Spring has Sprung in Newcastle!

Well, it's official. It is springtime in Australia!

Today is actually the first day of spring, which to an American, seems off. Not only is it the wrong time of year for spring, but it seems like it's the wrong day. I should know, my birthday is on the first day of spring in the US (March 20th). 

When I went to Sydney a couple weeks ago, I sat next to three other young women on the train home, and they explained this to me. In Australia, they consider the first day of each season to be the first day of the month in which that season starts (March 1=autumn, June 1=winter, September 1=spring, December 1=summer). When I told them that the US goes by the equinoxes and solstices, they found that to be "rather archaic!" 

I'm more than happy to accept that it is spring, though, and today reflected that, as it was the most gorgeous, warm day. Of course, I had to go to the beach, Would you honestly expect anything different from me at this point?

It seems that I wasn't the only one who thought it would be the perfect day, as there were people paddle boarding, sun bathing, surfing, sailing, parasailing, swimming, body boarding, kayaking, and playing beach volleyball. It really was incredible. 

After a bit, I joined the sunbathers and read a book on my kindle while soaking up the warm sun rays. This only lasted about an hour because of my valiant goal of avoiding a sunburn (so far, so good!). I walked along the beach a bit more, noticing the beautiful broken shells among the sand.

Just before I left, I saw two really weird things on the sand, just beyond the surf. I still don't really know what they are, but they sure were cool to look at!

Weird, right?!

I then wandered around downtown for a bit, basically moving from park to park. It seems that the all of the spring flowers just bloomed within the past two days, and wow, are they beautiful. Maybe I'm seeing everything through the exciting lens of Australia, but it seems to me that the flowers are so much more colorful here! Take a look!

Now the real question: if my birthday is on the first day of spring, does that make today my Australian birthday? I think I'll eat some ice cream to celebrate either way. :-)

Befriending the Local...Marsupials!

How has it already been six weeks since I got here? How am I nearly a third of the way through my study abroad experience? When did this happen?!

In these six weeks that I have been here, I have already seen emus, a dingo, kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas. Until today's trip to Oakvale Farm in Salt Ash, NSW, I had only seen most of these animals from a fair distance. So, you can imagine (and see photographed above) my excitement when I finally got to get up close and personal with some of these fine creatures.

The kangaroos loved to lay stretched out in the sun, just enjoying life.

Because these kangas are tame, they love human attention. They shamelessly beg for belly rubs by rolling over on their backs.

And they shamelessly beg for food by being incredibly cute. 

I had this one literally eating out of the palm of my hand. We instantly became best friends.

After we hung out with the kangas for a while, we had some time to kill before the koala encounter. So, we wandered about the rest of the farm.

And hung out with llamas.

And some VERY hungry camels. VERY hungry.

Once the camel decided my finger was a better snack than the food, we walked back to the koala encounter. Boy, these were cute. We got to pet them and take plenty of pictures with them, but unfortunately I wasn't able to sneak one out to take home as a pet. 

(Yes, this is a real koala. They look like teddy bears in real life.)

In New South Wales, there is a law stating that visitors at zoos and reservations are not allowed to hold the koalas. (We'll save that for when I go to Queensland!) But a koala did get to hold me!

I'll happily stand in for this sweet koala's joey any day. 

Treat Yo'self: A Solo Selfie Adventure

I'm not sure why, but so many people consider being alone and loneliness to be one in the same. I will be the first to tell you that is the furthest thing from the truth, especially while travelling abroad.

About once a week, I try to go exploring on my own. I get on a bus and just GO. Sometimes I have a plan, sometimes I don't, but I always go with an adventurous spirit and try to go off the beaten path a bit. 

Today, this adventure took me to the Newcastle Museum--a quiet little place home to histories of the city, interactive science and technology exhibits, and even some local pieces of art. 

When I first walked in, the first thing I saw was a restored Newcastle train. It was the kind you can actually walk inside and sit down in. 

So I did!

The rest of the history section of the museum included relics from Newcastle's days as a coal-mining town and pieces of more modern popular culture. The city has undergone many, many revitalization periods since it was founded, so the different parts of the museum reflect different eras of its history. 

I then moved over to the science side of the museum, which reminded me of a small version of Mid-America Science Museum in Hot Springs, Arkansas. There were optical illusions, science demonstrations, and even a giant globe rotating slowly above my head! Maybe it's silly of me, but I am a sucker for these sorts of things. In the midst of very adult-ish things like living alone in another country, I love to be a child.

(Look! My head is covering the exact spot I'm standing on Earth!)

After I left the museum, I meandered about the area for a while. I spotted a Cold Rock ice cream shop (like Cold Stone Creamery in the US), and I thought to myself, "Hey, Caroline, treat yo'self!" (Parks and Rec, anyone?)

Yum.

There wasn't much more to my day other than some more wandering around. I go off-schedule, off the map, so I never know what I'm going to come across. 

I DID, however, shamelessly take selfies in front of a photo wall outside the museum. People DID stare, but I also did NOT care. That's some study abroad confidence for you, I guess!

I guess it really is the simple things (and the many chins) that make a day great. 

Whale, Whale, Whale...What do we have here?

There's an M&M commercial that plays at Christmastime in the US that a lot of you may be familiar with. The red and yellow M&Ms catch Santa on Christmas Eve, and there is a moment of collective shock. After the M&Ms say something about Santa really existing, Santa returns the sentiment, saying "They do exist!" before promptly fainting.

"They do exist!" That is exactly how I felt today. No, I did not run in to Santa Claus, but I did get to go on a whale watching cruise, and what I saw felt something like a Christmas present to me.  

Yes, I was highly aware that whales existed and that they are enormous and beautiful. But seeing these gentle giants in action is such an incredible experience. It really was (forgive me) over-whale-ming.

When I bought a ticket for this whale watching cruise, I didn't expect much. I paid the forty bucks knowing that our "whale sightings" could easily be a split second view of a fin from far away. But Elise and I both paid for our tickets, so we took the two hour bus ride to Nelson Bay anyway.

Upon arriving, I was already pleased with this decision of ours. The marina itself is gorgeous with long stretches of clear, open water, and beautifully kept boats scattered about it.                                                                               Whale or no whale, I was happy to have some unique photography opportunities and a gorgeous day out at sea.                                                                We boarded the boat at approximately 1:30 p.m. and quickly scouted out the perfect spots for pictures and viewing. Then, it was just a matter of waiting for departure. 

Once we had been briefed on safety precautions, the search for whales began. We sailed into the clear and beautiful Tasman Sea, eyes peeled for the kings of the water. 

It wasn't long before someone spotted one far off on the horizon. The captain directed the boat toward the whale, who wasn't keen to stick around much longer. I was so hopeful that we'd see another because I had completely missed getting a photo. No, desperate. I was desperate. 

Lucky for me (and for you, my lovely readers and companions on this journey of mine), we saw another whale. Actually, we saw more than a dozen more whales.

Some traveled in groups, as this is the middle of their migration season.

Some enjoyed blowing water high into the air from their blow holes.

Some were active, flicking their tails at us.

And some were friendly enough to show their faces to us!

The whole time, I was in awe. They were beautiful, graceful, and... enormous. 

(That is the top of Elise's head as one curious whale started to come close to our boat.)

I couldn't believe it. And just when I thought we were done, we came across some animals lounging on rocks and enjoying the heat from the sun. It was humorous. You might even say it was a bit seal-ly. (I know, I know. That was bad.)

Eventually, this little guy decided belly-up was the way to go.

After all the excitement from the cruise, we managed to speed-walk back to the bus stop to catch the last bus out of Nelson Bay to Newcastle for the day. (The cruise was supposed to end any time between 4 and 4:30. Said bus left at 4:35.) Since we didn't become stranded two hours away from home, I rewarded myself with a long nap on the bus ride home. Pretty good day, wouldn't you say?

In other unrelated news, the seagulls have begun to mobilize. It seems they are in flight training preparing for a military strike against me. 

(I swear this last picture is an image pulled straight from my nightmares...)

Further updates on the status of the Seagull-Caroline conflict will be given as they are received. Stay tuned!

If you are reading this, you have managed to finish what became a very long post. Thanks for sticking around! Ten points to Gryffindor!