Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

The Zoo!

I'm not sure what it is, but anyone who travels to Australia makes a huge deal about going to the zoo. I guess you have to actually do it to understand why.

So we did. :)

Red Kangaroos

Ali + Megan

Really. Where else can you hang out with kangaroos like this?


Me and the Kangaroo, Birdie


Waterfall in the Rainforest, Trina + Megan :)


Tree Kangaroo, Croc

Tasmanian Devil, Sleepin' Wombat



Lizard that bit my toe during lunch! Enchidas


Rock Head, Koala!

I liked the koalas...


...How could you not?

A month's review:

It's hard to believe that Amy & I have spent almost a month halfway around the world from our homes. It feels like no time has past, and we still have it all ahead of us.

Since Study Australia's Orientation, we settled into our apartments in Varsity Lakes. They're absolutely beautiful and really convenient (our front step is basically the pool).

Central Parks is insanely wonderful (above view from our balcony, left kitchen), and we've met so many nice girls here. A few nights a couple of the girls set up a BBQ for our complex, which was a really cute in our area.


There's a cute shopping area a few minutes walk down the road called Market Square where all of us go at least once a day to eat, shop, or walk. It's nice to have, though I wish there was a little more to it...but it does have sushi, what else can we ask for? :)

Courtney, Hayley, Amy, & I have gone to a couple beaches since we've been here. Broadbeach (left) was a lot of fun with cute restaurants and shopping centers around the area. Burleigh Beach was slightly farther but still worth the drive. The water is so warm with no seaweed or rocks.

Without failure, a couple nights a week we all go into Surfer's Paradise - about a 20min bus ride to all the clubs, shops, bars, and restaurants anyone could ask for. Last friday, Bond put on the Pub Crawl in Surfer's, which was basically an excuse to
drink from 3pm to 12am. Nonetheless, it was a blast.

Last Thursday, Hayley Court Ames and I went to Dracula's, which was similar to a cabaret show. It included a three course meal and four hours of entertainment: singing, dancing, comedy, and the like. To get from the bar to our dinner table/stage, we were taken on a "Ghost Train Ride" which winded through the building showing scary and gruesome scenes (no pics...we found out the hard way).

We're now in our second week of classes. They're going alright, but it's such a change from the 300 person lectures we're used to at UMass. My largest class is no bigger than 20 students. I'm thoroughly enjoying the four day weekends though. :)

A few more pics:

Amy + I, Balcony Amy + I, Beach Party - Tavern


Central Parks, Drink the Pub Dry Trrrrinn + Jen

Amy the Tourist DaNcIn' QuEEnS

Court, Hayley, Me, Amy - Pub Crawl Lindsay + I, Pub Crawl

Hayley, Courtney, Amy - Drunk @3pm. Burr Garden Dancers

Central Park Gurlies Tuesdays @ Beer Garden

Burleigh Beach Bathing Beauuuuties

Haha, she's gonna kill me for this one.
Our wireless worked, really.
We just had to sit on top of it to get any signal.

BOND UNI, Business & Law Buildings

BOND UNI, Center :)

Study Australia's Orientation

Arriving In Aussie...

After spending 20 hours on a flight with a few glitches in the airports, Amy and I finally arrived in Sydney, Australia - a day before everyone else. What did we do with our first 24 hours of freedom? What any jet-lagged 20 yr olds would do: slept for 16 hours.

We met up with our program consisting of 45 other students. We met some amazing people as we toured Sydney, obviously looking like tourists taking pictures of everything in sight.

After a long walk through Hyde Park, Anzac Memorial, Bondi Beach, and Botanical Gardens, and a wonderful dinner at Blackbird Cafe, we were finally allowed to sleep - or go out, which we attempted to do at a pub called the Three Wise Monkeys. Nonetheless, it was basically a failure, retiring at 11PM for bed.

The following day, we traveled to the Blue Mountains about two hours north of Sydney. It most likely would have been the prettiest site I had ever seen, if it weren't for the fog covering the valleys. We were taken (unknowingly) down a 3.5hr trail of "bushwalking" - which consisted climbing endless rocks and hopping from stone to stone in a canyon. Not the best impression of Australia's beauty, but nevertheless, an experience.

Afterwards, our program was taken abseiling down small cliffs in another section of the Blue Mountains. We eventually worked up to a cliff of 180ft, that of which both Amy and I tackled.

Slightly nerve-wrecking, but both of us are glad we did it.

After two days in the Blue Mountains, we finally returned to (our penthouse) apartments at the World Tower in Sydney. Given a free day, Hayley, Courtney, Amy, and I went to the Sydney Aquarium, where we could walk under, next to, or above sea lions and sharks of all sizes. After lunch and gelato, we sat in a park off the harbor enjoying the sites and the weather
(which is 80+ everyday).

After spending our free night at local bars and pubs like Scruffy Murphy's and Sidebar, we had our final dinner with our program on a cruise traveling around the Sydney Harbor. It was packed with amazing views of the Opera House and the Bridge, wonderful food, and great wine.

A few more pictures from orientation:

Amy + I, Sydney bar. Amy + I, Opera House.

Opera House, Sydney. Hyde Park, Sydney.

St. Mary's Church, Sydney. Bondi Beach, Sydney.

Cliff, Blue Mountains. Abseiling, Blue Mountains.

Study Australia Dinner, Katoomba.

Me, Courtney, Amy, Hayley; Harbor Cruise. The Boys; Harbor Cruise, Sydney.

Study Australia Group; Bond Uni, Spring '06