The Traveling Jade

Aussie snacks provided at Deakin University’s Abroad/Exchange Welcome Session.

What’s campus life like?

Deakin University (my host university) is one of the most culturally diverse campuses I’ve ever visited. There are people coming from all over the world, in fact, international students make up more than a quarter of their student body population. With such a large and diverse population, the school is constantly hosting events, sometimes multiple times a day, so there’s always something to do. In fact there’s so much to do around campus that, to attend some events, you have to book tickets in advance, and often they’re sold out. There have been a couple of events that I was genuinely interested in going to, but were sold out unfortunately. For the events I did check out, the turnout rate was impressive, especially when compared to my home university. The majority of these events are accompanied by blaring music. I wonder to myself how they don’t get any noise complaints. Seriously, the other day, they showcased Jurassic Park in the courtyard (located between the dormitories), and it felt like I was watching the movie without actually being there. Thankfully, I managed to fall asleep even with the movie playing in the background. Oh and if you thought I could sleep in, you were wrong. Deakin university has a natural morning alarm, courtesy of the birds (Corellas), that flock over campus. Initially these birds were cool at first, but have since become the most annoying birds on campus. No hate, but I wished they stopped squawking at 7am every morning.

What’s the culture like outside campus? 

The stereotypes are true, Aussies really do love their mullets. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve seen so far. I personally don’t think they are attractive to look at. Additionally, there are so many international people (primarily Asians) in the area that I don’t really hear the Australian accent when interacting with people. Another thing, stuff in Australia is so cheap, or at least is more affordable than the U.S. For instance a week’s worth of groceries was roughly around $43 USD ($67 AUD). While most of my shopping consisted of snacks, I also got produce, spices, noodles, meats, and knives. In general, the people here are super nice and more laid-back compared to the U.S.

Sights and places so far? 

While I haven’t done too much sightseeing yet, I recently went on a trip to Phillip Island (Deakin University’s welcome trip) with a local Australian tour company (REAL Australia). The tour guides packed the day with fun activities and places to visit. We started at 8am and didn’t get back until around 11:30 pm. The first stop was this wildlife center called Maru Koala and Animal Park. I encountered a number of iconic Australian animals, like the koala, kangaroo, and wombat. My personal favorite was the laughing kookaburra, partly because I love birds. They’re stunning in appearance and have one of the most exotic calls I’ve ever heard (their calls sound like monkeys). I did get a chance to hand feed some of the kangaroos which was an awesome experience. There was also a random pair of peacocks wandering loose throughout the wildlife center which I found to be amusing. Next, we stopped in San Remo, a little town just before Phillip Island. There wasn’t too much to do, but I did grab one of the infamous Australian meat pies (pepper and steak) from a bakery.  Before coming to Australia, I had no idea that they were known for their pies. The pie business here is so serious that the country holds a contest on who makes the best pies (The Official Great Aussie Pie Competition). Having tasted my pie, it was quite delicious, though a little strong on the pepper, but would definitely get again. Our next stop was in Cape Woolamai where we hiked to a scenic overlook of the beach. Alas, the day we chose to hike was well over 90 degrees, making it somewhat of an uncomfortable walk. Even though the view was gorgeous, was it worth it? I’m not sure… just walking along the beach was scenic enough. By the time we finished, we were only halfway through the day and still had more to explore. We stopped in the nearby town Cowes and had an early dinner. I ordered a Thai beef salad, because none of the other options were appealing or had cheese in them. The dish wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either, so I probably wouldn’t order it again. After dinner there was some free time to explore around. I and a few other people went to the nearby beach and walked around looking out towards the bay. Then it was time to head off to The Nobbies, another scenic overlook. This overlook was by far more prettier than the one in Cape Woolamai. The waves crashing into the rocks made for some picturesque photos that you normally see in stock images (check out the photos gallery to view them). Along the cliffs I spotted some of Australia’s iconic little penguins. These Little penguins (also known as the fairy penguin) were first spotted in the 18th century, and have become an icon. They are the only penguins to inhabit Australia and its surrounding islands. Since then, the Phillip Island penguin parade has grown in popularity, becoming a must see tourist attraction. Watching the penguins come ashore and waddling to their nests was definitely the highlight of that day. Though I do wish the people in front of me didn’t move so much and obstructed my view. I was tempted to buy something from the gift shop, but there was a long line of people waiting to check out, and by then, my tour group was heading back to the university. If you ever get the chance to visit Phillip Island, definitely check out the penguin parade.

What’s next?

I still have a few more days before classes begin, so in the meantime, I plan to explore the city center, hopefully with a friend, and take some photos. I also plan to walk through my class schedule since the academic side of campus is pretty large, and I have a tendency to get lost or overwhelmed in big places. This way, I’ll be familiar with where my classes are before they start. Lastly, I’m hoping to make some friends. So far, I’ve only made a few acquaintances, but most of them have gone MIA or already formed their own friend groups.