It’s funny how easy it is to get into a routine after doing the same things for a while. The weekdays are very routine; it’s work, class, TV/internet, sleep, and sometimes the occasional movie or UNO game. The weekdays can definitely be redundant but the weekends always make up for it!
Just like in college, weekends start on Thursdays. Most of us work 4 days a week so we usually have Fridays off. CAPA (TWC's partner abroad) sponsors a number of events for us to do on the weekends. They offer a range of events, from social and cultural events to experiential trips. Over the past two weeks we have gotten to take advantage of the entire range of events CAPA has to offer.
In terms of social events, Sidebar (a popular nearby pub) hosts a Thursday night event for interns. The event is the perfect intern get away. It gives us time to relax and unwind with our fellow students, Australian mates, and the rest of the world (because Sidebar is just below a hostel, so there are people from all over).
After experiencing the social scene, it’s always good to mix it up with a bit of culture. Each week CAPA sends us a Monday Memo; the memo states all the events that are going on in Sydney for that week.
Sydney is a very lively city and there is always something to do so it is good to have the Monday Memo to tell us which events will be worth our while! The most recent cultural event that CAPA informed us about was a comedy show at the Opera House. CAPA managed to get a group rate of only $15 per student to see the show. $15 is extremely cheap for the Opera House so the tickets were a steal. Unfortunately, the show was in the Playhouse which is a smaller stage than what we expected for the Opera House so I am sure we will be going back again to see a show on one of the grand stages. I am not much of an Opera fan, but you cannot come to Sydney and not see a show at the Sydney Opera House…that’s just unheard of!! So I intend to sit through a however-long opera filled with funny costumes and high-pitched singing.
Although Sydney is a great city, we have all been dying to get out of it and these past two weekends our wish came true. Our first weekend out was an escape to Hunter Valley, where we went wine and cheese tasting. At Hunter Valley, we stopped at two wineries and one brewery.
We tasted a number of different wines… some good, some bitter, some absolutely unbearable! My experience was a good one but I don’t think wine is for me so I am sure that will be my first and last wine tasting.The following weekend we set off for Port Stephens. It was a long drive but it was well worth it. We began our first day there with a trip to a shark and stingray zoo.
Everyone had a chance to feed the sharks and stingrays and a few people were actually brave enough to get in there and swim with them. I was not one of those brave souls; instead, I watched from a comfortable distance. A few scares and laughs later, we left the sharks and sting rays and headed to the sand dunes of Birubi Beach.
The dunes were pretty steep and once again I was the scaredy cat and was slow to get out there. But in my defense, a few people went before me and I think only one of them made it to the bottom without wiping out and getting a mouthful of sand!! Well I took my chances, got one the board, and sped down the sand dune… I almost made it the whole way before eating sand. The next times down the dunes were much better and it was a tiring but extremely fun time!! Before heading back to our hotel we stopped at the beach to enjoy some waves and the sunset. It was absolutely beautiful!!
The next day was much more relaxing. We went on a 3 hour whale and dolphin watching cruise. It is whale season in Australia so we were guaranteed to see a whale…
the dolphins were just a bonus!
We spent the rest of the day shopping and dining at port… oh and jumping on a trampoline!!
You are so lucky to get good Whale watching. Here in Muscat we some times get pods with hundreds; mainly Spinner & Common Dolphins – a real enjoyable sight – but I really wish there were Whales
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