Indian girl abroad: Adelaide

"Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey".                                                                                   - Pat Conroy

Adelaide is my first solo-trip destination. I loved every minute I spent there, the rocking StudyAdelaide team made sure I had the best time. They took me to amazing places letting me experience the raw, exciting and lively city. I spent most of my stay in Adelaide at the University of South Australia, participating at the Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program (deserves a blog on it's own!) thanks to StudyAdelaide and the team.

An exhibit at the art gallery

I spent about a week actually exploring the city during my 6-week stay in Australia. On the first day of my stay, I visited the University of Adelaide and the State Library Mortlock Wing, which is one of the best libraries that I have ever visited in my life. It sets out a striking aura of being in a harry potter book. It is a well-preserved old-fashioned library filled with old books where one (if one is like me) might lose themselves for hours.

I also found time to visit the art gallery in Adelaide which was filled with some stunning and some bizarre artwork.

The next day started with a visit to Flinders University. The university had impressive facilities and infrastructures which I couldn't get enough of. Making & Science, an initiative of Google was a very innovative lab and I had a privilege of being shown around by one of the researchers of the really cool stuff that they are working on. I also got a glimpse of the working of the robotic arm. The Tonsley campus of the Flinders university had a range of industries and government activities which was on the campus. The campus has a really cool garden with water spraying systems out of a volcano-shaped structure. The University offers a wide range of programmes and courses ranging from engineering, technology, medical sciences, etc.

After the study-tour of Flinders and a delicious lunch at Rigoni's, I went on an eco-caddy tour of the city. An eco-caddy tour is one of the best ways to discover Adelaide. We got these really fun insights from the rider as he took us along scenic-looking paths as we witnessed Adelaide's best street art (they are so beautiful). We also went to the war memorial which had a stunning sculpture.

The opal mine was our next stop. Opals are valued as one of the most precious stones in Adelaide. Tim from the opal store was kind enough to give me an opal necklace which looks stunning!

A gift from Tim's opal mine

The day ended with an amazing dinner organized by the StudyAdelaide team at 2KW, a fun, and lively restaurant and a stroll through Rundle Mall.

The next day was quite relaxing as I took the tram to Glenelg, one of the trendiest and stunning beaches in South Australia. It's a fabulous place to relax and experience the seaside. It still remains as one of my favorite destinations in Adelaide. I spent the day shopping in Glenelg and Harbour Town. I shopped for all my family, friends and of course a lot for me. It's a great place to shop. It felt great to relax and shop to my heart's content.

The fourth day was the most thrilling and adventurous part of my whole trip. It started with a long early-morning walk from my accommodation. The city looked so beautiful as I witnessed the sunrise from the Lake. I took the tram from the city to Glenelg, the beach where I had been the previous day. The StudyAdelaide team had organized a dolphin swim for me!! I had always wanted to do that ever since I was a child and the team made it a dream come true for me.

The dolphin swim was so much fun, tiring, thrilling and adventurous. There were a few moments which was truly serene and beautiful. The dolphins gave an aura of elegance and took the experience to a higher level. I saw pods of dolphins swimming right next to me. It was a fabulous experience and I still reminisce about that day.

Though the program I was participating in was intense, I was able to get off the campus one day and plan a day-out with StudyAdelaide and the filming crew. We went up to Hahndorf, a german village in Adelaide. I had a fun time strolling down the streets, buying small souvenirs and eating good german food! After lunch, we went up to the Mount lofty summit and then ended up at Glenelg in the evening. It was a good day and these memories still linger in my mind.

On my last day in Adelaide, I visited the famous Adelaide Central Market and had an amazing brekky as they call it. Filled with fresh products, both local and exotic, I had a chance to try crocodile meat and green ants for the very first time. I also tasted coconut sorbet which was surprisingly not too sweet. That afternoon, the StudyAdelaide team had organized a rooftop climb at the Adelaide Oval (Omg! right? #cricketfans). It was a fun, safe (they stressed a lot on it, lol) climb to the top and back! I also danced at the top of the stadium (you can check it out in my YouTube channel :P).

After this spell of adventure, we headed to experience the Adelaide fringe! It is by far the biggest cultural festival I have been to. It was amazing to witness artists from around the world performing for everyone. The fringe is when Adelaide comes to life. There are people everywhere. Music and dancing takes over the city, games and rides makes it all the more fun and what would a fest be without great food (Food trucks everywhere!!).

I hardly slept the night before my flight back to India as I kept thinking how blessed and lucky I was to have been selected as the first Indian Student Ambassador of StudyAdelaide and to have come this far and have such an amazing time. I remember telling my parents during the press event in Bangalore that I would have been really happy and satisfied to just get a pen when I received an iPad from the organization. (little did I know about this awesome trip that came as part of the prize then).

All the events, right from the start of my trip to Adelaide is on repeat in my head as I write this blog. As Pat Conroy quotes, I don't think my mind can break-off from this awe-striking experience.

Thanks for the memories, StudyAdelaide!