Mom and Dad arrived

Mom and Dad have arrived in Wollongong! I spent Friday showing them around Wollongong, the uni, the beach and the international house and met up with my new friends! On Saturday morning we watched the sunrise before they headed into the Blue Mountains. That night, I went on a Harbor Cruise in Sydney with the International House. We had perfect weather and a gorgeous night on a boat with views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. Back to school again today, but excited that KU is going to the Final Four. Hope my Jayhawks can bring home the title this year!

Surf Camp

I am officially a pro Surfer! Well not really, but here is the evidence:
I had surf lessons last weekend on Seven Mile Beach about a half hour south of Wollongong in the town called Gerroa.

This second picture in on the clostest beach to the international house in Wollongong. The beach is called North Gong. In the distance you can see the lighthouse, one of the well-known sites of Wollongong.

First Week of Class

The Three Sister in the Blue Mountains

I am in my second week of classes at University of Wollongong. I am taking 2 engineering courses, a statistics course and history of Australia (AUST 101). So far, my teachers have not been too difficult to understand but I am still easing into classes.

My first weekend in Wollongong I took a trip to the Blue Mountains. It is a mountain range west of Sydney known for its blue tinted mountains and a special rock called the Three Sisters. I stayed in a small touristy town called Katoomba. I went abseiling down a mountain, went hiking, saw the Three Sisters, ate kangaroo jerky and went to a zoo. I saw my first kangaroo, wallaby and koala since I have been here!

This past weekend I took the train to Sydney with a bunch of people in the international house. We went downtown on Saturday for the Madri Gras Parade. It was a fun group, but unfortunately rained a lot and kept the crowds away.

We have had many rainy days recently and areas in New South Wales are having flooding problems. It is predicted to rain every single day of March! This is new to many people my age because this year is ending an 11-year draught in the Sydney area. Rain or Shine I am still determined to learn to surf! An Australian living in the international house was kind enough to teach me. I 'sort of' got up on my third go. I still have a lot of room to improve!