Traveling to Cairns

During the mid-tri break, some friends and I went to Cairns with the main intention of exploring the Great Barrier Reef. The flight from Brisbane to Cairns and hostels in the area were pretty cheap. While planning the trip, we realized just how much there was to do in Cairns. Because it was still in Queensland, the bus system was the same used in Brisbane so getting around the city was easy, but renting a car was also an option because my friends were over 21.

The Great Barrier Reef was the main attraction. The second I was in the water I was surrounded by marine life. Even though it's bleaching, there is still so much life and beauty there. I loved it, but I also hope we can stop and reverse the effects of bleaching so future generations can experience the abundance of life the reef holds. There were other beaches nearby including Palm Cove and Port Douglas that were good for relaxing, swimming, and tide pooling. 

My friends and I decided to rent a car for two days to drive to Daintree rainforest, the oldest rainforest in the world. In Kuranda, the part near Cairns, we hiked Baron Gorge and admired the amazing views from the skyliner. Deeper into the rainforest, we took a river cruise and spotted wild crocodiles. My favorite part was walking along Myall Beach at Cape Tribulation. It was so surreal to walk along the only place in the world where two UNESCO world heritage sites meet: the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree rainforest. Cairns was a beautiful place with incredible wildlife, and I hope to one day go back and look at it from a more scientific point of view.

Events on Griffith Nathan Campus

Especially in the beginning, I was very anxious about making friends. However it was really easy to meet people at events the campus put on. There was an international students orientation where I made a group of friends I kept up with the entire trimester. I also made a lot of local friends at clubs and other school events throughout the trimester.

Orientation was really focused on introducing international students to Australia and all of its animals. The Nathan campus is in the middle of Toohey forest, a protected sanctuary for koalas. We were welcomed with a traditional, aboriginal smoking ceremony where an Elder walked around with smoking eucalyptus leaves to cleanse our energies and invite us to a new land. We also got to go to the Australia Zoo and see the famous Crocodile show. 

The early trimester had a lot of social events at the UniBar on campus. Karaoke was a fun event with gift cards as prizes. Movie night in the forest was a cozy way to chill with the new friends you made. All events on campus were free, but the school also provided us with discounted tickets to events in the city. When the musical Jesus Christ Superstar came to the Queensland Performing Arts Center, we could buy cheap tickets and go with other students. We also got discounted tickets to climb the iconic Story Bridge in the city.

There was almost always something happening on campus. From game nights with prizes, to dogs to destress for midterms, to forest hikes where you could see koalas sleeping in the trees. It was easy to find something to do, and it was easy to make friends at all the events.

Housing on the Gold Coast, Australia

 Hi Everyone,

    My name is Kaylyn Dosch and I just finished up my sophomore year at Griffith University in the Gold Coast of Australia. As I said in my last blog this experience is truly life-changing and an amazing experience. For this blog, I want to talk about housing and everyday life in the Gold Coast. 

    I specifically lived in the Broadbeach area and it was the perfect mix of beach life, early morning workouts, sunrises, outdoor activities, and an inclusive community. Broadbeach is known for its friendly and welcoming community. It is a very laid-back lifestyle with a focus on work-life balance and enjoying the natural surroundings. Fitness is also very centered in most people's lifestyle who live in the area. There is a variety of food options close by. It is also walking distance to 2 different malls. You are also close to popular spots such as Surfers Paradise which is known for its nightlife. 

     I found housing through SIA, which is a company that does housing specifically for American students going to Australia and takes care of most of the things. My apartment specifically provided towels, bedding, and weekly cleanings which was super convenient to not have to worry about getting. 

The link to the housing website is: https://semesterinaustralia.com/

    My Broadbeach apartment was located less than a 2-minute walk from the beach. Where you can spend time relaxing on the sand, swimming, or surfing. It is also right next to many parks where you can relax and do homework or workout. 

    Broadbeach is also known for its various events and festivals that happen throughout the year. My favorite is the farmers market that happens every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the Month. It has a wide range of fruits, veggies, clothes, food, etc. Other events include music festivals, food events, and cultural celebrations. 

    The tram to Griffith Campus is a bit on the longer side, which was about 30 minutes. I only had classes on campus 2 times a week so it was not too bad for me personally and I loved Broadbeach so it was well worth it.

    The Gold Coast is also known as the Sunshine State because of the warmer climate all year round. Even in peak winter, the afternoons are quite warm. The Gold Coast also has a wide range of activities such as sports, hiking, and walks along the beach.

 

    I would HIGHLY recommend going through SIA and the Broadbeach area! If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me any questions!

Traveling while Studying in Australia

 Hello everyone,

My name is Kaylyn Dosch and I just finished up my sophomore year at Griffith University in the Gold Coast of Australia. It was truly life-changing and an amazing experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested. I specifically lived in the Broadbeach area and it was the perfect mix of beach life, early morning workouts, sunrises, outdoor activities, and an inclusive community. You are also close to popular spots such as Surfers Paradise which is known for its nightlife. I found housing through SIA, which I will talk about in my next blog, but for this blog specifically, I wanted to talk about traveling in Australia!

Australia is super diverse; from the beautiful beaches, the reefs, the rainforest, and the outback. I think it is so worth putting a little extra money aside to explore all it has to offer! You can find cheap tickets for weekend trips through Jetstar and Qunatus. They are super strict with bags and other things, but they are the cheapest flights. Not only does Australia have a lot to offer, but you are super close to so many other beautiful countries such as New Zealand (I really recommend going), Indonesia, Fiji, etc. 

My favorite places that I visited in Australia were Cairns, Whitsundays, and Noosa. My friends really loved Tasmania, but it was June, so it was winter there and it was a bit too cold for me lol. The Gold Coast I would say didn't really get cold in the peak of winter (June), except for early in the morning.  

The Great Barrier Reef is found in both Cairns and Whitsundays which is such an amazing experience! For traveling to Cairns I used a company that my housing suggested which was so worth it. It books your whole trip from the hostel, the tours, and other activities.

The name is G’day Australia Travel which I highly recommend!

The next place that I would recommend is Sydney. For Sydney I went with my housing program SIA and met everyone that I would be living with at the apartment complexes which was amazing and ended up being who I traveled around with. Sydney is a super diverse city and has a lot to offer! My personal favorite thing was the zoo. You get to see and experience all the different animals of Australia!

Noosa is a quiet surfing town with amazing views and scenery. It is an amazing place to relax and just soak up the sun. I took the tram to get there and where me and some friends booked an Airbnb. 

I also visited Bali, Indonesia before leaving for Australia and it was an amazing experience. It is a bit of a flight from Australia (6 hours), but if you were to fly from Hawaii it would be about 18 hours. If you plan ahead you can also find super cheap flights here and once you get to Bali everything is super cheap. Most nice and full meals are at a MAX $10.

Lastly, one of my favorite places was New Zealand! Me and a few friends went for our Reading Week (Like our winter break) and explored both islands. It is truly jaw-dropping views and something that feels surreal. We booked through Jetstar and then rented a car to travel through New Zealand to see the most that we could. We booked hostels to sleep in at night.

Overall, I think it is important to make the most of your time in Australia and explore while you are there. Time flies by and you will be wishing you had more time in the end! Make sure to soak it up and most importantly don’t forget you are still there for school so make sure to keep your grades up and be involved in activities. 

A Quick Glimpse

A Glimpse of my 6 months in Queensland, Australia

Conservation Biology Field Work for Uni

Spring Break in Malaysia and Singapore

Take advantage of the cheap flights and travel opportunities available to you while you are on the other side of the planet.