Uni and Denman!

This past little while has been a whirlwind for me! Uni officially started two weeks ago and has been a truly great experience! Meesha and I spent the Sunday before classes finding out where our lecture theatres were and attempting to navigate the campus without getting lost. Despite all of our effort, I have gotten lost three times so far. It is not difficult to get lost on the UoW campus since there are tiny pathways, enormous trees, and tons of foliage everywhere that obstruct ones view of the buildings. I would complain about getting lost – but I see new and beautiful things every time I am at school.
I am taking three courses while I am here: Australian Studies: Cultures and Identities, History and Film, and The Cold War and After. I love each one of them – and I feel like I am learning a lot about Australia and its unique place in history. The Cold War subject is obviously my favorite – and my lecturer is quite funny and explains things very clearly.
Learning to print things in the library over here was a bit confusing – but their system is actually quite ingenious. Your student number links your computer logon to your student card – and so when you log onto a computer to print something, the document is saved to your student card. When you want to print something, you find a printer, swipe your student card, and choose the document you would like to print! Australia (or UoW at least) is conscious of the environmental impact of paper waste – and so everything prints double sided here! (And the professors ask that you hand in your assessments like this!)

Denman

Last weekend, Jess invited me to her hometown of Denman. We left on the 6:30 train and arrived in Denman a little after 12:00 I think. The train ride cost $13.50 altogether, so it was cheap to travel into Newcastle, Australia. From here, Stacey’s dad Dick picked us up and drove us into Aberdeen where Stacey’s house is. On the way we picked up Jess and Stacey’s high school friend Woody – who is able to do the Canadian accent perfectly!





On the way, I saw my first kangaroo! We were on the highway, and on a small field, I spotted him! Dick was nice enough to pull off onto the side road and close enough to the Kangaroo for me to get a good look at him! Stacey jumped out of the car in order to get a few good pictures of Skippy for me. (Yes, we named him.)
When we arrived at Stacey’s house – her lovely mom Leanne took us down to the Hunter Valley River and we skipped rocks – and I attempted to wake the platypuses who supposedly lived on the opposite side of the river. I was unsuccessful. I did get to see where Jess Stacey and Woody went to school – and we saw a bald eagle and beautiful birds with pink bellies!
Mrs. Feeney picked us up and we went to get some groceries from the market – and then we had the feast of a lifetime. I cannot stress enough just how great home cooked meals are after a month of residence food. The Feeney’s hospitality is second to none. On Saturday, Mrs. Feeney, Jess, and I went to Darley Horse Studs. Jess previously worked with a lady named Christine Cooper whose husband Chris works on the property (and they also live in a house on the property as well). Chris was kind enough to show the three of us around and explain some fascinating historical information to us relating to the ownership and construction of the property. Darley was built using slave labor and still has the cellars used to lock the slaves up at night! Sheik Mohammed of Dubai purchased Darley not long ago. (Sheik Mohammed is the same man who is developing the tourist industry in Dubai – and he is responsible for the construction of the Burj Dubai Tower, and the man made islands along the coast in Dubai). Essentially, he is the third richest man in the world and purchased Darley for $500 million and he has put countless millions into the property to ensure that it has the most effective facilities for its staff and its horses. Darley’s purpose is to breed racing horses. Sheik Mohammed’s half a billion dollar purchase is not part of growing his wealth: it is a hobby. After our free tour (which would cost anybody else $65) we had coffee and snacks with Christine and her two beautiful daughters Rachel and Danielle. I will never forget the kindness that the Cooper family showed us.
That evening, after another unbelievable meal, Jess and I went out on “the town” in Denman. There are two main pubs in the town: The Top, and the Bottom – neither of which compare to the pub scene in Wollongong. I met some of the interesting characters that Jess went to school with – and had a good time overall. We returned to Wollongong the next day and had many adventures on the train.
Next Post: St. Patrick’s Day and Climbing Mt. Kiera!