Australia: My New Home City

Study abroad and exchange students only had a few days of orientation at Murdoch, while full-on students continued sessions into the second week. Therefore, the week before classes was virtually open to us. Tuesday’s adventure? Perth.

Murdoch University is south of the Swan River about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the city of Perth. Luckily, it is an easy bus and train ride to get to the city center, so we figured it out with ease. The city center is composed of a few strips of shops and restaurants set on a gray paver walkway with trees throughout. I loved the city already, and just like London, its young, clean vibe reminded me of Philly and Boston. After shopping some more (even after I told myself I would not shop anymore, which I mean this time), we settled at a small café for some lunch.

After lunch, we strolled to Elizabeth’s Quay. To my surprise, the vibrant, waterfront area is set on an artificial inlet and was developed to attract tourism. It is home to the Swan Bells, which is a set of 18 bells suspended in an extremely modern, needle-like glass and copper building. The area is beautiful.

The trip to Perth was super fun, and I am looking forward to visiting the city again and exploring more of it. I hope to visit some popular and/or historical sites, such as the mint.

That night, the resident assistants set up a pizza and trivia party. It was actually quite a popular event, mostly due to the free pizza. My group of friends made a team for trivia, which consisted of multiple rounds of really random questions to which we needed to write the answers. We tied two teams at the end, but after a bonus question, my team won. It was a great surprise to end an enjoyable day, and it was nice to walk away with a movie ticket each!