The Rainforest

Last Sunday was day one of my “Culture and Adventure Program” which was set up by Australearn. We went to a place called RainForeStation, which was in a town about 45 minutes north of Cairns. I was pretty excited about going because I knew this was the place where I was going to get to hold a koala and pet a kangaroo. Little did I know that RainForeStation had a lot more to offer. When we first arrived we were split into groups because there are 130 students on the program with me. My group went to a demonstration on how to play the didgeridoo first. For those of you who are unaware, a didgeridoo is a long wooden instrument that the Aborigines people use to play music with. The guide explained to us how they were made from a tree trunk that is hollowed out. He demonstrated how the Aborigine

people use them to make sounds like indigenous animals from Australia such as a dingo, kangaroo, and a kookaburra. After that, we learned how to throw a boomerang. It looked really difficult, but the guide explain that you just have to keep your arm straight, and flick your wrist downward and it will fly as it is supposed to. Our next stop along RainForeStation was to watch a show of traditional Aborigine dances. I thought the dances were pretty cool, but they only danced a short while of each because there were so many. After the dances, we headed to lunch. Lunch was ok, a little random on selection, but tasty nonetheless. For our fourth stop, we got to go on a duck boat and see all the amazing plants that live in the rainforest. This was my favorite part of my whole visit to RainForeStation. Our guide took us in the water and showed us many different plants that the Aborigines have been using for centuries as medicinal purposes. Of course, down here they would be called “chemists” not “pharmacists.” Our guide then dropped us off the small zoo area inside the park. I got to pet multiple kangaroos and saw dingoes and giant lizards and crocodiles. Unlike a petting zoo in the States, the kangaroos were just lounging on the grass in the open area with no attendants or staff near by. The dingoes, however, were in a nice pen (probably because they’d eat your baby!). Finally, I got to hold a koala. It was so cute!! I was surprised to find that koalas have sharp nails, so it was important to stand very still when holding it. After a long day of learning so much about Australia, we headed home. The road to get to the rainforest was so windy and narrow, but the view from the top was gorgeous.

Later that night, Jenna and I met up with some new friends from Colorado and Connecticut. The five of us headed into downtown Cairns to check out the nightlife and hopefully come across some authentic Australian food. We ended up eating at a take out place that sold kebabs; in Australia, people say kebab not kebob. They are so good!! Kebabs are very similar to a Greek gyro and in many ways are the same, but they are so much more delicious in my opinion. In mine, I got chicken, lettuce, onions, tabouli (it wasn’t typical tabouli it was more like a mint and cabbage salad), sour cream, and hot chili sauce. They wrap all of the ingredients in pita bread like a burrito and then panini it together into one melty delicious mess. I am craving one as I speak right now, they are that good. Although I could have sat on that sidewalk all night eating the kebab, my friends and I decided to find some Australian friends. Unfortunately we failed, but we will definitely keep trying. The feeling of being here for five more months still hasn’t sunk into me and the thought that I will eventually have to go to school doesn’t even make sense. All of my friends down here keep saying that we are living “fake life” because we just have so much fun and have the coolest experiences.

p.s. so sorry that this is really late and out of order, but it took a long time for my pictures to upload!