After lunch we moved on to another diving location. On the cruise back to the harbor, a big group of us started playing ‘drinking games’ around a large table in the inside part of the boat. They had a mini bar on the boat where we bought beers and snacks. The games got really funny and loud and we definitely had a good time.
Sunday morning came VERY early. A 5:50 a.m. wake-up call was followed by groggy luggage packing and a bus ride to the Cairns airport. I think all 70+ of us students were excited about leaving the awful humidity that northern Queensland is famous for. Just like on the flight from LAX to Sydney, as well as the flight from Sydney to Cairns, my bags were overweight (surprise surprise!). Even my carry-on duffle bag was too heavy to carry on so I had to check it as a third bag. The guy was really nice and didn’t make me pay any overweight baggage fees like the US does. After a shopping spree at the terminal newsstand store, an Iced coffee that I swear was spiked with Baileys (probably needed the additional boost), and testing 4 different kinds of Australian candy bars (TimTam is all the rage here and it tastes like a can of tennis balls in an antique store), we were finally taking off on a JetStar Airbus A320 to Brisbane.
Destination: Gold Coast, Australia. aka- “the Goldie” & Surfers Paradise.
I’ve now been here for four days and it’s been awesome. When we landed, we got all our bags- they all made it this time- and got onto yet another charter bus because Gold Coast is about 45 minutes south of Brisbane. With our faces pressed up against the windows, we anxiously watched the lush scenery wisp by while being fascinated by cars driving on the opposite side of the road. The bus took us directly to our accommodation and home for the next five months- Griffith University Village. The Village is really interesting with its very modern architecture and simplistic style. We went in to the office, signed some papers, and got our apartment assignment. Luckily, my good guy friend from CU, Collin, and I got put in the same apartment. We made our way over to apartment 2109 to find Scott and Lauren inside. They were both part of our AustraLearn group and I had become friends with Lauren over that past week in Cairns. She and Scott were friends from home also so we were all in the same boat. These apartments are five bedrooms so we were all really anxious to see who the lucky 5th roommate would be. Collin and I were in the apartment for no more than 10 minutes when we threw on bathing suits and headed to Surfers Paradise- the place we’ve all been looking forward to since summer. David, Greg, and Rob, our friends from CU that are in this program too, came with us and all the boys brought their surfboards from home so they surfed in one of the best surf spots in the world while I people-watched from the sand. After a couple hours in the sand, we went back and our 5th roommate, Sarah, was there. She went through a different study abroad program but we all get along great! After unpacking our suitcases, we showered and got ready for our first night out in Gold Coast.
My Roommates! (From Left: Sarah, Collin, Me, Lauren, Scott.)
A big group of us went to this bar called Sin City, which is in downtown Surfers Paradise. It was a really fun club and we all had a blast dancing and hanging out with locals. Later in the night the rapper Shwayze came out on the stage and performed. I am a huge fan of Shwayze so I was ecstatic to watch him play at a random club in a random part of the world. It was a really fun first night.
On Monday, Sarah, Lauren and I, took the bus to a plaza with an indoor walking mall. We hit up the Target and after spending over an hour looking at all the things they had/didn’t have and complaining about how much more expensive things in Australia are, we each left with a laundry hamper, a fan, hangers, and a mirror. We walked around a little more, had lunch, and headed back. That night the RAs at the Village planned a barbeque for all of us to mingle and get to know each other. There’s a really great pool area with grass and picnic tables and everyone had a blast drinking and enjoying the warm night air.
I woke up really early yesterday (Tuesday) and Lauren, Collin, Scott and this kid Tommy and went to the beach. We got there early at around 10:30 in the morning and it was already scorching hot. Because there’s no ozone layer above Australia, sunscreen is a necessity and I had to apply SPF 50 multiple times all over and I still got some color. A bunch of our friends ended up meeting us there and we had a big group sitting together while all the boys surfed the whole day. It was fun just relaxing and soaking up the rays with good company. I rented a soft-top surfboard for 2 hours and attempted to catch some baby waves. Living in California, I’ve always wanted to learn how to surf but I’ve never had the resources to make it happen. Now that I am in one of the best surfing destinations in the world, I really want to get better at surfing. It’s so fun and I know that if I practice a lot, I will get the hang of it in no time. I had a great time paddling out on the amateur surfboard next to all the experienced boys and I caught a couple of really good rides!
We left the beach at 5:30pm after a long day of sun and surf. Once we were back at the Village, Collin, Rob, Greg, David, and I walked across Griffith University campus to a liquor store, Dan Murphy’s, down the street from the other side of campus. Since all the alcohol in Australia is imported, it is extremely expensive for what is normally pretty cheap in the States. The solution? Boxed wine. Really cheap and VERY classy ;) Last night Sarah, Lauren, Collin and I drank our wine and then took a taxi to Surfers to meet up with everyone at a club called Bedtime. When we got there everyone was walking out of it saying it was boring. We all walked down the road to this small bar with live music and an outdoor patio. It was a little bit of an older crowd but still fun! Then we walked over to the BeerGarden, which is famous in this town for having a wild nightlife. Unfortunately, last night it was dead there but it’s a really cool place on the inside. It was a fun night but everyone was worn out from the beach so we didn’t stay out late.
I decided that today was going to be dedicated to getting my errands done. I have to buy a Go-Pass for the bus system but in order to that I had to get a Griffith University student ID card so Lauren and I walked through campus and picked that up. It started drizzling so we came back to our place. I also need to get a cell phone from Global Gossip so that I can communicate with my friends here. And we need groceries. All of these things would be so much easier if I had a car but sadly we all have to rely on the bus system (which is decent but gets expensive) or walking. I think I might go to the grocery store and push the entire shopping cart (“Trolleys”) back. Hopefully this rain lets up soon.
So I’m loving life in Gold Coast already. Its gorgeous here and the people are really nice. The way of life here is so relaxed and carefree- very refreshing compared to the fast-paced, chaotic southern California vibe.
And its so nice not living out of a suitcase and having my own room. With all my new friends in this same complex, it’s like the dorms freshman year but 100,000 times better.
To sum it up:
I love Australia. Still haven’t tried Vegemite. Still searching for my aussie boyfriend. Still loving my life.
My room again. I brought pictures from home and my friends to decorate my walls.
My closet.
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