Today I have completed my first month in Australia! I have already checked off some bucket list items, and done other activities I would never have thought of. I started off my first week in Cairns for orientation. After only being in the country for three days I decided to go skydiving! Me and a couple new friends jumped out of a plane at 7am, and I even went out first! I am a big adrenaline junkie and love to do things that scare me, so skydiving was at the top of my bucket list. When we were presented with the opportunity I knew I absolutely had to go!
Just the day before that we took a boat out to the Great Barrier Reef and went snorkeling. I have always loved the ocean, so this was a dream of mine since I was very young. It almost brought me to tears to see how colorful and lively the reef was. Hopefully I will get the chance to go back in my remaining time in Australia. Next, my orientation group organized a surf lesson on Broad Beach. I love to surf and was waiting to try in Australia since it is such a famous place to surf. It was so much fun despite some rain, and I actually have another surf lesson with my Surf Industry Studies class later this semester! Just last weekend we took a trip to the beautiful North Stradbroke Island. I have never seen so much wildlife in one place! We saw sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, rays, kangaroos, and koalas all within the first hour of being there! Our first activity on the island was sand boarding, but first we had to walk through the woods to get to the dunes. There were three hills we spent sliding down for hours in the heat. It was so fun and felt just like snowboarding with less steering ability. The day ended in a very sandy walk back to our bus. Lastly, I took a hike through the rainforest to see Purling Brook falls in Springbrook National park.

 

This was a two hour hike down to two different waterfalls and back. It was so incredible to see how large the waterfalls lookedin person, and I even took a swim in the water below them. The views of the waterfalls and the surrounding forest were amazing and I definitely want to do this hike again. Even though I’ve only been in Australia for one month, I have definitely made the most of it. Next on my list I am hoping to swim with sharks, see a concert, and keep surfing! There are so many opportunities in this beautiful country and I hope to continue to experience everything I can while I’m here.