After the photo op with Davis, we headed towards the Kangaroo field and chilled with our Kanga homies. I was surprised how tame the Kangaroos were, and some of them were even carrying around Joeys. If I would have left Australia without seeing Koalas and Kangaroos, my trip would have been a slight disappointment.
One of the reasons it's such a pleasure to hold class in Australia during January focuses on the strong cultual (and somewhat outrageous) activities that surround Australia Day.
January 26 in Australia feels like the 4th of July, New Year's Eve and Columbus Day--combined. Folks throw their steaks on the barby, celebrate their country's diversity and simply have a smashing good time.
This day traditionally marks the landing of Captain Arthur Phillip in Sydney, claiming Australia for the British Empire. Though it has often been criticised, it remains the most inclusive celebration of a national day in Australia, expressing the national diversity which has become such an important part of the Australian national character. It's a day when 600 Australians are named and honored for contributions to their country. In Brisbane this year, new citizens were sworn in at City Hall and the Australian and Aboriginal flags were raised at Roma Parklands.
Australian National Anthem
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free,
We've golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare,
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share:
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.
One of my guilty pleasures during Australia Day is to attend the traditional (26th annual) Coackroach Races at the Storey Bridge Hotel in Brisbane. This is not an event for the faint of heart... or average tourist.
Fourteen individual cocky races take place throughout the day. Nearly 600 Aussies surround the official piece of canvas which marks the legendary race track. For each race, about 30 cockroaches are given names like "Waltzing Mat Cocky" and "Cocky and Bullwinkle" (for $5, which is donated to Mater Children's Hospital), numbered (with white-out) and then placed in a clear plastic container.
Each race begins formally with the entrants being brought into the ring accompanied by marching bagpipers. The race officially starts when the steward lifts the gate (plastic container) and the roaches scurry about. The first lucky roach to cross the outside line on the tract is declared the winner. Unlucky roaches are smashed or thrown into the crowd.
It's a cultural experience that clearly demonstrates the sporting nature and fun-loving spirit of our host country. It also proves some of the most significant intercultural lessons aren't academic but just plain fun.
--joanne lisosky
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This is Kat Jenkins, from Brisbane. That's me on the right. ;) I'm a Physics major who's been enjoying learning more about communication.
After watching "The Crocodile Hunter" on Animal Planet when I was younger, I knew there was no way I could go to Brisbane without taking a day trip to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. After a train and a bus ride from downtown Brisbane, we arrived at the zoo. We were not quite sure what to expect. We knew we wanted to cuddle with koalas, chill with crocs, and waddle with wombats, but what else was behind the entrance gates, we had no idea.
As soon as I entered, I could tell that this was different than any other zoo I'd been to before. There was less glass and more trees than usual, and the animals seemed to be within reach. Some of the parts of the zoo we could even walk right through the animal's habitats to interact with them.
We went to a koala demonstration where one of the zookeepers, Adam, taught us that koalas sleep for about twenty hours a day. Wouldn't that be a nice life! After the demonstration, we all got a chance to touch and pat a koala. I hadn't realized before that there weren't all gray, but that they have white spots on them so they can blend in with the trees better. And yes, they are just as cute in person.
Then we went to the the Crocoseum, where we saw a live show with snakes, birds, elephants, and crocodiles. We started with a few rounds of yelling "Crocs rule!" and "Crikey!" and a rememberance of Steve Irwin, whose presense is felt throughout the zoo even though he passed away this fall. The show was a chance to watch people interacting up close with "dangerous" animals, a chance to see macaws fly overhead (their colors are really amazing) and a chance to be in awe of a thirteen foot croc named Osmond who was fed right in front of us.
After the show we had a chance to go see the memorial for Steve Irwin, which showed how much of an influence he's had on people everywhere. Families, schools, and zoos from all around Australia and the world had sent cards, posters, shirts signed with messages, and even plastic crocs to honor the Crocodile Hunter. The fence was 50 feet long and five feet high, covered with memorials on both sides. It was touching to see.
Perhaps the most surprising part of the zoo was the area where we got to interact with the kangaroos. At first I was reluctant and scared to just approach a kangaroo, but they're very friendly animals. They weren't the least bit afraid of us, but they also didn't even try to bite us. I think that it is neat that the Australia Zoo thinks it is so important to have real interaction with the animals to make people appreciate them more. They also give the animals space by having special rest areas for them to go to when too many little kids (or college students) come up to touch them.
All in all the trip to the Australia Zoo was worth it. I learned a lot about the amazing animals of Australia. For instance, I didn't realize that Australia is the only country in the world with more varieties of poisonous than non-poisonous snake. I guess I can live without koalas in the US if that also means fewer dangerous snakes. I also had the chance to get up close to a kangaroo, something a bit more difficult to do at school in Washington. And something I'll remember for a lifetime.
After the obligatory stop in the gift shop, we hopped back to our bus and snoozed like koalas on the train back to Brisbane.
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Hey all, Ashlee Parnell here writing from Oz!
I’m loving it here, I might just have to apply for a job at The Age newspaper in Melbourne and move here.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of Sydney when we first arrived, but I’ve come to love it. There are so many neat things to do!
One day last week two friends and I went on an adventure to Watson’s Bay. It’s about a 20 minute ferry ride from the city. It was so pretty! We ate fish and chips by the water and explored the area.
There were beautiful homes over-looking the water and small beaches. We got gelato (my favorite!) and found our way to a place called “The Gap,” which is a huge cliff overlooking the ocean. The view was absolutely amazing! There were trails up and down the edge of the cliff. From one side you could see Sydney and from the other, the Pacific Ocean. The ocean stretched on forever!
The area was so beautiful but after talking to a group of locals we found out it’s actually quite dangerous at night. One boy even said he wouldn’t go to The Gap unless he was with a group of guys. I was surprised - it was such a nice area. But we had a fabulous time and got to see another part of Australia!
I’m sad to leave Sydney but excited to see a new part of Australia!
Hi, this is Heather Meligan reporting from Brisbane, Australia. When I went shopping for foods to make lunches with, I found myself embarking on a unique cultural adventure. I had planned on getting some fruit, bread, meat, chips and pop. I ended up with a package of chicken from the deli, some white bread, two containers of ripe strawberries, a 600 mL bottle of diet coke, and some Pringles. Thus far, everything I had wanted to find at Safeway had been easily located. Sure some of the brands were different in Australia, but the foods themselves were the same.
Before I left, I remembered that I would need mustard for my chicken sandwiches. When I went to the aisle with the spreads on it, mustard was nowhere to be found. For five to ten minutes I stood there thoroughly perusing the aisle’s contents. I was positive I must not be seeing something that was surely right in front of me. Vegemite, jellies and jams, peanut butter, honey, and a variety of other spreads stood before me on the shelf. I became frantic, as I had a limited amount of time to search with people waiting for me outside the store. Eventually, I gave up searching and decided that it must not exist here in Australia.
Later I realized I hadn’t seen any ketchup or mayonnaise either, and decided those also didn’t exist here. When walking to dinner that evening I recounted the story to one of my classmates, mentioning that I couldn’t possibly live in a country where mustard didn’t exist. That was how I found out that it was located on the ethnic foods aisle. This was the last place I would have thought to look for mustard! It made me feel like a true foreigner to discover that mustard is considered an ethnic food here. When I think of ethnic foods I usually think of Hispanic and Asian foods.
I never thought that term would be applied to a food I considered to be a standard commodity. As a first time international traveler, this is an experience that I will not soon forget. In the future when I travel to other countries, and can’t find what I’m looking for, I will be sure to look in the ethnic foods aisle.
--Heather Meligan
Hello from Sydney, this is Alexandria English. On our very last night in Sydney, it was very much a girls night out. Eleven girls out of the group washed the sand out of their hair and got ready for our last night out on the town. We had gotten up bright and early to get tickets to the must see show at the Sydney Opera House, Stomp as performed by the Lost and Found Orchestra. It was an amazing spectacle. With 50 plus performers and a choir joining in at the end, it was a perfectly synchronized event. Everything on stage had a purpose and was made out of random materials. The trumpets were road cones, drums were huge plastic containers, and the chimes were made out of pipes. Through the event they swung from the ceiling, used waterglasses as a background for a symphonic melody and entranced the audience. Stomp was performed in the large auditorium in the Opera house and is stunning. The construction of the room made the sounds from the performance resonate perfectly through my ears.
Not only were we blessed to see Stomp performed but only a few nights earlier we watched an interesting show called The Beast of Taylor Mac. It was a hilarious story of a man who does stage performances as a drag queen. His play consisted of small songs and stories about his life and current affairs. With a wardrobe that represented “The War On Terror”, you know it was good. He sang songs about Vice President Cheney’s wife and her risqué novel, as well as a song called “If you see something, say something”, which described what would happen if you were to leave your bag unattended in an airport. Although he had us falling out of our chairs, he touched us with songs of how he has been hurt in the past for who he is. Very much a touching perspective in an alternate side of life we don’t normally see.
Both of these performances were incredible. Giving myself and the group a new perspective on the arts as well as being able to say that we watched two performances at the Sydney Opera House! Our last night concluded with a fireworks show outside of the building bringing one of the girls to tears, making it one of the most memorable moments on this amazing journey. I feel so fortunate in having these experiences and opening my eyes to so many new things. Hopefully one thing we all learned was to be able to dance to the sound of our own beat.
--Alexandria English
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Jill Russell, here! While visting the Australian Film Television and Radio School, we were struck with awe at the fact that such an elaborate and modern school could be fully subsidized by the government. I mean, it just seems totally un-American that the government would fund a school for media. In my American-bred mind, the thought of governmental interference in media is terrifying.
While Steve Aherns talked about the history of Australian radio, I was kept on guard about the whole idea of this school. I kept thinking, “OK. Government subsidized…what’s the catch?” We quickly learned that there was no catch. The Australian government is totally aware of something that our government has yet to understand. The media are very powerful entities.
Steve Aherns, the director of radio at the school, lectures the class on the nuances of Australian radio. (Photo by Nate Hulings)
In America, our culture and our history has taught us to seek freedom from governmental control. In Australia, the government finds media so important, so crucial to its culture, that it willingly allocates money to create a school for the cream of the crop to harness their skills, ensuring a very hopeful future for Aussie storytellers.
--Jill Russell
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I am approaching the end of my adventure in this wonderful city. There is so much to do that I have been running non-stop so I can soak up as much of it as I can before we head to Brisbane. Having little downtime to sit around has been an adventure in itself. I can remember the lazy days before the trip sitting and listening to the radio or watching television. Speaking of TV and radio, the one thing I don’t miss are all of the commercials.
I had the great opportunity to visit the Australian Broadcast Corporation and one of Australia’s biggest radio stations, Triple J. After wandering through some of the ABC’s huge studios (the largest on this side of the world) I got to see the insides of Australian television and news.
Did I mention that all of these TV channels are free? The government of Australia completely funds their media and they keep a tight hold on advertisements. This is about the opposite of the US. It was so strange to think about how huge media corporations are not in the business commercially. The whole experience was eye-opening, and it got even better when we went up a couple floors to Triple J.
Triple J is Australia’s alternative radio station that has a huge reputation for pushing the boundaries with its programs. Walking into their office is like stepping into any music fanatic’s paradise with the walls covered in autographed posters and their huge library of music.
Even though we have been learning about how much Australian media is carefully controlled to protect children and promote education this radio station pushes the boundary that makes anything coming from American radio sound tame.
The best part of the trip was that one of the morning DJs, Lindsay aka The Doctor, recorded us for his radio show! So if any of you happen to be listening to Triple J and here a bunch of college students yelling, that would be us.
I might just have to tune in myself.
--Nick Werts
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G’day mates! This is Sabrina Coady blogging from Sydney, Australia! On this study abroad experience I, as well as other students, have had the opportunity to unleash and learn more about our inner selves and the world around us.
Could there be a better way to engage in the world around us than climbing to one of the highest points in Sydney? Two blokes and five sheilas accompanied me for the climb of our lives!
It was a very beautiful clear and windy day in Sydney. When we arrived at the Sydney Harbour Bridge a few of us were shaking in our flip flops. We were prepped for the climb by watching a video. Then we were given the snazzy climbing gear. After the preparation exercises it hit me, there was no where to go but up!
As we walked out onto the first platform, the excitement caused our hearts to beat out of our chests. We all took a deep breath and began the climbing journey of a lifetime. Did I mention that although I am an adventurous girl…I am a little afraid of heights? They say not to look down, so of course I did! I couldn’t figure out if the platform was shaking from the wind or my jittery legs.
With a father whose biggest fear is for me to follow in his adventurous foot steps, I could hear his voice in my head saying to be safe but to take it all in! And as the Aussies say, “No Worries!”
After climbing 1,439 steps we reached the top of the Sydney Bridge at 434 feet. There was not a worry in the world that could take that feeling of fulfillment away from me. I did it! I opened up my arms to feel the wind blowing through my suit. It is amazing how content you can feel at 434 feet above water. Some would call this experience exhilarating, some would call it life changing, and some would call it sensational; I would argue it is all of the above!
At the top we experienced the breathtaking view of the world’s most beautiful harbour and we were lifted higher, both figuratively and literally, then we could have ever imagined. As we reached this point we bursted out singing “We Are The Champions” followed by the happy birthday song to Shayna Doi.
I hope that everyone could someday experience the joy lifting themselves higher to see all of Sydney with just 1,439 steps.
Hi everyone, it's Chelsea Gorrow! Yesterday we took a ferry out past the Sydney Opera House, under the "coat hanger" bridge--one of the biggest bridges in the world--out into the bay and then to Manly Beach, one of the most breathtaking white-sandy beaches you will ever see. We ran straight for the sand, out into the sun, and realized that this was heaven on earth.
One goal I had while in Australia was to learn how to surf! Well, Sabrina Coady and I had that goal in common and decided this was the perfect opportunity to do it! So we did!
After we paid 55 dollars Australian and were fitted for a wetsuit, we joined about 12 others for a 2-hour surfing lesson. And guess what? I can surf now!
It isn’t as glamorous as Cameron Diaz or Kate Bosworth makes it look, though! I drank more salt water than I have ever drank or have cared to drink in my entire life and had what felt like the entire white-sandy beach that I was talking about up my nose. But after practice, and a few sneezes, I stood up, rode a wave, and surfed to the beach. Lather. Rinse. Repeat!
The funniest part is the tan lines! Or “burn lines” is more appropriate. We had to wear wet suits so the tops on my feet, the tops of my hands, and my face are lobster-ific! It looks like I'm wearing red gloves, socks, and a ski mask. sweet! But O-SO-WORTH-IT!!
This is Roxanne Cooke blogging from Sydney, Australia. Within the first few days of tromping around this massive city, I’ve noticed that it’s more tourist-friendly than Melbourne. I hear fewer Aussie accents, and those I do hear seem more subtle (or maybe I’ve just gotten used to them). I feel less of an outsider with my American accent, whereas in Melbourne I felt I should try to blend in and talk like the Aussies – so much so that I accidentally spoke in an accent on a few occasions.
Unfortunately, the people in Sydney appear less friendly. When the 16 of us took a bus together, all those icy stares could’ve cooled us off for the rest of this trip. In downtown Sydney, the crowds somehow permit people to be pushy. It’s not awful, just different from Melbourne.
Today (Monday) we visited the Australian Press Council, which is similar to the Washington News Council, except that its coverage is nation-wide. The purpose of the APC is self-regulation of print media (newspapers and magazines) through a public complaint process.
Australia has no Bill of Rights like the U.S. does, so freedom of speech is not a guarantee. In fact, Executive Secretary Jack Herman told us it’s a constant fear that freedoms will be lost. The APC acts as a sort of fifth estate, keeping check that the media are fair, balanced and accurate, while at the same time preserving the freedom for media to publish what falls under public interest.
The problem (for any press council) is that many journalists take offense that they are being regulated. After all, one of the goals of journalism is to act as a watchdog and keep tabs on governmental bodies. Because of this, the APC is completely independent from the government – which means it has little power. On the other hand, if it had that sort of authority, it would lose credibility. It wouldn’t work.
As a class, we’ve read in our textbooks and heard from Australians that the APC is a “toothless tiger.” No one mustered up the courage to ask Jack Herman for his response to that criticism, but it would have been an interesting question to pursue.
I’m curious: What do the journalists out there think?
--Roxanne Cooke
Australian-acclimated Bryanna Plog writing here. After everything was so new and different in our first few days, it seemed much too soon that we had to leave Melbourne, and headed north to Sydney. For someone like me who likes the country as much or more than the city, the train ride on Friday was one of the best days of the trip so far, passing through the wide-open scenery that covers most of Australia. We even experienced some of the real country and even saw our first kangaroos! It was also an adventure, and we arrived in Sydney only after being diverted because of a fire, hitting a herd of goats and battling 40 degree heat.
The landscape was very dry, but we snaked through many scenic vistas dotted with very outback looking trees, stately stags and thousands of sheep. The countryside was gorgeous, especially from inside an air-conditioned train. Since most of Australia is arid and open, it was great to see what a large part of the continent actually looks like.
A little less than halfway through the 12 hour trip, the conductor got on the intercom and said that we're all getting off in some little town called Junee. There was a fire in Cootamundra and a concrete silo was apparently glowing with possibility to explode because of gases inside. I couldn’t complain too much about getting on the buses, even in 40 degree heat, when you’re contending with a possibility of large chunks of concrete flying through the air. We drove to Cootamundra (the bit not by the silo) and through more beautiful country. It was a great experience to see some of the spots few people besides locals usually travel to.
We got on the train again in a usually small unmanned train station in a town called Harden, but a few hours later, came to a screeching halt in the middle of someone’s farm. We had hit a herd of goats crossing the tracks. A half-hour later, we were moving on again, though sadly I’m not sure if some of the goats were.
The country became much greener as we went through the edge of the Blue Mountains and I stared out at the scenery, catching a glimpse of a beautiful rainbow and three groups of wild kangaroos. I guess they are actually out there, not just on the tail of Qantas jets and on every tourist T-shirts.
Our train was almost 2 hours late, but I wouldn’t trade our delays and diversions for anything. All those problems? As they say here, no worries. After that taste of the country, we’re all off to explore the fast-faced world of Sydney.
--Bryanna Plog