Hi guys! So my honors college at home runs a blog with posts from the students who are currently studying abroad. So this is the post I made for this week’s blog update! If you want to read this post or more about LIHC Study Abroad students…the blog is at http://lihcdragonblog.blogspot.com
Hey Mates, saying G’Day from across the globe in Australia!!
Meet Oz, my dragon. Australian refer to their country as Oz sometimes, because it sounds like the abbreviation AUS, and because this gorgeous land is filled with crazy creatures. Oz and I are at James Cook University in Townsville. Townsville is the largest city in Tropical North Queensland. It’s never been under 70 degrees while I’ve been here and the beach is a short bus ride away from pristine coastal beaches. A short ferry ride away is the beautiful Magnetic Island, and a few hour boat ride away is the spectacular Great Barrier Reef.
In addition to Townsville, Oz and I have seen Sydney and Brisbane: two of the most exciting cities in Australia. Sydney was a whirlwind filled with rushing people and cars and boats. The iconic sights, the harbour bridge and opera house, are gems to see. But experiencing the SydneySider lifestyle is an amazing adventure too! Brisbane is an impressive city filled with amazingly beautiful parks and a sparkling river weaving through the bustling city. For Spring Break Oz and I are going to visit Fiji, and also seeing Melbourne and Cairns and maybe even New Zealand!
Australia is full of wonderful crazy things. The university is situated in a valley surrounded by beautiful hills perfect for hiking! A giant mountain called Castle Hill is situated in the middle of Townsville overlooking the entire city and Magnetic Island. There’s a road that goes all the way up to the top, but there’s also heaps of different trails and tracks to get a work out while getting to the top. We took the infamously hard Goat Track just last week.
The Strand is a large stretch of beach that’s the main hub of Townsville. The water is warm and wavy, but at this time of year is also filled with deadly Stingers. So swimming is only allowed in enclosed areas with stinger nets. Heaps of bars and restaurants (and famous gelato shops!) line the Strand beaches and parks. As I don’t have classes Monday or Wednesday, I find as much time as possible to be at the beach. Along with a coastal beach, Ross River runs through the entire city. At least once a week I like to bike the 10 miles along the river to the Strand. The views are gorgeous and getting some exercise in makes me feel better about lounging on the beach!!
My time at Uni has been great. The dorm life is really a focus here, so finding fun things to do around campus is never and issue. The classes I’m taking are interesting and fun, especially Australian Vertebrate Fauna where I get to learn and meet some of Australia’s most interesting animals. My mates and I have gotten to go on some awesome weekend trips; we went to Little Crystal Creek last weekend, and last month went to the North Queensland Cowboys (league rugby) game!
The only bad thing about Australia is that pictures just don’t do the beauty justice. It really is the most spectacular land and if you ever get the chance, you MUST visit!! If you want to hear more about my adventure’s with Oz, and see tons of cool pictures, feel free to check out my study abroad blog at 19south146east.wordpress.com
Cheers mates!! ❤
19south146east 