Program Orientation

The program introduction was really, really fun and amazing! On Tuesday we went to Rainforestation, which is a place in the rainforest where you can meet animals and aborigines. We broke up into three groups and went to different stations. First, we went to see the aborigines. We each got a chance to throw a boomerang and listen to the guys play the didgeridoos. After that, we went to see them perform dances and a couple of our group members even got to join them on stage. It was really neat to meet some indigenous people and learn a bit about their culture. After that, we headed to the Army Duck. It’s this giant bus-type thing that can also act as a boat if the need arises. We drove into the rainforest and looked at some of the plants. There is one that is called the “Stinging Tree” or “Gympie Gympie.” It has tiny hairs on heart-shaped leaves that break off into your skin. It’s like tiny pieces of glass in your skin that can cause pain lasting up to a year after you touch it. There’s a fun plant for you Jessie! While we were in the rainforest, we tested out the boating capabilities of the Army Duck. It was pretty cool. The last thing we did was to meet some of the native animals. We got to pet and feed kangaroos and wallabies, see a croc and even hold a koala! It was pretty cool.

Wednesday was my favorite day. We went diving on the Great Barrier Reef! We got up really early and hoped on a boat for the 2 hour ride out to the reef. We were diving in a marine park where some scientists study giant clams, so they were everywhere. I was lucky and got put into a group with a bunch of my friends and we got everything together to dive. The actual dive was a bit of a letdown because the visibility wasn’t the best due to the recent rains. I’m hoping to get out there again for some more vibrant pictures:) Anyway, I took a ton of pictures and saw lots of sea creatures. It was just amazing being under the water at the GBR…it’s just one of those things that will stay with me forever. After our dive, I was going to eat lunch and then dive the second one, but I wasn’t feeling too well. I didn’t get sick, I just felt bad enough not to dive. I’m definitely going to pack some seasickness pills the next time around! I want to get both of my dives in.

Thursday we woke up and left Cairns for Townsville. I was so ready to get to my dorm and settle and go shopping at Stockland. It’s kind of like a mall with a grocery store (Woolworths) and Walmart (Big W here) attached. It’s pretty cool. I can’t wait until I get a chance to go buy some nice sundresses…I think they’d be the best way to beat the heat! Yesterday (Friday) when we were shopping, I made a big purchase in the form of a phone. Because Verizon is silly and doesn’t do SIM cards, I had to buy a handset and a pre-paid plan. It wasn’t the ideal set up, but I’ll just sell it at the end of the semester to another study abroad kid:)

I think I’ve gotten you up to date on things with me. Don’t hesitate to leave me messages or emails or anything like that. I even have skype if you want to call me from back home! Talk to y’all later!

-Jess