Groovin' the Moo

One weekend I wont ever forget was one spent listening to stellar music and hanging with some stellar friends. A group of us traveled down to Bunbury for the Groovin’ the Moo Music Festival. It was a day where we let our cares go, and got to enjoy the aussie sun while dancing and singing to our hearts desire.

It was my first real music festival- and I never want to see bands any other way. It was such a great atmosphere; everyone is so happy and full of life. The bands were great, the food was amazing (burgers on burgers on burgers), and the crowds were insane. For us foreigners- it was a great glimpse into the aussie music scene, with many of the bands being native to the land down under. 

the set up

my girls <3

                                

Vance Joy- beautiful aussie folk singer.

Architecture in Helsinki- never had so much fun at a show before! This band is so funky, seemed to be fresh out of the 80's.

Naked and Famous! Sounded perfect live.

Jezabels- Aussie rock royalty

Disclosure- ended the night with a bang. 

GTM was a fantastic time, and it allowed me to experience more of the Australian culture. It was a great day hanging with some awesome friends, bonding over some amazing music. 

Digging in Western Australia

One of my favorite parts of studying abroad was my Archaeology class. Its not offered at University of Portland, so I jumped at the opportunity to take it at Notre Dame. We spent the semester learning the basics of archaeology,  the process of excavation and learning about various discoveries throughout history. It was taught by Dr. Shane Burke, who is one of my favorite teachers I have ever had. He is so knowledgeable and passionate about his subject, and if you have ever taken an academic class, you know how important that is. He made it interesting and relevant, allowing me to fully enjoy and learn about Archaeology. As a part of the class, we took a field trip to Peel Town- an excavation site south of Fremantle. 

Sifter: second step in the excavation process

our site

Shane examining the hearth we found

I felt so legit, excavating a site that was dated to 1830. It was such a great first hand experience, that taught me more of the history of Australia. Peel Town was a British settlement during the time of British Colonization of Australia. We found glass bottles, ceramics, iron nails, bullets, and a hearth, and got a glimpse of how this community lived during this time, adapting to a new environment that is oh so different than England. I loved every minute of getting my hands dirty. Archaeology was definitely my favorite class, and I have Shane to thank for that. 

Esperance: Experiencing More of What Western Australia Has to Offer

Universities in Australia make a week that’s about half way through the semester a “study week,” a week without class where you can catch up on your studies, write papers, prepare presentations, and study for midterms. For us study abroad students, it’s a week that allows us to go and explore more of this amazing country (Don’t worry- we saved a few days at the end of the week for academics). A group of 13 of us braved a 10-hour bus ride and traveled to the South Coast, Esperance. The town was a quaint little place that gave us a warm welcome.

This area of the country is known for its spectacular beaches. We spent the first day lounging at Twilight Beach, and then walked along the coast back to the main town area, about 6 kilometers.

                                      

                                      

We then traveled to Cape La Grand National Park, home to a few of the most spectacular beaches I have ever visited. We camped at Lucky Bay, a beach that is so beautiful, that even kangaroos can’t stay away- yep, that’s right. We saw kangaroos on a beach. They even wandered into our campsite a few times. How much more stereotypical “Aussie” could it be.

We hiked up Frenchman’s peak. It took us 15 minutes to scale 262 meters up. And man, it was steep,

but so worth it. The view from the top was magnificent.

We hiked to Thistle Cove, another amazing beach just right next door to Lucky Bay.

The last few days were relaxing, we spent the days on the beach, soaking up the sun and the views.

Esperance was such a beautiful area, that I never knew existed until learning more about Western Australia. Its not well known to many who aren’t native to WA. It is an area that I would have never been able to experience if I wasn’t living in Fremantle; it’s hard to reach as a regular tourist. This week was such a fun break from the routine we had all found ourselves in, and another memory that makes my semester abroad special.

Easter in Oz

Being away from your family for an extended period of time is hard. But missing big holidays is even harder. This semester we were missing Easter back home. To make things easier on all of us, we decided to celebrate Easter with our new Cleo’s family. We all contributed in one way or another to our big feast. People made food, desserts, organized Easter games, while Bryan and I decorated the common room to get everyone in the Easter spirit. It was a great way to get everyone involved, and feeling a part of our makeshift family. We all had a blast getting ready for the big Sunday. The meal we shared that late morning was one that was full of fun and laughter. 

 I had never felt more grateful for the friends I had there with me. I am continually thankful for their support and love. The group of students we have is special, and made this Easter unique and exceptional. Even if we were away from our family back in the states- we had a new family in Australia.