New City - New Things To Do!

The flight to Brisbane was somewhat of a nightmare for me. The lines were horribly long at the Jetstar departure area, and it took a long time to get through. Then, anyone with a checked bag had to go back and pay $80 for it at a completely different counter. They stapled my boarding pass to another students’ pass, who had to pay for a checked bag. I ended up waiting in that line as well. Then came the security line. Here is where it got exciting for us Americans. I did NOT have to take my boots off! I did NOT have to throw my water away! The irritations of American airlines vanished, and I made it through security with ease. Leather seats on the flight were a plus, and the cat nap commenced.

Upon arriving in Brisbane, we piled into a taxi-van, which took us across town to our apartments. The accommodations here in Brisbane are less Hogwartish than those in Sydney, for which I am appreciative. There is a pool on the roof, and air conditioning. The A/C in and of itself is a major plus.

We had an hour or two to relax, and buy groceries, before meeting up as a group and going down to the river. The river walk here in Brisbane is absolutely gorgeous, and is a landscaper’s paradise. There will be much more about this area in later posts, I promise!

Towards the end of the river walk, we came upon a giant ferris wheel, called the Ekka, from which you can see the city. We got on there, and did 5 rotations. This gave us time to view the city from a new perspective, and was quite enjoyable.

After that, some students and the professors chose to walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens on the other side of the river. These amazing gardens and open spaces, placed in the center of such a booming city, are just awe inspiring. The planning of the cities (so far) in Australia seem to be far superior to anything I've ever seen in the US.

Bedtime came early, as we had gained an hour by flying north to Brisbane. That said, I am now only 16 hours ahead of US Central time instead of 17.

Last day... for now.

This gorgeous, yet last, day in Sydney proved to be just as exciting as I had hoped. Animals are a weak spot of mine. If you don’t believe me, ask my parents, to whom I constantly brought new pets as a kid (even if I couldn’t keep them)! That said, going to the Taronga Zoo was amazing. The koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, platypus, and even the giraffes, elephants, and penguins, were all great. Seeing the Australian animals up close and personal, was an experience that I will treasure! 

Koalas sleep 20 hours a day

I was literally within arms reach of
this guy, and he just stared at me.

Roo's are just chillin'

Tasmanian Devils eat roadkill

The tasmanian devil is most widely known as Taz, the Looney Tunes character. The spinning antics of Taz are not seen in any tasmanian devil today, though. A zoo keeper at the Taronga Zoo explained that when Taz was created, the tasmanian devils in zoos had nothing to occupy themselves with, and would end up spinning around in boredom. Some animals sway, some pace, and some spin. These bored, spinning, devils, gave way to the famous character, Taz.

The view from the zoo was surprising. I have been amazed by this city... One minute, you’re surrounded by trees, and the next, you’re in the middle of skyscrapers! Also, the view coming back from the zoo was great, as it always is in Sydney. The bridge is a monument to architects everywhere, and should continue to be a prized possession of Sydney.

• Tomorrow, we are off to Brisbane, where an entirely new phase of this blog will begin. Prepare yourselves people... Prepare yourselves.