Thursday, June 20, 2013
That's A Wrap
Four months have flown by so fast and it feels like just yesterday I was getting off the plane about to start my journey and now I am sitting in the airport about to go home. I would have to describe the moment as bittersweet because I do want to go home but I do not want to leave this beautiful city that I have fallen in love with. I have done so much within these four months and have appreciated all the emails and letters I have received since I have been here. Within these months I have been to the states of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria while also visiting the Northern Territories. I would suggest that everyone should come to Australia at least once in their lives, I am fairly certain this will not be my last time, and if anyone has any questions please ask!!! Overall this has been a great experience and I am so glad I have had the opportunity to study abroad in the land down under. This blondie's time in Aussie is officially over for now.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Go to Melbourne and You Will Realize How Close Antartica Is.....
My final trip of my time here in Australia was to Melbourne which is in the Southern part of Australia, and it is also soooo much colder than Sydney. We had a short time here so we booked two tours, one to Philip's Island and the other a trip along the Great Ocean Road.
Philip's Island
Philip's Island is known for their penguin parade, where at sunset hundreds of penguins come up to the beach to rest for the night. We started the day by going to a wildlife sanctuary where we got to feed Kangaroos, Wallabies, and see cute Koalas and Dingos. After, we made our way to the island to the Koala Conservatory where we got to see Koalas in their natural habitat. Right next to Philip's Island is Churchill Island where a small farm is still in operation today. On this island we got to see a sheep sheerer in action, learn how to crack a whip, and see cute Border Collies herd a few sheep. It was really neat to see all of these things on such a small island. After we made our way to the penguin center to eat dinner and get ready for them to come ashore. It was rainy and drizzly....it was slightly miserable, but that all changed when you could actually see the penguins come to shore. The best part however is when you can walk along the boardwalk and see these penguins up close going to their homes. This was one of the best tours I have been on in Australia because you got to see so much in a short amount of time.
(You could not take pictures of the penguins, so that is why there is none)
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is known as one of the most scenic routes in the world, it is also the largest war memorial as it was built to honor the Australian casualties from World War I. The highway wrapped along the coasts and we stopped at various lookouts, including a lighthouse for lunch where we could go up to the top and look around. One of the final stops is The Twelve Apostles, which are large rock formations that jet out from the water, but they won't be there forever because of erosion they will eventually disappear. So it was good I got to see them now.
Philip's Island
Philip's Island is known for their penguin parade, where at sunset hundreds of penguins come up to the beach to rest for the night. We started the day by going to a wildlife sanctuary where we got to feed Kangaroos, Wallabies, and see cute Koalas and Dingos. After, we made our way to the island to the Koala Conservatory where we got to see Koalas in their natural habitat. Right next to Philip's Island is Churchill Island where a small farm is still in operation today. On this island we got to see a sheep sheerer in action, learn how to crack a whip, and see cute Border Collies herd a few sheep. It was really neat to see all of these things on such a small island. After we made our way to the penguin center to eat dinner and get ready for them to come ashore. It was rainy and drizzly....it was slightly miserable, but that all changed when you could actually see the penguins come to shore. The best part however is when you can walk along the boardwalk and see these penguins up close going to their homes. This was one of the best tours I have been on in Australia because you got to see so much in a short amount of time.
(You could not take pictures of the penguins, so that is why there is none)
Great Ocean Road
The Great Ocean Road is known as one of the most scenic routes in the world, it is also the largest war memorial as it was built to honor the Australian casualties from World War I. The highway wrapped along the coasts and we stopped at various lookouts, including a lighthouse for lunch where we could go up to the top and look around. One of the final stops is The Twelve Apostles, which are large rock formations that jet out from the water, but they won't be there forever because of erosion they will eventually disappear. So it was good I got to see them now.
HAPPY BELATED FATHER'S DAY!!!
I did not forget!!! Just a lot of travels without access to my computer. So Happy Father's Day to the BEST Dad in the whole wide world!!
Do You Come From The Land Down Under??
The first thing many people think of when somebody mentions Australia is the Outback, and that is exactly where i went in early June. I signed up for a three day, two night camping tour through a local company in Alice Springs, and yes it was actual camping with me sleeping under the stars. I had never really camped before, but I felt that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
When we first got to Alice Springs we did not have much to do so we went to the local Reptile Centre where we got to hold lizards, snakes, and watch as an extremely large lizard crawled on the floor around our feet.
The first day they picked us up from our hostel at 6AM and started the 5 hour journey to Kings Canyon, which would be our first hiking location. The one thing that still amazes me about Australia is how close places look on the map and how far apart they actually are. We arrived around lunch time and started the 4 1/2 hour hike up and down the canyon. The hardest part of this three day tour was the canyon, especially how you get to the top. They call it Heart Attack Hill and it consists of 500 steps straight up a steep cliff. Once you got to the top the views were amazing and everywhere you looked huge sandstone structures could be seen. When we finished the hike we went to the first camp site where we would sleep for the night. The only toilet available was a bush toilet, which is basically a large hole dug and we made a fire to try and keep us warm. We were given sleeping bags and a swag, a heavy canvas with a thin mattress to keep you slightly off the ground. Sleeping outside was not that bad and even though it was really cold, we had to get up so early that I didn't really mind it.
The second day we made our way to Uluru, the largest rock in the world, and the symbol of the Outback. It was a lot of driving again to actually get to the location and once we got to the National Park we made our way to Kata Tjuta, the huge sandstone formations that are in Uluru's shadow. This hike weaved in and out around the sandstone mountains to two lookouts that had breathtaking views. The day ended with a Sunset view of Uluru. If you can only do a couple things in Australia, one should be viewing the sunrise and sunset from this rock. We were able to eat dinner as we watched, and took in all the views. That night we were able to stay in a larger camp ground and got showers and real toilets, an amazing sight after two days!
The third and last day of the tour was an early morning wake up to view the sunrise of Uluru and a base walk around the rock. Uluru is sacred to the Aboriginal people and there is an opportunity to climb to the top but they ask you not to and respect their beliefs. The base is 10.6km and we quickly walked around in order to start the long journey back. Before we got to Alice Springs we stopped at a camel farm where we could see camels, baby camels, and kangaroos. One of the kangaroos even had a joey with her which was amazing to see!!
Overall, the Outback was an amazing experience.
When we first got to Alice Springs we did not have much to do so we went to the local Reptile Centre where we got to hold lizards, snakes, and watch as an extremely large lizard crawled on the floor around our feet.
The first day they picked us up from our hostel at 6AM and started the 5 hour journey to Kings Canyon, which would be our first hiking location. The one thing that still amazes me about Australia is how close places look on the map and how far apart they actually are. We arrived around lunch time and started the 4 1/2 hour hike up and down the canyon. The hardest part of this three day tour was the canyon, especially how you get to the top. They call it Heart Attack Hill and it consists of 500 steps straight up a steep cliff. Once you got to the top the views were amazing and everywhere you looked huge sandstone structures could be seen. When we finished the hike we went to the first camp site where we would sleep for the night. The only toilet available was a bush toilet, which is basically a large hole dug and we made a fire to try and keep us warm. We were given sleeping bags and a swag, a heavy canvas with a thin mattress to keep you slightly off the ground. Sleeping outside was not that bad and even though it was really cold, we had to get up so early that I didn't really mind it.
The second day we made our way to Uluru, the largest rock in the world, and the symbol of the Outback. It was a lot of driving again to actually get to the location and once we got to the National Park we made our way to Kata Tjuta, the huge sandstone formations that are in Uluru's shadow. This hike weaved in and out around the sandstone mountains to two lookouts that had breathtaking views. The day ended with a Sunset view of Uluru. If you can only do a couple things in Australia, one should be viewing the sunrise and sunset from this rock. We were able to eat dinner as we watched, and took in all the views. That night we were able to stay in a larger camp ground and got showers and real toilets, an amazing sight after two days!
The third and last day of the tour was an early morning wake up to view the sunrise of Uluru and a base walk around the rock. Uluru is sacred to the Aboriginal people and there is an opportunity to climb to the top but they ask you not to and respect their beliefs. The base is 10.6km and we quickly walked around in order to start the long journey back. Before we got to Alice Springs we stopped at a camel farm where we could see camels, baby camels, and kangaroos. One of the kangaroos even had a joey with her which was amazing to see!!
Overall, the Outback was an amazing experience.
Monday, June 3, 2013
BLUE MOUNTAINS
In a surprise turn of events I discovered that Sydney is only an hour away from the mountains, which I don't think many people know. I also learned that it is about 15 degrees cooler in the mountains than the city and I was freezing the whole time I was there. The views there though were breath taking. It was a crystal clear day and you could see for miles. We stopped at several lookouts and then went to an area called Scenic World where you can take the steepest train in the world down to the bottom of the mountains and then take two cable cars to experience all the views. In the cable cars you can see the Three Sisters, which is a rock formation that has Aborigine significance. The legend is that three sisters were turned into stone by their father to protect them when he went off to war, and unfortunately he did not make it home so the three sisters sit on the mountain waiting for someone to turn them back into their human forms.
This trip involved an early morning and I was exhausted by the time I got home but it was very much worth it. This Thursday is my last day of class and school work in general. On Saturday I leave for the Outback where I will be camping, yes like actual camping, in the open and then on to Melbourne before I head home. I have so much to see before I leave and I am trying to make sure I see everything in time.
This trip involved an early morning and I was exhausted by the time I got home but it was very much worth it. This Thursday is my last day of class and school work in general. On Saturday I leave for the Outback where I will be camping, yes like actual camping, in the open and then on to Melbourne before I head home. I have so much to see before I leave and I am trying to make sure I see everything in time.
Easiest Way to Scare People is send them the picture above
The Three Sisters
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