Travel & First Impressions

G’day mates! Happy 4th of July!

Today is our second day here, with all students from the group having left on July 1st. The last three people finally arrived today after multiple flight delays and cancellations. So far it’s been a big adjustment getting used to the time change – immediately after most of the group arrived we went on a 10 mile walking tour of Brisbane (or “Brizzy” as the locals call it). We ate dinner at 6 and everyone was asleep by 8:30.

Some of our group woke up early enough to watch the sunrise, and the whole group went on a river cruise on the Brisbane River. We learned about history of the city and saw old buildings that have been refurbished into businesses and apartments. In the afternoon, the group went to the Museum of Brisbane and took a guided tour of City Hall. In City Hall there’s a wall of signatures from WWII soldiers that had signed the wall while passing through Brisbane, including a soldier from Detroit, MI. Interestingly enough, all the signatures that are legible on the wall are from soldiers that made it home from the war.

Overall, we’re getting used to our surroundings and learning a lot about the history and culture. The city has a rich history but is growing to accommodate a new era and a rising population. It’s been interesting to learn about the environment, including numerous devastating floods in the city’s history. Being from Michigan, it’s odd that the locals say that it’s cold and wear boots and jackets – we’ve repeatedly heard that “it’s a beautiful winter day” when it’s been 70 degrees and sunny.

Day 2 is still an adjustment day, but we’re slowly getting in the swing of things and enjoying our time in Brisbane!