Week 3: Mike vs. Glow Worms

           Week 3 began with us starting to get into more of the meat of our classes. Monday through Wednesday were pretty standard days of class and hanging out with people on campus. On Wednesday night, Liam, Matt, Tim, and I went with the Bond Golf Club to do some night golfing at a course outside Surfer’s. The course looked awesome under the lights and it was a steal for $23 AUD for clubs, 9 holes, and a cart (For future reference, about $1 AUD= $.70 USD, so pretty much everything in this country is on sale). Unfortunately, due to weird miscommunication and the pro shop manager being a complete jerk, we couldn’t get onto the course, so we just hit at the driving range. We’re going to keep going golfing with the Bond club though, they’re nice guys.

            On Thursday, I was free the entire day while most other people were in class, so what do you do when you have free time in Australia? Go to the beach of course. Liam and I headed back over to Burleigh for a tranquil day in the sun. Upon arrival, it was indeed very sunny but it was also very windy. Like, being sandblasted windy. We chilled out for about an hour and did some bodysurfing before succumbing to the gale. So we grabbed some burgers and beer and headed to the beach in the inlet that we had found during our first trip. Finally sheltered from wind, we sprawled out and relaxed. Later on that night, the Goon Squad dudes decided to hit up Jupiter’s, a large casino in Broadbeach. We played blackjack for a couple hours, where I left only down $10. The other guys all went positive, but it was clear for me that casinos are not my thing. I hate losing money more than I like making it.

Burgers. Beer. Beach.

            Friday was an incredible day we had planned for some time. On this trip, Julia and Monika couldn’t go so we picked up Jake and Jeremy. Jake is a hilarious New Yorker who is also studying abroad at Bond. Jeremy is an Australian medical student who has to do much more actual work than us Americans, so it was fun to tear him from his studies for a bit. We rented a van (which we named Shirley) and drove up to Springbrook National Park. Liam is the only 21 year old in the group so far, so he had the honor of learning how to drive on the wrong side of the road. (It is the wrong side because anything in America is inherently correct.) He got in the groove pretty quickly, all except for the blinker (turn signal for you non-Bostonians). The blinker and windshield wipers are switched, just like everything else, but he had particular trouble sorting those two out. It was always entertaining when the windshield wipers would randomly turn on followed by an annoyed grunt from Liam before switching lanes.

             Springbrook National Park occupies some of the mountains inset from the Gold Coast and offers some spectacular views. We were able to look over all of the coastline including Surfer’s and Robina and onto the glimmering ocean beyond. Being strapping and adventurous young adults, we decided to take the 17km trail that explored most of the park. We began along the ridge line before sinking into a forest that looked like it was straight out of Jurassic Park. Massive vines and ancient trees form a thick canopy that keeps the park perpetually cool and damp. On our hike, we passed 6 or 7 waterfalls that painted a perfect backdrop for some future Instagram pictures. The hike was gorgeous overall and it will likely be one of the places I show my parents when they come to visit in November. The only thing odd about Springbrook was the lack of wildlife. The forest was very quiet, save for some occasional birds. This was an attribute we were not expecting.

Back: Tim, Liam, Me, Matt, Jeremy, Jake
Front: Anna, Court

Surfer's in the distance

Liam, Matt, and Jake

            We finished our walk just before sunset and found a small café perched atop the ridge. After grabbing some hot chocolate and getting destroyed in chess by Jake, we piled back into the van for the second leg of our Springbrook adventure. A short drive past quite a few wallabies brought us to a natural bridge and a 1km trail that would lead us to our destination. We had come for one specific sight that led us to forfeit our flashlights and allow our eyes adjust to the darkness. The rumblings of a large waterfall guided us along the trail through the pitch black night. When we reached the place we had been told about, we looked upon a twinkling night sky that existed beneath 50 feet of stone. The natural cave we stood in was home to thousands of bio-luminescent glow worms. It was an otherworldly and breathtaking sight, especially with the placid water of the cave reflecting the light given off by the little bugs. The pathway back to the car was also dotted with bio-luminescent fungus. It was a calming end to an awesome day.

            On Saturday, we reluctantly returned Shirley to the rental place and spent the day in Broadbeach. The Festival of Kites (love the name) happened to be going on that day and so tons of people flew huge kites all over the beach. They even had professional kite flyers (if that's a thing) who flew 7 kites in acrobatic loops and formations around each other. Very random, yet very cool. That night, we befriended a couple of club promoters which got us on the guest list for a few clubs in Surfer’s. We bounced between these all night and I got to spend some quality bro time with Jake after everyone else had gone home. Jake and I eventually caught an Uber back to campus, during which we learned the life story of our driver, Karan (He wants to be a NASCAR driver). Fun night.

            Sunday was entirely unproductive. We watched the Pink Panther and went to Waxy’s then did a bit of exploring around Surfer’s. Every week here seriously keeps getting better and better.

Week 2: Mike vs. Gnarly Swells

So we’re actually going to school here. Crazy. Week 2 was the start of classes and even the classes make me happy in Australia. Actually, I don’t think there’s anything in this country that can make me unhappy. Except missing the bus. And the army of poisonous things wanting to kill you. And the metric system. You know, there are two types of countries in the world: Countries who use the metric system. And Countries who have landed on the moon. ‘Murica. The classes I am taking here are:

Dreamtime to Dust: A kind of Australian history class covering the formation of the continent up until the arrival of the first humans.

Design Communications: A sick graphic design class using Photoshop and Illustrator.

Creativity in Advertising: Studying creativity… in advertising.

Adventure Tourism: Learning about the adventure tourism market and going on field trips to various adventurous activities, including sailing, ziplining, and a ropes course.

The beginning of the week was dedicated to classes and planning our excursions. Using the travel office on campus, we booked two trips with a tentative few more. From October 1^st-October 5^th, the Goon Squad will be heading to the outback to sleep under the stars, cliff jump off waterfalls, and hike around some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. On December 5^th, we’ve decided to fly out to New Zealand where we will rent a couple of cars and explore glaciers, reefs, and most importantly: the sets of the Lord of the Rings. As a scuba diver, it is a lifelong dream of mine to dive the Great Barrier Reef, so we are in the process of planning a trip to Cairns, where we can dive around the southern edge of the reef. Melbourne and Sydney are also on the list of places to see.

            After surviving the grueling coursework of syllabus week, it was time to go surfing. On Friday night we were picked up by Soul Surf School for our first trip to Byron Bay. About 45 of us from Bond went and we stayed in a rather nice hostel right in the center of town. The town itself is awesome. It’s the most stereotypical surf town possible and I love it. Everyone there has long hair, a surfboard, and a laid back lifestyle. On Friday night there was a paint party at a bar/club called Cheeky Monkeys. Naturally we got splattered with copious amounts of paint, danced like idiots, then whined in the showers at 1am when we couldn’t get the paint off. 

Painted.

The next day had us surfing in the afternoon which left us the morning to explore a little bit. We rented some bikes from the surf shop and biked along the coast up to a light house overlooking the bay. From there we were able to see the easternmost tip of Australia as well as some incredible views of the shoreline. After our little excursion we were loaded up into a van for our surf lesson. I must say, our surf instructors are some of the most entertaining people I have ever met. They were also hugely helpful and professional when it came to teaching us Americans how to properly stand up on a board. By the end of the day, most of us were able to get up on our own and catch some small waves. After our lesson they took us to a lake surrounded by tea trees which drop their leaves and make the entire body of water into a giant pool of cold tea. Apparently it’s great for your skin. We hung out and ate dinner with our surf instructors afterwards and they even showed us around the town and got us into some locals-only bars, one with live music. The entire atmosphere of Byron Bay was so chill and everyone was ridiculously friendly. It's one of those places you never want to leave. 

The easternmost point of Australia

Sunday morning was our final surf lesson where they let us catch (or rather try to catch) some bigger waves. I had one really good ride that even the instructors were pumped about. We got tossed around quite a bit but it was a blast. For the afternoon we booked a kayaking trip around the bay. Liam was my Goose in the tandem kayak. In order to get out into the bay, we had to paddle straight through 4-6 foot swells to calmer waters. Approximately 25 seconds after setting out from shore, I managed to snap my paddle in half due to my godlike strength. Despite the rain,  hulking waves, and broken paddle, we were able to conquer the waves and join the rest of the group. We paddled around for a few hours and saw tons of dolphins and a few large sea turtles. By the time we got back onto the bus to go back to Bond, we were all exhausted. There would be no Waxy’s this Sunday, but Byron Bay was a great impulsive decision. Another very successful week. 

And we didn't tip once

Week 1: Mike vs. Koalas

I said goodbye to my parents at Logan Airport on September 5^th before boarding a plane to fly across the globe. I had booked the flights out with Tim Bolick and Courtney O’Regan and it just happened that another girl from Bentley, Julia Kenney, had the same flights. We flew from Boston to LAX, to Sydney, to Brisbane. The four of us met up with a fifth weary traveler in Los Angeles, a certain Matt Lawrence. The squad had begun to form. After a rather long 26 hours of traveling, a conversation with a pleasant Australian farmer on the plane, and almost losing Tim on the way to Brisbane, we made it to Bond University on the Gold Coast of Australia.

Bond University

So, as a group of supremely jet lagged 20 year olds in a brand new country we did the most logical thing in our situation: go to a bar. Now Don’s is the pub right on campus and it is run by one of our favorite people to date: Sarah. She is the bartender/bar manager and she was able to give some insider knowledge to help us figure out what the hell what we’re doing. It became quite clear straight off the bat that the alcohol in Australia is EXPENSIVE. Like $40 for a liter of cheap liquor. Everything was inflated except for a few cheap Australian beers (Not Foster’s. Foster’s doesn’t exist here) and a magical nectar lovingly known as goon. Goon is the cheapest boxed wine on the planet. About $10 AUD ($7USD) for 4 liters of wine. A broke college kid’s dream. You will notice that goon will be a very recurring theme. Stay tuned. Anyways, after chatting with Sarah and playing some pool, we began to sort out our university affairs. We got ID cards, moved into our rooms, attended a few seminars, and started meeting some of the strangers around us. Because we moved in early as abroad students, most of the people we met first week were also internationals. In the midst of the hustle and bustle, we made our first big impulsive decision and signed up to go surfing in Byron Bay for the weekend after the next. More on that later.

               The jet lag was rough for the first couple days but I was surprised at how quickly my internal clock began ticking properly. After a few days of settling in and exploring Bond and Robina, the surrounding town, we decided to brave the harsh wilds of suburbia and do the unthinkable: go to the beach. Our main way of getting around is by public transport but on this particularly sunny day, we decided to just walk to the beach. At this point, we had gained another member in our group, Anna Hajec, and she, like the rest of us, hailed from the faraway land of “Bentley.” A 45 minute walk brought us to Miami Beach where we frolicked amongst the waves, tried not to get blown away by the easterly winds, and dug a really big hole… Because we are adults and adults are still allowed to dig holes in the sand. The beaches on the Gold Coast are massive and beautiful with never ending white sand that squeaks when you walk in it. However, as a scuba diver/snorkeler, the sandy bottoms and big waves don’t make for good underwater exploring. Yet I digress, beach was wicked sick. Had oodles of fun. Moving on.

Miami Beach with the Surfer's Paradise skyline

               Thursday, we went to the Corrumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The group had picked up another member too, Liam Dunn. We spent the entire day holding koalas, feeding wallabies, getting hit on by emus, cheering on random iguana fights, spooning kangaroos, and taking far too many selfies with all of the aforementioned animals. It was truly an amazing place. We were pleasantly surprised at how close we could get to the animals and it will most certainly be a place we will revisit at some point.

The Goon Squad: Back: Tim, Me, Liam, Anna, Matt
Front: Courtney, Julia, Parley the Koala

               That night was our first club experience in Australia, and it certainly did not disappoint. As it turns out, Bond is actually sponsored by various nightclubs in Surfer’s Paradise, which is the nearby city. The city’s actual name is Surfer’s Paradise. This country is awesome. The theme for the night was “tight and bright.” Seeing as we all had limited packing space, we went to K-Mart and Target at the local mall to find the most obnoxiously bright (and cheap) clothes possible. The night started at Don’s before we were bussed to a club called Shooter’s. Since Shooter’s sponsored the night, the busses were free, the cover charge was waived, and we were given free drinks every hour. It was a blast. Side note, it seems like the music in Australia is like 4-5 years behind what we usually hear in the US. It’s honestly pretty cool because the music is like a constant throwback playlist and who doesn’t love belting out throwbacks the entire night?

The dudes being tight and bright

               Our first weekend took us to a beautiful beach called Burleigh as per advice from the travel agency on campus. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, there’s a travel agency on campus that will handle transport, lodging, and activities for trips across Australia and the surrounding countries. They will make it extremely easy to plan out our semester. Back to Burleigh, it’s a classic beach town with some pretty rad surfing. Not that we could surf yet, we wouldn’t learn until the next weekend. We did take a nice walk up a small mountain right on the beach that gave us some spectacular views of the coast with the Surfer’s skyline in the background. On the other side of the hill we found a nicely secluded beach that was sheltered from the waves and offered a prime place to relax.

Burleigh Beach

               That night we went to another small city called Broadbeach. Being college kids on a budget, we looked for places that didn’t have a cover charge. That’s when we found Onyx. It was a bumping outside bar that looked like there was no one there below 35. Perfect. Remember when I talked about how much fun singing/screaming throwbacks was? Well now imagine doing that with a group of 40something year old Australian women. They were wicked nice and it was just a hilariously fun night. When in Australia, am I right?

               At some point during week 1, another friend joined the crew, Monika Nowak. With her welcome addition, the group stands at eight members; four guys: Myself, Tim, Matt, and Liam; and four girls: Julia, Court, Anna, and Monika. It was sometime on Saturday that we came up with our lovely group title of Goon Squad, which was fitting for both our overall goofiness as well as our unwillingness to buy any alcoholic beverages other than the dirt cheap boxed wine. The Goon Squad ended our incredible first week in Australia at Waxy’s, an Irish bar deep in the heart of Surfer’s Paradise. Waxy’s offers $2 steaks (That’s an Australian $2, so like $1.40 in American) and live music every Sunday which made us quickly realize that it was going to be a staple dining experience for the rest of the semester. The steaks were actually really good too! They were decently sized and the sauces and gravy they had were delicious. I mean, a $2 steak will pretty much taste good no matter what.

               All in all it was a fantastic first week. We did so much stuff in such a short time span that it’s insane to think that we’re going to be here for four more months. Needless to say, I’m pumped.

Bonus selfie with a croc