Submitted by Jennie Walls on the 2017 winter session program in Australia sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health & Nutrition…
Monday morning (January 9) was our first community health center visit. We visited the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) medical center. This center provides care specifically to the Aboriginal population. The Aborigines are the indigenous people of Australia.This population is disadvantaged in many aspects particularly related to health. The VAHS organization provides medical, dental and social services for the community. Some services offered include physical activity based programs, as well programs that target specific chronic diseases such as diabetes. Something unique about the care this center provides is the community control. These patients have an opinion and rights to the care they receive, whereas the doctors in the United States choose the care and “best” option for the patients. This center was a strong advocate for community health within the Aboriginal population.
The following day, the group set off to the Grampians. I was not quite sure exactly what this location consisted of, but shortly discovered it was the mountains of Australia. This area held a large population of kangaroos which was super exciting. It’s pretty awesome to experience the different species of wildlife. Our first day there, we split into groups of two. One group was to go abseiling the first day and hike the second day, and vice versa for the other group. I was in the first abseiling group. Abseiling is what we refer to as repelling in the United States. We geared up in helmets, harnesses and gloves to protect our hands from rope burn. We ventured on a short hike to the mountain in which we would abseil from. It was quite frightening to realize that we were about to go down it. I volunteered to be in the first group of 10 students to go down. I did not feel extremely nervous until I went over the edge. Once I went over the edge and conquered my fear, it was smooth sailing from there. I began to jump off of the rocks and enjoy myself. The group was quite encouraging to one another as some struggled with their fear of heights, etc. I learned to not only trust myself, but also the equipment, friction and the guides. Later that evening, we decided to go to the Venus Baths. There, we met two young Australian boys. We asked if they could take a picture of us while we posed on the mountain. As we left, each of us thanked the young men. One of the boys said, “Where are you guys from? You are all so nice!” He went on to mention that if they had taken a photo of an Australian that they would have just walked away afterwards. It goes to show how much Americans value manners.
The second day in the Grampians consisted of an approximate 3 mile hike. The group hiked to the top of the Pinnacle. What a beautiful sight! Our tour guide shared great analogies and a different perspective on life. He played a game with us. He rotated a stick and each time he stopped, he would ask, “How many times did I rotate the stick?” It was not about how many times he really rotated the stick, but he was actually holding the stick with a certain amount of fingers and that indicated the number of turns. The purpose of this game was to get us to open our eyes. He continued to mention that we need to open our eyes to our surroundings and to be observant through all senses sight, hear, touch, smell, etc. An interesting fact about the Grampians is the development of the mountains. Through the collision of Indonesia and Australia, the mountains developed above the water. I learned a lot about the history, land, culture and wildlife in Australia during this experience.
Lastly, we visited the Parliament House. This is a legal building located in the State of Victoria, which was beautifully trimmed in 23 karate gold. The tour guide explained many topics that were currently or have been discussed and debated at the Parliament. Some examples of these topics are gay marriage, domestic violence, alcohol/drug abuse, handguns, as well as tanning beds. One particular topic that the tour guide discussed was the alcohol laws. In Australia, the age limit for distribution of alcohol is 18, whereas in the United States it is 21. In America, if an individual under the age of 21 is caught drinking or intoxicated, they would receive a citation for underage drinking. There is a zero tolerance for minors in the United States. In Australia, a minor is able to be served alcohol by another adult if they have written permission from their parents. The laws vary between countries, but the debatable topics are pretty similar.
