Australian Adventure

June 20,21 - On Our Way

2009-07-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

We're in LA, waiting to board. So far it's been fairly uneventful. We were joined on the flight from Dallas by another People to People group from North Carolina. It was a high school group taking the same itinerary, only reversed. When they reach Sidney they'll fly on up to Cairns and bus back to Sydney.

All the delegates are pretty animated for 2:30 a.m. our time. I hope they sleep on the plane!

We'll lose a day on the flight. The next blog will be after our first day in Sydney.

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

July 8 - Skyrail, RainForeStation

2009-07-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

We ended our time in Australia much in the same way we started: a day jam-packed with activities.

We started the day by taking the Sky Rail across the top of the rain forest. Looking down on the canopy was breath-taking, and we were able to make a couple of stops along the way to explore the rain forest a little bit. It sure was high up there. We had a few discussions in the gondola car as to how difficult it must have been to build the gondola system, and what a pain it must be to maintain it. Not a job I would want to have!

We spent the rest of the day at the RainForeStation. It provided us with an abundance of activities and experiences. We were able to watch traditional Aboriginal dances, throw a boomarang, feed kangaroos, ride in an Army duck, and do some bush dances. We also got to hold a koala. She was so cute!

There was a duo playing music for us during dinner, and then after dinner the delegates joined in the singing and dancing. We had a rousing rendition of “Among the Gum Trees.” Then, before we knew it, it was over and we were on our way back to the hotel and to bed before the 2:30 wake up call to leave.

July 7 - Great Barrier Reef

2009-07-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

The air was filled with excitement at breakfast this morning. We were headed for the Great Barrier Reef! Our tour was with Reef Magic and we boarded the boat at the wharf in Cairns.

It was a perfect day: the sky was clear with no clouds and the water was calm. It took us about 1 ½ hours to reach the reef. The boat was full of people including a couple of other People to People delegations.

After some instruction and fittings for equipment, we were free to enjoy the day at the reef. I liked that they had pontoon station that we used throughout the day. We didn’t have to dive off the boat to snorkel; there was a special station on the side with benches and open area to get into the water easily. The pontoon also had a sunning deck, tables to eat lunch and a changing area for when we were finished. All of the equipment was on it, too.

I was so surprised when I first got into the water. I expected to have to swim out a little way before I saw anything. But no, we were right there! As soon as I got in the water there was coral and fish all around me! I have never seen anything like it before. Some of the coral was very close to the top of the water, so I had to be careful swimming around it, so as not to touch it. In other places it formed shelves and caves. We had a large area that we could explore and there were a great variety of fish and coral to see. There was one huge fish, Wally, that is like a pet for the cruises. He was often seen swimming around the area, and many had their picture taken with him.

We also had the opportunity to ride in a mini-sub, to see a different part of the reef with a guide. That was pretty cool, too, and it helped when I snorkeled again in the afternoon to identify some of what I was seeing.

Lunch was fantastic (or maybe I was just extra hungry from all the swimming). They provided a buffet of ham, roast beef, and prawns, along with salads, sushi and fruit. They also had breads and muffins for morning tea and fruits and cheese for afternoon tea.

The day passed very quickly, and before we knew it, we were on our way back home. It was a decidedly more quiet group traveling back. A few even fell asleep on the boat.

Sadly, we had to say good-bye to Len, our bus driver, tonight. Because of the size of the bus, he can’t drive us tomorrow. He thought he would be able to take us to the airport on Thursday, but it appears the company has arranged another driver. Len was terrific. He was a little deaf, but always willing to share his knowledge of the area. He took good care of us.

We’re having trouble believing that tomorrow will be our last day to tour. The time has gone by so quickly, and we have been able to do so much. I have to say that this has been the most activity-packed itinerary I have ever been on, and yet we still had the much-needed down time. Tomorrow brings more great experiences before we head home.

July 6 - Cairns

2009-07-06T13:52:00.001-07:00

With much sadness, we left Woodleigh this morning. Kate and Peter and their family were wonderful hosts, and we got to experience a great deal of station life.

Back on the bus, we saw some terrific scenery on our way down the mountain. It seemed like at every turn there was another breath-taking sight to see. I noticed that many of the fields had a clay-like composition again. We passed field upon field of sugar cane, much of it with white tassels. We also saw many banana fields and lots of palm trees. The closer we got to Cairns, the more lush it became.

We had a special treat when we got to the Cairns Center mall to eat lunch. The high school delegation from Columbus was there! We were able to meet up with our area delegation leader, and John was able to meet up with his sister, who is traveling with that delegation! It was a great surprise to see people from home.

After a bit of shopping we checked into our hotel. It’s hard to believe this will be the last one we’ll be checking into this trip. We now can take out the extra luggage bag, and some are very thankful for that!

At dinner tonight, many of the delegates decided to try something new and exotic: kangaroo. It was cooked to perfection, and was very moist and flavorful. It was similar to beef in texture, but had an entirely different taste. Some tried the barramundi, a fish we learned about at Underwater World. We all had Pavlova for dessert.

We learned that we just missed a huge contingent of Marines in Cairns. Apparently they were here over the 4th and they even had a fireworks display for them.

Tomorrow we’re headed to the Barrier Reef.

July 5 - Woodleigh Farm

2009-07-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

This morning I work up at 5:30 to go to the bathroom and got the best view of the night sky. The stars were brilliant, and so close I felt like I could touch them. I could see Jupiter so clearly, and it looked so big I thought at first it was a plane. I’ve never seen anything so bright in the sky!

It wasn’t as cold out as I thought it would be, and once the sun came out, it heated up quickly.

We’re called to meals with a dinner bell, and the food is hearty and delicious. Last night we had roast and potatoes and an apple crumble with real whipped cream for dessert. This morning it was bacon and eggs.

We learned how to milk a cow and how to crack a stock whip. The cows were really patient with us. One of the delegates shouted every time she touched the udder. Peter asked her if she played tennis, too.

We got to hold a tiny kangaroo that they are nursing. Her name is Cassidy and she is so cute!!

Between cow milking and whip cracking we had skomo (or a snack). This morning it was biscuits with jam or the most wonderful golden syrup I’ve ever tasted.

Cracking the whip was not as easy as it looked, but I eventually got it. Some of the delegates became quite adept at it.

After lunch we hiked across the horse pasture to the river for some swimming. Along the way we saw many termite mounds, most 4-5 feet high. These aren’t the type of termites that destroy wood. I had seen a large termite mound in the Blue Mountains, but never so many as are in the field here.

We went on a kangaroo and crocodile hunt. They loaded us into an open truck bed with benches that looked reminiscent of the ones used in Jonestown. Peter was driving, and he loved hitting the bumps at great speed. We did see and couple of crocs and many kangaroos. The truck even crossed through the river at one of it’s lower points. When we were headed back at the end of the trip, we were crossing the river again, and just as we were reaching the other side, the truck stopped. I was sitting in the back at the very end. The next thing I knew, the entire bed was lifting from the other side! It looked a lot like the Titanic did when it went down, and everyone was headed toward me! That Peter--he’s a real jokester.

July 4 - Ayr, Burdekin Shire, Ravenshoe

2009-07-06T13:48:00.001-07:00

We drove into Ayr to meet with a council member. It was especially poignant that we started the meeting with the playing of the national anthems of both countries. We learned about how important the sugar cane industry is to this area. Burdekin Shire produces an abundance of sugar for the area and the world. We also learned that many of the farms no longer burn off the cane, but because of the moisture in Burdekin’s cane, the farmers there still burn it off.

We also drove over the Burdekin Bridge, known as the Silver Link. It’s a pretty unique structure. It crosses the Burdekin River.

After lunch, we headed up to the farm stay in Ravenshoe. The name might be different from what was on the itinerary. We had a switch in locations once we arrived.

The drive took about 4 ½ hours and took us up into the mountains. Before we arrived we were treated to the a most magnificent sunset of crimsons, gold and purple.

We are staying at Woodleigh Farm, owned by Kate and Peter Waddell. It is 42,000 acres and they have 2,500 cattle. It is run mostly by family members.

After dinner we went into one of the side fields to do some star-gazing. The Southern Cross was clearly visible, and we saw a couple of shooting stars, too! Then we headed to the camp fire for ghost stories. Seems one of the earlier owners of the farm, Uncle John, is sometimes seen around the property. He’s buried right outside my sleeping quarters. (I’m thrilled.)

The delegates are becoming quite adept at cleaning up after themselves. Many of the places we’ve eaten have had them scrape and stack their plates. Here at the farm, they also have to lightly wash and rinse the plates, too. (A great skill for them to continue at home!)

The delegates are sleeping in huge tents that they call marquees. There is one for the girls and one for the boys. It’s expected to get down to 36 degrees tonight, so they’ll be bundled up well.

July 3 - Mackay, Airlie Beach

2009-07-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today was a “bus day.” We really needed a break. The delegates are starting to feel the effects of non-stop touring. They are pushing to the limit, and frankly, some of them are exhausted. They hate to give up any time for rest because they don’t want to miss experiencing something. I can’t say that I blame them. There is so much to do, and it seems like precious little time to do it all. Last night, we got back late, and had to be ready to go this morning.

So, it was really quiet on the bus this morning. Most were sleeping and we have a couple who are feeling a little under the weather. It’s nothing major, just a bit of a stomach virus. The timing is great because we have a couple of travel days and they can sleep on the bus. By the time you read this, everyone should be feeling terrific again.

Traveling today, we passed through terrain that was truly kangaroo country. The grasses were higher and the area was “scruffy,” as Lauren called it. We saw quite a few dead kangaroos on the side of the road. Lauren calls them “wuzaroos.”
We stopped just outside of Mackay today to learn about sugar cane farming. While Farmer Brown (no joke!) took us around the field, we had a big piece of sugar cane to chew on. We got to see how it is harvested, learned how to tell when it’s ready to be harvested ( it tassels like corn), and tasted the juice of freshly harvested cane. It was so sweet! We also lunched there before heading further north.
We’re spending the night in Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. The town is a huge resort area. We stopped at the beach before we checked into the hotel. The water was crystal-clear blue, just like a postcard. The bay was filled with boat;, many of them sailboats , with their white sails shining against the bright blue sky. It’s a sight I won’t forget soon.

We are staying at the Club Crocodile, and it’s very tourist friendly. We’re all together at one end of the complex. There is a pool just for that end. The rooms are good sized, and have safes and locks on the cabinets to store valuables. They even had a room designated for our group to meet or hang out.

Tomorrow we’ll celebrate Independence Day by meeting with the government official and arriving at our farm stay. It’s another long travel day, but we’re up for it!

July 2 - Capricorn Caves, Croc Farm

2009-07-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today we visited Capricorn Caves. We were delighted to see when we arrived there were kangaroos roaming about. It seems they were wild kangaroos, but the people at the caves feed them, much like we do deer. They came in for their feeding, then headed back out to the bush.

The caves were magnificent to behold. When the person who discovered them first explored them, he tied a rope to himself and explored using a candle. It took him 2 years to completely explore them. Today, we had the opportunity to explore one of the passageways with just candlelight, too. I surely wouldn't have wanted to do that for 2 years!

There is an area inside the cave called The Chapel. It is acoustically incredible. They have concerts in there every year, and some people have gotten married there. We were allowed to sing, to hear how well it sounded, and they played a tape of a choir for us, too. The picture is of the delegation on the steps of the chapel.

This afternoon we had free time, to use however we liked on these wonderful grounds. Some hit the pools, some played cricket, and some used the Internet. Some joined me at the beach. It was wonderful!!! The water was so warm, and we had the beach almost entirely to ourselves. It just doesn't get any better than that!

This evening we visited the croc farm. We also had dinner there, which included a very tasty croc chowder. The farm had over 3,000 crocodiles, with the largest being 16 feet long. It was a little eerie seeing their eyes glow in the night. We also had the opportunity to hold a baby croc.

Tomorrow it's on the bus again as we head farther up north. It's hard to believe that we have less than a week left in our journey.

July 1 - Gin Gin, Rockingham, Yeppoon

2009-07-01T21:15:00.001-07:00

This was a travel day. We spent the day on the bus, with a few stops to break up the traveling.

Our first stop was Gin Gin, at a school that has had connections with People to People for some years. They provided lunch for us in a pavilion that was built with money received from People to People. It is a huge, covered dining area, with restrooms attached.

As we continued our journey to Yeppoon, we could see how the landscape was changing. It was becoming more colorful and we could see more mountains. Many of the houses were built on stilts because of the possible flooding. Lauren called them Queenslander homes. I could see more clay-like soil along the highway and fields were full of tall grasses, much like wheat or rye. We saw our first banana plantation, too.

We stopped for a picture in Rockingham. Rockingham is a town on the Tropic of Capricorn. We just had to capture a moment on the parallel.’

We also stopped at a rest stop along the way that had a convenience store. I happened to notice the sweet potatoes they were selling. The had to be 12-14 inches long 4-5 inches in diameter! One of them could make a whole side dish!

We arrived at the Rydges in enough time to unload and freshen up for dinner. The Rydges has anything you could imagine: tennis, golf, volleyball, lawn bowling, the beach. The pool is actually three pools that are connected. It has a huge waterfall on one end. After dinner, many of the delegates took advantage of the opportunity to swim. We’ll have a little free time tomorrow to check out the other amenities.

June 30 - Brisbane, Underwater World

2009-07-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the delay in posting the last two blogs. Internet access had not been readily available. Despite the great facilities at Tangalooma, Internet was not of good quality, and we had no access at all at the aquarium.

We left Tangalooma and headed to Brisbane for lunch and a visit to the opal store. Everyone had the opportunity to crack a rock to find their own opals. Neddless to say, there was considerable shopping done at the store, too.

While we were in Brisbane, there was a neat festival going on with the celebration of their 150th anniversary. It was a celebration of the arts, and they had huge murals for everyone to draw on, and musical groups were performing.

In leaving Brisbane, we crossed the famous Story Bridge over the Brisbane River. Lauren told us that the Brisbane River is over 10 million years old, and older than the Nile River.

We arrived at Underwaqter World in Mooloolaba around 4:30. It’s a beautiful little wharf town. We were able to see the aquarium behind the scenes. It had closed for the evening, so we had the place to ourselves. We got to see the “quarantined” area where they were nursing animals back to health, and we got to feed the sharks and rays. We even got to touch some of the starfish and other marine life in the tank. The highlight of the night was the opportunity to sleep in the tunnel, under the fish and sharks. It was so peaceful, watching those majestic creatures swim above. I have to admit, the floor was little bit hard, even with the mat, but it was worth it

June 29 - Tangalooma

2009-07-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

We had another picture-perfect day. It started out pretty windy, which caused the waves to be pretty rough. It was rough enough to have to cancel the snorkeling at the shipwreck. As a substitute they provided the opportunity to use the boogie boards and kayaks. Everyone had a great time, and it gave us the some freedom to do what we wanted to do.

After lunch we went to the sand dunes to sand toboggan. The majority of the island is sand, and these dunes are pretty impressive. Moreton Island is the third largest sand island in the world. The bus drove us to the base of the hill. Our guides showed us how to wax the board and how to hold the front of it up and we went down the hill.

I was surprised at the temperature of the sand. The area looked like a desert, and I expected when I stepped off the bus that the sand would be hot. But instead, it was really cool and loose.

The challenge was to climb to the top. There was a path from others who had made the climb previously. The sand was loose and whenever I would take a step, I would slide back again. And, it was so loose that I would sink up to my shins. The hill must have been at least 100 feet tall. I didn’t think I was every going to make it up there. I must have climbed it three times, for all the times I slid backwards.

The ride down was a rush! I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it or not. It was much like going down snow hill. The only scary moment was when I was headed straight toward the photographer. The delegates had a blast. They were able to go down several times. We had a photographer who took pictures as we went down, and then also took some other shots at the bottom. Some of them turned out really cute.

We were able to watch the dolphins come in to feed tonight. Several of the delegation mentioned that they wished they were out doing the feeding again.

We’ll be sorry to leave Tangalooma tomorrow. It’s a great resort.

June 28 - Gold Coast/Moreton Island

2009-06-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

We said good-bye to our host families this morning. One farewell was especially touching. When one of the delegates was giving a hug to one of the little girls of the host family, the little just hung onto her tears rolling down her face. It brought tears to all of our eyes, too.

We were able to spend a little more time on the Gold Coast before catching our ferry to Moreton Island. We took the opportunity to go to Danger Point and stand on the boundary line of NSW and Queensland. We also took in a bit of shopping in Surfer’s Paradise before enjoying lunch at the Hard Rock Café. We had REAL ketchup at the Hard Rock; not that tomato sauce stuff they try to pass off as ketchup.

We had a little time to kill before we boarded the ferry, so one of the ferry employees organized a game of cricket. I was surprised at how well the delegates did. They had a great time, and were able to burn off a little energy.

The ferry to Moreton Island took about an hour and 15 minutes. As soon as we got there we were briefed on the dolphin feeding and were headed to the water. It was the most amazing experience! A pod of wild dolphins come into Tangalooma Resort every night, and people hand-feed fish to them. The employees on the island do research on them, and have them named. The dolphin I fed was Tinkerbell. She took the fish right out of my hand very gently. It was so neat! Tomorrow we’ll get to help with the studies.

This is a very nice resort. It is very family-friendly, with lots of activities available. The boys had a spirited basketball game before bed tonight. Tomorrow brings snorkeling and sand dune surfing.

June 27 - Gold Coast

2009-06-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

I spent the day with my host family, Coralie and Kevin Frances. We explored Mt. Tamborine and the Gold Coast. Mt. Tamborine has lovely little shops, and many artists selling their work. It was fun and relaxing to just browse through the village. We had lunch at a cute little restaurant on the main street. I had pumpkin soup with garlic bread. Yum!!!

Then, we took a tour of the Gold Coast. We started at the south end and worked our way up north. We stopped at several beaches along the way to get different perspectives of Surfer's Paradise. I loved every minute of it.

I got the opportunity to experience an Australian grocery store. The prices really blew my mind. A 24-pack of Coke was $24 Australian ((18.92 American) and Kleenex was $2.50 ($1.97) a box!

I've really had a great time with Coralie and Kevin. It felt a lot like home.

Tomorrow: on to Tangalooma.

June 26 - Byron Bay/Gold Coast

2009-06-27T04:48:00.000-07:00

Some of the delegation was awakened this morning by the sounds of the kookaburra. It sounds much like maniacal laughing. Some thought is was a monkey.

Of course the main topic of conversation was Michael Jackson's death.

After a terrific breakfast at the Opal Cove, we were back on the bus in anticipation of our home stay. When riding on the bus, we get to see many interesting things in Australia. Lauren is a wealth of information and she explains about the history and nuances of the places we pass through.

We're learning that Australians are fond of having "big" items to advertise their businesses. So, we've see the Big Oyster, the Big Banana, and the Big Prawn (it was a little scary).

We were excited today to see a group of a least 30 kangaroos sunning themselves on the hillside. I had spied a group of animals previously, but couldn't tell for sure what they were. We were beyond them by the time Lauren could check it out for me. But, when I saw this group she was able to identify them in time for the delegates to see them. I didn't have time to snap a picture, but we saw them nonetheless.We'll all be looking for future sightings.

We had lunch at a pizza shop in Byron Bay. Byron is the easternmost point of Australia and has a fabulous lighthouse. We weren't originally scheduled to visit the lighthouse, but since we had some time, Lauren arranged for us to drive up and spend some time there. Needless to say, it was a fantastic afternoon.

Soon it was back on the bus to cross into Queensland. We drove up the Gold Coast to meet with our host families. We had a barbecue at the municipal center which faced the skyline of Surfer's Paradise (that's really the name of the town!). It was illuminated and looked very beautiful reflected on the water.

We headed our separate ways to get to know our families better. We'll join back together on Sunday morning.

June 25 - Coffs Harbour

2009-06-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

Today we said good-bye to Sydney and began our journey to the north. It was a long day, mostly spent on the bus.

We stopped for lunch at a little shopping mall which gave us a chance to grab a bit, stretch our legs, and do a little shopping. We had food vouchers for the food court, so everyone had the opportunity to try something different or go for a local favorite. Some hit the Subway, some went for the Wok and Roll. Some decided to try an Aussie favorite: meat pies. Sweeney Todd aside, they were really good!The Ridgey Didge Pie Shop had a good variety of flavors. We also learned how to use the tomato sauce squeeze packets. Good fun!

We arrived at our hotel at Coffs Harbour shortly before dinner, and were pleasantly surprised. This was much different from the lodgings in Sydney. The Opal Cove is a full-fledged, beautiful resort. The rooms are spacious and bright, and the facilities are numerous. I think our room at the Ibis would fit inside the bathroom at the Opal Cove!

Dinner was a wonderful buffet of pizza, pasta and salads. And, after dinner there was time to swim in the pool or play in the game room. The hotel is on the ocean, but by the time we arrived it was dark, and we were told there was a strong rip tide, so we didn't venture toward the beach.

We're sorry we're only here for one night.

June 24 - Blue Mountains

2009-06-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Today we took a two-hour drive into the Blue Mountains, which are west of Sydney. The mountains get their name from the bluish color that comes from the eucalyptus trees. There are several spectacular views available, but we were there for only one: the view from the cliff for abseiling.

As we motored to the mountains, we ran into rain. The delegation leader part of my brain said, “It’s raining. How disappointing that they might not get to abseil.” The personal, old-person, side of my brain said, “It’s raining!! I won’t even have to think of abseiling!!” However, when we got there, the clouds cleared, as they have for us so far when we’ve been here, and we were gearing up.

The first order of the day was to have a session on the power of positive thinking. The Full On team has dynamic presenters and activities to prepare us for today’s adventure, and for other adventures in the future. We were ready for the next challenge.

We hiked a path to a spot where one of our guides demonstrated what we would be doing. He rappelled down a rock formation of about 30-40 feet, showing how to use the rope and his feet. It looked do-able. But I wondered how we were going to get to where he started. No worries, Mate. We were going to another location.

Fifteen or so minutes later we stowed our lunches and backpacks in a cave along the way, and about ten minutes later we arrived at the rappelling point. We stood at a spectacular vista of the mountains and valley, and a 200-foot cliff drop.

This was a lot more intimidating than the demonstration. Everyone was encouraged to push themselves a little past their comfort zone. The guides were encouraging, and also understanding that not everyone would be at the same level of comfort. Some of us went down the side, some of us pushed beyond our original fears, but chose not to go down the side. All of us realized a new strength within ourselves in how to overcome obstacles.

After a quick lunch, we hiked back up the trail for some team-building activities. As a team, they had to complete a maze without talking. I think that was a bigger challenge for some of them than going down a 200-foot cliff!

When we got back to the lodge, we learned more about being proactive rather then reactive and how positive affirmation helps us. They provided us with a great dinner, and we were on our way home.

On the way, we passed the ANZ stadium, site of the 2000 Olympics. It was a center of activity as all of Sydney was buzzing about the Point of Origin games being held. Last night was the second of a three game football match between Queensland and New South Wales. Apparently this is a pretty prestigious tournament. NSW lost the first match and needed to win tonight to keep their hopes alive. We tuned into the game when we got back to our hotel, and found the Aussie football is pretty brutal. No helmet, pads or huddles. Just run, get tackled and run some more. NSW put up a valiant effort but lost.

Tomorrow we’ll leave Sydney and begin our journey up the coast.

June 23 - Bondi Beach, The Rocks

2009-06-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

What a great experience! We spent the morning at one of the most famous beaches in the world! We awoke to a beautiful blue sky and headed for the beach. The “Let’s Go Surfing” pros taught us how to surf and we hit the water. The water temp was about 68 degrees. It felt terrific! Some of the delegates did pretty well, too. Some even managed to stand for a while on the boards.

The waves were wonderful and the water was so clear. There were some other surfers, and some joggers on the beach. But we had the water pretty much to ourselves. Again, people here thought we were crazy. They were wearing coats this morning and we were wearing shorts. Surfers were wearing wet suits, but I just had my regular suit on. (No, I didn’t surf. Didn’t want to show them all up).

After lunch we took a walking tour of The Rocks. The Rocks is where the first settlers established Australia. They have it’s a quaint combination of historical buildings, shops and restaurants.

We returned to Darling Harbor tonight for dinner. We were able to eat dockside at an Italian restaurant. Apparently it’s a very popular place, but we were there early and had great seating.

After dinner we took in a little shopping at the Harbourside Shops. We found some really great deals.

It was another early night for lights out. Tomorrow we have breakfast at 6;15 because we’ll make an early start for the Blue Mountains. It’s a two-hour drive, and it’s going to be a long day.

June 22 - Arrival: Day in Sydney

2009-06-23T06:27:00.000-07:00

After a few delays, we arrived safe and sound Down Under. The flight was fairly uneventful, save for the turbulence we hit about four hours out from Sydney, and the half hour circling pattern we had before we landed. Customs was a breeze, and we had the cutest little beagle sniff our luggage. Everyone’s luggage arrived, so we were off to a great start. We also received several compliments from other passengers and the flight crew about how well-behaved the delegation was on the flight, so we were very pleased.

We met our delegation manager, Lauren, and were off to see the sights of Sydney. Our first stop was the cricket stadium and field. We were able to tour the facility, then hit the world’s largest practice facility to learn the basics of the game. Throwing, or bowling as they call it, is not the easiest thing to do! Hitting is a little easier, because the ball bounces before you hit it, and the bat is wider than our bats. The delegates even got some good fielding practice by trying to catch pitches from the pitching machine.

We then headed to lunch on a cruise ship that cruised Sydney Harbor. This is such a neat experience because we have the opportunity to see Sydney from the water. When I did this cruise in the past, There were many people on the boat with us. Today we had the luxury of having the entire boat to ourselves! It was an unbelievable experience! The weather was perfect, too.

After the cruise we explored the famous Opera House. We even got to sing in the main performance hall. We sang the National Anthem, a challenging number, but never sung with more heart. It’s interesting that almost all of the Opera House is constructed with Australian materials. We also learned that it has recently gained World Heritage Landmark designation.

We quickly checked into the hotel and headed out again for dinner. We ate at a cute little restaurant on the wharf. We were seated upstairs and had a great view of the bridge while we ate.

It’s obvious that it is winter here, as it was dark by 5:30. It’s also funny to see everyone wearing coats and scarves when it’s 70 degrees.

Everyone was pretty tired by the end of the day, and it was a long one. Everyone had gotten some sleep on the plane, but even so, the body time is a little off. Some were asleep by 8:30.

The ability to call is a little awkward at this hotel. We’ll see if we can remedy the situation. If not, we’ll hope for better at the next one.

Tomorrow it’s off to the beach!

May 30 - Three Weeks and Counting

2009-05-30T12:32:00.001-07:00

We had our last orientation meeting today. It's hard to believe that at this time three weeks from now, we'll be on the plane, ready to take off!