Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Another Great Day!
Day 19 July 10th
Today we woke up at 7:30 had breakfast at 8:30 and loaded the coach at 9:30. We first went to the Botanical Gardens in Cairns. We walked through the rainforest boardwalk and saw many interesting trees and plants. We saw tropical and equatorial plants as well as orchids and lots of exotic species of plants. We then drove 45 minutes to the Rain Forestation National Park where we had a build a burger lunch that the kids really enjoyed. We then tried our hand at aboriginal painting some with more success than others. We then watched aboriginal tribal dances from the Far North Queensland. From there we saw a demonstration on how to throw a boomerang and then we got to try to throw one for ourselves, some boomerangs came back and others were lost in the forest. After throwing the boomerangs we got to watch a demonstration on how to play a didgeridoo’s, it was very interesting to see and then we tried it out for ourselves. We saw how they threw spears. That was amazing that a little spear could go that far. We then got on a amphibious vehicle which took us through a guided tour of the rainforest where we saw many dangerous plants as well as plants that people used for medicine. It was amazing to go from driving on land then right into the water. It was very exciting and educational. After the ride we had a chance to eat ice cream and take a break. Then the most exciting thing of all we got to have our picture taken with a koala. Each one of us was able to hold the Koala which was soft and cuddly. They took our picture and we will be taking that picture home. The day even got better when they let us into an area where we were able to pet and feed kangeroo’s and wallabies. We had another exciting surprise. A mother koala had a baby a few months ago and it was awake and walking around. It was truly amazing. We then had dinner at the park and was entertained by an Australian Bush Dancer. We thought we were done but he made us get up and participate in the most fun and crazy dances ever. We had another great day. We are now back at the hotel and finishing up our journals and preparing for our final day in Australia tomorrow.
Another Great Day!
Day 19 July 10th
Today we woke up at 7:30 had breakfast at 8:30 and loaded the coach at 9:30. We first went to the Botanical Gardens in Cairns. We walked through the rainforest boardwalk and saw many interesting trees and plants. We saw tropical and equatorial plants as well as orchids and lots of exotic species of plants. We then drove 45 minutes to the Rain Forestation National Park where we had a build a burger lunch that the kids really enjoyed. We then tried our hand at aboriginal painting some with more success than others. We then watched aboriginal tribal dances from the Far North Queensland. From there we saw a demonstration on how to throw a boomerang and then we got to try to throw one for ourselves, some boomerangs came back and others were lost in the forest. After throwing the boomerangs we got to watch a demonstration on how to play a didgeridoo’s, it was very interesting to see and then we tried it out for ourselves. We saw how they threw spears. That was amazing that a little spear could go that far. We then got on a amphibious vehicle which took us through a guided tour of the rainforest where we saw many dangerous plants as well as plants that people used for medicine. It was amazing to go from driving on land then right into the water. It was very exciting and educational. After the ride we had a chance to eat ice cream and take a break. Then the most exciting thing of all we got to have our picture taken with a koala. Each one of us was able to hold the Koala which was soft and cuddly. They took our picture and we will be taking that picture home. The day even got better when they let us into an area where we were able to pet and feed kangeroo’s and wallabies. We had another exciting surprise. A mother koala had a baby a few months ago and it was awake and walking around. It was truly amazing. We then had dinner at the park and was entertained by an Australian Bush Dancer. We thought we were done but he made us get up and participate in the most fun and crazy dances ever. We had another great day. We are now back at the hotel and finishing up our journals and preparing for our final day in Australia tomorrow.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Remember to meet your kids at the Airport.
Great Barrier Reef July 10th
To all the families,
Today I woke up with the anticipation of swimming in the Great Barrier Reef. I have always heard about the GBR in the news and from school. It’s so massive that one can see the GBR from space. I learned that the GBR is actually not one singular reef but a collection of over 2900 smaller reefs; an interesting fact for sure. Anyway, the weather was not the greatest; cloudy skies with a forecast for a light shower and winds of 20 knots (about 22 mph). I remember our bus driver said that at 25 knots, snorkeling is an activity involving the ingested of copious amounts of salt water through a big straw. I knew it was a joke but it made me somewhat anxious about the trip. This bus driver, the one we had when we first arrived in Cairns, was nowhere to be seen when the bus arrived at the resort. I saw that we had a new bus and driver, whose name is Andrew. He’s definitely not as talkative as Daniel, our previous bus driver, but his bus is amazing; leather seats and blue night lights are a big plus. Upon arrival to the reef terminal, we waited as we received our boarding passes and I took a good look around. Our boat is a twin hull boat, designed to ride on top of the water in order to cruise at high speed across the open waters. Unfortunately, as I later learned when I and my peers boarded the ship, the high speed skimming of the ocean water also means the ride was very turbulent and bumpy. I don’t normally get seasick, but I did not feel 100% during that trip. However, some friends and I discovered some fresh air out on the top deck of the boat and passed our time having the wind blow our hair backwards on the top deck.
In the middle of the ocean, I saw a singular white platform amongst a sea of brown, green and blue. I soon realized that this was the platoon from which we were to snorkel from. It’s a rather large platoon and it was nice and comfortable, complete with a buffet line and bar. Of course, we were only allowed to have cokes or water. Since I was in the second snorkel tour group, I spent my first half hour eating from the buffet line. One of the things I saw was that the wetsuits they provided covered one’s body entirely, complete with a sort of helmet/head cap that made everyone look like black or blue ninjas. It was rather hilarious. But, I had to don one myself and I walked on over to the side of the platoon and got my flipper on in preparation for the snorkel tour. It was an amazing one indeed. I saw all sorts of corals and marine life. One of the most interesting types was a coral that had little tentacles that drew back inside when you touched it. Our snorkel tour guide put his hand on the coral and a small hand print was left on the coral. I even got to touch some of the soft coral and they felt like furry sponges. It was an interesting sensation. Once the tour was over, I couldn’t wait to get back in; however, there was a semi-submersible tour leaving about 10 minutes after my snorkel tour ended. The semi-submersible granted an impressive view of the GBR through thick glass panels at the bottom of the boat. In my opinion, being able to snorkel and get up close and personal with the marine life is a much better experience than viewing it through a window, albeit it is much more comfortable and certainly much less wet. When the semi-submersible came back to the platoon, I immediately embarked on my own snorkel tour with some friends and tried to look for some fish. We didn’t find a whole lot but it was nice to swim around the platoon. I had my picture taken though, which made the short second trip worthwhile. Our day ended with a dinner at a restaurant named after Red Ochre. Apparently, red ochre is a type of rock used by native Australians in a time long ago to make cave paintings and such. Back to dinner, I was treated to a delightful kangaroo sirloin dinner. It definitely didn’t taste like chicken, but rather more like a beef steak. It was nice and rare and was coated in a spicy BBQ sauce. I can now add kangaroo to the list of animals that I have eaten. After such a long day, I am glad to be back in the resort and type up this little endeavor for everyone.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Cairns and the crocodile Farm
Day 18 July 9th Friday
We began our day with a 5:30am wake up call. We had breakfast at 6:30 boarded the coach by 6:50 heading to the airport. We arrived in Cairns at 12:30pm and went to lunch at a wonder pizza and spaghetti house. We then took a scenic drive around Cairns where we saw fruit bats hanging from the tree tops in very large numbers. We then had a wonderful 45 minute drive to the crocodile farm and on the way we saw sugar cane, wallabies, scenic rainforest and the mountain double island where the rich and famous stay for 20,000 dollars a night. ( we are not sure why we were not staying on that island). At Huntley’s Crocodile farm we were amazed at the prehistoric bird called Cassowary—look it up it is amazing!! Then we planted trees in the rainforest as a service project and as we were planting we noticed green ants on the leaves and decided to live the aboriginal lifestyle and pick the butt off of them and eat it. They say it tastes like citrus. Most kids loved them. We then went into the petting area where we were able to feed, pet and hang out with the wallabies and Koala’s. They were so adorable. The koala was sitting in a tree eating a leaves. So cute!!!!! We then got on a boat and did a cruise around a manmade swamp lagoon which was filled with crocodiles. We watched them feed the crocodiles chicken heads. The crocs jumped way out of the water to get the chicken heads. Very exciting. We then drove back to Cairns for an elegant dinner on the water of Cairns Harbour. The students are now at the resort where they got to choose their roommates for the last 4 nights on this amazing adventure.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
We are in Cairns
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Sydney Opera House and Surfing At Bondi Beach
Day 17 July 8th
Today we got to sleep in until 7:30 am we had breakfast in the hotel and we were off to the Sydney Opera House. On the way there we had a tour of historic buildings and parks in beautiful Sydney. We had a one hour tour and they described how the opera house was built, designed and paid for. We also got to hear an orchestra practice in the largest concert hall, the acoustics were incredible. We had the opportunity to take some wonderful pictures outside the opera house as well as the Harbour Bridge. We then loaded the bus for a 20 minute ride to Bondi Beach. We all got into wet suits and had lessons on the beach then we ventured into the ocean for some surfing. Even though it rained it didn’t dampen our spirits it just added to the incredible surfing experience. We are all going to take up surfing in the states when we get back. Tonight we are having dinner at Darling Harbour in Sydney and then a little shopping time for anyone who still has money left. We will be flying to Cairns tomorrow.
A Wonderful Day in Sydney
Day 16 July 7th
After a great night sleep at the beautiful Menzies Hotel we had a wonderful breakfast and loaded the bus for the town of Katoomba. Once there we went to the amazing Blue Mountains. We boarded Katoomba Scenic Railway, the steepest incline railway in the world. An incline of 52%. We were all amazed at the beautiful mountains. It is like the Grand Canyon but filled trees, rainforest and sandstone. Once off the railway we hiked into the 180 million year old rainforest. It is indescribable. (See Video) We then took the skytram back to the top. We had lunch at the café in the Blue Mountains and then we on our way back to Sydney. We then went to the opal factory where we learned that Australia mines 95% of the gem quality opals in the world. They show us an opal worth 1 million dollars. The most valuable black opal in the world. We went back to the hotel and changed for our 2 hour private Sydney Harbour dinner cruise and dance. The kids had an awesome time. To finish off the evening we had a wonderful 30 minute walk through Sydney back to our hotel. They are now tucked in for the night so they can be fresh for surfing Bondi beach tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
First Day in Sydney
We landed in Australia at 10:30 am Tuesday. We were greeted by our delegation manager Zach and bus driver Ray. We then drove around the beautiful city of Sydney. We stopped for lunch at the Olympic Stadium and ate in the beautiful park. We then learned the game of cricket where the students had the opportunity learn skills and play a game of cricket. We then toured Anz stadium which is the Olympic Stadium. We got to go onto the field as well as stand on the medal stand which were from the 2000 Olympics games. We toured the locker rooms and warm up rooms. From there we went to our hotel in Sydney which is incredible. It is very posh. At 6:00pm we meet Zach and walked to dinner on the circle quay which is on the harbor and allowed us to see the Sydney Opera house and the Harbour Bridge. After dinner we took a beautiful night walk and saw the city lights and learned more about the city.
We are back at the hotel and the kids are swimming and having a great time. Just a side not: as we excited the plane the crew said to the leaders that these kids were the best group they have ever had on their plane. They were polite’ quite and very well behaved. Yeah!!!!
Tune in tomorrow of our trip to the Blue Mountains and much more!!
Monday, July 5, 2010
We are at the airport Tuesday July 6th
Connie
Home stay experience by one of our ambassador
To all of the families back home:
My name is Darwin Nelson and I come from a simple family. I am glad to have met the Rasmussens, my home stay family. When I first came off of the bus into the frigid air to unload suitcases from the bus, the lady I first met was so kind and welcoming. I did not know then that would be Mrs. Rasmussen herself. I assumed that she couldn’t be since I figured it was unlikely for me to stay with the home stay director. As I waited for the first names to be called off, I became dismayed when the first five boys’ home stay families had not yet arrived. These poor souls were relegated to stand in the “homeless” corner in front of the bus. I felt a little better when finally Aaron, one of the other boys, actually had his family arrive on time. As my name is called, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had the director as my home stay family. I didn’t mind personally, as I could tell from my first impression that she was a very kind lady. Her son, Ryan, was tall and quiet. After the half hour we waited for the other families to arrive, Mrs. Rasmussen, her son and I drove back to their home in a city, which I cannot spell correctly. Their home had a very modest front yard, so modest that they posted red reflectors, or cat’s eyes as they’re sometimes called, on their mailbox to make it easier to find their entrance in the dead of night.
The home was well lived in, with various trinkets and objects scattered about the living room. The boys Ryan and Michael, 15 and 17 years old respectively, had many toys. And by toys I mean the good ones; they had a racing seat for games, a large flat screen for their Xbox 360 and Modern Warfare 2. What I liked personally was their cute little cat. I have one myself. After the father Steve and Michael came home, the family treated me to a dinner at a Thai restaurant. The food was amazing and they graciously offered to pay for my share of the bill. We then packed our things and headed off to Hampton Downs, where the family has an apartment rented adjacent to the Hampton Downs race track. Of course I asked why and the father has a race on Sunday. I was impressed; rarely do I see actual racecar drivers. Upon arrival, I could barely make out the racetrack through the fog, but I had to prepare for bed. But, I watched a classic James Bond movie (The Man with the Golden Gun) with my family before so.
The next day, Saturday, the family took me out to a nature walk in a park, which has a name that I cannot recall. I saw a model dam used in the olden days and went up a hill to a location called “Outlook 76” and I was treated to an amazing view of the Mountains, Forests, River, and… a very large power transmission tower. The tower was an eyesore but the pictures I took look great. We went back down and shopped around the street venders in downtown Thames. I wasn’t too interested in any of the merchandise but the mother bought some cheese for cooking later that night. When we got back to the apartment in Hampton Downs later that night, I had some cheese crackers and soup for dinner with the family. We watched another movie (Employee of the Month) that night. I loved that movie and had a great many laughs with the Rasmussens.
Race day, Sunday, came cold and foggy that morning. I had some cereal with Ryan and Michael. When the fog began to clear, Mrs. Rasmussen, Ryan, and I went down to meet Michael and Steve who were already in the pit stop. As I stood out in the cold and watched them change tires on a car, the announcer came on and stated that the next will start shortly. Mrs. Rasmussen, her son and I went over to an outlook and watched as Steve went round the corners. He didn’t win the first race, but after we went back inside to keep warm we saw he had won his last one so he came home in a happy mood. I loved how one of the races included 30 go-karts going like 150 mph around the racetrack. They definitely were making some noise on that track! We had a quiet dinner and we all went to bed.
The next morning, I had to say goodbye to the Rasmussen and I left them a small memento of my stay so they won’t forget about me. And I definitely won’t forget about them. I miss the Rasmussen already and it’s only been a few hours. I hope everybody else does too.
We are heading to the airport tomorrow and flying to Australia. I will write the blog ASAP. I don’t know about internet access yet. I will call my husband and have him email all of you when we arrive or Marlene will post it on the blog.
We will talk soon
Connie
Sunday, July 4, 2010
July 5th Leaving our homestay
All students are back on the bus and are heading towards Auckland to pick up Priya and Connie from their homestay. We will then tour around Auckland and be able to shop for awhile. We will be at the Kingsgate Hotel in Auckland tonight and then leave for Australia tomorrow. I will try and blog from the hotel and let you know how their homestay experience was. It is very rainy, windy and cold here. It is about 49 degrees here 21 celcius. Have a great day in the States.
Connie
Blog from a New Zealander
With cooking and tasting a variety of NZ food in the kitchen their taste buds have been challenged, and set on fire and new experiences had by all.
Thank you so much for this opportunity and we look forward to hosting again and exploring our country with you. We are sad to see Connie and Priya go.
Thanks Phoebe.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Home stay experience by one of our ambassadors
Homestay from a delegate:
Today I got to sleep in!! I woke up at 8! YES! Breakfast was pancakes made by my homestay mother, Sarah, which were flat and super delicious. Lemon and sugar taste good on pancakes, surprisingly. I learned that from our other family members, Phoebe and Lachlan. They also have an adorable black Lab named Benson, who rocks. After breakfast we packed our beach bags and drove to three different car wrecker shops to find New Zealand license plates, which Connie collects. We ended up with eight of them. Then we drove to a beautiful beach with black sand and walked around, climbed rocks, and picked up shells. It was so cool! The sand was fine and really black, embedded with the kind of shells you see in the movies and in overpriced souvenir shops. Benson had a blast splashing through the water, too. After the beach we had lunch, which was composed of Crunchie bars (chocolate-covered hokey pokey), pineapple lumps (chocolate-covered pineapple deliciousness), L&P (iconic NZ soda that tastes like sweet Sprite). After that we went home and had a real lunch, though. L & P It was still tasty. After our proper lunch we relaxed a bit at home and played Band Hero. Then we got to visit the dairy farm their family owns for the daily milking of the cows. I was envisioning a lone man plunging at cow udders, but instead there was this massive rotating device that the cows got on, had things attached to their udders, and were fed in the front. It was really cool and efficient, too. We also visited the calving area, which was full of sweet baby cows, and the family’s pet reindeer named Patty. I got to feed a reindeer! Then we drove off to a natural geothermally heated pool and had an evening soak, which was very relaxing, before heading home for dinner. It was a pretty awesome day! I hope everyone else is having just as good of a time with their homestay families!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Rotorua New Zealand July 2nd Friday
We had breakfast in the hotel. Put our luggage on the bus and then we walked to the marina where we boarded a boat for Mokoia Island. We had a guided tour of the island where we learned about plants and their medicianal value. We also learned about the forklore of the Maori people. They got to see the torture stone. Some students walked through the geothermal bath called Hinemoa. We also tried some bread and dip made from the kawa leaves. We boarded the boat and went back to Rotorua where we had high tea at the blue bath house near the museum. Then we went shopping and then we gave the students an opportunity to zorb. Many students got into the giant ball and rolled down the hill with 3 other kids in the ball. They had a great time. We are now in Hamilton and each student is going to their homestays. They will be there for 3 days. Good news I have internet but I am not in contact with your children but I can tell you all of them are now with their families and they have my number if they need us. They were all happy and all the families seem wonderful.
Connie
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Rotorua New Zealand
Today we ate breakfast at the Full On Tui Ridge where we spent the night. We left for Rotorua which was a one hour drive. We went to the city council of Roturua. Where we sat in the council chambers and discussed cost of living, educational cost, imports and exports and we learned the 2.5 percent of the milk produced is consumned by new Zealand and the other 97.5 percent is exported. We then went to the Rotorua Museum where we learned more about the Maori people and the original bath house. We also experienced the earthquake and volcanic eruption of 1887. We then went to the Skyline Park, where we took the gondolas up the mountain to a spectacular view of lake Rotorua and it was breathtaking. We had lunch and tasted our first pavolova in New Zealand. After lunch we had the opportunity to luge the mountain. The students had a wonderful time. We then went to Waimangu which is a volcanic valley where geothermal activity can be witnessed. We touch water that was 118 degrees. We then went to the bubbling mud waters and saw mud squirt up into the air. We then celebrated Jeannette Arrabit 16 birthday. Finally we arrived at the Millennium Hotel and are about to have dinner. Tomorrow we will begin our homestays. I may not have the opportunity to blog for 3 days so don’t worry your kids are safe.
Connie Laura Brian Gay