Off on a Whirlwind Adventure!

Hi all! I've finally made it to the land Down Under. Travel plans were changed a bit at the last minute as there were two major weather events to avoid-- a category 5 cyclone (the scale of Hurricane Katrina) and the blizzard that hit Chicago, where I was supposed to catch a connection to LA.

The top news story... how comforting

Cyclone Yasi made landfall in between Townsville (where I'm studying) and Cairns (where orientation was supposed to take place). Many people were evacuated from the area, and thankfully there were no deaths that I know of. The cyclone did cause significant damage to trees, power lines, and infrastructure.

Due to the incliment weather, our orientation was held in Brisbane. Our flight across the Pacific was about fourteen hours long, and was as comfy as can be expected. I enjoyed checking the flight tracking screen every now and again!

Crossing the international date line

Once in Brisbane we stayed at a lovely backpackers' hostel, and it was here I tasted the famous Vegemite on my morning toast. I admire the Aussies for their ability to down a salty, yeasty spoonful of the stuff, but I cannot. A meal I much preferred was 'roo rump on the barbie. I felt it was rather fitting that our first meal consisted of kangaroo! They are so darn cute though!

Roo!

The view of Brisbane from our hostel

I also had my first drink in Brisbane (the drinking age is eighteen here). Foster's is not Australian for beer, XXXX Gold is. :)

I've already met some great people in my programme. During our stay in Brisbane we explored the city and took a day trip down to the Gold Coast. On the train ride south we played the kinds of mind games (like "The Coin Game") that drive me nuts when I don't understand them!

At the Gold Coast we were greeted by miles of white-sand beach stretched out before us, framed on one side by skyscrapers and by the vast Pacific Ocean on the other. The beach was crowded with people. Kids and adults alike enjoyed the waves, and the lifeguards were careful to keep us inside the section of beach bounded by red and yellow flags.

Although I generally prefer the beaches that are tucked away and far from the crowds, the large waves at this beach were great

fun. It's quite something to feel the power of the waves toss you about as you lose track of which way is up! (I come up sputtering with a mouth full of seawater but a smile on my face every time--much to the amusement of me mates).

During our time in Brisbane we also explored the nearby rainforest on a guided tour. The lush green color of the rain forest is such a stark contrast to the limited palette of a beautiful Minnesota winter. We passed under waterfalls and over natural bridges.

We passed through some pretty amazing rock formations in the rain forest!

One of the coolest critters we saw on our walks was the Lamington Plateau Crayfish (Euastacus sulcatus). His armor was colored white and electric blue!

Cicada ectoskeletons cling to the trees in the rain forest. These guys stay buried underground for seven to ten years before hatching!

A strangler fig that has overcome the tree beneath it.

A golden orb weaver-- these guys are huge!

Much more to come! I hope all of you at home are bearing with the winter, while it lasts! Here I've learned that 100% humidity doesn't necessarily mean it's raining!