Emirates Doncaster Day

My friends and I dressed up for the races!

The Randwick race course!

Saturday, April 16, I attended the Emirates Doncaster Day races at Randwick. My friends and I looked up pictures online beforehand to see what was the appropriate attire. I had never been to large horse race like this so I did not realize how fancy of an event it was. The races started at 10:30 but we arrived around noon. Everyone was extremely fancy, wearing gorgeous hats, and drinking. Like other sporting events I have seen here, it is directly connected to a drinking and social scene. There were judges walking around picking out the best dressed people. The races were not as lively as i pictured them being because it rained practically the entire time we were there.

I was surprised when I found out how high the prize money was for each of the races. The first race had 2 million dollars of prize money! I know how much money is spent on sports in the United States, but I was under the impression that this much money would exist in Australian sport. Some of my friends made a few bets on the horses but didn't win any money. The races are definitely something I want to try to go see again while I am here. Hopefully the next time I go, it won't be raining and I can get the full experience.

Indigenous Rugby League game

Indigenous Rugby League Game!!

This Sunday I went to an Indigenous Rugby League game at the Coogee Oval. The only other rugby games I have watched have been between club teams at my home university in Connecticut. The games that I have seen have all been rugby union so my experience at the Rugby League game was vastly different.

The first difference I noticed was the size of the field. The rugby league field was larger, yet skinnier, and had different markings. The second thing I noticed was the different amounts of points allotted for tries. A try is worth 5 points in rugby union and 4 points in rugby league. I addition, there are different points awarded for drop goals and penalty goals. Lastly, I noticed that in the rugby union games that I have watched, someone gets lifted up to receive the ball that is being thrown onto the field. That did not happen in the rugby league game.

There are other differences between the two types of rugby games that I did not notice while watching the few games that I have been to. I look forward to seeing a professional union game to further my understanding and appreciation for the game.

Moreton Island

This weekend I went with a few friends to Moreton Island to go Sandboarding and Snorkeling. We flew into the Gold Coast then took two buses and a ferry to get to the island. We drove across the island which was covered with trees and wildlife to get to an area called "The Desert." It was so strange to see such drastically different landscapes just minutes apart. Our tour guide demonstrated the proper technique for riding the wooden boards down the sand dunes both for our safety and for maximum speed. I first slid down the dunes on my stomach, then I tried standing on the board. I even went down with someone else on my back! It was such an awesome experience.

"The Desert"

Me standing up on the board!

Tandem Sandboarding!

After a couple hours of Sandboarding, we drove back through rainforest type area to the beach. We ate a quick lunch then suited up in our Snorkeling gear. We had to wear wetsuits to protect us from the temperature of the water and from any harmful sea creatures such as jellyfish or sharks. The wetsuits were also very buoyant so the acted at flotation devices. We wore protective gloves on our hands, flippers on our feet, goggles around our eyes and snorkels in our mouths. The area where we went snorkeling was near 13 old shipwrecks. The shipwrecks attract an abundance of fish and coral, and create a safe bay for snorkeling purposes. We saw a ton of sea life including the Wobbegong Shark! It ended up raining for most of our snorkel but we had an awesome time anyways. I am looking forward to Snorkeling again soon.

Several of the Shipwrecks.

My Snorkeling group.

The Wobbegong shark!!