Australia & New Zealand | Study Abroad Diaries
I had the absolute privilege of studying abroad in both Australia & New Zealand during my junior year (2019) of college at Elon University and loved it! Any current or future students, I definitely recommend. Luckily, Elon has a January semester that allows you to travel for 3 weeks which is a great alternative to having to commit to a whole semester abroad (financially & time wise). My program focused on film so we studied movies that were shot in Australia and/or New Zealand and visited some of the sets.
I originally published these as individual diary/blog posts to keep my family updated each day - which helped with the drastic timezone difference. But, I have decided to condense them into one page as a way of being able to look back on this incredible opportunity. I hope you follow along too!
January 3rd, 2019
I sit in the LAX airport during my 10 hour layover filled with lots of emotion. Yesterday none of this felt real and I could not believe that in a mere 24 hours I would begin the journey of a lifetime. As my alarm rang this morning I woke up immediately with the thought of "I am going to Australia today." And to anyone that knows me, knows that traveling has always been a goal of mine. So, to be in California waiting for my flight to Australia and then to New Zealand, it has been a long time coming. Although I have personal goals, I have no idea what this trip will be for me but I am excited to see.
Change is hard sometimes and it can take a while to adjust to new situations. So, I am forcing myself out of my comfort zone this entire month. These next few weeks will be filled with constant change every single day but it will be good for me. To help myself with the nervous and anxious feelings I may have throughout this trip I think back and reflect on past experiences. I was nervous to start high school and also to start college. But, no matter the feelings I had at the moment, I now would do anything to go back and relive these experiences from the beginning. I know that the same is true for this too. In the future I will look back to this day and wish to feel the emotions I am currently filled with because it is the start of something great.
To whoever is reading this, I hope you enjoy following along as I explore a new part of the world. I will try my best to upload as much as possible, but I am unsure of what wifi/service I will have.
"When you get a chance for happiness you have to seize it before it's snatched away."
January 7th, 2019
Auckland, New Zealand
I left my house at 6:30 am on January 3rd and arrived at my first hotel at 8pm on January 5th. Granted I did skip January 4th, it took me 3 flights, 3 countries and over 40 hours to get to my first city, Auckland. Although it is sad that we will only be in this city for 12 hours it just means we have more of this country to explore.
I was really dreading the 16 hour flight to our layover in Australia but it was not as bad as I thought. I had a middle seat in a row of 4 but nobody had the other middle seat. So, I laid down and slept for most of it. I woke up and there was only 4 hours left so I watched 2 movies (The Spy Who Dumped Me, and TAG). I finally made it to a plane bathroom for the first time — now my friends can’t make fun of me. Also, don’t ask me how the meals were on the plane because I slept through them.
After our long flight, we had a layover in Melbourne and even there for just 3 hours I was already seeing differences in life. There was a playground in the middle of the airport, sinks have a a faucet and a hand dryer all in one, and there was a huge mall (that I got lost in).
The next flight had individual Ipads instead of tv screens at each seat so I watched another movie (Life of the Party). This 4 hour flight had lots of turbulence and wasn’t too bad, but after all this time I was eager to step outside. Everyone on our flight probably thought my class was crazy when we landed because our eyes were glued to the windows saying “omg,
it’s bright!” We are used to winter where it got dark at 4:30. But here it was evening time and still sunny.
It took us some time to get through customs and they are very strict with what is allowed into the country but luckily I didn’t have to throw out my fruit snacks. Only one girl’s luggage got lost but was located back in Melbourne. The moment our class stepped outside our moods changed immediately. Restricted from fresh air for a mere two days, it was amazing to step outside and it made it even better that it was the perfect temperature. Everyone who was feeling tired and annoyed instantly became happy, rejuvenated, and eager to explore.
We got back to the hotel after a half-hour drive and set out to take advantage of exploring the city before we would have to leave early tomorrow morning. Ideally, our class wanted to walk down to the water for dinner together but not being able to text each other unless we had wifi made it a little difficult. So, my roommate, Rose, and I went out with 3 guys, Tom, Tyler and Max, to dinner. It was a Saturday night so we were able to see the interaction of locals and tourists at a night out on the water. Rose and I headed back to the hotel to get some rest before getting up at 6:30 am.
Good news, I am not jet-lagged!
“If I hadn’t made the mistakes I wouldn’t have learned to make them right.”
January 6th, 2019
Matamata & Rotorua, New Zealand
Woke up 3 minutes before my 6:30 alarm today (yay for no jet lag still, thought I jinxed it). Packed up our luggage and headed downstairs for breakfast. There were Chinese food options as well as typical American breakfast options. We all ate quickly then checked out and headed onto the bus. (I stole my room key (for the mems) so cross your fingers I don’t get a fine... oops)
We drove on the wrong (left) side of the road to our next destination. The views from the bus were so green clean and scenic. There are so many cows!!! We headed to the Hobbiton movie set where some of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings was filmed. The walking tour throughout the set was incredible. I learned so many tips and tricks that went into the 2 years of creating the scenery to make the 12 days of shooting so easy. From creating fake trees to burning down the set, Peter Jackson wanted to create scenes that directly followed The Hobbit story. The views from this set showed the real reason films such as these increase tourism to the country.
We took another drive to the new hotel in Rotorua which is a cute small city the only downside is that it smells like sulfur. A few of us walked around the town to find lunch and to my pleasant surprise breakfast is served all day. We also were able to walk down to the water where we actually spend the rest of the afternoon swimming with a big group of people which was so fun. While by the water we met two local kids who definitely entertained us.
At night we went to a center to learn about the Maori culture. This experience passed my expectations because we not only learned about the culture and traditions but were able to interact and take part in their lives. I was chosen to play a Maori stick game, learned the Haka, shared the breath of life, and ate dinner that was cooked underground. Being allowed to see into a different way of life was humbling and I am happy to say that I am part of the tribe and we are now a family together.
Not only was the experience with the tribe so fun but so was the bus ride. The driver kept us entertained from the moment we stepped on to the moment we stepped off. Something I’ve noticed is that there are so many roundabouts while driving here. So during our bus sing-a-longs, the driver announced that he had a new song and started singing the wheels on the bus go round and round and continued to drive in circles around the roundabout 5 times in a row.
We got back to the hotel late and as we were walking back, a few of us looked up at the sky and let out a simultaneous “wow”. We realized that we never saw the stars on this side of the world so we sat outside just taking it all in for a little bit before getting some sleep.
“Kia Ora”
January 7th, 2019
Rotorua & Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
Woke up just before my 6:30 alarm again and am surprised at how well these early mornings have been so far. We packed up and checked out of our hotel again and sat downstairs for breakfast. With the same options as yesterday we sat together reflecting on how much we have already done and that we can’t believe it’s really only day 3.
Our driver, Doug, loaded our luggage and brought us to the Redwood Forest. We were able to go through a 2,000 year old forest through suspension bridges. This was one of the coolest things I’ve done. I found a group of people who appreciate taking photos as much as I do which made it even better. My group took up the whole hour and the rest of our class was probably annoyed at how long we took but when is the next time we would ever be there, so we wanted to enjoy it while we could. It is only 10am and I’m already so happy and had a great day.
Took a drive to Tongariro National Park where Lord of the Rings was also filmed. We completed a 6 hour hike and by hike I mean everybody attempting to climb but eventually falling down mountains because of loose rocks and no trail. We saw a few waterfalls and great views.
We drove back to stay at Chateau in Tongariro, population of 33 (our class). Not really, but we are staying at a ski resort and it’s currently summer sooo it’s basically just us in the town. There was one place to get food but the fryer was broken so the entire town had about 4 options for food but we made it work and still had fun. This was probably the most we bonded as a group since we all didn’t have to try to make plans to meet up for dinner, there was only one option. And yes, I did make people sit and look at the stars tonight.
“And I think to myself what a wonderful world.”
January 8th, 2019
Wellington, New Zealand
Packed up our stuff and checked out of the Chateau. Had the normal array of breakfast choices (pancakes, eggs, bacon). And we began our 4 hour drive to Wellington, our last stop in New Zealand — the capital.
It feels like we have been on a never ending road trip but the scenery is so nice that I don’t mind the long drives. There is greenery, mountains and such blue water everywhere that makes the drive enjoyable. We made a quick pit stop and I bought two water bottles at a small store. When I was checking out I said my thank yous to the lady who rung me up and she said her normal “see ya.” But, it got me thinking and I thought it was interesting. Traveling allows you to meet so many people and talk to people from all over the world. This lady said “see ya” but I will probably never in my life see that lady from a random pit stop town in New Zealand in my life. But on the other side, I could so possibly meet someone here that I make a life long connection and friendship with. You really never know but it’s worth branching out.
We checked into our hotel, dropped off our bags and met in the lobby a short 20 minutes later to take advantage of all of our time here. In the first 5 minutes I was already in love, but I’ll get back to that later.
We walked through the city to our first stop, the Te Papa museum. We had lunch as a class paid for by the school (shoutout Elon) and I got an acai bowl — can’t compare to SoBol but still good. We walked up to the 4th floor to learn more about the Maori culture. I do wish I had more of an appreciation for museum learning but I was more fond of the interacting learning of Maori the other night.
We had a free hour of time to pick any other exhibit in the museum before having to meet up. My friends Alex, Katie, and Kate and I moved up to the 5th floor for the color exhibit. I loved this floor, I was in my prime. There were pieces of art that I more appreciated as well as interactive exhibits. There was a wall that allowed anyone to add their own art to the wall. This wall allowed visitors from all over the world to come together on one wall with something that can connect each and every person — art. There was a room that you could pick the colors of the lights to change your shadows.
Unfortunately we ran out of time having too much fun and had to meet outside for our walking tour of the city. I was already loving the city but our tour guide was really good and so educated so I was able to learn so much of the history of the city through interesting stories.
This city was different, it’s the first time I felt something about a city in my life. I always appreciated how much Ryan loves Berlin but never understood until now. The city’s buildings looked like a typical city with skyscrapers and public transportations (busses, not taxis). There were enough people to show the hustle of city life but not enough for it to be too crowded. Everything was also so clean, no trash on the streets. The city was also right on the water, a pier two blocks away. I found it crazy that there is a huge city with a 5 minute walk to the beach. Walking down the pier there were people going for runs, playing music, reading outside, and setting up small shops. The city even built a jumping platform and sectioned off a section of the harbor to keep trash out for people to swim.
The city was so revolved around the outdoors that no matter how big of a city this was, there was still so much greenery. Many of the restaurants had outdoor sections with been bags to eat on and corn hole to play while waiting for their meal or drinks.
The city is also very focused on art and local artists so even any of the sitting benches are artist sculptures that represent the city.
I am so glad I am spending more than one day here because I am excited to keep exploring this beautiful city.
“One life. One shot. Make it count.”
January 9th, 2019
Wellington, New Zealand
Woke up and didn’t have to pack my suitcase for the first time this trip which was nice. Went downstairs to eat the same breakfast I’ve had each day. As I was sitting with Rose and Anni, we were saying how we couldn’t believe it hasn’t even been a week since we’ve been here. It is crazy how jam packed our days have been and how much we have done in such a short time. It is even crazier that we have two more weeks.
We boarded our bus for a day long Lord of the Rings filming location tour. We learned about different places where filming took place and how the cast went about operating in the locations. Our tour guide worked on the set of the films so it was really cool to hear about behind the scenes secrets that I would never have known otherwise.
We also stopped by the Weta studio who does animation, special effects, prosthetics, and props for so many movies — Lord of the Rings, Avatar, King Kong. We learned that it takes on average 2 hours to get main cast actors ready in their makeup and about 5 hours to get the makeup off after 10 hours of shooting.
Although our whole day revolved around the filming locations, it gave us a chance to see more of the city and surrounding area. As we drove along the road, the harbour was to our left and houses built into mountains to our right. We even drove past the Wellington sign, which used to say Wellywood — a knock off of the Hollywood sign.
Each city we have gone to has been fun because of the stuff we did but I genuinely just like this city. The only thing that is not great is that everything closes early so you can’t shop or eat late AND there is “tomato sauce” instead of ketchup which is gross.
After we got back to the hotel we grabbed a snack and sat on some bean bag chairs on grass and hung out for a while.
“Not all who wander are lost”
January 10th, 2019
Wellington, New Zealand
Woke up, had breakfast, and boarded the bus like normal this morning. We headed to the other side of the harbor for our second Weta tour. We saw the set of The Thunderbirds which was super cool. The settings in the show are miniatures sets and then the characters are digitally animated. We also got a special effects makeup demonstration which was awesome.
Our tour was shorter to give us some more free time to explore the city on our own. A bunch of us planned on going to the beach but unfortunately it wasn’t too sunny plus this city is super windy — “windy welly.” I figured I would have plenty more beach days in Australia that I would do something else, and I am so glad I did.
A group of us wandered and made our way to the cable car which took us to the top of a mountain with a botanical garden, parks, and live music. There is also a lot of shopping in the city so we went to some shops. We went into a store, I love ugly —a trendy upscale New Zealand based clothing brand, where two people bought hats. While we were in there we were talking to the two workers. Since they are from the area we were asking for suggestions for shopping and restaurants. They were super nice and we ended up talking about America. Kendra is so fascinated with minuscule details: she wants to visit the mid west since nobody ever says they want to, she wants to try panera bread so badly because she thinks the idea of bread bowls are incredible, and she really wants to go to a Walmart because she has heard some crazy stories about them.
We had really nice conversations just comparing things that seem so normal to us. We left the store and all turned to each other amazed at how cool and nice they were. Koster said, “I wish we asked them to meet up with us later” so we turned back around and went in the store. We asked them what time they get off work and if they wanted to meet us at one of the places that they had suggested. The two of them, along with 3 other coworkers, were already planning on heading there when they got off work so it was perfect. We walked around and sat by the water passing time until 5:30 to meet them.
We ended up sitting, talking, and hanging out for 3 hours at the restaurant. Around 13 of us and 5 of them we never stopped talking. I was so surprised at how much Kendra knew and was asking about America. She was able to refer to a Taco Bell crunch wrap supreme by name, ask about sonic, and talk about white castle. We asked her how she knew so much and it happens to be that people in New Zealand watch American television so all of the commercial breaks are advertising places and things that we have, that they don’t. Or in American shows, they casually mention things like pink berry and Cinnabun and they will have to look it up to find out what it is.
It was crazy to see how different our lives are but yet how alike we are as people. This world is so small and we are all the same in that we are human. One of the guys that we met has a brother who studied at Stony Brook in 2015 which I thought was crazy. And Kendra saw my suffolk county jacket and was confused because she used to live in Suffolk in the UK. I had to try to explain to her what a county is and the fact that my classmate also lives in New York but we are 8 hours away from each other.
This unplanned and unexpected experience ended up being amazing. Just a week ago I could not picture myself sitting for 3 hours talking with a complete stranger who lives on the other side of the world. We followed each other on instagram and I will forever have connections with people around the world.
“No matter where you go, there you are.”
January 11th, 2019
Wellington, New Zealand & Sydney, Australia
Woke up for my last few hours in New Zealand. We weren’t leaving for the airport until noon so we had a free morning. I had breakfast at the hotel like normal and then packed up my room.
To anyone who told me not to to anywhere alone, sorry. I walked around the city, went into some shops, sat by the water, and grabbed lunch by myself. I wanted to take as much in of the city that I could before leaving. It was such a nice day out and was very relaxing. My suitcase did get lost for a hot minute before leaving for the airport but it was found so all is well.
I have had such a great experience in Wellington and New Zealand as a whole. I was not sure what to quite expect from this country. I was excited but did not know so much about the places I was visiting but my experiences exceeded my expectations greatly.
We had a 3.5 hour flight to Sydney! Touched down in Australia and I cannot believe it. As we drove to the hotel we stopped to see the Great Gatsby house, drove over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the opera house. I feel like I have wanted to come here for so long so it doesn’t even feel real. It was gloomy and rainy out so I’m excited to see the city during the day with nice weather.
I am excited to explore this new city and country for the next two weeks.
“you don’t stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing”
January 12th, 2019
Sydney, Australia
Woke up and got ready for the long day ahead. Had breakfast downstairs and it was the same as all of the New Zealand breakfasts.
Last night as we were walking to dinner there was definetly a big city feel. It really just felt like I was walking around NYC. It was a complete change from Wellington. It is much more crowded and the buildings are less artistic.
We boarded the bus for our drive / walking tour and were able to see so many cool sights. We saw the Sydney Harbor bridge, the opera house, bluffs that overlooked such blue water, and went to Bondi Beach for a few minutes. My mood immediately increased after stopping at the beach. It is crazy what 20 minutes on the sand by the water can do because we each got so excited for our free afternoon at Bondi tomorrow.
We drove back into the city and got on a boat for a cruise lunch around the Sydney Harbor. We were able to hang out on the top deck and enjoy good views. We also all got roasted by the sun because the UV index was 11. Also, so many Chinese people asked to take pictures with us. Sophie and I sat sitting and just taking in the moment. We were saying how it was crazy that we have been seeing photos of Sydney forever and now we sitting on a boat in the middle of the harbor hanging out with great friends who I didn’t even know 2 weeks ago.
Once the boat docked we walked straight to the Opera House for a tour inside. It was cool to see such a famous building and be able to go inside. Directly following the tour we went back to Bondi Beach for a quick dinner and then went to flicker fest which is a short film festival.
There were too many people waiting for the bus so our group split up and had to wait for the next bus to come.
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard “what day is today” because we have all been just living in the moment. Nobody knows what is happening the next day until we are dropped off at the hotel for the night and go over the itinerary of when we have to wake up the next day.
“Always remember the power of the simple smile, a helping hand, a listening ear, and a kind word.”
January 13th, 2019
Sydney, Australia
Same normal routine in the morning. Woke up had breakfast. Went down to the bus stop to go to Bondi Beach.
We got there around 10 and were able to lay out, go for walks, and shop. We had to meet for class at 12 where we hiked to the point at the end of the beach which was so pretty. We passed the famous ice berg pool and some people went swimming there but I didn’t. After our half hour hike we had free time until 4:15.
We were laying out, had acai smoothies
for lunch and tried to go swimming. There were too many jelly fish in the water that we got out. SO many people got stung it was ridiculous, someone in our class did.
After lunch we hung out in a big group and played heads up on the sand and had fun. Made me miss game nights with my home though.
We had to meet for flickerfest and these short films were so good. We had dinner after and then went back for another session of films. This one was so cool because it was an outdoor theater so we sat on bean bag chairs to watch.
After the films it was around 10:45 and we got on a bus to go home. But when we were half way home the driver said it was the last stop. We were at the most confusing place so four of us left the group and ubered home.
Everyone realized today that the Australian sun is real and it is very different than at home. The UV index was 11 and we all applied sunscreen but we all got fried. We also tried to look for aloe and nobody knew what we were talking about.
“make art not lemonade”
January 14th, 2019
Sydney, Australia
Today was a more laid back yet still packed day. We woke up and had two, two hour walking tours around the city. One was led by two tour guides about films and locations and the other was by our teachers.
Our teacher tour ended on the other side of the harbor at a pancake house where I got cinnamon bun pancakes and they were so good. After, a bunch of people were going back to the hotel to nap and then meeting up later but I didn’t want to waste my time sleeping. So me and 3 others sat by the water and talked for two hours. It’s crazy that I didn’t know these people two weeks ago and now I can sit down with any of them for hours and not run out of things to say.
We ended up walking back to the hotel and it was perfect timing because a big group was waiting in the lobby to leave. I went with them and we walked across the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We went to the top of the observation deck which was so cool.
After we walked for so long around the city. We went back to the opera house, through some botanical gardens and around the streets before heading to dinner. We went to the same place I ate at the first night here which was so good.
“I grew up with a heritage of bright flowers, feasting, sunshine, lagoons.”
January 15th, 2019
Sydney, Australia
Today was our first full free day so I slept in so late (9am). I decided to find breakfast on my own since I knew I would have a busy day and probably wouldn’t have time for lunch so I didn’t think the hotel’s toast and potatoes would be enough. It was the first time I had to find breakfast on this trip and was kind of difficult because I just wanted something to grab and go not sit down. After a little bit I ended up finding a bagel that didn’t look like a bagel but still ended up being pretty good.
After breakfast I rushed to get ready for the day and met Koster downstairs. We head out to find a store to get snacks but got a little bit lost. That has been happening a bunch. Even if someone has data, their maps have been glitchy. We ended up walking around the same block a few times. Luckily a random guy noticed and came up to us asking us where we were trying to go. He went out of his way to walk us to the store even though he was going in the other direction. I don’t think that would happen in most places at home so that was nice.
Today was one of the most fun days of my life. We walked down to the harbour and met up with 15 other people from our class. We rented a boat for 2 hours. After we were already on we extended the trip for another hour just because we were having so much fun. The driver would bring us to different islands and beaches and would dock the boat for about 20 minutes each time. We had time to jump off the boat and swim. It was one of those times that in the moment we looked at each other and were saying how much fun we were having. Not one of the times that we took advantage of the situation to only look back on it in the future saying how fun it was. We really did make most of the situation and were living in the moment.
Our second to last stop is when things took a turn. We docked near a cliff that you could jump off. Half of us got off the boat and swam over to the cliff. We all climbed up and some people were jumping off but I didn’t want to. I was with Gabe who also said he wasn’t going to jump. I told him he could climb down with me so I started to go back downstairs. I ran into someone else who needed help climbing back down so I was helping him. I met Koster at the bottom but the rocks right before the water was so slippery. I almost slipped but caught myself but then did wipe out so bad. I cut up my hands and arms and butt and sliced open my foot. I was sitting on the rock bleeding but still had to swim back to the boat. I swam slow and was tending to my foot when I got back on board. I asked someone if Gabe was on the boat since I knew he was behind me and someone said he was on the front of the boat.
The driver drove for another 20ish minutes to our last location where we docked for only a few minutes. We got almost back to the port when someone asked where Gabe was. Turns out he was NOT on the front of the boat. We left him. Luckily I knew exactly where he was because I was the last person to see him on the cliff. We had to drive all the way back and try to find him (which we did). So, that wasn’t great but everything worked out in the end.
After we docked me Koster, Dan, Neill, and Gabe went back to the hotel to change and went to dinner together. As we were walking back from the boat me and Koster saw the man that helped us with directions earlier getting into a taxi and he remembered us and waved to us.
We went back to the same place that I ate at for dinner because the others really liked it. So, if anyone is ever in the Sydney area, try Bar Luca for really good burgers. Just beware that the habanero sauce was SO hot. All of the boys were icing their mouths and washing off their lips.
We were all super tired when we got back so a few of us joined Rose and me for a little movie night even though the channels here are not good. I got kinda hungry so me and Koster made Evan and Alejandro go for a walk to get snacks with us. I made them come by saying “when’s the next time we are going to walk around the streets of Sydney?”
“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere.”
January 16th, 2019
Sydney, Australia & Cairns, Australia
Had to wake up super early this morning to pack but it makes up for being able to sleep in yesterday. We had to pack up and be downstairs to board the bus by 6:30. The hotel breakfast started at 6:30 so I ran next door to get a bagel. We got to the airport and did a group check in which ended up being so much more efficient. I did lose my eyebrow scissors so I need to get new ones.
I ended up liking Sydney more than I thought I would the first night I got there. But I think that was due to the activities I was doing, not the actual city. I still didn’t have a mental map of the area even after 5 days which I did for the other cities.
Luckily the flight was only 3 hours (which is weird because a month ago that was the longest flight I’ve been on and now that seems like nothing) because I had a middle seat again. I slept for half of it which was good but I didn’t have an Ipad on my seat to watch movies like a bunch of other people.
I really thought by this point in the trip I would be much more tired of traveling than I am. I am constantly on a plane a boat or a bus but I haven’t been too annoyed yet. The only thing I don’t like is living out of a suitcase.
We landed in Cairns and it was a totally different atmosphere. It seemed like a very tropical beach town. We drove through the city before getting to our hotel. After we did check in though everybody was so hungry so we all got (free) lunch as a class.
The hotel is the nicest hotel we’ve stayed at so far and each room has a balcony with a view of palm trees, the water, and mountains.
I went to the gym with a few people for a nice workout and then went straight to the pool down the street that is up against the ocean and did a free aqua zumba class. This trip has been pretty non stop so I was super tired I got back to the hotel, showered, and did my homework. Everyone else went to dinner but I didn’t go. I ended up being asleep before everyone even came home from eating.
“I suppose at best, I had hoped we might see ourselves revealed as it were, by a mirror held up to ourselves.”
January 17th, 2019
Cairns, Australia
Woke up a little early this morning to get ready for another long day. Went downstairs for breakfast and they had instant pancakes this time and the same hash browns as every other hotel.
We boarded the bus for a short ride to a port where we then boarded a boat to go to the Great Barrier Reef! The boat ride was an hour and a half straight out into the water so we were really in the middle of nowhere. We docked on a pontoon at around 10:30 and stayed there until around 3:30.
I snorkeled right away and it was so cool. There were soo many fish and a lot of them would come right up to you. I guess they are used to people being around and plus they get fed daily so they don’t mind people that much. I was surprised at how much I was able to see. I figured I would just be looking at coral but there was such a variety of sea life that I was not expecting.
I also went on a glass bottom boat tour which was so interesting as well as a submarine ride where I saw 4 sharks!!! I saw a turtle and so many huge jelly fish really close to where I was swimming. We were all wearing suits to swim so it would have been fine anyway I was just shocked at how close they were - not like they blocked anything off.
A lot of people paid extra to do a snorkel tour further out, go on a helicopter ride, or go scuba diving. But I decided to just take advantage of the free opportunities. I would rather save my money and do something on a day we have nothing planned than when I have other options.
Despite the 3 hour boat travel time today was really cool. The Great Barrier Reef is something I’ve heard of my entire life and have always imagined going so actually being there was incredible. It is also nice to have such great company making these sights and activities even better.
When we got back to the hotel I went to the gym but didn’t stay for too long because of how hungry I was. I went to dinner at an Italian place that was so good. Also had an early night in to get sleep for another long day tomorrow.
“This year we learned, next year we apply.”
January 18th, 2019
Cairns, Australia
Woke up at 5:45 with my whole face swollen (what am I allergic to??) but went to the gym to workout before the day started. I showered and went downstairs for breakfast. We boarded the bus and went to an aboriginal center. Here we learned about the longest continuous culture of Australia. We were also taught how to throw boomerangs and spears.
This experience was similar to the Maori culture center in New Zealand. It was interesting to learn about the similarities and differences of both cultures and how they integrate into society and today’s culture while still maintaining their traditions and values.
After, we got back on the bus and went to Kuranda village which had food and markets to shop and animal sanctuaries. We all had a quick lunch before meeting back up as a class. We went inside the koala center and each had a turn holding one. I got lucky because when it was my turn the koala was yawning (which was so cute) so I had extra time because the photographer had to wait for him to stop moving. After our photos were done we went around to see other animals and were even allowed to feed kangaroos. I think I peaked on this day because what could be better than this??
We had about an hour before we were leaving so we were able to walk around and shop. We had to meet at the train station to head home. This train was an hour and a half scenic route through a rain forest which had nice views. When we got off the train the bus took us back to the hotel. The weather cooled down a little so I went for a quick run down the water.
After I got back I grabbed dinner with a group of people and then we hung out playing games for the rest of the night. It was super hot, humid, and rainy so we were all pretty dead by the end of the day.
“Take every chance you get in life, because some things only happen once.”
January 19th, 2019
Cairns, Australia
Today was our free day in Cairns. I was supposed to either go in a hot air balloon or go zip lining and in waterfalls but it was raining all day so nobody really got to do anything. But, nevertheless, it was still a good day.
I slept in until 9 and then went to get breakfast with some of the girls. After, I went to the gym and then showered. The rest of the day everyone pretty much just hung out. I was really annoyed from the weather because I felt like I would be wasting a day away but the people around me made the day fun. I realized that when you’re with the right people you don’t need to be doing something crazy fun to still have a good time and enjoy where you are.
We played plenty of games (heads up), watched old vines (rip), told stories, ate good food, and laughed a lot. It is still crazy to think that I came into this trip not knowing anyone yet I feel so close to these people. We are all experiencing the same thing with each other and are together 24/7 which is crazy to think about.
Sad that today is my last day in Cairns. But I am excited to go to Melbourne. Cairns is a really awesome place with a great vibe. It’s basically a beach town paradise and has a strip of everything along the water. So just walking to dinner has a great view and people going for runs, swimming, exercising and hanging out all on the boardwalk. I made some good memories here and I will definetly miss this place.
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
January 20th
Cairns & Melbourne, Australia
Had to check out and leave the hotel at 10:45 but for some reason I woke up at 5:45 on my own so I went to the gym at 6. Luckily Koster was also at the gym so we grabbed breakfast together after our workouts. I still had so much time before we had to leave so I decided to lay back down and catch up on homework and rest.
When the time came, our bus drove us a short way to the airport for one of our last group check ins. I finally had a window seat this time (only took like 10 flights for that to happen). The flight was around 3 hours and that still seems like nothing to us anymore with all of the traveling we’ve done.
After our flight we were met by our new guide and bus who gave us some tips about the city and suggestions for dinner. From what I saw on the drive I had a good first impression of the city. I cannot believe we made it to our last city of Australia, it doesn’t feel real.
After checking in and getting into our rooms (after half of our keys didn’t work) we settled in and then met back in the lobby with a group of people for dinner. We walked down the water and found a small restaurant where we ate. Afterwards, we walked down some street shops where people were hanging out watching the Australian Open and eating food from stands.
After, we continued to walk around and made it back to our hotel. A few of us hung out watching old music videos before going to sleep.
From walking around, I am really liking this city and can’t wait to explore it more throughout the next few days.
“Always believe that something wonderful is about to happen.”
January 21st, 2019
Melbourne, Australia
Unfortunately this hotel doesn’t have a gym so I couldn’t workout when I woke up. So, I just got ready, ate breakfast, and met downstairs. Our bus took us a few miles away where we met for our walking tour.
Our tour lasted 2.5 hours and we were split into three groups. This was probably my favorite walking tour because of the guide and the city in general. I learned so much about the history and insider secrets. This city is definetly more of a big city vibe — more city like than Wellington, but not quite like Sydney. It is very much a city but the streets are really wide, it’s not super crowded, and there is a large emphasis on architecture and art.
Street art is very popular here and not typical graffiti, but actual art. The government used to fight the street artists by covering their work but it always popped back up, so they made a compromise. The government chose select areas where street art would be allowed as long as the artist obtained a permit.
There were so many old “arcades” or malls that kept it’s old structure and vibe but with newer stores. I was really impressed with this city, I really liked that it was on the water too. Katie and I had lower expectations for Melbourne since we didn’t like how big of a city Sydney was but we were both pleasantly surprised.
After our tour was over, we had lunch as a class which was good. Then we had to meet outside in the plaza for a museum tour. But, the Pats game was on outside so we postponed our tour for a half hour in order to let us finish the game. We grouped up with other Americans and even met some people from Boston who watched the game with us.
We toured the Australian Centre for Moving Images which taught me a lot about the history of how films came to be.
In the city, there is a tram that anyone can ride for free within a given section. We could have taken the tram right back to our hotel but a group of us decided to walk back instead. We all regrouped and relaxed and then Koster and I head back out and found a mall that I looked around to shop in (even though I didn’t buy anything). When we were done with that, we wandered aimlessly around the city just taking it all in. We were talking and saying how we both wished we would be in this city for longer because it is so big and we are only going to explore a small percentage of the area.
About an hour after getting home we met up with some of the girls (Sophie, Sasha, Jordan, Megan, Lily) for dinner. This time, we did take the free tram to a new part of the city and found an Italian restaurant. We all basically got a Margarita pizza which was really good. I had such a good time because it was one of those meals that after we finished eating we stayed and talked for like 2 hours. We shared so many stories, had so many laughs, and made even more memories together.
“Travel because you have no idea who you are until you experience yourself through different people and realize we’re all the same.”
January 22nd, 2019
Melbourne, Australia
Woke up upset because it is our last “class” day. I really cannot believe that we have today, a free day tomorrow, and then leave the next morning. I remember that at the beginning of the trip it felt so long. I was having so much fun but couldn’t believe that I would be traveling for 3 whole weeks. But now, it feels like it went super quickly and I really don’t want it to be over.
I grabbed breakfast with everyone before hopping on the bus for an hour and a half ride. Everyone dressed up and it’s the first a majority of us aren’t wearing athletic clothes.
We arrived in Yarra Valley at an animal sanctuary. We walked around for an hour and a half and were able to see more koalas, kangaroos, a platypus, and a dingo!
We drove a few more minutes to our first winery. The outside was really pretty and had great views of mountains behind us. We had a wine tasting inside followed by a family style lunch. I sat with the same group that I had dinner with yesterday and loved it just as much. The lunch took long so after we had to rush back to the bus. We were brought to two more wineries for tastings and then went to a chocolatier for a chocolate tasting - my favorite was the cookies n cream. The chocolatier was around a half hour away so we made the most of one of our class drives together. We had group sing a longs that the teachers even took part in.
We were each allowed to get two boxes of chocolate for free but I am not a huge chocolate person so I got one box and let my friend Sasha who was going to buy a third box on her own, have mine.
We had an hour and a half drive back to the hotel and a bunch of us, including myself slept the entire time.
When we got back to the hotel is was getting later so Katie, Alex, Kate, Koster, and I decided to refresh quickly so we could be on our way to dinner soon. We took the tram down to the water. We wanted to eat at this restaurant that Rose had eaten at and said was really good. The restaurant had two sections and one was on a floating dock. Unfortunately the place was packed, so we couldn’t find a seat. Instead of waiting, we walked around until we found something. A bunch of alleys in the city have hole in the wall small places so we picked an Italian place and sat down.
Our dinner was so good (pizza, again) and we had a great time. Afterwards, we wandered back home to hang out with a big group of us all night and even got some late night snacks to share.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
January 23rd, 2019
Melbourne, Australia
Last day. Free day.
Woke up at 8:30 to take advantage of our last day in Australia. Hung out and got breakfast with Erik and Koster to start our day off.
Erik and a bunch of the class went to the Australian open but we ubered with Katie, Kate, Reese, and Alex to Brighton Beach. This is the beach that has the colorful bathing boxes lined up on the sand. The beach wasn’t too big and the water wasn’t that nice so there weren’t many people hanging out by the water. Just mainly people taking photos with the houses. We spent more time here than we thought we would just sitting, relaxing, and taking photos.
When we walked back down the beach we decided to walk into town and found a cute little spot for lunch. The people working there were super friendly —
asking us about our travels and giving us recommendations. By the time we finished eating it was into the afternoon so we wanted to head back towards our hotel so we wouldn’t have to rush later. We ubered to Federation Square which is where we were watching the football game the other day. There were bean bag chairs out on grass and the area was packed by the big screen. The Australian Open was on so we sat and watched Serena Williams play.
The sun was so strong and it got so hot out, it was only 78° but felt way worse. It is going to be over 100 on Thursday and Friday so I am glad I am missing that heat wave. It was way too hot so I wanted to go back to the hotel so after stopping at one store I head back while the other girls continued shopping. I downloaded photos and relaxed and then met up with Erik to hang out before dinner.
We had an optional group dinner to celebrate as a class one last time. We all walked over together and enjoyed our food. It took a really long time at the restaurant so it was getting late by the time we left. A big group of us trammed over to the Victoria Street Markets. There was a cute section filled with so many booths of hand made items and vintage clothing. There were so many options so it took a while to look through everything but it was really awesome.
Most of us trammed back together and started walking to our hotel. A few of us wanted to take advantage of the last few hours together in Australia so we found a little cafe to sit and hang out at for a little bit.
I really cannot believe that this month is coming to an end and I really have to leave Australia. I loved Melbourne and wish I had more time here. This is a place I would definetly love to come back to.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
January 24th, 2019
Los Angeles, California
I sit here in California, as I did at the beginning of this month writing my first blog post. I was really excited to start my journey down under but I truly received more than I could have ever imagined. And, I was right. I would do anything to relive all of the feelings I had sitting in LAX on January 3rd because it was the start of something great. If I could keep reliving this experience from the beginning, over and over again, I would do it with no expectations. I am so grateful for the past month that I have had, it has been the best time of my life.
I set some goals for myself before leaving that I kept in mind throughout these past weeks.
1. Be more aware. I tend to be very observant or totally just focused on myself, no in-between. But, during this trip I had my eyes up the entire time taking in everything around me. I took note of the differences I encountered not only throughout the countries but the cities as well. Even at LAX, I started to see the differences around me. When waiting for food I had people coming up to me asking if I was queuing (waiting online) and that is definetly not the last time I heard that. In the airport in Melbourne I noticed that in the bathrooms the sinks and dryers were connected. Noticing the small things about the differences in how people live was really interesting.
2. Meet new people. This was the first goal that I achieved. As many times as I have flown, I never have the urge to talk to the people who are sitting next to me. I usually stay to myself. But on my first flight (to California) I talked to the girl next to me. She was my age and was actually heading to Sydney to study abroad too, but for the whole semester. We even realized that we knew people in common. I also met people throughout my time in the countries, talking to locals, and other tourists. (Jan 10 blog post)
3. Photography. I wanted to take this amazing opportunity to rekindle my passion for photography. And I would say I did this. I took photos every single day, no matter what we were doing or where we were going. I found people on the trip who shared the same passion so I was nice to share that with others.
4. Branch out. I am so happy with the friendships I have made throughout the course of this month. I did not limit myself to one group of people but instead wanted to be well rounded within my class. Of course there were people I grew closer to and spent more time with but I wouldn’t say there was one person on the trip that I couldn’t hang out with. I am so happy that we all go to Elon so I will still be able to continue our friendships when we get back to campus.
5. Try new things. I am not the biggest fan of the ocean but I jumped in the water and swam at the Great Barrier Reef, that is definetly new for me. I tried some new food and liked it. I tried wine at our wine tastings (I was legal there, don’t worry).
6. Have the time of your life. I definetly had so much fun each and every day. There would be times where it was 10am and I would look to someone and we would agree that it was already the best day ever, only to say the same thing the next day and the next.
7. Living in the moment - enjoying exactly where you are. I am so happy at how I lived each day. Instead of focusing on what to look forward to in the upcoming cities and days, we all focused on what we would be doing that particular day. I really think that it made our trip much more enjoyable and didn’t force us to wish our time away. Many times in life you don’t realize how good you have something until its gone and passed. But as we were living we were realizing how much fun we were having and how much we loved life. We didn’t have to wait until the trip was over to say which activities were so fun, we knew it when we were living it.
Going along with some of my goals, especially “be more aware” and “meet new people” you may have noticed that I ended each day’s blog post with a quote. Each quote was something that I heard or read while I was away this month. Something that someone said to me, that I overheard, or read where I was visiting that stuck with me. That was me being aware and being influenced by the people I have met that I will always have a connection to.
Thank you to whoever made this great experience possible for me. Thank you to whoever followed along with my adventure. Thank you to New Zealand and Australia for stealing a piece of my heart, I will be back.
“The days are long but the weeks will fly right by.”
