After a total travel time of over 25 hours, I arrived in Sydney, Australia at the local time of 6:30 AM the day before the rest of my fellow UNO students and professor. Before me was the task of navigating three miles through the city to the youth hostel I would be staying at until they arrived. I was up for the task and more than happy to walk that distance, rather than hail a taxi or uber. I would not be alone for this journey though as my dear friend Alex Airola was with me and with smiles on our faces we stepped out of the relative safety of the airport and into the unknown of Sydney.
After making our way through a small neighborhood we stopped at a roadside café to get our bearings and grab some food. Approaching the window I had a brief moment of internal anxiety, as the young man working that morning approached the window I almost lost my words. Up until this point I’ve had to use a new language to communicate while travelling, and being able to clearly communicate with someone after travelling halfway around the world without any language barrier was a strange feeling indeed. After a short exchange, he was able to point us in the right direction and we continued on foot, feeling newly welcomed in this unfamiliar land.
Walking along a road called King St. we eventually came upon a public park, Sydney Park to be specific and we decided to take a break from walking to enjoy the beautiful sunny day, letting it sink in that we were actually in Australia. After setting our bags down at a bench, immediately the first thing I did was climb a tree, after all the last time I had climbed a tree was on the other side of the Pacific Ocean! I had packed several frisbees in my bag for just such an occasion and we passed some time throwing one back and forth in a beautiful open field. We then further explored the park to take in the sites before continuing on our way.
Eventually we arrived at our hostel and were able to relax for the first time since leaving Omaha. After passing a couple hours at the hostel we explored the local area and discovered something truly unique: A 19th century cemetery. This graveyard serves as the resting place for some of Australia’s early colonizers, the tombstones providing brief glimpses into their lives. The entrance of this location was watched over by a truly beautiful pair, an old brick church and an absolutely massive tree with buttress roots up to my chest and whose age can only be guessed.
Alex and the cemetery tree
The next day all of the international students gathered for orientation where we were given an overview of Australian culture and the ins and outs of the city. During this we were also treated to a rendition of aboriginal dance as performed by a local ensemble of students. This would be the first of many occurrences where the aborigine peoples were recognized and celebrated as the initial caretakers of the land. For instance, traveling around the city you will sometimes see markers in establishments calling attention to the tribes who previously lived on the land.
Classes began the following morning and I had to walk a mile to the building my first class was in, through the rain. It’s Winter here after all. The class is titled Australian Theatre, Film and Learning. In enrolling in this course I was not sure what I was expecting to experience but I am pleasantly surprised in the direction the class has gone. Through this course we have been discussing and analyzing Australian history and the development of its culture through the lens of Theatre and Film, as well as its influence in developing said culture.
As part of this course I have attended a play written by an Australian playwright; I will be attending another tomorrow. The play I have seen already was titled Prima Facie and was a one actress performance about a court barrister and her experience dealing with sexual assault and the court system. The performance was gripping and the lone performer did an immaculate job in carrying the entire performance. The timing of this performance is quite interesting because as I take in my surroundings, I am observing that institutions in Australia, such as the university and local government, seem to be taking great PR initiatives to address gender issues such as domestic abuse and consent. For instance, to continue with class all the students had to complete an online module pertaining to giving and asking for consent.
Apart from classes, I have had several chances to experience the waterfronts of Sydney. The other afternoon I hiked the walk from Coogee to Bondi beach, a local favorite. This path took me along cliffsides and small coves overlooking the southern Pacific Ocean. In the following days I was also able to visit Manly beach and was able to get in some much needed sand frisbee-ing, ocean swimming, and rock squatting. Though the water was chilly at first, I adjusted rather quickly and had a blast jumping around in the waves.
Walking around Sydney Harbour also provides many amazing views. There is an annual festival going on called VIVID. During this festival, the skyline is painted with brilliant choreographed lights and the iconic opera house is used as a canvas for amazing visual displays. Taking a ferry across the harbour also provides opportunity for incredible views of this area. I was fortunate enough to be on such a ferry during sunset and witnessing the city at this time of day was certainly an experience I won’t soon forget.
I'm in Australia, Everything is Upside Down, and I'm Scared 