Due to the hoilday season we will have limited opening hours
Tuesday 3 January to Friday 6 January we will be open from 10.00am to 12.00 midday.
Have a great Holiday.
We aim to share the unique experiences of completing a placement in Australia through the eyes of an intern.
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Surf Camp and Christmas Feeling
Hi Everyone!
This week was amazing. To be exact, it was "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious". There is no other word to describe it.
To get a bit of Christmas feeling we went to the Paddington Night Christmas Market. After we strolled around and tried all the free chocolate, we decided to walk to the Town Hall and St. Mary's Cathedral to see the light show. If you haven't been there yet, hurry, it is worth it. The light shows start at about 8:30pm. I also finished all my Christmas shopping which is great so I don't have to worry about buying anymore presents.
By the way, just a little comparison. This is Christmas in Sydney...
By the way, just a little comparison. This is Christmas in Sydney...
... and this is Christmas in Germany.
Friday night some of the interns and I took off for a weekend of surfing, sun and fun. On the way we stopped at a burger place. The burgers were so tasty! We arrived at about ten o'clock at the camp. There were a total of 80 people and I made some great new friends from Canada and Iran. Lucky for some of us, we were upgraded into a separate accommodation. To be more precise, a hotel on the camping ground. We enjoyed real beds and our own bathroom, unlike those in the cabins who had to put up with possums scratching on the roof throughout the night.
Once we had breakfast we put on our wetsuits and headed off to the beach to learn how to surf.
The first hour we spent on the sand warming up with a little running race and some surf techniques.
Finally they handed us a board and off we went. Lying on the board was fine, keeping our balance was a slight problem and paddling was unbelievably hard. I swallowed more salt water than any dietary requirement would recommend.
The first hour we spent on the sand warming up with a little running race and some surf techniques.
Finally they handed us a board and off we went. Lying on the board was fine, keeping our balance was a slight problem and paddling was unbelievably hard. I swallowed more salt water than any dietary requirement would recommend.
After two hours of trying to surf we went back to the camp to have lunch. Everything was freshly prepared and the kitchen team was ready for any extra demands. Once we'd all had enough to eat, we then put our wetsuits back on and entered the water for part two of our learn to surf mission.
It was amazing how fast time ran by while we were in the water trying to stand up on our boards. The instructors were also on boards in the water and would catch the same waves as us and film as we tried to surf. I spent most of the time falling off the board but eventually I was able to stay upright and even managed to do a difficult right turn. I was so excited about it that I slipped and fell.
At night we had a BBQ and went up the steep hill to the only pub in the area. It was a pub, restaurant and gaming venue all in one, there was also a one man band for entertainment. The man stopped playing at about midnight and we headed back to the camp to have a tiny bonfire.
The next day I was very stiff and sore. Some of the others, however, had a hard time moving at all and the English guys quit surfing ten minutes into the lesson.
The surf instructors were so funny and crazy. They actually woke up at 5am to go surfing, then taught us till 5:30pm and partied all night. All of them were really nice and assisted all the time. Usually there were two instructors in the water and one on the beach watching out for us. They told us which waves to catch, held our board and pushed us onto the waves. They also checked whether we surfaced after falling. I felt so secure that I forgot all about sharks, jelly fish and other scary things that could happen.
To everyone who is interested in learning to surf, I would recommend to go on this surf camp. The lessons are intense, there is more than one instructor watching out for you and there is a lesson on safety and etiquette which I considered very important. The camp is also a short drive from Sydney which leaves more time for surfing. Aside from all the surfing I enjoyed the time at the camp, the atmosphere, making new friends and hanging out. Food and accommodation were also excellent.
Check out the youtube channel
What are you waiting for? Make sure you sign up for the next trip in the new year!
This is my last blog for 2011. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope to see many of you next year on our trips and at the intern meetings.
Until then...
It was amazing how fast time ran by while we were in the water trying to stand up on our boards. The instructors were also on boards in the water and would catch the same waves as us and film as we tried to surf. I spent most of the time falling off the board but eventually I was able to stay upright and even managed to do a difficult right turn. I was so excited about it that I slipped and fell.
At night we had a BBQ and went up the steep hill to the only pub in the area. It was a pub, restaurant and gaming venue all in one, there was also a one man band for entertainment. The man stopped playing at about midnight and we headed back to the camp to have a tiny bonfire.
The next day I was very stiff and sore. Some of the others, however, had a hard time moving at all and the English guys quit surfing ten minutes into the lesson.
The surf instructors were so funny and crazy. They actually woke up at 5am to go surfing, then taught us till 5:30pm and partied all night. All of them were really nice and assisted all the time. Usually there were two instructors in the water and one on the beach watching out for us. They told us which waves to catch, held our board and pushed us onto the waves. They also checked whether we surfaced after falling. I felt so secure that I forgot all about sharks, jelly fish and other scary things that could happen.
To everyone who is interested in learning to surf, I would recommend to go on this surf camp. The lessons are intense, there is more than one instructor watching out for you and there is a lesson on safety and etiquette which I considered very important. The camp is also a short drive from Sydney which leaves more time for surfing. Aside from all the surfing I enjoyed the time at the camp, the atmosphere, making new friends and hanging out. Food and accommodation were also excellent.
Check out the youtube channel
What are you waiting for? Make sure you sign up for the next trip in the new year!
This is my last blog for 2011. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope to see many of you next year on our trips and at the intern meetings.
Until then...
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Sold Out Surf Trip
The surf trip for this weekend is now full.
A new trip will be organised in the new year.
Have a great weekend!!
A new trip will be organised in the new year.
Have a great weekend!!
Monday, 12 December 2011
Hermitage Walk, Picnic and Blue Mountains
Hi!
With the changeable weather lately it is quite difficult to plan any day trips. It is best to be brave, take the risk and just leave the couch and hope for the best. On Friday I went to do the Hermitage Walk from Rose Bay to Watsons Bay.
The Walk started at the end of Bay View Hill Road. To get there catch bus 324 or 325 to Kambala School and walk down the road which is quite steep.
The Hermitage Walk offers a great view of Sydney Harbour and passes Hermit Bay, Strickland House, Nielsen Park and Vaucluse House. If you continue towards Watsons Bay Wharf you will also see Parsley Bay Reserve and a number of hidden harbour beaches.
The walk is well maintained and sometimes I felt like I was in the middle of a rainforest, and not in a major city.
The one thing I noticed were the countless stairs but these were quickly forgotten by the uninterrupted view.
On Saturday the intern picnic took place at Tamarama Beach. The morning's weather looked a little doubtful but it fined up and we went ahead. It was a lovely afternoon and it was great to get to know some new interns. We were lucky enough to have a BBQ at the beach and sat around chatting. We then made our way along the coastal walk back to Bondi Beach where we heard there was a wine tasting event on at the Beach Rd Hotel. We spent a little time there but I couldn't have a late night as the Blue Mountains trip planned for Sunday was a very early start.
As was the case on Friday, the stairs seemed to appear in front of me again on Sunday on the Blue Mountains Trip. The first walk we did on the Blue Mountain trip on Sunday was walking down to the Scenic Park. The walk was great but it was a bid muddy due to the recent rain. I had a hard time taking pictures as I was too concerned about not slipping on the stairs or in the mud. The Blue Mountains is covered in trees as far as the eye can see. It is amazing and I am definitely going back for another look before I jet back home.
To everyone who hasn't been there yet, make sure you catch the next train or day trip. There is so much to do and see. Remember to be careful as the Blue Mountain National Park is home to some venomous snakes over the Summer and always carry enough water with you.
The surf trip is this weekend!!
Until next time...
With the changeable weather lately it is quite difficult to plan any day trips. It is best to be brave, take the risk and just leave the couch and hope for the best. On Friday I went to do the Hermitage Walk from Rose Bay to Watsons Bay.
The Walk started at the end of Bay View Hill Road. To get there catch bus 324 or 325 to Kambala School and walk down the road which is quite steep.
The Hermitage Walk offers a great view of Sydney Harbour and passes Hermit Bay, Strickland House, Nielsen Park and Vaucluse House. If you continue towards Watsons Bay Wharf you will also see Parsley Bay Reserve and a number of hidden harbour beaches.
 |
| Harbour Views |
 |
| Strickland House |
The walk is well maintained and sometimes I felt like I was in the middle of a rainforest, and not in a major city.
The one thing I noticed were the countless stairs but these were quickly forgotten by the uninterrupted view.
On Saturday the intern picnic took place at Tamarama Beach. The morning's weather looked a little doubtful but it fined up and we went ahead. It was a lovely afternoon and it was great to get to know some new interns. We were lucky enough to have a BBQ at the beach and sat around chatting. We then made our way along the coastal walk back to Bondi Beach where we heard there was a wine tasting event on at the Beach Rd Hotel. We spent a little time there but I couldn't have a late night as the Blue Mountains trip planned for Sunday was a very early start.
As was the case on Friday, the stairs seemed to appear in front of me again on Sunday on the Blue Mountains Trip. The first walk we did on the Blue Mountain trip on Sunday was walking down to the Scenic Park. The walk was great but it was a bid muddy due to the recent rain. I had a hard time taking pictures as I was too concerned about not slipping on the stairs or in the mud. The Blue Mountains is covered in trees as far as the eye can see. It is amazing and I am definitely going back for another look before I jet back home.
To everyone who hasn't been there yet, make sure you catch the next train or day trip. There is so much to do and see. Remember to be careful as the Blue Mountain National Park is home to some venomous snakes over the Summer and always carry enough water with you.
The surf trip is this weekend!!
Until next time...
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Watsons Bay
G'Day!
As I left for Watson's Bay on Friday morning everyone was telling me that it will rain and I should find something else to do. Honestly, I didn't come to Sydney to stay indoors despite the weather. So I left anyways and it was a beautiful sunny and windy day.
I took the 325 bus from Edgecliff to Watson's Bay Wharf (Single: $2) and started walking. First I climbed up The Gap in Sydney Harbour National Park. The view is amazing.
I took the track to my left and followed it all the way up. After a while I got to a parking lot with the first sign of the South Head Heritage Trail that would lead me to the lighthouse. It is not mapped very well so at one point I felt a bit lost but just kept on walking and got to the entrance which looked like this:
The actual track is not very long but worth it. It is a beautiful little walk on the cliff on your left side. On your right side is a fence which cordons off an Australian military base. In fact you find a lot of ancient military remains on the trail since Watson's Bay is the entrance to Sydney Harbour it had the function of protecting the city from enemies.
The lighthouse that marks the entrance is painted in bright red and white so the seaman could distinguish this one from another one that was only 1km further south. At the lighthouse it was so windy that I moved my picnic to the principle lighthouse keeper's cottage.
And then I did the Coastal Walk all the way to Bondi Beach via steep stairs and great cliffs.
Coastal Walks are generally a cheap way to spend a day and you can explore so many beautiful sides of Sydney.
I hope to see many of you on Saturday at our Christmas Picnic and the Blue Mountains Trip on Sunday. Hopefully the weather is kind to us. Further information can be found in the newsletter.
Until then...
As I left for Watson's Bay on Friday morning everyone was telling me that it will rain and I should find something else to do. Honestly, I didn't come to Sydney to stay indoors despite the weather. So I left anyways and it was a beautiful sunny and windy day.
I took the 325 bus from Edgecliff to Watson's Bay Wharf (Single: $2) and started walking. First I climbed up The Gap in Sydney Harbour National Park. The view is amazing.
I took the track to my left and followed it all the way up. After a while I got to a parking lot with the first sign of the South Head Heritage Trail that would lead me to the lighthouse. It is not mapped very well so at one point I felt a bit lost but just kept on walking and got to the entrance which looked like this:
The actual track is not very long but worth it. It is a beautiful little walk on the cliff on your left side. On your right side is a fence which cordons off an Australian military base. In fact you find a lot of ancient military remains on the trail since Watson's Bay is the entrance to Sydney Harbour it had the function of protecting the city from enemies.
The lighthouse that marks the entrance is painted in bright red and white so the seaman could distinguish this one from another one that was only 1km further south. At the lighthouse it was so windy that I moved my picnic to the principle lighthouse keeper's cottage.
And then I did the Coastal Walk all the way to Bondi Beach via steep stairs and great cliffs.
Coastal Walks are generally a cheap way to spend a day and you can explore so many beautiful sides of Sydney.
I hope to see many of you on Saturday at our Christmas Picnic and the Blue Mountains Trip on Sunday. Hopefully the weather is kind to us. Further information can be found in the newsletter.
Until then...
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