Experiences in the Aussie Outback

Hey y'all! Sorry for the longer than wanted absence, but I have been so busy that I just haven't had a chance to sit down and fully write about my trip to Broome, the way that I wanted to. But now is finally the time!

As a part of our Australian History class here at Notre Dame, our group of study abroad students took a field trip to Northern Australia- in the Kimberley region. We spent a week in the outback with an aboriginal family, learning about and experiencing the aboriginal culture. Out of respect for privacy to everyone involved in this trip, I am not going to be too specific: I can't use names or post pictures. This post is going to focus more on the history of the culture and how this trip impacted me personally.

If you didn't know, the aboriginal people are the original people of Australia, and were here thousands of years before the British Colonization in the late 1700's. Unfortunately, they were considered a dying race by the English and thus, victims to many extensive forms of racism. Problems between the groups continued throughout history. Australia is currently working towards reconciliation of their history of discrimination and maltreatment of aboriginal people, but certainly have a long way to go.

One of the primary issues is the lack of awareness about aboriginal culture. A majority of the modern Australian population don't have knowledge about the aboriginal people, even though they have existed on this continent together for years. For us, as foreigners, this field trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

On our trip, we got to experience the land that the Aboriginal people consider sacred. On our drive to the campsite, the land around us was the stereotypical Australian bright red dirt, covered in a light green bush, next to a the brightest blue sky, with not a cloud in sight. Multiple times, we were given the chance to swim in the warmest ocean I have ever experienced, with the whitest sands. We walked through the bush and learned how the plants and land were used for medicine, food, hunting. Most importantly, we learned how to respect the land while still using it as a resource. This is a major part of aboriginal culture, and using the land correctly is central to their way of life.

Throughout the week, we met many respected aboriginal elders, including the traditional owners of the land we were on. They shared the stories of their own lives, and the way they were personally impacted by the discrimination from the English, and then the White Australians later on. But they also shared with us their customs, beliefs, and how they live their daily lives. We were able to meet a couple aboriginal artists, and they talked about the impact of the environment through their art. The philosophy they hold is that each piece of art shares a story, whether that be a personal story or a traditional story. We got the opportunity to visit a school in one of the surrounding aboriginal communities, and met some of the kids there (who were so adorable), and got to talk to them about their families, school, and their lives in general. There were so many similarities between these kids and kids back in America, yet there were still so many differences as well. The people we got to meet and talk with were what made this trip so special.

Personally, I learned so much in such a short period of time, about a culture that I had known nothing about prior to this trip. The family we stayed with were so welcoming, and I am so grateful to them for allowing us to be apart of their community. I met so many amazing people on this trip, who are beautiful inside and out, and I will cherish the stories they shared with us, and carry them with me for the rest of my life.

If you are considering studying abroad, this is what it is all about- learning about a new culture, and letting it impact and change you for the better. Broome was one of the best experiences I have had in Australia, and it has made this adventure that much more life-changing.

Caversham: Home to Animals and Animal-Lovers Alike

As part of the study abroad program- the University runs various excursions throughout the semester. So Saturday, April 5th, around 45 students piled onto a bus and partook in some purely Aussie adventures at Caversham Wildlife Park.

Firstly, they have a Kangaroo Sanctuary that you can walk through and pet as many Kangaroos as your heart desires. All different shapes, sizes and colors. It felt like heaven, honestly. The roos spend their days lounging, getting free massages from hundreds of eager visitors. Most of them are professional models on the side as well.

Kangaroo selfie- life complete

So, I have now officially pet a Kangaroo. I crossed off my #1 item on my Australia bucket list, thats for sure.

Next, we headed to the Koala Sanctuary, and got to see some cute but still ferocious Koalas. Did you know that Koalas are sleeping so much of the day away because of their low protein diet of Eucalyptus trees, and they are trying to conserve as much energy as possible? Its not because the eucalyptus makes them high, as so many were convinced of… oops.

look at that face

We were then given a tour of the rest of the zoo, and we saw a Tasmanian Devil, Dingoes, various birds, pythons, and many more Australian creatures. We came across a Red Fox, named Megan. How perfect?? Except in Australia they pronounce it "Meeeeeegan" like there are extra E's in there or something….

it's Megan!

One of the highlights of this day trip was meeting Big Bubbs. She was this very cute, very fat, and very calm Wombat. We got to take pictures with her and it was so freaking adorable. My entire life I have never really known what a Wombat was, and after this they are one of my favorite animals in existence. How could you not love this face??

Cleo's Family in their natural habitat <3

Overall, it was a day for hanging out with some great people and some great animals. It was a time where I could nerd out over animals like the good ole days, working at the Oregon Zoo. I know I can speak for many by saying that Caversham was one of the highlights of this trip, and we are so lucky to experience things like this.

Rottnest Island: Paradise off the Coast of Australia.

Instead of doing homework, we took a weekend trip to the beautiful Rottnest Island. After waking up bright and early at 6 am, the lot of us took a rocky 25 minute ferry ride and arrived ready to take on the day.

The 24 of us reserved 3 campsites right by the beach. On the walk there, we found our first quokka. Obviously, we were stoked to see these small happy animals. Over the weekend we would come to realize that these animals are EVERYWHERE. Seriously, all over the place. They aren't afraid of humans either, so they would hang out under the picnic tables, wander into your campsites, and into the busiest parts of town.

how could you not love these things?

We set up our tents, went into town and found a delicious bakery full of sweet baked goods and coffee. It then did not take us long to hit the beautiful beach. The water was so clear, and there was a lighthouse right there as well. It was the perfect spot to camp.  

After hanging out on the beach for a while, a small group of us hired bicycles for three hours, and set out to explore the island. With no plan, and no map, we started riding. We found beaches, beaches and more beaches that got prettier and prettier.

We wandered to the middle of the island and found the Salt Lakes. They are these big lakes that are used for research. You could see piles and piles of pure salt where the water met the sand. The water in the lakes was so stunningly blue and bright.

Bike Gang

We then headed up to Oliver Hill, where there is the original World War II cannon that was used to defend the port city of Fremantle during that time. It was actually never fired. But from this viewpoint, you could see so much of the island, and it was stunning.

the salt lakes in the background

That night was spent at the beach, taking in the sunset and hanging out as a group. It was great fun to get to know everyone better and just relax at the beach on this gorgeous island.

We woke up at 5:45 the next morning to see the sunrise. Myself, sleeping bag wrapped around me, and the majority of the group went up to the lighthouse and watched in awe as the sun rose over the city of Perth 22 kilometers away.

Perth on the left

The rest of the day was spent at a beach we had stumbled upon the day before on our bike ride, Geordie Bay.

Then we caught the 4:30 ferry back to the mainland. Rottnest Island was such a beautiful and fantastic place. We had such an amazing weekend exploring another one of the great experiences that Australia has to offer. An unforgettable weekend of quokkas, beaches, sun, and friends.

From the Bluff to the Beach

Its that time again- time for textbooks, homework, essays and exams. After so much traveling and exploring, our extended winter break is coming to a close. But I'm trading the cold and rainy campus of University of Portland for the warm and sunny campus of University of Notre Dame, Fremantle.

While I'm here I am taking 5 classes- English, Public Health and Promotion, Ethics, Australian History, and Archaeology. Each class is broken down into a two hour lecture period and a one hour tutorial (called tutes for short) only once a week. Its definitely going to be an adjustment to only having a class once a week, when at UP it would be two or three times a week- but this leaves plenty of extra time to study (or go to the beach).

One difference that I will definitely have to work on is calling my professors by their first name. The classroom setting in Australia is definitely more informal than in the states. Also, they don't even call them professors- its lecturer or tutor. But every lecturer and tutor that I have interacted with here has been welcoming and friendly to all of us study abroad students. They are laid back- but not so much where it interferes with our learning, and its been great so far.

The grading system here is probably the most different. Your grade is based on maybe 4 things at most- an essay, a presentation, a group project, and a final exam. This means that there is more riding on each assignment, and less opportunities to raise your grade if for some reason one assignment doesn't go well. Can you say pressure…

I have loved having classes with Australians though. Its nice to have a few familiar faces in my class (I don't think I have one class without at least one other student from UP), but we are trying our best to branch out and meet as many people as we can while we are here, and make the most of this opportunity. The classroom is one of the only places to meet other Australian students anyway, since most other students commute to school.

I am super excited to be at the University of Notre Dame this semester, and to experience university life in a different country.

First day of school :)

Roomie love- and a photo bomb by Bryan

To Wander

My first day in Australia I spent by myself, exploring the city of Perth. The dorms weren't open until the next day, so I had some time to kill. I checked into my hotel, took a much needed shower after spending so much time in an airport and on a plane, and headed out with a map in one hand and a camera in the other.

The first thing I did was head towards the water. Swan River runs right through the middle of the city, and provides opportunities for really awesome riverside parks, boat docks, restaurants, and piers.

Perth is also home to one of the most unique bell towers I've ever witnessed during my travels, surrounded by some crazy art, and a twist on the classic lock bridge that is all over Europe.

I continued to wander, and found my favorite statues to ever exist. As if I needed a reminder about what country I was in.

One of my favorite places I found was St. George's Cathedral. Its right smack in the middle of the city, yet seems untouched by the urban life surrounding it. I was able to go inside and was instantly transported to Europe. It's not the biggest cathedral, yet still feels grand. It had such a nice charm to it, I didn't want to leave.

Perth is also home to some fancy schmancy shops and has a sizable shopping area. All the classics- Gucci, Coach, Louis Vuitton etc etc etc… but there was a tiny little alleyway that was of its own genre. I felt like I was on a movie set, the street was so different from the surrounding streets. It was like old time London. It even had flags flying with Shakespeare's face on them. There were also some really funky souvenir shops along the way, I loved it.

It was weird walking around without Abbey, but traveling by yourself can be really liberating. I could just wander and not have any sort of plan- just sort of go where I wanted and follow what seemed interesting to me. I had time to myself to reflect on my trip. I felt mature and like an actual adult (who knew) navigating the city. It can definitely be intimidating because of the horror stories out there, and honestly, I was sort of nervous. But it was an amazing day, and I was able to experience a different side of traveling.

The next morning I got ready and headed to this cool cafe I had walked by the day before for breakfast. I had my first Australian coffee and delicious pancakes at E Sense Cafe. Everyone around me was off to work- hustling and bustling around the streets in their professional dress.

Then it was time to head down to Fremantle, and start my study abroad adventure at University of Notre Dame Australia. Here's to the next four months!