Happy ‘Straya Day

I was so excited when I found out that I would be in the Land Down Under for Australia Day. At the time, I did not have any context for what the day really meant and the thoughts surrounding it, but I knew I was thrilled. I expected Australian flags everywhere, people putting shrimp on the barbie, and the “Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi” chant. Now, taking an Australia history course at the University of Sydney, I understand the background for Australia Day. While the day is a celebration for many, it is a time of mourning for others. The indigenous people of Australia, the Aboriginals, view the day as when their culture was stolen from them. Some even argue that the date should be moved to another time in order to remember the pain of the Aboriginal people. With this in mind, my plans for Australia Day changed; I had the opportunity to see the day from both perspectives.

            I started my day off at the Aboriginal Festival in Victoria Park, right next to the university. My history professor recommended the festival to the class and I thought it would be a great way to experience the day from a new perspective. I was riding the bus on my way to the park when an announcement came over the intercom informing the driver that all transportation must cease due to a march happening. After this news, the bus pulled over and everyone got out to walk to their destinations. While I was walking, I ran into the march and saw that it was a protest for Aboriginals to be recognized and to receive better treatment. The march was very peaceful, but still full of passion. Everyone was chanting and had signs, Aboriginal flags, and t-shirts. The protest was marching to Victoria Park where they would end at the festival, so I got to witness the march for a while. Once I got to the park, I was blown away by all the tents, events, and people at the festival. There were hundreds of tents selling Aboriginal art work and giving out information about the indigenous group. There was a main stage where speakers, dancers, singers, and bands were playing and celebrating their culture. On the other side of the park, there was another stage that had Aboriginal dance groups performing all day. Around this same area, a storytelling tent was set up where people could recall stories of their ancestors or talk about their own lives. I enjoyed every minute of going around the tents and learning more about the ingenious people and seeing their performances. The Aboriginal Festival was the perfect start to Australia Day; it was so interesting to see the Aboriginal community come together to celebrate their culture and their ancestors.

            After a few hours at the festival, I caught a ferry and celebrated Australia Day like all the natives do: by going to the beach. The beaches in Australia are absolutely breathtaking. The water here is a blue I have never seen and none of the pictures I capture do the scene justice. It was so nice to just lay on the beach, relax, and observe. There were a ton of Australians around me enjoying the day and spending time with their family. Although I did see some Australian flags and t-shirts, the Aussies do not go as all out as Americans do on the 4^th of July. Instead, they focus more on their family and relaxing.

            As I spent a few hours on the beach, it was getting closer and closer to what I was most excited about for Australia Day: The Circular Quay celebration and fireworks spectacular. I caught the last ferry back the Circular Quay and was greeted by huge crowds of people already lining up for their spot for the fireworks. I had no idea where I was going, but somehow, I ended up in the best place to watch the fireworks. While everyone waited for the fireworks to begin, performers took to the stage in the middle of the harbour and the stage in front of the Opera House. I had a perfect view of both stages and the Sydney Harbour Bridge; I could not have been luckier. Alongside of the performances, there were boat races, ship decorating competitions, and people doing tricks while being propelled into the air by the water from jet skis. Once it was dark enough, mini firework shows and light up sailboats accompanied the performers leading up to the big finale. Each firework show was about two minutes long and the fireworks were shot off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The finale was truly spectacular. The ground was shaking from how many fireworks were let explode into the dark sky at once. The harbour and the bridge were the perfect backdrop for the scene. I found myself shaking at the end of the finale; I have never seen a firework show quite like that before and cannot recall anything that compares. The awe of the crowd told me that I was not alone in this feeling. There were people as far as you could see and I was informed later that they had to shut Circular Quay down due to the amount of people in attendance. Leaving the celebration proved difficult because of the massive amount of people causing the trains and buses to shut down as well. Although the walk was a long one, I enjoyed witnessing all of the Aussie’s continuing their celebration in the streets. It was like one big party everywhere you went.

            Once I was home safe and sound in Urbannest, I watched the videos of the fireworks finale like one would watch the videos they took of their favorite band after their concert. I also thought it appropriate break out my box of the famous Australian TimTam chocolate on the great day; I give it a definite five stars and am sure I will be missing it when I return to the states. Looking back on Australia Day and the two weeks I have lived in the Land Down Under, I am just so thankful to be able to be a part of this journey. The decision to come was frightening, but the adventure is so worth all of the work and worry. 

Cheers,

Victoria