Favourite things about Australia (as I remember them):
I. TIM TAMS
They have recently been released in Target stores ('recently released' meaning I recently found out about it). They are chocolately, and almost too sweet, and so versatile. My host family condemned me to a slow chocolately death when they introduced me to them.
II. Sydney.
They have recently been released in Target stores ('recently released' meaning I recently found out about it). They are chocolately, and almost too sweet, and so versatile. My host family condemned me to a slow chocolately death when they introduced me to them.
II. Sydney.
Cheesy? Maybe a little. But it really is one of the most wonderful places I've ever seen.
The Opera House. Easily identifiable. Normally I avoid tourist spots like the plague, but let's be for real right now, who wouldn't go see the opera house? (To be honest, I also did a lot of other touristy things as well.) There was a junior orchestra practicing while I was inside, and holy crap they were amazing. I would, of course, expect nothing less. The harbour bridge is also a great thing to have in the background of pictures. I personally didn't do the climb, but I know some people who did. They loved it. That is on my bucket list.
University of Syndey. I'm really considering there for grad school. It's gorgeous, and has pretty much every subject I focus on.
III. Everyone is running (or so it seems)
Realistically, I'm pretty sure Australians don't really run any more than other place, but seriously, no matter what time of day I was out and about, there were about 10 people running around.
IV. Cairns
Cairns is quite the lovely place. Not only are there some really pretty parks right on the beach, there are is an effin' awesome indoor bazaar. I spent approximately 2 hours just walking around in there.
IV. a. Kuranda
Not actually part of Cairns, but I visited them at the same time, and they're only a trek up a mountain apart, so it counts.
I loved the market. There was a quaint little candy shop, a little hippie villiage and this:
Aboriginal dancing. And boomerang throwing. Both ridiculously fun. There was also spear throwing, but I'd already done that in two other places, so I opted out of that.
IV. b. RainforeStation
Awesomely enough, the family I stayed with lived right across from the RainforeStation site, so we went over and walked the trails and everything. This is also where I rode in an army duck. I had, up until then, no idea what an army duck was. I'm glad I know now.
V. The Wildlife
Koalas. Pretty chill little guys. Also, soft (and smelly).
Crocs. These suckers get big and scary. The baby are cute and easy to hold though.
Wallaroos. They're just so goofy. Seriously, so cute though.
Dingos. Evil. Cute.
Emus. Will love you forever if you feed them. Sidenote: my host family had emus in their backyard. They were literally in the rainforest, so it's not really that surprising, I suppose. Plus, they're just so silly looking:
Kangaroos. As long as you're feeding them, they are cool with you being around them, apparently.
I hate to admit it, but I did actually eat kangaroo meat. It's not bad. Kangaroos are like deer, I guess? Just everywhere and getting hit by cars and stuff. Anyway, that brings me to the next thing:
VI. Aboriginal Villiages
They cooked kangaroo for us. I wasn't exactly going to say no.
One of the men noticed I was sick (non stop travelling does that, I suppose), and gave me the most phenomenal cure known to man.
Yup. Green ants. I ate a handfull of these guys and was over my illness in roughly an hour. Didn't get sick for the rest of my trip. They're actually sort of sour, like green apple flavoured candy.
I also learned to play the didgeridoo, throw a spear semi-well, and weave a grass basket. It was a good day.
VII. People are friendly!
At least, the ones I met. I had a good conversation with one woman on the bus.
VIII. There's so many Asians
Okay, so I don't want to, like, offend anyone, but I really love East Asian cultures, and just Asian people in general. My Chinese friends find this so weird, but I just do. So, this is just a really big thing to me. I don't even know.
I guess it's a common thing for Chinese and Japanese people to go on vacation or go to school in Australia.
IX. They have droughts
While this isn't actually a good thing by any means, I just find it so endlessly amusing that they are an island, and not even a particularly big one, surrounded by water and they are out of water. I don't know, maybe that makes me a bad person.
Last, but not least:
X. It's completely different from the States without being a culture shock.
It just felt so different being there than being anywhere in the United States. I can't even articulate my feelings on this. It was like the skies were bluer and the grass was greener. I feel like that's a really cliché thing to say or something, and maybe if I lived there, I'd feel differently, but having only had a vacation there, it's like paradise.
