2023-24 – Journals from Abroad

May 30, 2024

1000 Steps Hike, Aurora Australis, Brighton Beach, & St. Kilda Beach

G’Day Everyone!

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve made some trips to local must-see spots in Melbourne. All these spots were within an hour of campus and easy to access with public transport.

The 1000 steps hike is a bush walk that goes through the Dandenong Ranges. It consists of about a thousand stone steps up to the top of the trail. A few of my friends and I made a day trip out to the Dandenong’s to do this hike. It was not as hard as I had expected, but definitely still a challenge. The views were beautiful, and I felt emerged in the rainforest the whole time. The walk down was the worst part because it was one big steep hill that destroyed my knees. It was a great hike with beautiful views and perfect weather.

Group of people in rainforest — Start of 1000 Step Hike

city view from above between trees — View from top of 1000 Step Hike

There were two nights this term where the Aurora Australia, or the Southern Lights, were visible from campus. A friend and I walked to a park nearby and watched as the sky turned a vibrant purple and green. This was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience that I’m glad I got to see.

purple and green sky at night — Aurora Australis

pink and purple sky at night — Aurora Australis

A couple friends and I decided to spend a day at Brighton Beach. We started the morning off with a walk along the beach, spending hours looking at shells and stuff along the way. We made it down to the Brighton Beach Bathing Boxes, a row of bathing boxes painted in different colors and designs. We then walked back into town to get lunch and wander around. It was a very cute little town with a relaxing feeling to it. Once we had walked the town, we made our way to a garden where we laid in the grass and bathed in the sun for a bit. It was a lovely and relaxing day.

beach picture of sand and ocean — Brighton Beach

colorfully painted bathing boxes on beach — Bathing boxes

I decided to go to St. Kilda one day since I hadn’t been there yet and needed to go before I leave. I started the day out on the beach, walking along the boardwalk and the pier. The weather was perfect, and the beach was beautiful. I then walked up to the Esplanade Markets on the street. The sidewalk was lined with a bunch of tents that consisted of different products and food vendors. I walked the whole strip as I headed back towards the main street. I walked around and explored the town for a bit before catching a tram back.

view of beach from bridge — St. Kilda Beach

Ocean with pier and sunlight — St. Kilda Pier

cars driving under bridge — Bridge view of St. Kilda

Beach picture of sand and ocean from a boardwalk — St. Kilda Beach

Cheers!
Taryn Dance

April 19, 2024April 19, 2024

Easter Break, Part II – Trip to Sydney!

G’Day Everyone!

I flew straight from Cairns to Sydney for the second half of the week. We arrived at the airport in Sydney, it was about 11pm, so I head straight to my hotel and went to bed.

On Thursday morning, I headed towards the city to a shuttle bus pickup location. Here I got picked up for a tour of the Blue Mountains. This was an all-day tour I had scheduled beforehand. Our first stop on the tour was the Sydney Zoo. We got to the zoo about an hour before it opened, so our tour group had the whole place to ourselves. I got to go into the koala sanctuary and take a picture with Nelson the koala. Unfortunately, he was asleep, so I didn’t get to hold him and had to be very quiet not to wake him. After the zoo, our bus departed towards the Blue Mountains. Along the way, we learned a handful of random trivia from our tour guide/bus driver, Les, who was hilarious and made the tour very exciting.

When we got to the Blue Mountains, everything was fogged over. We were supposed to take cable cars through the canyons and see a bunch of waterfalls and landmarks, but nothing was visible through the fog. We hiked down at one spot that was a little clearer and were able to see a waterfall. Other than that, Les took us to about 12 different spots and not one had any visibility. We called it a day after a few hours of trying and headed on back. It was still a fun tour despite not getting the full Blue Mountain experience.

waterfall in mountain range surrounded by trees — Waterfall on hike

Fogged over mountain range — Blue Mountains

Koala sleeping in tree with girl standing next to it — Me and Nelson

On Friday, it was pouring in Sydney. I decided to take the train into town and try to explore some landmarks that were indoors. I went to Market City, a decent sized mall with a few floors of stores and then a market on the ground floor. After that, I wandered to the Queen Victoria Building. That was a very beautiful building. By this point, I was soaking wet, so I headed on back to my hotel and called it a night.

Mall with clock hanging from ceiling — Queen Victoria Building

On Saturday morning, the sun came out just in time for me to see some sights before my flight that afternoon. I got up and took a ferry around the bay. I got to see the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the water.

The ferry docked at Circular Quay, where I walked to a place called the Rocks Markets. Tents and food trucks lined the streets for blocks. I wandered around for a bit and got some lunch, then caught a bus to Bondi Beach. I walked through some shops at Bondi, got some gelato, then sat in the grass by the beach for a bit. I didn’t have much time before I had to catch a train to the airport. I reached the airport and flew back to Melbourne as my break came to an end.

Beach full of people from boardwalk — Bondi Beach

cone of gelato on beach — Gelato at Bondi

bridge over ocean bay — Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House

Cheers!

Taryn Dance

April 19, 2024

Easter Break, Part I – Trip to Cairns!

G’Day Everyone!

Recently, we had a week off classes for Easter break. I spent the first half of this week in the town of Cairns, located in the Northeastern coast of Australia. I had three days in the area, so had to squeeze everything I wanted to do into that short period of time.

My flight landed Monday morning. I went straight from the airport to the botanical gardens for a nice morning walk. I spent a few hours walking around the different trails. It was very pretty and from the moment I entered I felt like I was deep in the rainforest. After the botanical gardens, I walked to my hotel to get checked in and relaxed for a bit. Then I took a bus into town to meet up with a friend. We walked the main streets and wandered through some night markets, then had dinner at a bar near the pier.

Beach boardwalk with people and ferris wheel — Boardwalk in Cairns

Creek running through a rainforest — Cairns Botanical Garden

On Tuesday, I had a Great Barrier Reef snorkeling tour booked. The tour was amazing. We got picked up by the shuttle around 7am and were boarded the boat and headed towards the reef by 8am. The crew on the boat made it very enjoyable. We stopped at our first reef location for about two hours. The time flew by. I was in the water snorkeling the whole time. I got to see a lot of different fish and coral, and even a couple sharks at that location. Then we boarded the boat and headed to a second reef location. During this time, we were fed a delicious lunch by the crew. At the second spot, I again spent almost the whole time in the water snorkeling. I finally found a sea turtle and followed it around for at least 30 minutes. After that location we headed back to shore. It was a great day and an amazing experience.

Underwater image of sea turtle with sun shining into water — Sea turtle spotted at the Great Barrier Reef

Underwater image of coral and fish with sun shining into water — Great Barrier Reef

Snorkeler underwater — Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef

On Wednesday, a friend and I took a ferry to Fitzroy Island for the morning. The day started out beautiful, then as we were eating lunch it began to downpour. Our plan was to go kayaking, but we aborted that plan when the rain started. Instead, we took a hike through the forest, heading along the beach once the rain stopped. It was super pretty and a fun, quick trip before we had to head out for our flights. Once we got back, we gathered our things and headed to the airport.

Island from boat in ocean — Fitzroy Island

Cheers!
Taryn Dance

March 22, 2024

Polperro Dolphin and Seal Swim, Sorrento Back Beach, & Point Nepean National Park

G’Day Everyone!

This last weekend some friends and I took a day trip to the Mornington Peninsula. We started our morning at 5am in order to make the commute and be on time to board the boat for our dolphin and seal swim. We arrived to catch the sunrise over the ocean, put our wetsuits on, and hop on board as we headed out into the ocean.

Our first stop was at a location where a shelter had been built in the water for the seals. We put our snorkel gear on and jumped in the water! The seals would swim really close to you, and they were quite the show-offs. They would spin around and put on a little show while barking the whole time. The water was fairly shallow in the area so we had to be careful to keep our feet up, as rays would swim under you. It was a little scary at first. You would be focused on the seals and all of a sudden you look down and a huge ray is right underneath you.

After the seals, we boarded the boat and headed toward a little bay where we could snorkel and see cuttle fish and sea dragons. They both use camouflage really well. I was only able to spot one cuttle fish without the help of a guide.

We then boarded the boat and headed back to the dock. Over the course of the trip, we were supposed to be ready to dive in the water if any dolphins were spotted. Unfortunately, no dolphins were spotted in the area all morning, so we were unable to swim with the dolphins. It was still an amazing trip and the crew made it that much better.

Three girls taking selfie on pier with ocean and sunset behind them — Morning sunrise on the pier before departing on tour

Sea dragon swimming among seaweed — Sea dragon

Cuttle fish swimming on ocean floor surrounded by plants — Cuttle fish

Group of four seals swimming in ocean — Group of seals showing-off in the water.

Ray swimming above sand in ocean — Ray while swimming with the seals.

After the dolphin and seal swim, we walked through the town of Sorrento to a beach spot called the “Back Beach”. This area had tons of rock pools and a couple short hiking trails that overlooked the beach. After wandering through the rock pools and trails for a bit, we went to a little café on the beach and had some lunch. The view from the deck was amazing.

wooden stairs leading up from ocean shore overlooking the ocean and greenery — View of the Back Beach from hike lookout.

Wooden table on beachside deck overlooking the ocean — Beachside view from lunch

We then went to our final destination for the day – Point Nepean National Park. Point Nepean was formerly an army base as well as a quarantine center. With about 30km of trails, Point Nepean spans toward the tip of the Mornington Peninsula. We took a tour bus out to the end of the peninsula and then hiked our way back. The hike was full of astonishing views, as well as remnants and tunnels from the army base. It was amazing and the weather was absolutely perfect!

Peninsula with road going through the middle and ocean on either side — View of the peninsula from trail on Point Nepean

Cheers!
Taryn Dance

March 14, 2024

Start of Classes, Altona Beach, & Queen Victoria Market Summer Nights Festival

G’day Everyone!

I’m coming up on the end of my second week of classes here at Deakin University. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks adjusting to my new schedule and figuring out the flow of classes. I’m taking four classes this trimester, all of which meet once a week for 2-3 hours at a time. Outside of the in-person seminars, every class has online modules that you must work through on your own to learn the content that is discussed in class and on exams. It’s a lot more independent study than I expected, but once I get the hang of it, I think I might enjoy it.

Sun starting to set on bridge with trees and campus buildings surrounding. — Crossing campus bridge on my way back from classes.

Last weekend we had three days in a row of temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I spent one of these days going to Altona Beach with some friends. The beach had a long pier that you could walk out on, and people were jumping off the far end of it into the water. The water was very cold but felt amazing with the sun beaming down on us. The water was anywhere from ankle to hip deep for about the first 500 feet, which made for perfect spots to just chill and cool off.

Beach with sand volleyball nets, lots of people, and a pier going out into the water. — Altona Beach

On Wednesday night I went to the final night of the Queen Victoria Market Summer Nights Festival. The Queen Victoria Market is in downtown Melbourne and runs through the day with streets vendors, food trucks, and produce stands. They do festivals over the summer where they reopen at night with live music and plenty of different vendors and food options. I had been to the market during the day before, but this was my first time going to the night festival. This was also one of the first times I’ve been in the city at night, and it was amazing. They put on a new night festival during the winter season, so I can’t wait to go to that one.

Landscape image of pop up tents with vendors, lights streaming from tent to tent, and city skyscrapers in the background.

Queen Victoria Market Summer Nights Festival

Alley full of people with street vendors on the sides and lights streaming across the alley. — Inside the Queen Victoria Market Summer Nights Festival

Cheers!

Taryn Dance

February 28, 2024

Torquay, Maru Animal Park, Cape Woolamai, The Nobbies, & Penguin Parade

G’day everyone!

The 26^th marks my first week here in Australia. Monday night I moved into my residence at Deakin University’s Burwood campus, and things have been in full swing since! I spent a day or so getting moved in and situated, figuring out how to get around and use public transport, and adjusting to this new lifestyle. Since moving in, I’ve met some great friends from all over the world and embarked on a few adventures.

I spent a day with some friends heading down to Torquay Beach, home of the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach surf competition. After a few hours of travel through trams, buses, and trains, we arrived at the beach where we rented surf boards and wet suits. Then we went out into the water and taught ourselves how to surf! It was so much fun, but also so hard. We spent a couple hours out in the water, and I was able to stand up on the board only twice. Definitely will be going back and doing this again.

Me standing on the beach holding a surf board. — Surfing at Torquay

On Saturday we had our international student orientation event hosted by a company called Real Australia. We loaded up two buses full of international students and headed towards the historic Phillip Island. Our first stop along the way was at Maru Koala and Animal Park in Grantville, Victoria. Here we were given a lecture from experts on koalas, dingoes, and snakes (all animals of which were present during the lecture). After, we were given time to walk the park and see all the animals in their enclosures. However, throughout the park there were multiple kangaroos roaming unenclosed. We were allowed to walk up and feed and pet the kangaroos all throughout the park.

Me kneeling down and petting a white kangaroo. — Feeding the kangaroos

Group of 3 wallabies eating. — Wallabies

Tasmanian devil sleeping in the grass. — Tasmanian Devil

ME kneeling down feeding a little joey kangaroo. — Feeding the joey

Our next stop was a hike at Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island. We took a walk down the beach and up along a trail to a lookout point. It was beautiful. Along the way we encountered some various wildlife such as wallabies and an echidna.

We then headed into town for dinner at a local pub. I felt the need to order an Australian classic meal, the chicken parma. The chicken parma is a typical Australian meal that consists of a breaded chicken breast topped with a sliced of ham, tomato sauce, and parmesan. It was really good.

Plate of food with fries, greens, and a chicken breast. — Chicken Parma

Our final stop of the day was on the coast of Philip Island to a reserve known as the Nobbies. The Nobbies is a rock formation off the coast that is home to Philip Island’s little penguins. We walked the pier to the Nobbies as we waited for the little penguin parade to begin at sunset. Every night when the sun sets, thousands of the little penguins come to shore and make the trek across the beach and back to their homes. Philip Island’s little penguin parade allows for people to come each night and watch the penguins return home after feeding, while maintaining a safe environment to protect the penguins. It was a really cool experience and the penguins were so tiny and adorable.

Sunsetting over the ocean — Sunset view from the Nobbies

Penguins walking across the beach in a group

from Taryn Dance