John Wesley

Since many of the professors at Houghton College love quoting John Wesley, we thought it was appropriate to show our appreciation for his work in establishing the Wesleyan Church. We found this statue in the city during one of our weekly shopping sprees!

Wild Kangaroos

The Australia program is designed to give the students four day weekends each week! During the various weekend trips and activities are planned to help us see more of the Australian landscape and to learn more about the culture. The first weekend here, we were taken about fifteen minutes out of the city to an area where herds of kangaroos can be found! We had a great time watching the kangaroos in their natural habitat.

Koalas

One of the world's most adorable animals is the Koala. In Australia, Koalas can be found in the wild. While traveling along the Great Ocean Road, about an hour from Melbourne, I spotted more than a dozen Koalas! It was great fun to watch them climb across the trees in search of their favorite flavor of the Eucalyptus leaves.

Shrine of Remembrance

Above is the Shrine of Remembrance, a spectacular monument designed to honor the men and women from Victoria State who have served in the armed forces throughout Australia’s history. One fascinating feature is a hole in the roof of the Shrine of Remembrance that allows sunlight to shine on the “stone of remembrance”, located on the floor in the center of the shrine at exactly 11 am on November 11th each year. That date and time is significant in world history because it marks the end of World War One.

Australian Spirit

One of the projects for the required class, “Engaging Australian Culture”, was to break up into groups and compete in a photo scavenger hunt. We were challenged to explore the city of Melbourne to creatively photograph various landmarks. We all had a blast and learned "heaps" about our new home town! This photograph was taken of the winning team displaying their Australian Spirit.

Flora and Fauna

One of my favorite parts about Australia is the beautiful scenery! Every morning when I wake up I watch various parrots, kookaburras, and cockatoos put on a show in front of my flat. It is spectacular to watch as they jump from branch to branch in the Eucalyptus trees. A cacophony of various bird songs can be heard, especially in the morning; a good wake up call for those of us who forgot to bring an alarm clock!

The view from my flat

This photo was taken from the front porch of my flat on the day after I arrived in Melbourne, Australia. I was jet lagged from the flight and woke up at 5:30 am. We have such a great view from our flat. It's also a great location. The computer lab, library, student center, and a basketball court are all within a one minute walking distance from our flat. I love this picture because it reminds me of my first experience of Australia's beauty.