Finally.

Så er jeg ankommet til Australiens land.
For dem der spekulerer over det, så lettede vi omkring en halv time tidligere end planlagt, for at komme askeskyen fra Island i forkøbet. Derefter stod den på 12 timers flyvetur. Heldigvis var flyet ikke fyldt op, så vi (jegselv og de andre udvekslingselever) havde god plads. I øvrigt kan det næves at Singapore Airlines er et udmærket flyselskab. Maden var overraskende god, og servicen også rigtig god.

I lufthavnen i Perth gik tingende egentlig også godt. Der var ikke videre problemer med at komme ind i landet, og da vi kom ud af lufthavnen blev der taget imod os af en fra IAEA, som derefter kørte os til et landbrugsuniversitet nord for Perth, hvor vi skulle deltage i et informationsseminar om Australien. Dog købte vi lige nogle kasser øl først, bare for at give stemningen at boost.
Vi ankom til universitetet sidst på eftermiddagen. Da der ikke var planlagt noget for os den første aften, skulle vi selv sørge for mad, så nogen kørte efter pizzaer. Derefter stod den på øl og pizza, samt hyggesnak med IAEA repræsentanten, en farmer ved navn Darren West.
Næste dag tog vi hul på undervisningen efter en solid morgenmad. Det tog dog ikke mere end fire timer, passende afbrudt af en kaffepause og frokost. Eftermiddagen havde vi så for os selv, og om aftenen ville nogle af vores værtsfamilier samt tidligere trainees ankomme til en middag efterfulgt af flere øl. De fleste overnattede så i nogle værelser universitetet havde stillet til rådighed, og den følgende dag kørte vi med vores respektive værter/trainees til de farme vi skulle være på.
Da min familie skulle til et bryllup lørdag aften, havde de sendt to trainees i stedet. Søndag morgen, i stedet for at køre direkte til farmen, tog de mig med til Perth for at se Red Bull Air Race, som er et ræs for fly. Det foregår ved at man har sat nogle flydende "porte" op ude i Swan River, som er floden Perth ligger omkring. Piloterne skal så flyve deres fly gennem disse porte hurtigst.

Da vi så havde fået nok af det satte vi kursen mod Jerramungup hvor Bruce & Peta, min værtsfamilie, bor. Det var en køretur på omkring 400 km., og det tog os ca. 5½ time.
Efter ankomst fik vi aftensmad og vi snakkede lidt frem og tilbage. Da jeg var helt ødelagt af at rejse og tømmermænd, valgte jeg at gå i seng, i hvert fald lige så snart jeg havde opdateret her.

Opsummering for dovne/travle læsere: Jeg er ankommet til Australien, har været på et orienteringsseminar, har set Red Bull Air Race, og er kørt de ca. 400 km. til farmen hvor jeg skal bo.

~*~

English for the Danish impared:

I am now arrived in the Land of Australia.
For those who are wondering, we took off about half an hour early to beat the ashcloud from Iceland. After that, it was 12 hours of flying for me. Luckily, the plane was not full, so we (myself and the other trainees) had plenty of space. By the way, Singapore Airlines is quite a decent Airline. The food was surprisingly good and the service also very good.

In Perth, things actually went pretty well as well. There was not any trouble with getting into the country, and outside of the airport we were greeted by someone from IAEA, who then drove us to an agricultural university north of Perth, where we were to participate in an information seminar about Australia. We did buy some cases of beer first, though, just to boost the mood.
We arrived at the university in the late afternoon. As nothing had been planned for us the first night, we had to find something to eat by ourselves, so someone drove after pizzas. After that is was time for beer and pizzas, as well as some chit-chat with the IAEA representative, a farmer named Darren West.
The next day we started the classes, after a good breakfast. It did not take much more than four hours, fittingly interrupted by a coffeebreak and lunch. We then had the afternoon to usselves, and in the evening some of our host families, as well as previous trainees would arrive for a dinner, followed by more beer. Most then stayed for the night in rooms the university had made available to us, and the following day we drove with our respective host families/trainees to the farms we are supposed to be at.
As my family had been to a wedding saturday night, they had sent two trainees. Sunday morning, instead of going directly to the farm, they took me to Perth to watch the Red Bull Air Race, which is a race for plains. What they do is, they place some floating checkpoints in the Swan River, which is the river Perth is situated around. The pilots then have to fly their planes through the check points in the fastest time.
When we had had enough of this, we set out for Jerramungup, which is where Bruce & Peta, my host family, lives. The distance is about 400 km, and it took us about 5½ hour.
After arriving, we were treated to Tea (their word for dinner), and we talked a bit back and forth. As i was completely wasted from traveling and hangover, I chose to go to bed, at least as soon as I had updated here.

Summary for lazy/busy readers: I have arrived in Australia, have been to an infoprmation seminar, have seen the Red Bull Air Race and have driven the 400 km. to the farm where I am going to live.

/EMO