So my week on the Central Coast is coming to an end as it is my last full day here. The week flew by, being occupied by a whole host of different activities and adventures. The first day I went with Jess and her mom to visit her aunt at Anna Bay and the nearby Nelson Bay. We ate lunch on the water, saw dolphins on a dolphin watch cruise, and took some beautiful pictures. We watched the sunset over Newcastle and it was breath-taking. Bright orange, red and yellow painted the sky like watercolors, blending together at times yet boldly distinct and separate at other times.
One of the highlights of the week was watching a pro rugby league game. Footy is a popular sport, comparable to soccer in Europe. The teams were the South Sydney Rabbitohs versus the Newcastle Knights. Fans sported their team’s jerseys and waved huge flags and banners in their team colors. While I still do not fully understand all the minute details and rules of the game, I understood the general happenings and I had an absolute blast.
I spent a few afternoons at the beach swimming and sunbathing. It is the most relaxing activity and I love it. The warm sun beating down as the waves crash, the light ocean breeze and the taste of salt, it is paradise. Fishing is popular here; most people just fish off boats or off the beach. Seagulls and pelicans also frequent the beach which adds to the atmosphere.
The other major highlight was doing a Treetop adventure high ropes course in the Ourimbah State Forest. You start on the lowest level, the easiest, and progress on to harder parts of the course as you feel comfortable doing. There were zip lines, rope swings, cargo nets and other obstacles to cross. I’m not afraid of heights so it was a blast but definitely a bit of a work out. It requires pretty good flexibility and upper body strength but I survived the course and had a blast. This holiday has been such an adventure and been a wonderful time with friends.
I am now transitioning from the city to the country, which I cannot wait to experience. As a country gal at heart, I am eager to experience Australian country life. I’m not sure if it is considered ‘the outback’ but it is a small town called Coolah and I’ve been told it is very small. The internet and phone reception is said to be scarce at best so I will be posting, most likely upon my return to college.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Holiday Break Adventures in Sydney
Well I am halfway through my three week mid-semester holiday break and I have kept plenty busy. I spent Good Friday and Easter Sunday with my friend Ally Croker and her family. On Good Friday, we attended an Angelican church service with one of Ally’s friends. It was a small, close-knit community church and they served a light dinner after the service, which consisted of three different types of soup. I had a pumpkin-based soup that was delicious.
We left the following day to the Corkers’ holiday house on Lake Macquarie, which was said to be one of the largest salt water lakes in Australia. The house was a short drive away from multiple beaches which offered great swimming areas as well as surfing and body-boarding. As my first experience in Australian surf, I fell in love with the warm sand molding to my feet, the bright sun reflecting off the damp sand and the crashing waves as loud as thunder. It was such a peaceful place where I could lose myself laying in the sun and witnessing God’s creation. At one beach there were caves, which have been slowly and continuously filled by sand over the years, making it more difficult to crawl through. The best way to describe it was as a nature-mad maze within the rocks, carved by the ocean wind, water and sand.
The evening before Easter Sunday, Ally, her parents and grandparents and I put together an egg hunt for her younger brothers. We hid dozens and dozens of chocolate eggs throughout the house, some in challenging spots. The boys missed some and we continued to stumble upon hidden eggs throughout the day.
Ally, her dad and brother took me on a tour of the lake on their boat. We spent a couple hours admiring the massive boats and houses while having some fun speeding through the lake, hitting some pretty rough waves at times and being bounced around, it was great fun.
After a few days relaxing at the beach, we returned to Sydney where I watched one of Ally’s brothers play soccer in the rain. Though it was raining, the game was exciting as the boys were playing girls two years older than they were, and they won! The parents were cheering on their team but it was a bit interesting to listen to the parents because every so often a parent would say something a bit negative about their child, for instance “oh come on, you should’ve gotten that”. This was a little shocking, coming from a family that was always supportive and offered constructive criticism in private.
Ally, Kate Murton and I went to the Sydney Easter Show. This is a yearly event that goes for two weeks during April. It is similar to a fair with rides, barns full of livestock to look at, a cow milking demonstration and performances such as dance schools, pig racing and wood chopping. We saw some awesome fruit displays made of fresh fruit and grain. There was also a phenomenon called Showbags. They are plastic bags that you buy for various amounts of money which contain candy, toys and costumes, depending on which Showbag you bought. Apparently everyone buys them and it was apparent by all the people holding fistfuls of bags. Each of us bought a show bag, I bought a Freddo Frog chocolate bag and included was an awesome swirly straw cup, which will be great for college events.
I’m on the Central Coast now with Jess Sluyter and I will write about my adventures here soon. Also, check out my photos at
http://picasaweb.google.com/KaseyCrawford9
We left the following day to the Corkers’ holiday house on Lake Macquarie, which was said to be one of the largest salt water lakes in Australia. The house was a short drive away from multiple beaches which offered great swimming areas as well as surfing and body-boarding. As my first experience in Australian surf, I fell in love with the warm sand molding to my feet, the bright sun reflecting off the damp sand and the crashing waves as loud as thunder. It was such a peaceful place where I could lose myself laying in the sun and witnessing God’s creation. At one beach there were caves, which have been slowly and continuously filled by sand over the years, making it more difficult to crawl through. The best way to describe it was as a nature-mad maze within the rocks, carved by the ocean wind, water and sand.
The evening before Easter Sunday, Ally, her parents and grandparents and I put together an egg hunt for her younger brothers. We hid dozens and dozens of chocolate eggs throughout the house, some in challenging spots. The boys missed some and we continued to stumble upon hidden eggs throughout the day.
Ally, her dad and brother took me on a tour of the lake on their boat. We spent a couple hours admiring the massive boats and houses while having some fun speeding through the lake, hitting some pretty rough waves at times and being bounced around, it was great fun.
After a few days relaxing at the beach, we returned to Sydney where I watched one of Ally’s brothers play soccer in the rain. Though it was raining, the game was exciting as the boys were playing girls two years older than they were, and they won! The parents were cheering on their team but it was a bit interesting to listen to the parents because every so often a parent would say something a bit negative about their child, for instance “oh come on, you should’ve gotten that”. This was a little shocking, coming from a family that was always supportive and offered constructive criticism in private.
Ally, Kate Murton and I went to the Sydney Easter Show. This is a yearly event that goes for two weeks during April. It is similar to a fair with rides, barns full of livestock to look at, a cow milking demonstration and performances such as dance schools, pig racing and wood chopping. We saw some awesome fruit displays made of fresh fruit and grain. There was also a phenomenon called Showbags. They are plastic bags that you buy for various amounts of money which contain candy, toys and costumes, depending on which Showbag you bought. Apparently everyone buys them and it was apparent by all the people holding fistfuls of bags. Each of us bought a show bag, I bought a Freddo Frog chocolate bag and included was an awesome swirly straw cup, which will be great for college events.
I’m on the Central Coast now with Jess Sluyter and I will write about my adventures here soon. Also, check out my photos at
http://picasaweb.google.com/KaseyCrawford9
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Holiday Break
I have had a busy couple of weeks here at college but it has been good and pretty productive. Assignments are beginning to be due, which is a bit stressful because essay formats are different than at WSU. And in my history class, the lecturer specifically asked any exchange students to note that they are exchange students so she doesn’t accidently mark off points for ‘miss-spellings’ as they use British English where in the United States we use US English. Luckily my computer can automatically change the document.
We are heading off into our first holiday or break period. It is 3 full weeks and I am definitely ready for a break from the normal college life. I am spending each week with a different friend and will be seeing a different part of Australia. I will be spending some time near Sydney, some time in Sydney and then some time in the rural country. I am looking forward to seeing the rural country, as I am a country girl at heart. I might even visit a working sheep farm; sheep here are equivalent to our cattle in terms of a meat staple. I am also planning on going to a professional rugby game, which I am stoked about. Rugby is as big here as our NFL.
It is becoming autumn here and the leaves on the trees are turning from a deep, luscious green to burnt orange and canary yellow. The university is beautiful this time of year and the sun is still shining most days which brings about a nice warmth. We had a decent rain storm last week and even it was great. Coming from Seattle, I know rain and definitely get enough of it but here it comes and goes so quickly. The weather can change on in an instant from a warm, sunny day to a cloudy wetness. The only give-away of this change are the gray-toned clouds that roll in.
During the holidays, I am not sure how often I will be able to write but I will try to keep the blog updated as much as possible. If for some reason I fail at keeping it updated, I will have a long post after the holidays. The start of term 2 will be a blast. The college is having a big event at the end of April called Beirfest and the theme is Nursery Rhymes so I am going to some research and try to make a kick-ass costume without spending too much money.
Money goes fast here, everyday items such as groceries and clothes. I have to work a little at sticking with the budget. I knew all my years of saving would come in handy but Australia might deplete my savings account if I am not careful.
Well, I need to finish packing before we leave on holiday tomorrow morning but I will try to update on my holiday adventures as much as possible.
We are heading off into our first holiday or break period. It is 3 full weeks and I am definitely ready for a break from the normal college life. I am spending each week with a different friend and will be seeing a different part of Australia. I will be spending some time near Sydney, some time in Sydney and then some time in the rural country. I am looking forward to seeing the rural country, as I am a country girl at heart. I might even visit a working sheep farm; sheep here are equivalent to our cattle in terms of a meat staple. I am also planning on going to a professional rugby game, which I am stoked about. Rugby is as big here as our NFL.
It is becoming autumn here and the leaves on the trees are turning from a deep, luscious green to burnt orange and canary yellow. The university is beautiful this time of year and the sun is still shining most days which brings about a nice warmth. We had a decent rain storm last week and even it was great. Coming from Seattle, I know rain and definitely get enough of it but here it comes and goes so quickly. The weather can change on in an instant from a warm, sunny day to a cloudy wetness. The only give-away of this change are the gray-toned clouds that roll in.
During the holidays, I am not sure how often I will be able to write but I will try to keep the blog updated as much as possible. If for some reason I fail at keeping it updated, I will have a long post after the holidays. The start of term 2 will be a blast. The college is having a big event at the end of April called Beirfest and the theme is Nursery Rhymes so I am going to some research and try to make a kick-ass costume without spending too much money.
Money goes fast here, everyday items such as groceries and clothes. I have to work a little at sticking with the budget. I knew all my years of saving would come in handy but Australia might deplete my savings account if I am not careful.
Well, I need to finish packing before we leave on holiday tomorrow morning but I will try to update on my holiday adventures as much as possible.
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