Lost Purse in Perth

From the East Coast of Australia some people find it pretty difficult to find a decent price to fly to the West Coast of Australia. The only reason I did was because I found a flight with Tiger Airlines that was 1 cent. The trip from Canberra to Melbourne to Perth return can usually cost up to $600 return but because of the flights that tiger offers it ended up costing half of that. Even though Tiger is said to have many problems, they are always late, and you have to pay for everything on board, this trip went without a hitch....well....kind of.

Fun Fact: When trying to locate your purse and passport that you might have left either on the plane or in the airport is a lot harder then it sounds.

Dana and I arrived in Perth with high hopes of warm sunny weather with the opportunity to do lots of shopping. Our flight landed pretty late at night so we took a shuttle to the Old Swan Barracks Hostel in downtown Perth. This hostel was perfectly located close to downtown, trains and buses, and many different restaurants. After realizing that Dana was without her purse, that night was spent devising a plan to get it back as quickly as possible.




The next morning couldn't come fast enough for Dana. She raced to the airport to see if anything could be done about her missing bag. Me...Well I tried to see what could be done about her missing passport, and once I left the police station there was nothing to do but explore the city. Across the street from our hostel was a square that was home to many different cafes, museums, and the library..? It was a nice sunny warm fall day and walking through this square was great. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once Dana arrived back from the airport later that morning, we decided to take our minds off things by touring the rest of the city. Her friend Chris came to visit and he was able to show us around Perth. Not knowing much of the city, I was quite surprised to find out how small the city actually was. It was nothing like I had imagined it to be, but it met and exceeded all of my expectations. Chris showed us Hay and Murray street which are the two main shopping streets. He then took us to the bell tower which is down by the river. It is made entirely out of glass and you can see the whole city from the top.
After our tour of the city, Chris took us to Kings park. This park overlooks the city and it has some of the most beautiful views of the city. There are many monuments and cool statues and it is a great place just to chill and hang out. If I had the chance I would have gone back and done a little more exploring.

View of the city from the river

Tree Top Walk at Kings Park

Too much money to pay to go up the tower

London Court

The next day it was a chance for Dana and I to go to Freemantle. This town is a small ocean town that takes about 30 minutes to get to by train. It is an old little town with amazing architecture and cute little beaches. There are a few hostels there and it would have been nice to stay in them because Freemantle was definitely the best part of the trip. There are many tours and things to see. For example the markets that are throughout the town are filled with local art, food, and souvenirs. 

That night Dana finally heard back from the airlines. They had her purse and with that news we headed again to the airport to pick it up. That made our day. The next day was filled with us waiting for Dana's flight to leave. We walked around a little more, and saw a bit more of the city. Then it was time for her to leave. I had so much fun, and even with the added stress of losing Dana's purse and passport, we were still able to enjoy our time in Perth!

Passport Parody

Afraid of losing your passport or any other important travel documents? Well I can tell you from first hand experience that it can be one of the most stressful times while traveling. Here are a few ways that you can prevent the losing/stealing of your passport and some ways of attempting to get it back.

PREVENTION:

1. Unless you need your passport make sure you keep it in a secret place in your room so that no one can find it. But make sure that you can remember where it is because it can be just as bad if you can't find it when you need it.
2. If you are traveling with your passport make sure you constantly check the bag that it is in to make sure you have it. When you are traveling through airports you are needing to show it to so many people and it is very easy to put it down and forget about it.
3. Always put your passport in the same place in your bag. This will prevent you from constantly rummaging through your bag looking frantically for it.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PASSPORT IS LOST/STOLEN:

It is important that you take the proper steps to locating your passport or going about getting a new one. However, once you have reported it lost or stolen to the consulate, it is invalid and even if you find it, you won't be able to use it again. These are step by step instructions on how to go about getting your passport back if you have lost it. 

1. Stay calm. There really is no use freaking out because it only makes the situation more complicated and frustrating.
2. Call the airport and ask to speak to the people who are working in the specific terminal where you last saw your purse/bag/passport. They should be able to tell you whether or not someone has turned it in.
3. Call the airlines. Some are more helpful than others when you are trying to figure out whether you left it on the plane, but they should be able to answer your questions about whether or not you left your bag on the plane. 
4. Go to the police. If it is late at night or you are in an area where there is no consulate for your country they will get you to file a police report which you can then use to talk to the embassy when you find one. 
5. Prepare to get emergency travel documents. This is a very important step as there are many things that need to be completed before you can get emergency travel documents. For example, you are going to need to get passport sized photos, and you need to fill in all the necessary forms in order to get the process started. This hopefully can all be done quite quickly especially if you are planning on leaving the country quickly.
6. Locate the nearest consulate and get there as soon as possible if there is no hopes in finding your passport. As previously stated they will help you as quickly as possible and will provide you with more information about getting a new passport when you get back to your home country 

If you are lucky like my friend Dana was, then you will find your passport wherever you left it. After realizing that her purse with her passport in it was left on the airplane and after 2 days with no money, lots of stress, and many many phone calls and emails she was finally told that they had her purse. She went from this:

To this:

And it made a good adventure and story to tell from our trip to Perth.

"Jump Around"

In the mood for listening to some awesome music by some awesome Australian bands? Groovin' the Moo (GTM) is a music festival that happens in May every year in Canberra! Most of the bands that performed are from Australia and the UK but there were a couple from North America such as House of Pain who put on a really good show.

The main stages

This year the line-up included bands such as:

• AC Slater
• Architecture 
• Art Vs Science
• The Aston Shuffle
• Birds of Tokyo
• Bliss N Eso
• Cut Copy
• Darwin Deez
• Datarock
• Drapht
• The Drums
• The GO! Team
• Gotye
• Gyroscope
• The Holidays
• Horrorshow
• House of Pain
• The Jezabels
• Nina Las Vegas
• Sampology
• Unkle Live
• Washington
• The Wombats

House of Pain

Architecture

Gotye

The best thing about this festival is that it is on the University of Canberra campus. A really easy walk for those of us who do not drive. The tents and stages were set up on the fields behind the school. It was awesome because once you are inside, you know so many people due to the fact that most of them either go to UC or they live in res.

Although it was an all ages show, it didn't really matter much as there was a separate area for those who were drinking. Drinks were a little pricey, but as long as you picked up enough cans from the ground to return, the drink turned out to be only a couple of dollars. This was a great way to hang out with my friends, relax, and listen to some great music. Although it was pretty expensive to get a ticket, it was an amazing day with amazing people!

Groovin the Moo travels all around Australia so even if you are not going to be in Canberra, try and catch the festival at any one of the other locations.
http://www.gtm.net.au/
This link directs you to the main page for Groovin the Moo.

The Hamiltons

Being away from family on any holiday is hard...therefore when you are studying abroad you need to find yourself another one!

This Easter my friend Grace invited me to her beach house to spend the holiday with her family (Mom, Dad, Gran, Pop, and brother Harry). Her beach house is located about an hour North of Sydney so that meant another road trip! We left on Friday morning for the 4 hour long trip...it was good times. When we arrived at the beach, it was sunny and warm! We planned a weekend filled with tanning and chocolate eating.

MacMasters Beach

 

 

Sunset

The next day was raining. This unfortunately messed up our tanning plans, however it did not prevent us from going in the water for a swim. The temperature of the water was around 22 degrees and the waves were pretty decent. We body surfed all morning, and even though I was not that keen to do it, Mr. Hamilton taught me which waves were the best to catch (I was an epic fail at body surfing compared to the rest of the Hamilton family).

Easter morning, Grace and I woke up to a trail of eggs leading from our bedroom through the rest of the house. We collected them all within 5 minutes. After breakfast came the chocolate exchange. This is different from what I usually do at home. We all bought different chocolate for each other and exchanged them.

Just a little too excited for my chocolate

Grace is also way too excited about her bunny

That day, the Hamilton's and I spent the day at the beach. It was so sunny and warm that Grace and I put our tanning plan back into action. The water was just as warm as it was the day before and lying on the beach was so nice. The only thing that we had to do was take a few "family pictures". Since the Hamilton's were down 1 kid, I was the replacement...it helped that we had the same name!

Family portrait

I had such a good weekend with the Hamilton's. They really are an amazing family, and they made me feel right at home.

Road Trip

So far throughout my being in Australia I have done and seen so many things in many different parts of the country. One of the most beautiful places that I have seen is the Great Ocean Road. This is a stretch of highway that goes from Torquay to Worrnambool, just outisde of Melbourne. This road goes along the coast of Victoria and on a sunny day the views are amazing. There are viewing areas up and down the coast and stopping at all of them in highly recommended.

Must see things on the Great Ocean Road:

In no specific order...

1) Otway National Park and Lighthouse

2) 12 Apostles

 Fun Fact: there are only 7 out of the 12 Apostles still standing due to the disintegration of the rocks

3) Koala Cove

Koala

This small cafe on the side of the road is across the street from a popular koala hang out spot. Here you can have a break from driving and go for a walk amongst the eucalyptus trees in search of them.

4) Apollo: This is a small surf town about 100 km along the road.

The small town of Apollo

view of Apollo in the morning

All the towns along the Great Ocean Road were similar but also different in many ways. Stopping in them as opposed to driving right through them gives you the opportunity to a) see the town and b) to explore and find something you wouldn't have been able to see if you drove straight through.

  

Additionally, if you are driving this route and you realize that you have more time on your hands, continue your trip through to Adelaide. This drive has an entirely new views, and although it might not be as pretty as the ocean views, it does give you the chance to see what else Australia has to offer in terms of landscapes. While driving this road, you will eventually hit the Adelaide Valley. This is where Australia's finest wines are produced and it has the most spectacular views when you are on top of Mt. Lofty. 

View from Mt. Lofty

View from Mt. Lofty taken from another direction.

Vineyard in the Adelaide Valley

I went on this trip with my Dad who flew to Australia for my mid-semester break for a visit. If you are planning on studying overseas, try and get your parents to come for a visit. It takes away any homesickness (if you have any), it's heaps of fun, and it also gives you a chance to see more of the country without having to pay!

Surfs Up!

One of the must-do things here in Australia to try out would be surfing. The best surfing beaches that I have come across are here in Australia. The sand is amazing, the water is warm, and hopefully the sun will be shining, but if it isn't it's still good times! Just remember the motto: Surf, Eat, Sleep.

Activity Board. Note the surfer's motto!

To kick off mid-semester break, a surfing trip was organized for the study abroad/exchange students at my school. We all jumped in a bus and drove three hours to Seven Mile Beach in Gerroa. It was the longest beach I had ever seen, and was perfect for us beginning surfers. We left on Friday night and we ended up getting to Surf Camp at around 9pm. We had a quick orientation, we got our rooms and we pretty much fell asleep because we had an early call the next morning.

7 Mile Beach, Gerroa

Surf Camp dining area

Saturday morning was cold and wet and waking up at 7am was no easy task. First thing we did was eat breakfast. Nothing fancy, just some cereal and toast to get us going. Next thing we knew it was time to suit up....in our wet suits of course. They were cold and wet, but no one seemed to care because it meant we were that much closer to hitting the waves. After carrying our surf boards all the way to the beach, and getting a quick lesson on surfing techniques it was time to get in the water. Although it was pretty cold just standing on the beach, the water was a nice comfortable 22 degrees. After a couple more hours in the water and a few more lessons we all were starting to get the hang of standing on the board and riding the waves to the beach.

On shore lesson

Once the surf day ended, we headed back to the camp to eat a delicious BBQ and get ready for the Fisherman's Pub. This is a bar up the road from the camp where we were able to go and reminisce about the day, have a few drinks and watch a dude sing songs while playing the fake guitar. It was so much fun, and it was a great ending to an awesome day!

Rocking out at the Fisherman's Pub

The next morning was another early morning. Awake again at 7 for breakfast then back on the beach for 8:30. We were taught different things to do while you are actually standing up on the surf board. This included things such as speeding up and slowing down as well as changing directions. On this day we had the option to change the size of boards we used.
Fun Fact: the smaller the board the harder it is to surf.

At first using the smaller board caused some problems, but after a little while and a little bit of direction from the surf instructors I finally figured it out. By the end of every lesson everyone had pictures and movies of themselves surfing. Unfortunately, we had to pay to get these pictures and we were unable to bring our own cameras to the beach so if you wanted evidence of this adventure you had to pay for it.

Surf Camp was definitely one of my favorite Australian adventures to date!

Success!

Campus Life

Living on campus again was definitely something that I needed to get used to. Back at home I live with my roommate in an apartment off campus. Its quiet, I can get a lot of work done, and when I want to see my friends its just a really quick drive to campus. Living in res, especially one this size (1400 people), was going to be fun, but also a little bit of a challenge.

I live in Old Res here at the University of Canberra. It is named Old Res as it is the oldest of the buildings...obviously! There are also a few other buildings: New Res, University Village, Arscott House (which isn't really apart of res, but it is), College House, and finally Globo (the newest/cleanest buildings here on campus). What I didn't know when applying, that Old Res has a reputation for partying. Being a fourth year student, I am a little over the constant partying, so having to live in a place that was known for the partying was a little nerve racking. Finally being here for 2 months I have figured out a good balance of having a social life, but also being able to do my school work. At times it is a little challenging to maintain, however it is doable especially if you have work that needs to be done at a certain time.

Part of Old Res

 The best part about living in res is the people that you meet. I have met some very amazing people here, both Australian and from the exchange program. I have been having the most amazing time with them. Most people around my res building want to talk with me and know more about where I am from. I have had offers to join my friends at their houses, to meet their families, and to see more of the country. It was the best decision I made not to live in a building with other exchange students (no offense) because then you get the opportunity to meet so many other people from the country that you are interested in traveling and they are able to help you and maybe even allow you to stay at their houses for a bit.

Another great part about staying on campus is the fact that you are no more than 10 minutes away from everything you could possibly need. For example, the mall is a 10 minute walk down the path and across the lake, the bus into Civic is less of a walk than that I am also a 10 minute walk away from work. In the Hub (directly on campus) they have everything from banks to cafe's and they even have post office inside the convenience store. There are so many places to eat on campus, and it really is a nice place to be on a sunny day.

The Refectory on Campus

 

 

Lecture Building

Living in res was the right decision for me. I knew that if I stayed in a home stay that it would be hard for me to meet people around campus and to get a feel for what people my age do for fun around Canberra. I have met so many people and had so many different adventures that I can barely keep them all straight. I highly recommend living in res as the adventures seem to be endless!