Crash Course: Australia

After about 24 hours of travelling, I landed in Cairns, Australia with the approximately fifty other students who used GlobaLinks Learning Abroad to set up our cultural exchange. We started off our orientation the next day with a crash course in Australia -- covering important historical events like when James Cook discovered Australia (1779), the Prime Minister's apology to the lost generation, the recent controversy over the change in prime minsters and that time Australia beat America in the World Cup.

Then we skipped off to the RainForeStation to get all the tourist stuff out of the way in one day! We took a tour through the rain forest in a duck boat. I saw a vine with nasty hooks jokingly called a waitawhile, because if you get caught in it, you'd have to wait a while for someone to release you, unless you want your skin ripped off. There was another plant that was like stinging nettle, except the nettles sting your nerve endings and the pain will reside for months!

After that, I got to hold a koala! It was like holding a fat, fuzzy baby. It was so cute and from the moment it was put into my arms, I couldn't stop smiling. We saw an aborigines dance and I learned how to throw a boomerang! You hold it straight out at one end with the curve facing outward and then you turn it one degree to the right. You throw your arm back like a baseball pitch and throw forward with a flick of the wrist on the release. I got it to curve around a bit! I might have to consider getting one as a souvenir before going home. 

The best part of the day was the wildlife exhibit. The zoos in Australia are awesome, because you can pet all the tame animals. I held a python! I used to think people who thought snakes are cute were crazy, but I sort of get where they're coming from. I pet some kangaroos and feed a wallaby! The wallabys were really sweet, because they perch their front paws on your hand as they eat from your palm. If you spent enough time with one, they could actually because really comfortable and lie down next to you! 

I also got to see (not touch) this massive crocodile called Jack the Ripper. He had eaten twelve of is girlfriends and it showed. When it snapped it's jaw, it made a sound like a gun shot!

I think that was the best first day in Australia I could ask for!