Elmira College Australia Course, 2009

Uluru Sunrise

2009-05-23T15:45:00.001-04:00

Just before sunset Uluru looks brown and isn't the most miraculous thing you've seen, but as the sunset it all changes. Uluru becomes this amazing red color. Most memorable sunrise of my life!!

Ashley

2009-05-23T15:15:00.001-04:00

After Cairns we made our way out to Alice Springs, which is way out in the outback of Australia. We stayed in a place called Toddy's for two nights before we left on our camping trip. When we first landed the whole group walked into downtown Alice Springs to look into some of the shops. I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, which was opals. I talked to a guy who told us to walk behind our hostel and walk across the dry river to the casino and there we would find the best opal shop in town. We decided to venture off and we crossed the dry river (a river that flows underneath the surface) and managed to find the correct hotel. I found exactly what I was looking for there, not to mention quite a memorable adventure. We ate at Toddy's, which was actually really good food. I got chips (french fries to we Americans). Charlie became sick, so we had to spend the day touring around Alice Springs without him. We went to the Desert park, the Royal Flying Doctors Museum and School of the Air. The Desert Park was a lot of fun because we got to watch a bird show. The Royal Flyind Doctors Museum especially interested me because I am a nursing major and the Reptile place we went to after lunch was really interesting. We had another chance to hold some reptile wildlife there. The School of the Air is a mass public school catering to those children living in the outback. They are taught through webcam, e-mail, mail-in work and home schooling. It is a very fascinating way to teach children with the handicap of living miles apart. Here is a picture of me on Anzac Hill over looking Alice Springs and a picture of me in front of the Alice Springs Sign!!

Ashley

2009-05-23T15:04:00.001-04:00

In my last blog I talked about feeding a kangarro, but I couldn't get the picture to upload. So, now that I am back at school here is the picture!!!

Ashley

Sunrise at Uluru

2009-05-23T02:59:00.001-04:00

At first glance, Uluru doesn't look that red, more of an orange-red. But the second the sun comes up over the dunes, you can see a bright crimson red radiating from the rock. It was absolutly beautiful, and worth getting up at 5 am for.

Stephanie Hauck

New food from the bush

2009-05-23T02:56:00.001-04:00

Some new food that we tried on our trip. One is damper bread, which had rasins and syrup on top. The other was a variety of exotic fruits, such as papaya, amazon custard apple, bananas and pineapple.

(I do not know who posted this. --cj)

last day

2009-05-21T01:10:00.002-04:00

I cannot belive the course is pretty much over and that we will be back in the United States on friday night. Time has flown by really fast and it seemed like yesterday that we had just landed. Everyone has had a fantastic time down here and lots of memories have been made. This trip has been really special for me since its my last class before graduation. It was a fun way to end my college career.

(I don't know who submitted this post. --charlie)

fall in sydney

2009-05-21T01:08:00.001-04:00

When we first arrived in sydney it was at the begining of their fall and still really warm. Now that we have come back a few weeks later, its easy to notice the differences in temperature and daylight. Each of these has fallen considerably over the last couple of weeks but it is still very nice out compared to our winter time in the states which Australia is entering now. The leafs change colors as well here and it is really pretty in Hyde park. It reminds me a lot of the New England during our fall season.

(I don't know who submitted this post. --charlie)

last days

2009-05-21T01:04:00.001-04:00

The course has been an exciting time and opportunity for everyone involved. We have been enjoying our last few days in Australia and doing last minute shopping. Most of us are looking forward to going home and having the comforts of home but we will always miss Australia and the memories we have of this great country.

Ben

The Outback!

2009-05-21T00:39:00.002-04:00

In Alice Springs, we spent 3 days and 2 nights rustic camping in the Outback! We hiked through King's Canyon, Kata Tjuta, and Uluru. The first picture is of our group hiking through King's Canyon - it was so beautiful. The second picture is from the second day, a shot of Kata Tjuta before we hiked through the Valley of the Winds. The third picture is Uluru at sunrise - it glowed an amazing shade of orange! Definitely worth waking up at 5 am for.

- Jean

2009-05-20T23:01:00.002-04:00

I can't wait to see everyone in the States again, but I have seriously fallen in love with this continent. And while I have some sweet gifts and memories, there are a few things I'll miss from the trip:

-Delicious flat white coffee (Dr Jacobson, if you know where I can get an equivalent in the general Elmira area, let me know...!)
-The perfect banana bread from the Fat Possum Cafe
-Aussie humor
-The landscape, which is gloriously unique
-How easily I slid into each new place - given a day or so to figure out where I was, I started referring to where my bed was as 'home'
-Sydney harbor views - the bridge and Opera House never, never get old
-Signs painted on the crosswalks that say LOOK RIGHT so that we don't get flattened accidentally -- although I might get pegged by a car when I get back, since I'm so used to looking the 'wrong' way now :D
-Kangaroos and wallabies randomly frolicking around. They're as common as deer in the USA, but I want to sneak a mob home. Maybe Louis will loan me the use of his cargo pant pockets
-Aaaaand last but not least my roommates -- Kortney, Meghan and Louis for always causing mischief, and Brittany and Steph for being short-term fantastic.

Bridget

2009-05-20T22:53:00.002-04:00

Here's one of my pictures of Uluru at sunrise... we were all shivering and huddling about clutching tea and snarfing porridge before it got cold with our camping group, and then at maybe quarter after 7 AM the sun started rolling forward. The rock itself is much redder than this, and grew even more brilliant as the sky kept lightening, but I loved the blue of the sky -- it all but vibrated with color. One of the most beautiful moments of my life. The pictures don't do it justice!

(But I still think it's pretty!)

Bridget

2009-05-20T17:52:00.001-04:00

Uluru has a great importance to the Aboriginal people of the area. They used it for all parts of daily life, and consider it disrespectful to climb it. However, there is sometimes a climb open to tourists. While none of the EC students took advantage of it out of respect, there were some [tourists that were not EC students] that did. This is a picture of them climbing up the side of the rock.
-Louis

editor's note: The Anangu people of the region make jokes about the climbers. They say they look like 'little black ants' climbing an ant hill. --cj

2009-05-20T17:48:00.001-04:00

This rock, informally named "fooluru", is in reality much larger than Uluru on the surface. It is often mistaken for Uluru by passing tourists. Their heights are about equal, and its length is much greater than the more famous Uluru. However, it does not have the same significance.
-Louis

Crocodile at Reptile Centre in Alice Springs

2009-05-20T08:10:00.002-04:00

While at the Reptile Centre in Alice Springs I went down to see and underwater view of the crocodile pool. Once I walked down the stairs, the crocodile was waiting right there staring at me.

~Meghan

Out for a group dinner

2009-05-20T07:48:00.001-04:00

Kortney and I are all dressed up for a night out with the group at the Cock 'n Bull in Cairns.

~Meghan

Attempt at throwing a boomerang

2009-05-20T07:47:00.002-04:00

Here is my attempt at throwing a boomerang. I was able to have it come back on a returning path but it did not make it all the way back but it was a good try.

~Meghan

Feeding a Wallaby

2009-05-20T07:37:00.001-04:00

While at Rainforestation in Kuranda, we were given the chance to feed wallabies and kangaroos. I was apprehensive about feeding them on other occasions but decided to finally do it for the experience.

~Meghan

Sydney Aquarium

2009-05-20T04:48:00.002-04:00

Today, we had a free day in Sydney. I went to the Sydney Aquarium with Kortney, Bridget, Steph R., Meghan, and Ben. It was absolutely amazing! My favorite parts were the tunnels where you could walk underneath the water and see all the animals. Both pictures are from the Oceanarium section. The first is a giant sea turtle who was just hanging out right next to the glass. He was huge! The second is two of the many sharks who were in this aquarium.. so beautiful! And keep in mind that the curvature of the glass makes the animals appear 25% SMALLER than they actually are!

- Jean

A Balanced Uluru

2009-05-19T18:23:00.002-04:00

After a few attempts, Kortney and Steph were able to coordinate handstands in front Uluru just as the sun was about to set behind us.
-Louis

Students at Uluru

2009-05-19T18:16:00.001-04:00

One of the most important things about Uluru is that it contains a water hole in an otherwise very dry desert. When people were wandering, they would see the large rock and move towards it for the water. This is a group picture taken in front of the water hole on our final day of camping, during our two hour base walk.

Louis

Molly

2009-05-19T18:14:00.002-04:00

This is Molly, the beautiful black lab that we played with after our delicious lunch during our Billy Tea tour. She just wanted to lay around while we scratched her stomach. Bridget is the one sitting down petting her.

-Louis

Desert Park

2009-05-19T06:19:00.002-04:00

One of our activities in Alice Springs was going to Desert Park. Sadly, Charlie couldn't come, so here are some pictures! The first is of the landscape we walked through. The second are some gorgeous flowers that manage to grow even in such a climate. The third is an owl that we saw at the Birds of Prey show! He was right in front of me - so cool!

- Jean

More Photos from Fraser Island

2009-05-15T20:51:00.002-04:00

As I continue to sift through my files ...

These two were from our walks on Fraser Island. The first is the bark of a scribbly gum, so-called because of the unique designs cause by larvae below the bark.

The second is a tree in the rainforest. While I am a little wide, one can still see that this tree is huge.

--charlie

Parliament House

2009-05-15T20:45:00.001-04:00

Here are the two chambers of the Australian Parliament. The green chamber is the House of Representatives, and is the seat, in that the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is the Prime Minister, currently Kevin Rudd. The red chamber is the Senate, which functions much like the US Senate. The dynamics of Australian politics is much different than in the US, though. For example, while the US has only two political parties that matter, there are many in Australia, and any party that can get at least 1/8 of the vote in a state is guaranteed a seat in the Senate. So, the Senate and the House are rarely under the control of the same party or coalition.

One consequence of this arrangement is in progress right now. The Minister of Finance has submitted a budget that has made several groups angry, and so they are threatening to block the budget in the Senate. This will set the stage for a double dissolution, in which the entire government is re-elected. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

--charlie

Coal Mine Exhibit at the Blue Mountains

2009-05-15T20:38:00.002-04:00

At the conclusion of the Katoomba Falls walk, we spent a few minutes at an exhibit about an old coal mine. In the first photo, two students examine a coal car. The second photo is for my wife, who gets a kick out of stacks of rocks. Someone had stacked these three lumps of coal.

--charlie

A Few More Photos from the BIrd Show

2009-05-15T20:34:00.001-04:00

I took these at the Bird Show at Taronga Zoo, and thought they were nice.

--charlie

2009-05-15T05:59:00.001-04:00

While we were in Cairns we traveled up to Kuranda and went to a butterfly garden and a place called the Rainforest Station. I personally really enjoyed the butterfly garden, because I am big into photography so I knew that I could get some awesome pictures of the butterflies there in the garden. I was able to capture some really cool shots, however they are on my larger camera that I seem to have difficulty uploading pictures from here in Australia. I will post them up on the blog as soon as I can get them to upload properly. At the Rainforest Station we got to be up close and personal with some kangaroos which was a really cool experience. My favorite moment was when Jenny and I were walking along the path listening to the guide and happened to turn around at the same time to find a very large Roo creeping behind us. I wish I could get my pictures to upload to the e-mail so I could show you!!!

Ashley

what a difference a flight makes

2009-05-15T03:43:00.001-04:00

Going from Cains to Alice Springs is an eyeopening experience. The differences between the two are vast. Cains is a city on the water which gets a lot of rain during the rainy season and humid temperatures most of the year. Alice Springs on the other hand is very dry and arid and gets very little rainfall. There are also differences two in that their are more aborginal people in Alice Springs then in Cains which leads to more fences surrounding property's. This is to let the aborginal people know what is private and what is public. Aborginals tend to be nomads and this is part of the reason why the fences are put in place. Both of these cities have their charm and it has been a fun experience in each place.

Ben

Masked Lapwing

2009-05-15T03:13:00.001-04:00

This bird is a masked lapwing. It ranges throughout the subtropics and tropics of eastern Australia. I photographed this one on the esplanade at Cairns, where it was after the bit of orange rind seen to its left. Like many large birds, the lapwing has adapted to urban life.

--charlie

A Lizard in the Daintree

2009-05-15T03:11:00.001-04:00

This water dragon was one of two that posed very nicely for us as we walked in the Daintree rainforest.

--charlie

Our Daintree Tour Guide

2009-05-15T03:08:00.001-04:00

Here are two photos of our guide for the Daintree tour, John. In this first photo, John is preparing our scrumptous buffet lunch. In the second, he is inviting the students to sample several exotic fruits.

--charlie

Mud Flat Photos

2009-05-15T03:04:00.001-04:00

I took these photos when the weather finally got a little sunnier.

The first photo is of a couple of mudskippers, or Australian lungfish. These fish have rudimentary lungs and can move about on the land using their flippers, These two were in the middle of a territorial dispute when I took this.

The second photo is an ibis. Many water birds forage on the mud flat at low tide.

The third photo was taken a little later, near high tide. I include it just because we should have at least one photo of a sunny Cairns!

--charlie

The Butterfly Sanctuary

2009-05-14T05:37:00.002-04:00

When we went to the butterfly sanctuary, I will be honest I was not expecting it to be so beautiful and I wasn't expecting to see so many very gorgeous butterflies. I got some lovely photos of some really fascinating butterflies.

Brittany

The Daintree River Ride and some scenic lookout pictures

2009-05-13T06:42:00.001-04:00

Meghan and I on the boat on the Daintree river and some really beatuiful pictures of lookouts along the way home. The picture of Louis, Meghan, Bridgit and Kortney says it all for how beautiful it was.

Brittany

Pictures of Cape Tribulation

2009-05-13T06:33:00.002-04:00

Photo 1: Rachel Plass and Stephanie Reynolds on Cape Tribulation.
Photo 2: A good solid reason why we could not enjoy the ocean at Cape Tribulation.
Photo 3: This kangaroo did not want to share his lunch.

by Stephanie Reynolds

A Free Day in Cairns

2009-05-13T06:30:00.001-04:00

On one of our free days, Louis and I went parasailing, then Stephanie R., Torrie and Ben tagged along to watertube--it was a cloudy day but the stormy weather had no ill effect on an awesome ride for all!

Brittany

2009-05-13T06:18:00.001-04:00

this is the most photographed road sign in Australia according to our tour guide. Apparently the artist did this design, and the sign was stolen so he had to go back and re-design it. After this, his design was seen on t-shirt designs and in other places. He sued be stealing his artwork, and ended up not only losing the case but also being charged with defacing public property. It's a cool design though.

-Louis

Decorated Cuppa

2009-05-12T21:46:00.002-04:00

I ordered a cup of flat white (coffee with milk) at Cafe Kuranda while we were waiting to get into the Butterfly Sanctuary, and this lovely design showed up on my cup. Just a bit of silliness to share with you.

--charlie

Estuarine Crocodile

2009-05-12T21:44:00.002-04:00

This is the larger, 'saltwater' crocodile found in the tidal creeks in tropical north Queensland. This one, on display at Rainforest Station, is about 5 meters in length. Saltwater crocs will eat humans, and there is the occasional drunken idiot who goes wandering by the creeks, never to be seen again.

--charlie

The Demon Swamp Wallaby

2009-05-12T21:39:00.001-04:00

This is one of the most deadly creatures in Australia. Their eyes shoot out laser beams, and they have enough venom in one bite to vaporize all life on earth. I cornered this one on the boardwalk at Rainforest Station. Just as he was about to strike, I offered him a bit of carrot, and he settled down right away.

--charlie

Freshwater Crocodile

2009-05-12T21:36:00.001-04:00

This is one of the smaller freshwater crocodiles found in the rivers in Australia. At 2 meters, this guy is very unlikely to attack humans, as he could not eat us. Thjis one is on display at Rainforest Station.

--charlie

Eastern Water Dragon

2009-05-12T21:35:00.002-04:00

This fellow is on exhibit at the Rainforest Station. He's also known as a goanna. --charlie

Tree snake at Rainforest Station

2009-05-12T21:33:00.002-04:00

This non-venomous tree snake was wandering about free at Rainforest Station. He is being held by the tail by our guide.

--charlie

2009-05-11T03:46:00.004-04:00

Today in Cairns, we went to Kuranda. While we were there, we went to a butterfly sanctuary and the rainforestation. We saw many different kinds of butterflies. Most of them were hard to get pictures of, though. When we were at the rainforestation, we threw a boomerang, learned how to playa didgeridoo and throw a spear. We also got to watch some traditional aboriginal dances. Two of us got up on stage and learned the dance. Stephanie H added her own attitude to the dance. I had some trouble doing the shake a leg dance. It was a great experience though.

Kellie Davies

2009-05-11T03:46:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, we went to the Great Barrier Reef. Everyone went out and snorkled. Most of us took the chance to go scuba diving. The breathing took some getting used to, but once I was under the water it felt more natural. I saw many fish on the coral. I got to touch a giant clam, and I fed a sea turtle. We also found Nemo!

Kellie Davies

2009-05-11T03:45:00.001-04:00

One of the most cultural, and interesting things that we did today was go on a dreamtime walk through the Rainforest station. It started off with an aboriginal dance performance. There was a didgeridoo player, and percussionist and four dancers. Each of the dances was done for a different purpose, ranging from harvest dances, to warrior warning dances. It was interesting to see how they incorporated the purpose into the dance. An example was during the Kangaroo dance, the performers acted like kangaroos, along with other symbolic dance moves. Kellie and I even went up and learned a dance called the "Shake-a-leg". It was pretty easy, and amusing for the audience. Another interesting part was we all got to throw a boomerang. It was really cool to actually see the boomerang get thrown, and most of them came back. I can just imagine how funny it would be for all of us to practice our throwing skills on Carnegie lawn. Overall, the dreamtime walk was the best part of my day in Kuranda.

Stephanie Hauck

2009-05-11T03:36:00.001-04:00

While in Magnetic Island, we went to a koala sanctuary. We all had to opportunity to hold a koala. Most of us took this chance, and we were very excited. The koala didn't smell as bad as people told us he would. It was one of the cutest animals ever.

Kellie Davies

2009-05-11T03:01:00.002-04:00

This picture was taken during our tour of the rainforest station. we had a few kangaroos following us around the whole time. Here, Bridget is feeding one.

2009-05-11T02:59:00.001-04:00

This is a picture of dingo tracks on one of the beachs of Fraser Island.

- Posted by Stephanie Reynolds

Posts

2009-05-11T02:54:00.001-04:00

This picture was taken during our tour of Fraser Island. Kortney Robinson'09 and Stephanie Reynolds'10 are doing handstands on the Eastern Beach of Fraser Island.

- Posted by Stephanie Reynolds

Sand Dune on Fraser Island

2009-05-11T02:53:00.002-04:00

During our tour on Fraser Island, we had the opportunity to climb a sand dune which had a very steep incline. The pictures do not do justice for this adventure. The picture is of Steph, Steph, Louis, Jean and Bridget climbing up. However, the real fun came into play as we headed down the dune :-)

Kort

2009-05-11T02:52:00.001-04:00

During our tour of the rainforest, we saw many interesting plants and were actually able to take the old army duck boat into the water. On our way back to the rainforest station, we broke down twice and had to wait for another duck boat. This is a picture of us climbing out of the first, broken down one out into the rain to wait for other transportation.

-Louis

Bike Ride

2009-05-11T02:47:00.002-04:00

On our free day in Hervey Bay, Steph R, Jean and I rented bikes for the day. We rode over 40 km on a bike trail along the coast from 8am to 4:30pm. During the day, we also walked out onto a long pier, spent some time relaxing on the beach, went to an Italian restaurant for lunch, shopped at some cute stores and had gelato (ice cream). It was a wonderful day, as we were able to see much more of Hervey Bay than we would have been able to without the bikes.

Kort

Free Day at Hervey Bay!

2009-05-10T04:36:00.001-04:00

On our free day at Hervey Bay, Kortney, Steph R. and I decided to rent some bikes from the hostel. We rented them around 9 am, and ended up being gone until dinner! After a few mishaps with Steph's bike we finally got going. There was a bike trail that ran along the beach and through a shopping section of town. Beautiful views! We stopped briefly to have lunch, do some shopping, and walk down the pier. All in all, we ended up biking 40 km in one day! The first picture is us walking down the beach during our break - we saw lots of little crabs! - and the second picture is of Kortney and Steph biking on our triumphant return to the hostel. :)

- Jean

Fraser Island

2009-05-10T04:28:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since Fraser Island, but this is the first time I've had the opportunity to upload any pictures! The fact that Fraser Island is made of sand is really awesome when you get to see the plants and animals that live there. We were really sad that we didn't get to see any dingoes.. Oh well. This is a picture of a huge sand dune that our guide said we were free to climb, but it would take about ten minutes.. I'm pretty sure we were up there in less than 3 minutes! And once we decided to come down, it was even quicker than that. General consensus: Fraser Island was awesome.

- Jean, Rachel, & Torrie

The Curtain Fig Tree

2009-05-09T22:11:00.001-04:00

This tree is an amazing natural work in progress. It's a strangler fig enveloping not one but two hosts -- and there are four more trees in the vicinity that will someday be engulfed by it. I wrote a little more about strangler figs in my journal at http://chazjac.blogspot.com.

--charlie

Curlew at Magnetic Island

2009-05-09T22:08:00.002-04:00

This was one of a pair of birds that lived nearby the apartments we stayed in at Magnetic Island. They are a little scary, and actually chased one of the students when he got too close. They are an endangered species.

--charlie

More from the Koala Sanctuary at Magnetic Island.

2009-05-09T22:03:00.001-04:00

I had mentioned in my journal at http://chazjac.blogspot.com about the rock wallaby attacking my shoes. One of the students has another photo of this rascal pestering me. so perhaps we'll upload that, too.

Tony the tour guide appropriated the hat from one of the Germans on the tour and plopped it on the koala's head. One could alomst hear the koala saying 'I hate Qantas!'

That's a blue-tongued lizard held by one of our students. Australians frequently joke about how creative they are with the common names they give to animals.

--charlie

Great Barrier Reef Photos II

2009-05-09T21:56:00.002-04:00

The sun came out long enough for us to have some very nice opportunities at the Michaelmas Cay. The fish are again the common wrasses and damselfish that populate the reef. The giant clam is over a meter across.

--charlie

Great Barrier Reef Photos I

2009-05-09T21:51:00.001-04:00

These are some shots of wrasses and damselfish on the Great Barrier Reef. I was very lucky to find a submersible camera bag into which I could put my old digital camera and get these shots.

--charlie

Cairns

2009-05-09T21:03:00.002-04:00

Cairns is a beautiful city in the tropics. Right now we have had a bit of bad luck with rainy weather but when the sun does choose to shine it is beautiful. One of my favorite places to go by far is along the Esplanade, which is like an amazing boardwalk style street that is lined with shops and places to eat. It's nice to know that the people here are used to rain, because even when it rains everyone is still out and about and shops are waiting for you to straggle in and buy something. It truly is a wonderful place that I will miss when we leave.

Brittany

Esplanade in Cairns

2009-05-09T20:37:00.001-04:00

On our first night in Cairns, Dr. Jacobson walked down the Esplanade with some of us and told us some things about the area as well as the animals! This was his warning to us!

Kort

(editor's note: They students told me to pose this way. I rarely yell at them. --cj)

Great Barrier Reef

2009-05-09T06:27:00.002-04:00

Today, we took the Passions of Paradise boat out to the Great Barrier Reef for some underwater adventures. As i'm sure everyone on the trip knows by now, i am not a huge fan of water. I was very nervous today, mostly because I didn't know what to expect and i didn't know what things i would see. The first sight was a good place to start. I saw lots of parrotfishs, damelsfish and interesting coral. The color of the fishes were so bright i could hardly take my eyes off of them. I was glad that we did the Reef Teach the night before, because it helped me figure out what animals i saw seeing. And with the help of some fellow classmates, i did pretty good for my first time snorkeling. The second sight was a bit rough, so that was a little harder for me. Usually, i would not dare go into water that rough (again emphasizing my fear), but i was so excited from the last sight that i knew i had to try. I stuck close to the instructor at the begging and then ventured off with other classmates. Things were a bit harder to see, but it was worth it. I'm so glad that this was a part of this class, because i learned a lot about marine life, the uniqueness of Australian animals, and how strong i can be to overcome my fear. It will truly be an experience i won't soon forget.

Stephanie Hauck

Photos

2009-05-08T00:31:00.002-04:00

The first picture is Middie the wallaby, whom followed us at the wildlife park at Magnetic Island, right now he's pestering me.

The second picture is Barney the Koala with a hat on.

- Posted by Stephanie Reynolds

Magnetic island

2009-05-07T01:29:00.001-04:00

This island was by far my favorite location in australia. We arrived and I knew that this was going to be my favorite stop. It reminded me of a carribean island. I said to myself "am I really on a school trip or is this just a holiday". After getting settled in our apartments we went on a tour of the island which was really nice. Absolutely beautiful landscape. I realized during this tour that I had not had any alone time since the start of the trip. I told my roomates that I was going for a walk and not to worry. I walked down to the beach right down from the apartments. It was amazing to sit there and think while the sunset. It was probably the best thing I could have done for myself. I could use that alone time again because this morning my memory card got erased with the mistake of pressing a wrong button on my camera. Atleast I brought two cameras so I only lost pictures that can be replaced with the stealing of other peoples pictures off facebook. Luckily I actually have two memory cards for my canon xti. Which I have gotten some amazing pictures with.

On our free day ten of us chose to go horseback riding. I set up our little adventure because I am a horseback rider. It was by far one of the coolest things I have done. The guide and I were on horses that love the beach. (my horses name was mischief to give you an idea) well our two horses wanted to run so we ended up in a full gallop racing down the beach. I can honestly tell you that galloping down a beach on the waters edge was the most amazing feeling and rush.

Ashley

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Strangler Figs

2009-05-06T04:00:00.002-04:00

Magnetic Island has been amazing so far. There isn't a lot to do in the town, but i think that it is a nice place to walk around and explore. One of my favorite parts is looking at the scenery, especially the stragler figs. I think that these trees have a very interesting process of growth. I love to see the progression of how the roots grow from the top of the tree. The roots remind me of a maze, and i like to trace the roots back to their origin. I have enjoyed learning about their purpose, and their growth along with seeing how they grow.

~ Stephanie Hauck

An echidna

2009-05-06T02:48:00.002-04:00

This fellow was at the Bungalow Bay Koala Sanctuary, where I got a few nice photos of him. An echidna, like a platypus, as an egg-laying mammal, a monotreme. Echidnas eat ants and termites, using their tongue to raid hills and mounds much like an anteater.

--charlie

On the boat to Fraser Island

2009-05-05T21:08:00.002-04:00

Once arriving in Hervey Bay, we took a day long tour to Fraser Island. Here is a picture of Brittany and I on the boat to Fraser Island, enjoying the breeze and scenery.

~Meghan

Holding a Python

2009-05-05T02:46:00.002-04:00

That's me with the python. This was taken at the Bungalow Bay Koala Sanctuary.

Someone was working the camera while I played with the snake. It was very playful and friendly, but perhaps a little tired after being held by so many folks before me.

--charlie

Holding a Cockatoo

2009-05-05T02:42:00.002-04:00

Stephanie feeds a black cockatoo at the Bungalow Bay Koala Sanctuary. She is holding the sunflower with her lips, so it looks like the bird is giving her a kiss. I suppose that one of the students will upload one of me doing the same.

--charlie

Holding a Koala

2009-05-05T02:39:00.001-04:00

Louis holds a koala at the Bungalow Bay Koala Sanctuary. This was a little unusual in that most sanctuaries only let tourists hold females, but we were holding a male today.

--charlie

Holding a Crocodile

2009-05-05T02:37:00.002-04:00

Jennifer enjoys holding a baby estuarine crocodile at the Bungalow Bay Koala Sanctuary. In the wild, this three-year old will eventually from to be five meters long or more.

--charlie

Lake Mackenzie

2009-05-05T02:31:00.002-04:00

The stduents are enjoying a splash in Lake Mackenzie, a perched lake on Fraser Island. The water is crystal clear and acidic enough to prevent fish from spawning. It's about as pristine as one finds. This was in the late afternoon, shortly before we left the island for the day.

--charlie

Feeding Rock Wallabies at Alma Bay

2009-05-05T02:28:00.002-04:00

Though shy, these cute creatures will come up to us for food. They are used to being fed, which has created problems for population managment for the island rangers.

--charlie

Sunset rainbow at Fraser Island

2009-05-05T02:25:00.002-04:00

As we left Fraser Island, we had a few sprinkles, but as the sun dipped below the clouds in the western sky, we were treated to this lovely rainbow!

--charlie

A Cane Toad

2009-05-05T02:23:00.002-04:00

Cane toads are an introduced species that is invading many parts of Australia and appears to be unstoppable. It has no predators, as anything that attempts to bite it gets a does of venom that is quite lethal. I should point out that if one leaves them alone, they are not aggressive.

This one was outside our rooms at the Hervey Bay YHA. There were several around.

Bored on the Train?!

2009-05-05T02:12:00.002-04:00

They don't look so bored to me! :-)

--charlie

2009-05-04T06:14:00.002-04:00

We have just arrived on Magnetic Island. I could feel the change in the weather. We are in the tropics definitely. To get to this island we first took a overnight train, then a coach, and then a ferry. The train was very interesting. Three people shared a room, and three beds folded down from the wall. The most interesting part was getting down from the top bunk. Once on the island, we took a bus tour. We got to see wild kangaroos! One of them had a Joey in its pouch! It was adorable. We are all looking forward to holding koalas tomorrow. Some of us are going horseback riding in the bush and on the beach Wednesday. It should be very exciting!

Kellie

Train ride

2009-05-03T07:41:00.001-04:00

Here we sit bored on the sunlander train. The cars are on the smaller side. Actually small is an understatement it is three people to one itty bitty berth. It is an interesting experience which will not be forgotten. As a side note you are not supposed to use the toilets when at a train station because whatever is flushed is left at the trainstation on the tracks. I apologize if that is too much information. I just found it very interesting. We are headed to townsville which is where we will catch a ferry to magnetic island.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Fraser island

2009-05-02T22:53:00.001-04:00

Today we are traveling from Hervey Bay to Magnetic Island via the sunlander train which will be quite the experience since I've never been on an overnight train.

Fraser Island was beautiful. I got to put my feet in the pacific ocean which was one thing on my bucket list. We didn't see any dingoes but we did see paw prints which was neat. The bus we were in was an experience in itself because it was an 18 ton 4 wheel drive bus. Huge and very bumpy. However it created a rocking effect because the only roads were sand or the actual beach. The rocking effect put us to sleep like little babies. On our free day a few of us went down and spent the day on the beach which was amazing. Our hostel was really nice a favorite so far.

I cant wait to have our free day on Magnetic Island because ten of us are horseback riding which involves riding bareback in the ocean. As a horseback rider I can not wait! Excuse the quality of the pictures these were taken from my camera on my phone.

Ashley

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The View from the Memorial

2009-04-29T16:59:00.002-04:00

This clear view goes right to the Parliament House in the distance, so that the lawmakers will always have an opportunity to think about the sacrifices the troop might have to make.

--charlie

A Memorial to the Turks at Gallipoli

2009-04-29T16:56:00.001-04:00

This is amazing to me. This memorial honors the Turkish soldiers against whom the Aussies fought in the WWI Battle of Gallipoli. It would be like the USA putting a memorial to the Viet Cong on the National Mall. I do not know that I would welcome that, but this shows how big the Aussie heart can be.

--charlie

On top of Parliament House

2009-04-29T16:54:00.002-04:00

Our tour guide Irina is explaining the layout of Canberra to the students.

--charlie

2009-04-29T04:25:00.002-04:00

We are in Canberra, the nations capital right now. Everything closes at 5:30 pm here, so getting food at night proves to be a challenge. However, we found a really cute place called the Pancake Parlour tonight which is where the pictures are from. Today, we toured the War Museum which was quite moving, the US Embassy and the Parliament House. I learned a lot and enjoyed myself. Tomorrow we fly to Brisbane and then take a bus to Harvey Bay. We will be in the tropics then!!! :-) I am looking forward to the warm weather!

-Kort-

Australian War Memorial

2009-04-29T03:30:00.001-04:00

Today we went to the Australian War Memorial. The whole place was very beautiful and had a great view of Canberra. I learned a lot about the Australian war efforts.

-Kellie Davies

2009-04-28T07:18:00.001-04:00

(the previous email about the wishing tree was from me)
-Louis

This is a picture taken on our second day in Sydney, right after we went to the zoo. We decided to go up to the Opera House to see it up close, and the girls all had to touch it and get their pictures taken.

2009-04-28T07:16:00.003-04:00

On our free day we walked around the gardens in Sydney. This picture shows us walking around the wishing tree. We had to first walk three times around it forward, then three times backward. After that we made a wish. My wish was for the Cubs to win the series, but Charlie informs me that taking pictures of the tree might jinx the wish. I assume that someone took a similar picture and made the same wish in the early 1900's. This was a beautiful day, and afterwards we went to the opal museum and walked around the business district before have a group dinner at night.

--posted by Louis

2009-04-28T07:11:00.001-04:00

Saturday, we went to the Taronga Zoo. It was so much fun - we were just like six-year-old kids. While we visited some other sections, the Wild Australia part of the zoo was where we spent the most time. We saw everything from kangaroos on a "walkabout," to a platypus playing in some bubbles, to dingos relaxing in the shade. Rachel is still adamant about wanting to keep a dingo. I find the kangaroos cuter; one picture is of a sleeping kangaroo we saw, who clearly could have cared less about us being there - he didn't even move from his nap. The other picture is of a sea lion from the aquatic section of the zoo, after we saw a seal show. It was so neat to see seals and penguins from an underwater viewpoint!

(I don't know who posted this --cj)

2009-04-28T07:07:00.002-04:00

A view days ago we went to the Blue Mountains. The views were breath taking. The hike was a little cold, but it was worth every second. A few of us stayed later than the rest of the group, and we hiked another part of the mountains by ourselves. At one point, we were on a bridge with a view straight down to the bottom. It was amazing. We learned about many new plants while we were on our hike. We also learned about how the Blue Mountains were formed. Parts of the mountains falls off because of water trapped in the stone. This was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life.

Kellie Davies

Our Trip So Far: Sydney

2009-04-28T04:51:00.002-04:00

My experience in Australia has been amazing thus far. Sydney is beautiful. It reminds me a lot of New York City, which I love to visit when i'm home, except it's much cleaner and more interesting. I loved all of the attractions around the city, like Circular Quay, The Harbor and The Rocks, the botanical gardens and of course the Opera House. One of my favorite experiences was taking a run through Hyde Park. I took the side roads and saw a lot of pretty fountains and landmarks. I also enjoyed looking at the people, and how they spent there time in the park. I felt so at home there, and would have loved to just lay out in the grass on a nice, sunny day. Another favorite experience I had was talking to the local Aussies. We both had a lot of good questions for each other about the different cultures, and I learned so much about Australian culture through these encounters. I can't wait to continue meeting and talking to people to get different persceptives of this wonderful country. Ok bye for now!

Stephanie Hauck

Australian Words

2009-04-28T04:49:00.001-04:00

So here are a few Australian words that we have learned so far!

Toilet/Dunny - Bathroom
Fer dinkgum - for real
Jumper - Sweater
Lift - Elevator
Manky - Disgusting
Salad - refers to vegatable toppings
Bloke - a man
Sheila - a girl
Fisty Cuff - a fight
Jackaroo - Cowboy
Jillaroo - Cowgirl
The bush - the country side

(I don't know who posted this --cj)

ANZAC Day and a Blue Mountain Cliff

2009-04-28T03:18:00.002-04:00

A picture of me and Charlie supporting Australia's ANZAC day and a really cool photo of a natural stone formation in a cliff at the blue mountains supposedly of a witch's face. Enjoy!

Brittany V.

Sydney

2009-04-27T23:06:00.001-04:00

Hello all

So far this trip has been amazing and we have only been here for a few days. I'm sure the other members of the course have given the information as to what we have done but I will refresh your memory. The first day we went to the Hyde park barracks which was really cool and as we were jetlagged surprisingly kept our attention. The highlight of this museum was laying in the hammocks that were replicas of the beds of the convicts. After lunch we went the Australian museum which was nice because our guide was an aboriginal woman that gave a nice insight. For dinner a group of us went down to the harbor and ate which was cool to see the opera house and bridge at night.

Saturday was anzac day so we watched the parade which was nice. We were able to see the pride Australians have for their country. We then went to the toronga zoo which was a lot of fun and we got to see a koala which is the cutest animal ever. I want to find a way to bring one back to the states. A few of us met some Australian army guys which provided some nice and colorful conversations about American govenment and culture.

Sunday was an amazing day because we took a train out into the blue mountains. It was beautiful. Words can not explain the beauty of this region.

Monday was a free day. A small group of us went to the botanical gardens and ended up distracted by a grassy area overlooking the harbor and the opera house. We all went out to dinner at the australian hotel which was really nice. Wonderful pizza.

Today we are traveling to canberra to see parliament and the embassy. It is going to be cold which I am not looking forward to. Oh well the tropics will come soon enough. Ill keep posting.

Ashley Hemphill '12

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Australia-Sydney Experience

2009-04-27T17:49:00.002-04:00

So, we are leaving for Canberra today, and the last 4 days here in Sydney have been almost magical. For a city this is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I could definitely see myself living here forever! =) There is so much more to Sydney though than just the usual sights, it is clean and bright and fun, and the best part is the people here are friendly and willing to simply have a conversation with you. My favorite part of this city thus far is Hyde Park, it's the most beautiful and serene place with landscaping to make any landscaper in America jealous. I cannot wait to return here. Hopefully I will be able to post pictures soon!! Stay tuned.

Brittany V.

For My Lovely Wife ...

2009-04-27T17:20:00.002-04:00

I thought seeing a picture of my wife's favorite flower growing at the Botanical Garden would be nice. The day lilies are fading here as they head into autumn, but these were still in blossom.

--charlie

Flying Foxes at the Botanical Gardens

2009-04-27T17:17:00.002-04:00

This is a huge colony of fruit bats that inhabit the more southern portions of the garden. They spend the day flying from tree to tree and squabbling noisily over space on the branches. They feed at dawn and at dusk. They eat fruit and blossoms, so that they are just a pest to the orchardists and gardeners. They do not eat insects and do not drink blood.

Because of the noise and mess, some people want the staff of the Gardens to force the flying fox colony to relocate. So, these may be the last photos I get of them.

--charlie

Students at the Botanical Garden

2009-04-27T17:13:00.002-04:00

They were out enjoying the Gardens on their free day. It's a very popular place to picnic and relax.

--charlie

Bird at the Botanical Garden

2009-04-27T17:10:00.001-04:00

I confess that I do not know what this is. It appears to be some sort of swamp hen, but I'm not sure. Anyone who knows should please leave a comment.

--charlie

Zoo

2009-04-27T03:33:00.002-04:00

We went to the Zoo on Saturday and it was incredible. First of all, the Taronga Zoo is located beautifully so that one has a full view of the opera house and the harbor bridge. We took a nice ferry ride to get to the zoo which was quite enjoyable. I loved all of the Australian animals that we observed; such as the koala, kangaroo, wombat and platypus. We went to an incredible bird show as a class that truly exemplified the skill of the trainers. Ashley and I spent almost the entire day walking around and enjoying the zoo!

Kort

Magpie along the Walk

2009-04-26T18:15:00.002-04:00

This magpie was following us, hoping for a crumb or two; it probably gets fed well by the tourists on this walk.

--charlie