Griffith University OWEEK

Monday, 20.02.2017

10 AM - official start of the Oweek (short for: Orientation Week). I met with Delia, whom I got to know through the organization Go!stralia, and her roommate Selina. There are many different booths, it all resembles a fair for students. Many tables with friendly contact persons who tell you something about the respective organization and answer questions. There were also raffles here and there, for which you had to climb into a telephone booth-sized box and draw a prize. For once, I was lucky and won a one-day trip of my choice. So I can either go to Wet'n'Wild or spend a day at the beach with surfing, kayaking, stand-up paddling, etc. Just hoping that this registration worked too :)

Shortly afterwards, we picked up our Welcome Bags, small blue gym bags filled with practical gifts. Among other things, there was a large notepad (including subdivisions), an A5 water bottle, a coupon book, a ruler, pens, sticky notes... everything a student needs ;)

I bought a ticket for the Beach Party taking place on Friday and visited a few more booths, dusted off some freebies, and signed up for the Outdoor Adventure Club.

Later in the evening, we went to the new pool at the university. Because there was the Open Air Movie Night. You could relax on the lawn on a bean bag or jump into the pool and watch the movie Deadpool with a swimming ring. There was also free salty popcorn and drinks. It's just awesome what is planned here in the Oweek :)

Tuesday, 21.02.2017

Today my trip to Byron Bay started, a trip that had to be booked separately and is only offered to international students. A great opportunity to meet new people!

The meeting point was at a bus stop right in front of the university. Since it was supposed to start at 08:30 AM, I was there around 08:00 AM. Shortly afterwards, some of the organizers approached me and asked if I would participate in this trip. I confirmed this and shortly afterwards, I received a short information from them that even they don't exactly know where the bus will stop. I found that directly sympathetic ;)

Short explanation: There are three bus stops at the university, Griffith University, Gold Coast University Hospital and a bus stop where the university transfer bus stops to transport students between the individual campuses.

At that time, I was at the second mentioned bus stop, the latter was around the corner, so it was also easy to reach. Of course, the bus didn't stop at either of the two, but at the first. A short 15-minute walk, mostly uphill, including luggage doesn't hurt ;) Arrived there, two coaches were waiting for about 200 international students.

The rest went very structured and organized. My bus was the first to go to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Here we had the opportunity to get to know Australian wildlife better. Since we only had about 2.5 hours there, us girls made our way to the kangaroos. On the way there, we passed enclosures with other animals, such as koalas and crocodiles. Finally, when we arrived at the free-roaming area, many kangaroos were waiting for us. They were all very trusting and could be petted. Even the very small ones :) And they were sooooo soft. Furthermore, there was the opportunity to take a photo with a koala on your arm, unfortunately, there was no more time for that. But I'm not sad about it either ;) there will certainly be another opportunity!

After visiting the Wildlife Sanctuary, we continued to Byron Bay. We just had time to check in at the Backpackers Inn hostel, then we were off again. We went to the starting point of our upcoming hike. It went through a nature reserve - with about 1,000 steps. Here and there, there was a clearing in the green tangle of trees and bushes, which offered a breathtaking view of a beautiful beach. Fortunately, it was cloudy that day, but that didn't affect the heat. Our hike led us to Cape Byron Lighthouse. Due to the elevation, you could get an idea of the size of the nature reserve. Up here, it was a bit windier and not as stuffy as before. We enjoyed the view and had a little break.

But the Cape Byron Walking Track did not end here. It continued to the easternmost point of Australia. This time, however, it went downhill ;) which was quite pleasant after the long hike. We arrived at a beautiful little beach with stones resembling slate plates. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay for long because we had to be back at the hostel in a few hours. And it was still a little walk to get there. We followed one of the organizers along a small winding path and came to a long beach. From here, it was just straight ahead to the hostel. At least now I had the opportunity to enjoy the refreshing cool water for some time.

Back at the hostel, we had time to shower and get ready, then we could finally satisfy our hunger at the BBQ! There were burgers, hot dogs, and salad. And as hungry as I was, it felt like the best burger in the world :D Afterwards, we spent the evening outside with nice conversations and a few drinks until we were chased away by the night watchman.

As you can see, we hiked a lot that day. I hope the pictures can better illustrate what I can't describe. :) By the way, my phone recorded almost 18,400 steps, which in this case covers a distance of just over 11 km.

**By the way, the hostel was the best I've ever been to. I only have two points of comparison, but I can still say that I liked it here the best. The shower rooms and the kitchen made a very clean impression. The rooms were newly furnished and modern, and the beds were more than comfortable to sleep in. The showers were the best! Finally, one with proper water pressure!

Wednesday, 22.02.2017

Today the fun continued, or rather started properly ;) The weather improved, the sun was shining in clear blue sky. In the morning, we went to the planned kayak tour. There was also a little walk to the organizer. We were then given a helmet and a life jacket, followed by a brief introduction on how to use the paddles and which signs to pay attention to. Shortly afterwards, we formed teams of two. I was in a kayak with Sabine, a girl from Denmark.

As a group, we paddled out to the sea one after the other and followed the group leaders. In addition, we received some information about the formation of the different rock formations of the coast, that there used to be volcanoes here, and that we should keep our eyes open and, with luck, spot some turtles.

After a short time, we stopped. The reason was not far away: dolphins. Oh my God, wild dolphins. And so close. Hard to believe. Luckily, I had my GoPro with me and started filming, because shortly afterwards, a few dolphins appeared right in front of our kayak. They were so close, you could almost stroke them. Just incredible to see these beautiful animals here.

Unfortunately, time passed too quickly and we had to slowly make our way back to the beach. We were given a little instruction on how to paddle safely to the beach. The waves more or less helped with this ;) When Sabine and I paddled in that direction, suddenly a wave came from behind and carried us to the beach. It felt a bit like surfing afterwards. During this maneuver, I also observed how the tip of our kayak was pushed underwater by the pressure of the waves. I knew what was going to happen. A few seconds later, the boat tipped over and we were already under the water. But that also brought a lot of fun!

Delia, Selina, Anna, Nastja, Rebecca, and I wanted to go to a nearby tea tree oil lake. We were able to borrow bicycles for that from the hostel and set off with the description from the receptionist. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as we had imagined. The lake was not signposted and couldn't be found on Google Maps either. So we tried to ask locals for directions. As it turned out, everyone told us something different, and after two hours of wandering, 2/3 gave up and went back. We had lost Delia and Selina, by the way. As it later turned out, they were able to find it by asking around some more and said that the way was not that complicated if we had known it from the beginning :) Well, a little bike ride without a destination doesn't hurt either!

Back at the hostel, we had time to get ready because the Beach Party was about to start tonight. I bought the uni sweater in bright red on the way home and took care of a few minor things. Since I had the impression that the party started relatively early here, Selina, Delia, and I met at the university at 7:30 PM for the aforementioned party. It was supposed to start at 7:00 PM already. Arriving there, we realized that although some people were already there, there were still not as many as expected. It also took another 2 hours for the place to fill up. The drink prices were also very affordable! Between $6-7, whether it was beer, wine, or a mixed drink. Of course, the mixed drink consisted of 90% ice. So no specials in sight. Nevertheless, the party was very fun, we danced a lot and had a great time. Later, there was a shuttle that took us to Surfers for the after-party. We got free admission and a free drink - at least something ;)

The club was very different from what I knew from Germany. Especially the women at the bar practically sold the drinks naked. They only wore a skimpy bikini. Certainly nice for the male world, but I was a bit surprised :D

I made the return journey with two Germans, whom I had already met on Wednesday. Both live in the same neighborhood as me, just a couple of streets away. So I definitely arrived home at 3:00 AM safely :)

Thursday, 23.02.2017

We had some free time for our last day. So the girls and I decided to take a little bike ride to the nearby national park. Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite small, so the trip there hardly paid off.

After our return, we had some time to relax before our surf lesson. Here, too, we received a brief introduction on how to handle the surfboard, how to carry it into the water, and how to ride the waves. Not so easy when you're in the water. Especially since we had good waves, so sometimes you were unintentionally swept away. Overall, surfing was super fun for me. If I had known that, I would have definitely tried it earlier! I didn't manage to stand on my feet, but at least I managed to ride a few waves on my knees. The marks were then visible on my knees, my arms, and my hand after the two hours. Grazes that came from climbing on the board, etc.

Hardly an hour after surfing, we drove back to the university tired and exhausted from the past few days by bus. They were beautiful days and I would definitely have missed them! Booking the trip was definitely worth it!

Friday, 24.02.2017

Back at the Gold Coast, the Oweek at the university continued. In the morning, there was an introductory event for international students, mind you, it was a mandatory event. Attendance was evidenced by self-filled-out sheets.

Here we got an overview of the current trimester again. How to use my account, what to consider, how exams work, how we get our grades, etc... The university security service also introduced themselves briefly.

There was another small BBQ for us afterwards. We had toast with a grilled sausage and coleslaw, as well as a soft drink - of course, 4 free ;) The whole organization and the surrounding atmosphere are great. Through this, despite the large university, you feel welcome. And I mean independent of the fact that you pay a lot for tuition fees :) It may be that it is the Australian flair that is conveyed, but I still think that at this point, Germany can learn a lot.

In the afternoon, I had a self-chosen course 'Budgeting 101'. Here, we received general information on how to manage your own budget best, and an attempt was made to open our eyes using one or the other example. The event was quite interesting, but I had hoped to get a few more insider tips.

Now I had free time until the Beach Party tonight. On the way home, I bought myself the uni sweater in bright red and took care of a few little things. Since I had the impression that the party started relatively early here, Selina, Delia, and I met already at 7:30 PM at the university for the aforementioned party. It was supposed to start at 7:00 PM already. Arriving there, we realized that although some people were already there, there were still not as many as expected. It also took another 2 hours for the place to fill up. The drink prices were also very affordable! Between $6-7, whether it was beer, wine, or a mixed drink. Of course, the mixed drink consisted of 90% ice. So no specials in sight. Nevertheless, the party was very fun, we danced a lot and had a great time. Later, there was a shuttle that took us to Surfers for the after-party. We got free admission and a free drink - at least something ;)

The club was very different from what I knew from Germany. Especially the women at the bar practically sold the drinks naked. They only wore a skimpy bikini. Certainly nice for the male world, but I was a bit surprised :D

I made the return journey with two Germans, whom I had already met on Wednesday. Both live in the same neighborhood as me, just a couple of streets away. So I definitely arrived home at 3:00 AM safely :)

Saturday, 25.02.2017

As already mentioned on Monday, I signed up for a club. Today, there was a Welcome BBQ (yes, another BBQ :P) in Main Beach. Since it started at 10:00 AM, I didn't get much sleep, but that was quickly forgotten with the beautiful weather. People introduced themselves a bit, and we could try a bit of surfing since they provided two surfboards. They also set up slacklines.

For those who don't know: It's a tensioned strap between two trees that you try to balance on. And the greater the distance between the trees, the more difficult it gets.

Not that easy, but lots of fun. With a few exercises, I managed to walk a few steps.

In the afternoon, after the meeting, I went to a family who were selling a bicycle on Gumtree. So since that day, I'm the proud owner of a mountain bike :)

Conclusion: The Oweek was simply indescribable. I met so many people from different countries, USA, UK, Luxembourg, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and even Australians. There were so many impressions and experiences that are already unforgettable.