Goodbye Australia, Hello New Zealand!

I cannot believe I am typing this from New Zealand and that my study abroad experience is over. Yesterday I finished my last final - Contemporary Health Issues. Besides learning the names of bones and muscles, the test was not too bad at all. I was really excited to be done with all of finals, and at the point I was pretty much packed up as well and ready for our Harbor Cruise! All of the study abroad students met Amy, our ICMS coordinator, out front of the castle to get our study abroad certificates and shake the hand of the ICMS president. From there, we got on a bus and drove about 20 minutes to Mosman Wharf, where we got on our cruise. The ship was nice, it had three levels. The first was a dance floor and bar, the second was tables for eating, and the third was a viewing deck. All of the food and drinks were free, so we all took advantage of that to celebrate our last night together! We also watched the Term video that features students and is put together by one of the teachers at the school. It’s mostly funny, but the end definitely brought that bittersweet feeling of leaving all of my friends and Australia. In the middle of the cruise, we switched boats “because we were such a special group of students” or because the other boat was having engine problems. The second boat was even bigger, and we spent the rest of the evening out on the dance floor.

These past three and a half months have been amazing, and the people who I have shared it with are spectacular. I am going to miss Australia and the friends I made, but I will hold the memories dear to my heart forever! I am excited to go home and see family and friends that I have missed while being abroad - hugging my parents at the airport will definitely make me incredibly happy!

However, before I arrive home on May 15, I have a lot to see!! Our flight was bright and early at 7:15 from the Sydney Airport. Once we arrived in Christchurch, we grabbed our bags, went through customs, and caught a taxi to our hostel. Our taxi car was a Hyundai, and I immediately thought of my dad! It was interesting to be in a Hyundai that had the driver’s seat on the right. The taxi driver was an older man who thought it was great that we came to New Zealand and told us a little bit about Christchurch. Once we got to “the Base” (our hostel) we rearranged our luggage so that we could put the majority of it in storage for the week so that we don’t have to lug it around New Zealand. Mike and I had no plans for the day, so we ended up wandering because everything is walking distance. Our hostel is right near Cathedral Square, which just like the name, Christchurch Cathedral is right in the middle. It is a beautiful church built in the 1880’s, and we walked around inside as choir boys sang songs. In one corner of the huge sanctuary was a candle tree, where you could light a candle and say a prayer for someone. I specifically thought of my family who I will be seeing soon, and Mary who is currently flying home.

After seeing the cathedral, we hung out in the square for a bit and got Starbucks to help keep us awake. A few things I noticed while being in the square: just like the taxi driver said, all school kids wear uniforms, and we saw a lot of really tacky school uniforms on kids of all ages! also, there were little food stands and a market in the square, which really gave me a small town feel to the city. as we looked at souvenirs, everything was focused on the kiwi bird and sheep as opposed to the kangaroo and koala that I have been used to seeing! The money features famous “kiwis” (New Zealand people) on one side, and birds on the other!! Of course, my favorite is the 5 dollar note... penguins! I think my mom would REALLY like to have this kind of currency. One other thing we saw was the cable trolley system that does a loop around the town. Mike considered taking it until I saw the price - 15 dollars! No thank you. At least the currency exchange is pretty good here: 1 US dollar is about 1.35 NZ dollars.

Mike and I both have terrible direction, while looking at a map we discussed which way we felt we needed to go to head towards the gardens. We were both wrong, but we got there anyway! First, we stopped in at a free museum and learned a little bit about the native people of New Zealand - the Maori. There was also an exhibit on their emergency services - instead of 911 it is 111. After looking around the museum, we walked around the gardens until it was dark. Something strange is that it is autumn here, so all of the leaves on the trees are changing colors and falling off. It’s weird to compare that to the thought of everything becoming green and blossoming at home. The last stop was the rose garden - it was beautiful!

When deciding on where to eat for dinner, we stopped and looked at a map. A girl about our age stopped and asked if we needed any directions and recommended a place called Dux de Lux that Mike had also read about. It is a restaurant and brewery. We shared a calzone pizza and walked back to the hostel. Even though it’s only about 7 pm in Sydney, and 9 pm here, we are both exhausted from traveling early and finals week. I look forward to our trip - we are supposed to see a lot in 7 days! I hope to post a few times throughout the week, depending on the internet situation. Also, pictures will be added later to this post! Cheers from New Zealand!!

last weekend in Australia

This week and last week are "finals weeks." Tuesday evening I went to the Manly Wharf Hotel with Mary, Jackie and Heather for their 15 dollar pizza and drink special. We sat outside along the wharf and we watched people pass by as we enjoyed our pizza and wine. Afterwards, we went to Copenhagen to get our fill of ice cream!

I only had one final last week - Intro to Sport Management. This was on Wednesday afternoon. Mary and I studied together beforehand, and we felt pretty prepared for our exam. It was a two hour exam, and while it was a little different than I thought it would be, it wasn't too bad. Afterwards I ran out to the tennis courts to play soccer. Not many people showed up, so it was great exercise, but also really tiring. Since I was still hungry from the mediocre dinner, Jackie, Heather and I walked down the hill to Nando's, a chicken place which has really good pitas and "peri peri chips"!! Peri peri is a spice found in Africa, and they put it on their chips (french fries) and chicken. I've come to crave Nando's a lot here, and I'm definitely going to miss it when I go home.

Thursday afternoon was beautiful! I went to Collin's Beach with Mary, Ashley, Heather and Jackie. Mary and Heather were very adventurous and jumped off of the rocks - fun to watch, but definitely not for me! The sun was shining and keeping my skin warm, but the breeze was strong and kept making us all chilly, so we left a little earlier than expected. Since it is autumn here now, it gets darker earlier and the prime sun time is basically right around noon. That night I decided to treat Mike to a birthday dinner (because his birthday is May 30, but we will be back home working so I won't be seeing him then). We went down to the Manly Italian restaurant. It was delicious! I also had bought a bottle of wine from the Hunter Valley tour, so we brought that along as well. The evenings can be chilly here, so after sitting by the beach and looking at the moon reflecting on the water (see second photo), we went to Max Brenner's for a cup of hot chocolate before venturing back up the hill to school.

Friday was a rainy, cold day in Manly. I did leave the castle for a little while to souvenir shop with the girls, but I spent the majority of the day watching FlashForward online with Mike. That show is definitely addicting!!

Saturday was a much nicer day, even though it was still on the cool side. I took the ferry into Sydney around noon to meet up with Taylor who is studying at the University of Sydney for the semester. (Earlier I wrote about meeting up with Taylor and her mom in Manly.) After getting a warm Starbucks drink, Taylor and I walked to the Rocks and walked through the markets. We also walked along Circular Quay. We saw a couple of street performers. One was a man who from far away looked like he was dancing with a woman, but in fact it was a life size puppet that was attached to his shoes. It was very strange and I think people were giving him money because they felt sorry for him. The other street performer was a contortionist who fit herself into a 16 inch box. It was sort of disgusting to watch her fit into that box!! (fourth photo) We quickly walked away after she was done with her show. Then, Taylor and I took a train back to where she lives in Bondi Junction. Her apartment used to be a hotel room, and it has a great view of the city. I met her roommates and some of her guy friends as we took a bus to Bondi Beach (third photo), walked along there, and stopped at a restaurant for a dinner of fish and chips and cider to drink. It was a fun afternoon catching up and sharing Australian stories. When I came home, I went out with some friends to Shark Bar - a bar that we have frequented since we came to Manly. Overall, it was a great day!

After brunch on Sunday, Mike and I walked to North Head and from there we took a trail to Shelly Beach. We started at the Former School of Artillery where soldiers were trained before and during WWII. We also saw some gun posts and bomb shelters that had been built in case of an attack on Sydney. It was quite a warm afternoon, but the views we could see from North Head were of at least 4 northern beaches, so it was definitely worth it! When we made it to Shelly Beach, we watched surfers in the waves - including one who was surfing with his small child lifted above his head! That is talent right there! Mike and I ended our walk at the beach where a group of friends were laying out for Jessa's birthday. After about two hours of being there, we were covered by the shade of the trees that line Manly Beach, so Mike and I had milkshakes from Copenhagen and laid in the grass by Manly Wharf with Ashley and her boyfriend Pete. It was a great one to spend one of the last beautiful afternoons here!!

This week I have three exams, unfortunately. I will be studying for them, packing up my room, and getting ready to go to New Zealand with Mike. While I am looking forward to seeing the beauty of New Zealand, I can't believe I'm going to leave Australia so soon. Everything has been so amazing! One of my favorite little things is the sunset here that I can see from my window. Almost every night I see it, and I always try to capture it in a photo, but that never seems to show just how brilliant the sky really looks! The first picture is an attempt at the sunset from last Thursday.

It is time to review before my exam! Cheers!!

Manly Scenic Walkway

This morning Mary and I got up early to go on an adventure! We left ICMS and headed down the hill towards the wharf to walk on the Manly Scenic Walkway that ends at the Spit Bridge (some 6.9 km later... or approximately 4 miles). The entire walk took about three and a half hours to complete, but it was definitely worth it! The path basically winds around Manly Cove, and then goes on to different view points as you walk through Australian bush as I would put it. The lookout points were absolutely beautiful, and as always, the pictures can not truly grasp the vast panoramic views that we could see. We could see Manly, the wharf, our school, Collins Beach and other small beaches, North Head, the light house we pass by on the ferry, and towards the end we could see the Sydney skyline and the bridge. My favorite boats to see in the water are the Manly ferry, the parasail boat with parasailing people in tow, and sail boats. There is something about the crisp white sails against the sparkling blue water that make them a target for great photos! Another favorite is seeing a rocky coastline with the waves splashing up against the rocks below. So amazing to see!! At one point, we stopped at an ice cream truck that was sitting on the road above us for "freckle cones." While eating these, we were literally surrounded by black birds, so we hurried to eat our cones and left. After about three hours the rocky trail of hilly stairs ended onto a beautiful beach, and the Spit Bridge was just a walk along the beach and one more trail away. We crossed the bridge and waited for a bus to Manly - we spotted a really cool tree (last picture). After the bus ride back to Manly, we ate at the Creperie. Mary had the Eggs Benedict Crepe and I had the Chicken Crepe for lunch - both were delicious! We walked around the Corso to complete our adventure. It was definitely a successful day with one of my best friends! :)

Anzac Day

Today, April 25th, is Anzac Day. Anzac Day is very similar to the U.S. Memorial Day. I asked an Australian friend, Sheridan, in class what Anzac Day is all about. Her response: "Well it honors the soldiers who have fought and died for us in the different wars. When you are little you normally march in a parade around town. When you're older, you normally drink a lot the night before because you don't have to go to work." This is when I obviously made the connection to Memorial Day.

I took Anzac Day as a day for relaxation (because life here is obviously stressful). Apparently, normal autumn temperatures have begun, as it was only in the sixties and everyone complained of the cold at mealtime as we sat outside to eat. Because I hadn't left the castle all day, I knew I would want to venture to the Corso in the evening for something. Normally, my friends and I would go down to the Corso for an ice cream cone, but I had an idea to go to Max Brenner's in the wharf for a cup of hot cocoa. Olivia, Jackie, Heather, Mary and I sat in Max Brenner's and drank "American Marshmellow Chocolate" which was delicious! Afterwards, we noticed that the Chat Thai place across the way was having a celebration. Mary and I decided to get pad thai for a snack later on in the night, and we stood in a long line to wait. They had balloon decorations, and two workers were blowing whistles and banging on tambourines. Every time someone ordered, that person got to draw a coupon from a box. The box contained "free" coupons which meant you got your meal free, or coupons for 10, 20, or 50 dollars off, or just "pay" slips where you essentially got nothing. I ended up drawing a $20 voucher as the two girls said "Steph free or pay, free or pay..."

After getting the pad thai, the girls and I headed out to the beach. Mary came up with a fun game where we each wrote our own name in the sand, and then we all went around and wrote words that described each other. It was definitely a "feel good" game, and made me appreciate my study abroad friends even more! I cannot believe that in less than two weeks I won't be seeing a lot of these people for an indefinite amount of time. I've made some outstanding friends here who I have shared so many memories with. We will have to see what is in store for the next two weeks! Of course, that is all the activities besides studying for my four finals. No worries, mate!!

An Afternoon at the Races

Yesterday, I went to the Randwick Race Courses with a group of friends for the Sydney Cup race. It was family day at the Randwick Autumn Carnival. Unlike a lot of my friends, I've been to the horse races before with my best friend Katelyn and her family, so I knew somewhat what to expect. Everyone looked great all dressed up as we made our way to the races by ferry and then bus.

It was incredibly crowded at the horse races, especially as the day went on. There were eight races total, and we got there right after the first one. There were a lot of stands to sit in, but there was also a large grassy area with food and drink tents and a lot of tables for people to sit at. We made our way towards the front of the lawn area and sat at the front tables. We were able to stand at the front gates and see the end of each of the races. It was the perfect place to be for the afternoon!

The races were even more thrilling than I remembered. At first, my friends and I would just pick numbers of horses to see who could win. As the horses would near the end of each race, the people around us (almost all had money placed on the horses) would start yelling and jumping up and down for their horse. It was pretty exciting, so Mike and I decided to join in on the fun. For race 5, we each put down 5 dollars on number 9 to place. It was a two lap race, and as it started I was wondering how much I relied on Mike's ability to pick a horse! For a long time, number 9 was in first place!! We were both yelling, but I thought Mike was going to jump into the race course to help the horse go faster! At the end, number 9 (named Monaco Consul) ended in third, so we made $17.50! The betting was thrilling, but not something that I would want to do that often. I like keeping my money safe... I guess I'm not much of a gambler!

Overall, the day at the races was really fun, and I'm glad I decided on going. Of course, the only reason I went was because the tickets were 2 for 1. It definitely is a high class place where many Australians go to have a good time and (try) to make some money! I'm happy to have come out a winner... a whole $3.75 more! My friend Ashley's boyfriend Pete was really into betting and lost quite a few times, but he did win once with a horse named "Jessicabeel." This made him quite happy, to say the least! I did learn that you can bet on a horse to win, or just to place, but if you bet to place, it wasn't as much money. I feel like I learnt some at the races as opposed to just making money! :)

Done with Classes

It is hard to believe it, but I am done with my classes at ICMS! This week was full of review classes to prepare for finals. Wednesday morning I went to my last class, Intro to Sport Management, and then relaxed most of the day until playing soccer Wednesday evening. I always look forward to playing soccer here. There is a different mix of people each week, so you aren't sure what is going to come of it, but it is always good exercise and a good way to get touches on the soccer ball. Thursday I went to Manly Beach for a good three hours to enjoy the beautiful weather. We have been really lucky to have had such warm weather for so long. Because it is autumn here, having the last week or so be in the 80's is typically unheard of for the area!

Friday was another beautiful day. In the morning Mike and I went on a walk to North Head. The views from the look out points never get old - they are always amazing! I skyped with my parents after eating lunch. I will be so happy to see them when I come home and share my adventure even more with them. After Mike got out of class, we went on a "castle photo shoot" to take pictures of Mike in his uniform and of the castle. We walked around behind the castle as well, but there wasn't much to see. It was a great way to spend one of the last warm days of "autumn."

After dinner, no one was really doing much, so Mike and I went to Four Pines for a drink. The brewery has a great location, and they make great beer (as you can tell from my frequent stops to Four Pines). Afterwards, we walked along the Corso. We saw four different street performers. One group was singing "sweet home alabama" as a group of intoxicated guys started singing with them. It was quite entertaining. Also, we saw another performer called "Tux Guy" who was a great singer! It will be things like this that I will miss so much when we leave Manly. That, and watching the sunset from my window! (The first picture on this post). :)

"can you believe this is our life right now??"

Yesterday I went to Collin's Beach with Mike where we spent the day lounging along with Laura, Mary and Jackie. Since the weather is slowly but surely getting cooler down under, when a day proves to be sunny and warm - it's a great day to go to the beach! Collin's Beach is great because there is not much of a breeze. It is really hidden in a cove, unlike Manly Beach. After hanging out for a little, we heard a bell ring. A small boat was coming our way with a man selling soft drinks, ice cream, and coffee. We each got an ice cream and sat around eating. The title of this entry comes from Jackie - "can you believe our life right now? just laying on the beach, and someone comes to us in a boat just to sell ice cream." Soon we were all napping. It was a great afternoon.

Last night I went to Four Pines Brewery with Mike - he hadn't been there yet. I ate the Terri's Pasta yet again, and Mike got the Mega Burger. They were not lying when they said it was "mega!" We also drank the "tasting rack" which has five small glasses of each of the Four Pines beers that they brew right there. Afterwards, we walked along the Corso and Manly Beach before stopping to get ice cream cones.

It's simple days like these that I will really miss once I get home. Afternoons spent at the beach with friends, being able to look out and see the Sydney skyline and tons of boats in the water. Having ice cream at night on the Corso has become another habit which I love! It's the little things in such an amazing place that has made this experience so wonderful.