-Katie

Tattoos!

A few of us decided to get temporary ink tattoos on our first day in Brisbane. After a hilariously jet-lagged breakfast at the Regatta Pub (involving laughter and tears about the "big breaky" and "eggs and "avo" ordered by Chris and I), we took the foot path along the Brisbane River, as well as a few other bridges, to South Bank. We stumbled upon a market with various hot sauces, local textiles, jewelry, and boomerangs. The tattoo tent caught our interest! We wanted to surprise each other with the designs! Elise chose an eagle for Chris; Chris chose a sword and the words "no fear" for Elise. Beckie chose a superman sign for Sammy; Sammy chose a small kangaroo for Beckie. Kristen chose a panda for Wes; Wes chose a unicorn for Kristen. Aaron chose a tiger for Jordan; Jordan chose a lion for Aaron.

talkin about a walkabout

The arrival isn't too far off, and for a few of our group has already happened. Australia, here we come! This summer absolutely flew by, and these last few days at home are also going quickly. I am the kind of person that doesn't get too excited about the future, for fear that if I set my expectations too high I may be disappointed. But in the last few days, I have started to think more and more about what awaits me down unda', and the excitement is building. We are going to get to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef (something that for most people only exists on their bucket list), hold fluffy koalas, experience the awe-inspiring acoustics of the Sydney Opera House, and do a thousand other things that I don't even know about yet. This is one of those life-changing, character-shaping experiences -- a metaphorical walkabout -- that older, wiser people like to tell stories about, and I for one say bring it on Australia! I will see you on the other side of the world.

-N-