tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19132862535598616302024-02-20T11:50:53.123-08:00EC Australia, 2012Charlie Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01897882368205710757noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-5873383289639609162012-05-27T22:13:00.001-07:002012-05-27T22:13:42.453-07:00<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2FqONfTcKXg/T8MJhtBL0-I/AAAAAAAAAag/43JXVHnQzvM/s1600/DSCN5207-722454.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2FqONfTcKXg/T8MJhtBL0-I/AAAAAAAAAag/43JXVHnQzvM/s320/DSCN5207-722454.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747448024079782882" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IYptcVhE1sI/T8MJh_LgWFI/AAAAAAAAAao/Pikqot3M124/s1600/DSCN5208-723470.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IYptcVhE1sI/T8MJh_LgWFI/AAAAAAAAAao/Pikqot3M124/s320/DSCN5208-723470.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747448028954908754" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZdwjK4I1CU/T8MJiJZxUxI/AAAAAAAAAa4/sSWbYrZGGeM/s1600/DSCN5209-724452.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZdwjK4I1CU/T8MJiJZxUxI/AAAAAAAAAa4/sSWbYrZGGeM/s320/DSCN5209-724452.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747448031699096338" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhpRVgmEFpA/T8MJiaMnuOI/AAAAAAAAAbE/HLSHwnUUG7I/s1600/DSCN5210-725789.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WhpRVgmEFpA/T8MJiaMnuOI/AAAAAAAAAbE/HLSHwnUUG7I/s320/DSCN5210-725789.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747448036207343842" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H51VLNLKB7M/T8MJixfjYVI/AAAAAAAAAbM/px6UObdOzA0/s1600/DSCN5211-726952.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H51VLNLKB7M/T8MJixfjYVI/AAAAAAAAAbM/px6UObdOzA0/s320/DSCN5211-726952.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747448042460766546" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yHv65IIbOs8/T8MJi0b6h-I/AAAAAAAAAbc/DSkmP4Gjgbw/s1600/DSCN5212-727929.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yHv65IIbOs8/T8MJi0b6h-I/AAAAAAAAAbc/DSkmP4Gjgbw/s320/DSCN5212-727929.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747448043250812898" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SEZ_C4xC_lY/T8MJjbunqqI/AAAAAAAAAbk/KfuwVMvor1Y/s1600/DSCN5213-729503.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SEZ_C4xC_lY/T8MJjbunqqI/AAAAAAAAAbk/KfuwVMvor1Y/s320/DSCN5213-729503.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747448053798251170" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-GIUozL0pg/T8MJjgfrUxI/AAAAAAAAAb0/mUmY27N42XY/s1600/DSCN5214-730342.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-GIUozL0pg/T8MJjgfrUxI/AAAAAAAAAb0/mUmY27N42XY/s320/DSCN5214-730342.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747448055077753618" /></a></p>Billy tea! Our visit to the Daintree forest was amazing! All the fruits we got to enjoy that we have never tried before, mostly because some are not available in our grocery stores at home, such as dragon fruit, star fruit, sour sop, etc. Sour sop was my personal favorite! It was delicious and so unusual. Watching Finn make billy tea was also quite the experience; however, trying damper, a delicious bread made with fruits and nuts, was my particular favorite. It was very delicious as well. So many good tastes of unique food! What a great experience all together! <div> <br></div><div>Mayumi W-B</div> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-64352198099754274742012-05-27T21:57:00.001-07:002012-05-27T21:57:57.846-07:00Lyre Bird in the Blue Mountains!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZmZ2_CJkSA/T8MF1tdYA3I/AAAAAAAAAYo/PcWREw7HeGo/s1600/DSCN3712-777847.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bZmZ2_CJkSA/T8MF1tdYA3I/AAAAAAAAAYo/PcWREw7HeGo/s320/DSCN3712-777847.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747443969748894578" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evm8RV1cWt0/T8MF17iMIQI/AAAAAAAAAY0/Xux-Q84P6dA/s1600/DSCN3713-779313.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-evm8RV1cWt0/T8MF17iMIQI/AAAAAAAAAY0/Xux-Q84P6dA/s320/DSCN3713-779313.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747443973527183618" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jvz6YfZxdes/T8MF2N2xtKI/AAAAAAAAAZA/b7z0gVysnxo/s1600/DSCN3714-780892.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jvz6YfZxdes/T8MF2N2xtKI/AAAAAAAAAZA/b7z0gVysnxo/s320/DSCN3714-780892.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747443978445370530" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G_zrr5eqtDI/T8MF2b1bo0I/AAAAAAAAAZM/LQ2tXuk2eVk/s1600/DSCN3715-781772.JPG"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G_zrr5eqtDI/T8MF2b1bo0I/AAAAAAAAAZM/LQ2tXuk2eVk/s320/DSCN3715-781772.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747443982197826370" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vaz_hB0pf-8/T8MF2oFvtWI/AAAAAAAAAZY/nR_QmF1v87g/s1600/DSCN3716-782622.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vaz_hB0pf-8/T8MF2oFvtWI/AAAAAAAAAZY/nR_QmF1v87g/s320/DSCN3716-782622.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747443985487476066" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-500TJrxuG4M/T8MF3Nv15-I/AAAAAAAAAZk/O8uBpKrFlL8/s1600/DSCN3717-783453.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-500TJrxuG4M/T8MF3Nv15-I/AAAAAAAAAZk/O8uBpKrFlL8/s320/DSCN3717-783453.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747443995596154850" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r7McPR24Vis/T8MF3f3EhSI/AAAAAAAAAZw/OcA9OJ2eb2U/s1600/DSCN3718-785147.JPG"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r7McPR24Vis/T8MF3f3EhSI/AAAAAAAAAZw/OcA9OJ2eb2U/s320/DSCN3718-785147.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747444000458310946" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xrkCCFqK04k/T8MF3t59MZI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/v9QzIV4Hmls/s1600/DSCN3719-786172.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xrkCCFqK04k/T8MF3t59MZI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/v9QzIV4Hmls/s320/DSCN3719-786172.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747444004228510098" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B564TIIiteo/T8MF3q2laAI/AAAAAAAAAaI/yvfhWZKUeI8/s1600/DSCN3720-786915.JPG"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B564TIIiteo/T8MF3q2laAI/AAAAAAAAAaI/yvfhWZKUeI8/s320/DSCN3720-786915.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747444003409061890" /></a></p>At the Blue Mountains, after a long day of hiking, we finally saw one! A Lyre bird! This ground dwelling Australian bird is very unique! They mimic natural and artificial sounds they hear through out their environment! They have very unique plumage on their tale feathers as well! Also used for the purpose of attracting a mate! These birds have been known to mimic other birds and even car alarms! We saw a male lyre bird. You could tell by the tale feathers.<div> <br></div><div>Mayumi W-B</div> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-45523664266863180482012-05-27T16:20:00.001-07:002012-05-27T16:20:30.116-07:00Canberra<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
[May 1, 2012]</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
We took a bus from Sydney to
Canberra.<span> </span>This was a fun experience
because it allowed me to see the area between the two cities and compare the
trip with the train from Sydney to the Blue Mountains.<span> </span>While in Canberra we visited the Parliament
House and learned about how the Australian government has parallels with both
the United States’ and England’s governments.<span>
</span>We also learned that the green and pink color scheme chosen for the
House is based off eucalyptus trees and a specific variety of flower.<span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
Next we spent time at the US
Embassy and learned what duties they have towards American citizens.<span> </span>I learned that if I lose my passport I need
to go to the US Embassy to get it straightened out so I can arrive safely back
to The States!<span> </span>They also offered us some
very valuable information on a variety of internships and positions that are
available through the government that would allow students to spend time in
Embassies in other countries!</div>
Our last evens of the day involved
the ANZAC Parade and touring the War Museum.<span>
</span>Observing the ANZAC memorials gave me a further understanding of the
pride that Australians feel for their country.<span>
</span>Additionally, it was an excellent illustration for the various battles
that Australians fought in.<span> </span>The entire experience
was very humbling.<span> </span>At the War Museum, we
were able to learn about specific details from battles.<span> </span>We saw a laser show that told the story of an
individual fighter plane in battle!<span> </span>Our
group also got the privilege of staying for the closing ceremony.<span> </span><br />
<span>Kaitlyn Sterlace </span>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-72833665833491414802012-05-27T16:19:00.000-07:002012-05-27T16:19:02.738-07:00Blue Mountains[April 28, 2012]<br />
We traveled from Sydney to the Blue
Mountains by train.<span> </span>On our trip there we
were able to see the difference between the main city (Sydney) and the suburban
and rural areas.<span> </span>While in the Blue
Mountains we hiked for a few hours and got to see different viewpoints of the
rock formation “The Three Sisters”.<span> </span>This
was also where we first heard about the plants in the Australian Bush that need
to burn in order to grow and flourish.<span> </span>I
learned about the four different types of forests present in the bush,
including hanging swamps and rainforests.<span> </span><br />
<span>Kaitlyn Sterlace </span>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-26303859572644713702012-05-27T16:17:00.002-07:002012-05-27T16:17:35.511-07:00Sydney<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
[April 26, 2012] </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
After arriving in Sydney after our
extremely long & exhausting trip, we started our day immediately.<span> </span>First we went to the Hyde Park Barracks and
learned about the convicts that were sent to Australia and the type of work
they were made to do.<span> </span>We also learned
that they were punished for the strangest crimes including “wig stealing”!
After that we visited the Australian Museum which was our first taste of
aboriginal culture.<span> </span>We learned about
their style of art and how each picture tells a story! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
The next day we spent at the Sydney
Aquarium and at the Taronga Zoo.<span> </span>At the
aquarium I learned that some scientists in Sydney have been tracking individual
sharks from satellites to tell where they have traveled over the course of a
few years.<span> </span>While at the zoo we got to
see this amazing bird show that provided us with valuable information on many
different birds!<span> </span>I learned that one
species uses a rock to break open an ostrich egg!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">
Kaitlyn Sterlace </div>
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</div>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-9941221067089992662012-05-27T13:09:00.001-07:002012-05-27T13:09:36.512-07:00Great Barrier Reef<div>
May 10th: Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef was harder (and
saltier) than I though it was going to be! The first Island that we were
dropped off at was a bird sanctuary... I never really though that I
would have to walk out to the reef, it was so close. The first drop off
was the hardest. Now, I had snorkeled before all be it in my pool... but
the essentials I knew. The trickiest part was keeping the snorkel out
of the water while trying not to kick the coral and trying to get the
water out of the mask... it was a challenge to say the least. I didn't
expect I was to have that much trouble with it... but I also didn't
believe that the second stop would be in the middle of the ocean. The
water looked deeper than it was (and it was cloudy) so I was suprised
when the boat stopped and people were putting on gear! It was fun
jumping off the boat and into the waves, though they are bigger when
you are in the water. This was the best stop because I felt there was
more to see and it was fun surfing the tops of the waves. Some of the
coral were really bright greens and I even saw some pinks. This day also
helped us with our paper topic on the reef.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
-Abbie Austin'15</div>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-69230339051802036142012-05-27T13:06:00.003-07:002012-05-27T13:06:42.776-07:00Lone PineMay 3rd: This day was one of the most suprising days of the whole trip.
We went to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. Sure, when you think
of "Koala Sanctuary," one only thinks about Koalas, but there was SO
much more there. One of the first things we did was feed the Kangaroos.
When I think about feeding animals, I always remember them being behind a
fence and my hand streching between the bars. In the Kangaroo
enclosure, they were all around you. The animals, both Walllabies and
Kangaroos (and an Emu) could wander around the huge pen at their
leisure. All of the creatures I approached weren't intimidated and
didn't run at the sight of me. I loved being inches from one of
Australia's most recognized icons! Seeing all the Kangaroos on the
postcard didn't do them justice. It was great to reach out and touch
their rough fur and their feet are SO much bigger in person! I also got
the opportunity to hold a Koala and get a picture with it. It was a lot
heavier than I expected, but it was cute the way the arms grabbed my
shoulders... it seemed perfectly at ease.<br />
Abbie AustinLynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-18277178613224965552012-05-27T13:05:00.003-07:002012-05-27T13:05:44.750-07:00Bridge ClimbApril 29th: On our FIRST free day in Sydney, a small group of us
previously planned to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Having booked
this day in advance, I was really looking forward to it; to be able to
say that I climbed a landmark in Sydney that not many other people have
gotten the chance to is amazing. Looking at the bridge from the harbour,
the height didn't intimidate me. But actually getting there was the
hard part. The "stairs" were more like ladders; I was gripping the rail
with white knuckles! Especially to hear and see the fast moving traffic
feet from you made my heart race. I was glad that I could share this
experience with my friend Erin, though not all of us got on the same
tour. Though my legs were shaking at the end, standing at the top made
it all worth it.<br />
Abbie AustinLynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-23357836777499350422012-05-27T13:04:00.001-07:002012-05-27T13:04:13.307-07:00Parliament House<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"> [May 1, 2012]</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Hey
everyone, while in Canberra this week we took a trip to the Parliament
House and learned about their government. We learned a lot that day
about how their government was formed and how it works today. Australia
took ideas from America and Brittain's government and put together their
own government by combining the two. One thing I noticed in the house
of senate and house of representatives, was there was Australia's coat
of arms in both rooms. I thought this was interesting because there is a
kangaroo and emu on it because these two animals cannot move backwards.
This was used to symbolize how the government should always be moving
forward.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Brianna Bender </span></span></span>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-31062709069058438662012-05-27T13:02:00.001-07:002012-05-27T13:02:38.352-07:00Great Barrier Reef<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">[May 10, 2012]</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">G'day
everyone! This past Thursday we got an early start to head over to Reef
Terminal to get our sea legs on and go explore the Great Barrier Reef.
After a two hour ride the boat stops and we all suited up in our stinger
suits, masks, and flippers and away we go to an island. Once another
smaller boat drops us off on the island we are free to go! As soon as I
stepped in the water I immediately saw some fish that blended into the
color of the sand. From there as I kept swimming toward the boat into
deeper water,I saw so many fish and coral along the way. One memorable
moment I had was when I saw these bright colored parrot fish feeding off
the coral. It was amazing to watch and get on video because I could
hear their mouths chomping down under water from a good distance away! I
saw so much while snorkeling, here's a list of things I saw to get an
idea of all the animals I saw: butterfly fish, angel fish, parrot fish, a
turtle, surgeon fish, brain coral, lunar coral, and stag horn coral.
I'm so glad I got a chance to do this once in a life time experience!!
:) </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif;"><span style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Brianna Bender</span></span></span>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-76177128057891755262012-05-27T13:01:00.001-07:002012-05-27T13:01:33.214-07:00Camping Experience[May 20, 2012]<br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">G'day
from Sydney! Hey everyone, so we arrived back in Sydney on Sunday after
one heck of a camping trip. We left Alice Springs bright and early
loaded up in the van and drove for about 7 and a half hours until we
finally arrived out in the middle of no where (literally!). Although I
think we all were scared about sleeping in just sleeping bags and swags
we made it! I really enjoyed the star talk Charlie gave us the first
night- there were so many stars visible and I even saw a couple shooting
stars. When Cooper got us up at "stupid o'clock" as he liked to call it
we jumped right into the days activities. We did a lot of hiking the
first day, and we learned a lot about Australian history. One thing I
thought was really cool was the ipy ipy plant that could be used as a
liquid band aid. While it may not seem like a big deal since we have
this now, the Australians discovered this 30,000 years ago. Over all I'm
glad I pushed through these long jam packed days because the view from
the top of the mountain was absolutely beautiful! I think it's safe to
say our first rustic Australian camping trip was a success! :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Brianna Bender </span>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-53532494627551363492012-05-27T12:58:00.001-07:002012-05-27T12:58:20.815-07:00Great Barrier Reef[May 10, 2012] <br />
Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef was amazing!!! Saw the most colorful
fish and saw all types of coral, it was such an amazing experience. The
first spot we went to was a lot calmer Abbie Austin and I saw a giant
clam and it was so neat to see!! The water was so clear and we could see
everything. We took some good pictures and we all looked great in our
stinger suits!! Had a very exciting day especially when the wave crashed
on all of us who were sitting up front of the boat on the way back to
shore!! I will snorkel the Great Barrier Reef again!!<br />
<br />
Erin RileyLynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-19588680782352833242012-05-27T12:56:00.004-07:002012-05-27T12:56:46.449-07:00Lone Pine<div>
[May 3, 2012]</div>
<div>
In Brisbane having a great time!! We went to Lone Pine Koala
Sanctuary and we got to hold koalas so awesome. It was a once in a
lifetime experience; their fur was not as soft as some may think, and
they have claws that are long and they cling to you just they would a
tree! I learned that koalas are marsupials just like the kangaroo, I did
not know this. Many people call them koala bears but they are not
actually bears. We also went to Fraser Island for a night, this was a
really great experience, while driving along the beach we saw live
dingos. We were also introduced to many different plant species and
other animals. Many of the group swam in the lakes and we all swam in
the creek. It was really nice to have our feet in the sand in May and
have a good time just relaxing like we were at the beach!!</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Erin Riley'15</div>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-73886717435296948262012-05-27T00:05:00.001-07:002012-05-27T00:05:41.657-07:00Snorkeling in The Great Barrier Reef<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RWl2v7TyVws/T8HSRWxK3vI/AAAAAAAAAYE/qyFNWlPCc6k/s1600/55090010-741658.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RWl2v7TyVws/T8HSRWxK3vI/AAAAAAAAAYE/qyFNWlPCc6k/s320/55090010-741658.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747105795112886002" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TeaGer0kOYY/T8HSRy7ECtI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/htkFe38QdwE/s1600/55090023-743336.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TeaGer0kOYY/T8HSRy7ECtI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/htkFe38QdwE/s320/55090023-743336.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747105802670574290" /></a></p><div>[10 May]</div><div> </div><div>Today was a big day! We went snorkeling in The Great Barrier Reef. This was unlike anything I had ever done before, and was an amazing experience. The only thing I wish I had done differently was listen to advice about sea sickness and take a motion sickness pill! The boat ride was a bit rough especially on the way back. Despite that though, I had a great time. Once we arrived to the first area where we were going to snorkel everyone had geared up in their stinger suits, which was quite a funny thing to see :) At this snorkeling site the boat stayed out away from the beach and we took a small boat in from it to the beach. Once on the beach it was time to dive in, almost literally. Once we figured out how to get into the water with flippers on we could dive in. It took a few minutes to get somewhat used to the snorkel mask, but once I did there was a lot awaiting me beneath the surface of the water. I got to see a variety of fish and coral. My favorite fish at this spot was the Unicorn Surgeon fish. It had a horn like hump on its head and two brightly colored blades on either side of its body. I also like the Giant Clams a lot. They were big, as their name implies, and beautifully colored with deep purple and vibrant aqua. While trying to get a good look at all of the ocean life I tried to stay close to friends, but quickly found myself separated from them because I had been to distracted. Thankfully the boat and the beach were not too far away, otherwise I might have been freaked out. After time was up at this spot we boarded to boat again, struggled to get our stinger suits off, then got in line for lunch. By the time we finished eating we had almost made it to the second snorkeling site, so it was back on with the stinger suits. When the boat stopped we were all a bit confused because there was no beach this time, we didn't think we would be snorkeling out in the open ocean. Once it was confirmed that yes, we were actually snorkeling in the open ocean, some of us braved to get of the boat and attempt to snorkel. I say attempt because the waters were very rough at this spot. It was hard to keep water out of the snorkel mask, and hard to keep your bearings with the big waves. So, after a seemingly short amount of time I headed back onto the boat. At the last moment I was surprised to see a big Maori Angelfish. This was cool because he was so close to me, and I also was not expecting to see anymore fish before getting onto the boat. Despite getting a bit sea sick snorkeling was great! I got to see a lot of amazing fish as well as coral.</div> <div> </div><div>-Kathleen D.</div><div> </div> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-42439598317033850212012-05-26T23:37:00.001-07:002012-05-26T23:37:13.444-07:00Kuranda<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ca6yPlI7eq8/T8HLmRZmh-I/AAAAAAAAAXg/VfyrC7YrxpI/s1600/Butterfly%2BGarden-733445.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ca6yPlI7eq8/T8HLmRZmh-I/AAAAAAAAAXg/VfyrC7YrxpI/s320/Butterfly%2BGarden-733445.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747098457867716578" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aIWFSNkjy-c/T8HLmxZPFKI/AAAAAAAAAXs/1Ekx38wMIGU/s1600/Sky%2Brail-735339.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aIWFSNkjy-c/T8HLmxZPFKI/AAAAAAAAAXs/1Ekx38wMIGU/s320/Sky%2Brail-735339.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747098466456114338" /></a></p><div>[9 May]</div><div> </div><div>Today we had a busy day! We started of with a visit to the Butterfly Garden. At the Butterfly Garden we got to see a variety of butterflies up close. Some came so close as to actually land on my back, or camera. At the Butterfly Garden there is a lot of time and effort put in by the staff to keep the butterflies safe, and to ensure that there eggs to do not die. Everyday the staff has their routines of things they must do to keep the butterflies and their eggs alive. One of my favorite butterflies, and probably one of the most popular butterflies in general and the Garden, was the Ulysses butterfly. This butterfly has wings of a vibrant blue color. The thing is though, that they are so bright in color that they fly very fast to keep away from predators and when they land they keep their wings shut. This made it hard to catch a good picture of them, and unfortunately I did not get one. I did get some great pictures of some of the other butterflies though. After the Butterfly Garden we got the chance to walk around Kuranda for a bit. Here we found a bunch of different shops set up with a variety of souvenirs and gifts. I found it amusing because some of the shops had very expensive, but nice, gifts but then there were other shops who had nice gifts but for a much cheaper price. I guess this amused me because they were all housed in the same area, so the vast variety of shops is something I did not expect. After we were done looking around here we hoped on the sky rail. The sky rail was amazing! It carried us high above the canopy of the tropical rain forest, and gave us a unique bird's eye view of it. On the way down the sky rail we had a couple of stops where we could walk through the rain forest, look at a waterfall, and learn about mining that occurred in the area. Once we reached the end of the sky rail we made our way to the Tjapukai Park, a cultural park where we got to meet and learn from a group of indigenous people. The most exciting part of this trip to the cultural park was getting to throw a boomerang. It was not easy, but I enjoyed getting to try it. I also have an even greater respect for the fact that the indigenous people have enough skill to actually use boomerangs practically (and to actually understand the design of boomerang and how it returns in the first place). Talking to the people we met here was also interesting, because the men that we met still embrace their Tjapukai culture but also embrace modern culture. They admit to using technology and things such as facebook. Once we got back form the Tjapukai Park we had time to quickly get dinner, and then we headed over to reef teach to prepare for snorkeling the next day. At reef teach we learned all about the different types of fish and coral in the Great Barrier Reef, as well as, what type of behavior is expected when snorkeling among the fish and coral. The number one thing was not to damage the coral in any way; watch your flippers! Reef teach was an informative way to end the day and it got me excited for snorkeling tomorrow!</div> <div> </div><div>-Kathleen D.</div> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-21845723936756257132012-05-26T23:09:00.001-07:002012-05-26T23:09:12.237-07:00From Brisbane to Cairns<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2HUU-K_3pho/T8HFCGx2B0I/AAAAAAAAAXI/WokzvbCwptQ/s1600/mud%2Bflat-752238.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2HUU-K_3pho/T8HFCGx2B0I/AAAAAAAAAXI/WokzvbCwptQ/s320/mud%2Bflat-752238.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747091239471548226" /></a></p><div>Today was a travel day, we are starting to get used to these! Upon arrival in Cairns the first thing we noticed was that we definitely had made it to a tropical part of Australia. The first thing I saw on our ride to the hostel was a blanket of green, trees of a bright shade of green were all around. The temperature was quite obviously warmer than Brisbane, even though it was nice while we were there. Once we had settled into the hostel we got a quick tour of the surrounding area. We made our way toward the Esplanade, a place with another man made beach among other things, and finished at the mud flat. The mud flat is an area where there used to be mangrove trees, but these trees have all been uprooted leaving a muddy area that does not look like what you would typically expect from a beach or ocean. It is a bit shocking to see at first, there is quite a contrast between the brown mud and the beautiful blue of the ocean, but once you look closer the mudflat turns out to be full of life and more than just an eyesore. I even caught a picture of a crab in the mud. Cairns seems to be a great city, can't wait to spend a few days here!</div> <div> </div><div>-Kathleen D.</div> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-2609896073178025102012-05-26T22:56:00.001-07:002012-05-26T22:56:06.426-07:00Free Days in Brisbane<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq1HEzmGDek/T8HB9mBnL8I/AAAAAAAAAWw/08jGA9AX1h0/s1600/Buddha%2BBirthday-766427.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nq1HEzmGDek/T8HB9mBnL8I/AAAAAAAAAWw/08jGA9AX1h0/s320/Buddha%2BBirthday-766427.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747087863424954306" /></a></p><div>[6 May- 7 May]</div><div> </div><div>After Fraser Island we headed back to Brisbane. Here we had two free days. On our first free day a few of us went out to explore Brisbane a bit. To our luck we were in Brisbane for a special occasion, Buddha's Birthday. So, we started out the day by heading to the Buddha Birthday celebration. At the celebration there were lanterns hung all over, live music, vendors selling various souvenirs, a variety of live dance performances, food vendors and much more. The celebration was packed with a variety of people, everyone there to celebrate and enjoy each other's company. After we had spent some time at the celebration we took a walk and came upon a market. The market had hundreds of people with items for sale set up in small areas. These items for sale ranged from handmade leather working to gently used clothing. We spent some time walking through the market, and checking out all that was for sale, but the market was so large that there was no way for us to cover the whole thing. After that we walked around the area more, and found a mall and some other street shops. Then we headed back to the hostel to make dinner, something that we had started to get good at coordinating. Later that night we headed back to the Buddha Birthday celebration for fireworks. They had quite a firework display! The fireworks were set off from a boat in the water, but there were some fireworks that came from other locations that seemed to be coming straight out of the water. On our second free day in Brisbane we had a more relaxing day. We headed down to a man made beach for much of the day. There are man made beaches in places like Brisbane mostly because for part of the year swimming in the ocean is not safe, so a man made beach allows the luxury of sand and a place to swim without the dangers of deadly jelly fish and other such things. The beach was crowded, it was clear that we were not the only ones with the ingenious idea to spend the day relaxing on the beach! After enjoying the water, sun, and sand for a while a couple of us took a walk to check out the rest of the area by the beach. It turns out that there was even more in the area to do than we expected. There was a kiddie water park, areas to barbecue, a pedestrian bridge for walking and riding bikes, along with a small park. After a few days in Brisbane I can say that I like it here!</div> <div> </div><div>-Kathleen D. </div> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-90519948196171845582012-05-26T22:30:00.001-07:002012-05-26T22:30:39.273-07:00Fraser Island<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XlUrYB4V-b4/T8G8AFsNbSI/AAAAAAAAAWY/nI8vXvH87_k/s1600/Fraser%2Bisland-739274.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XlUrYB4V-b4/T8G8AFsNbSI/AAAAAAAAAWY/nI8vXvH87_k/s320/Fraser%2Bisland-739274.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5747081309215092002" /></a></p><div>[4 May- 5 May]</div><div> </div><div>Our first day on Fraser Island is hard to put into words, but if I had to sum it up in one word I would say that it was jarring. I do not mean this figuratively, but rather literally! We spent a good amount of our time in a small four wheel drive bus, and when we got onto the Island (which is a sand island) the ride got extremely bumpy. I don't think that any of us were expecting the ride that we were in for, nor were we prepared, but in retrospect the ride made the journey all the more exciting. It kept us on our toes (again this could be taken literally since some of the bumps sent us flying up out of our seats)! Other than the ride in our four wheel drive bus, the first day on the island was fun. We did some hiking, and got the chance to take a swim. Some of us ended the day with a nighttime stroll along the beach with our tour guide Nathan Driver. During our stroll we got the chance to get up close and personal with a Dingo. Some of us enjoyed this more than others- Micha was ready to push me in front of the Dingo in case of attack :) On our second day on the island we traveled to Indian Head, a very important part of the formation of Fraser Island. At the top of Indian Head we got a gorgeous view of the ocean and the surrounding beach area. Later that day we were promised another swim, but Nathan Driver thought it would be funny to pull a little joke on us and had some people a bit scared. After a decent hike into the forest we thought we were about to finally make it to the lake we were headed to, but to the surprise of some of the group the only thing we found was a vast area of sand. When Nathan Driver caught up with us he played it off as if there was only sand and not a real lake, but to our relief he broke the news that there was in fact a lake, we had just taken the long way around to get there. While the first day on the island may have been jarring Fraser Island turned out to be a great place to spend a couple of days!</div> <div> </div><div>-Kathleen D.</div> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-3786418923436673492012-05-25T05:58:00.005-07:002012-05-25T05:58:38.534-07:00Wildlife Encounters on Fraser Island<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">[editor's note: we visited
Fraser Island May 4]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span> </span>On
the first day of Frasier Island, I have seen some pretty impressive
animals.<span> </span>When going to the island
on the ferry, we saw bottlenose dolphins, which were not expected.<span> </span>Never in a million years did I expect
to see dolphins in the wild.<span> </span>I
knew this was a great start to what we were to see on the island.<span> </span>Another animal we saw was a Portuguese
Man of War washed up on the beach.<span>
</span>This animal is a small jellyfish and it has a long tentacle that
grows.<span> </span>When the tour guide was
holding it by its jelly body, the tentacle started out as a few inches and grew
to a few feet.<span> </span>Amazing!<span> </span>We also saw some dingoes too.<span> </span>I was the first person who spotted the
first dingo, which was running on the side of the sand dune.<span> </span>I was so excited I yelled “Dingo!”<span> </span>There was another one that was spotted
later that appeared to be hurt.<span> </span>It
was limping and it was skinnier than the first one we saw.<span> </span>I felt bad for it, since I know it must
be hard to struggle in the wild when injured and have to fend for itself.<span> </span>With these encounters, I knew this was
a great start to our Frasier Island adventure.<span> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rachelle von Readen </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-55335013152770452932012-05-25T05:57:00.002-07:002012-05-25T05:57:23.181-07:00The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">[editor's note: we visited May
3, 2012]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span> </span>The
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was one of the best places I visited in
Australia.<span> </span>Not only did I get to
hold a koala, but I also got to get in close and personal with kangaroos and
wallabies.<span> </span>When holding the koala,
I thought it would be furrier than it was.<span> </span>Instead, it was both coarse and furry.<span> </span>The koala smelt like eucalyptus leaves
and snuggled against my face.<span> </span>Even
though that was a precious moment I would never forget, feeding the kangaroos
and wallabies was better.<span> </span>When I
fed the wallabies first, I did not realize how skittish they were.<span> </span>You had to approach them with caution
and they slowly came up to one.<span>
</span>However, one of the wallabies I encountered was more friendly and
grabbed my fingers and brought my hands closer to his mouth.<span> </span>The kangaroos, on the other hand, were
not like that at all.<span> </span>They came up
to you and were very interactive.<span>
</span>At times I had two kangaroos eating the food on one hand.<span> </span>Even when the food was gone, one of the
kangaroos still insisted that I had more food and grabbed the brown bag and
stuck its head in it.<span> </span>One of the
larger kangaroos was particularly fond of me and was after my peanut butter
sandwich in my backpack.<span> </span>It
wrapped its body around me and tried to whack at my bag.<span> </span>Thankfully he was not successful and I
did not get hurt.<span> </span>This will be a
day that I will never forget.<span>
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rachelle von Readen</span></div>Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-75877287250378174812012-05-21T21:41:00.001-07:002012-05-21T21:41:16.290-07:00Rugby game!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FT9nruyMPkg/T7sY7V7BsQI/AAAAAAAAAWA/_hPM7EUjD2I/s1600/2012-05-22%2B12.20.34-776291.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FT9nruyMPkg/T7sY7V7BsQI/AAAAAAAAAWA/_hPM7EUjD2I/s320/2012-05-22%2B12.20.34-776291.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5745213157417267458" /></a></p><p>As one of the final activities in Australia, a group of students, Dr. Jacobson, Dr. Gillie and myself went to a NRL rugby game! It was a great experience for everyone! We all had a great team cheering the Bulldogs on against the Sharks. The final score was 26-6 Bulldogs! Everyone seemed to gain a little bit of knowledge of how the game of rugby is played! It was great got me because I got to see some of the differences between a NRL game and a Union game (since I went to a Union game earlier during the trip). Not to mention I took a group of girls to a game! Look at the happy group! Galf e eryone had a great time l! Go Bulldogs! </p> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-80828057947645209932012-05-20T16:51:00.001-07:002012-05-20T16:51:26.185-07:00Group photos<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xbqmU6y67Aw/T7mDfj3D3fI/AAAAAAAAAVc/XEJz6kCp-QI/s1600/148792_10150760147388165_618308164_9688695_2009515121_n-786186.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xbqmU6y67Aw/T7mDfj3D3fI/AAAAAAAAAVc/XEJz6kCp-QI/s320/148792_10150760147388165_618308164_9688695_2009515121_n-786186.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5744767377913142770" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IsGQ5Ia82r0/T7mDgAmul2I/AAAAAAAAAVo/K55rGAKHFRc/s1600/559481_10151747985420370_734025369_24560074_1093167495_n-787626.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IsGQ5Ia82r0/T7mDgAmul2I/AAAAAAAAAVo/K55rGAKHFRc/s320/559481_10151747985420370_734025369_24560074_1093167495_n-787626.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5744767385629267810" /></a></p>Here iare a few group photos from Frasier Island and Uluru Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-77210687346994003942012-05-20T16:48:00.001-07:002012-05-20T16:48:50.365-07:00A few pictures....<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04lEducjitc/T7mC4hoXQzI/AAAAAAAAAU4/LyEOy7A2Qi0/s1600/manly%2Bbeach-730365.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04lEducjitc/T7mC4hoXQzI/AAAAAAAAAU4/LyEOy7A2Qi0/s320/manly%2Bbeach-730365.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5744766707299730226" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tt9uZFo7z0/T7mC4zLj9BI/AAAAAAAAAVE/rnlSucNbIaI/s1600/waterfall-threesisters-731591.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--tt9uZFo7z0/T7mC4zLj9BI/AAAAAAAAAVE/rnlSucNbIaI/s320/waterfall-threesisters-731591.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5744766712010765330" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uy9_6Q_u7nk/T7mC5Uu5geI/AAAAAAAAAVU/u3zAp8NYy-M/s1600/prettywater-733203.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uy9_6Q_u7nk/T7mC5Uu5geI/AAAAAAAAAVU/u3zAp8NYy-M/s320/prettywater-733203.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5744766721017348578" /></a></p><br clear="all">Here's a picture of manly beach: We went here on a free day! We look so happy in the picture it was so much fun!! The second picture was taken in the rainforest we hiked through when we went to see the Three Sisters. And the last was taken at the top of Indian Head at Fraser Island. Enjoy the pics!! More blogs to come! We're almost done with the trip...2 days and 1 14 hours flight away from home and friends!! <br> -- <br><div><font face="comic sans ms,sans-serif"><font color="#6600cc"><font><i><span style="color:rgb(102,0,204);font-family:garamond,serif"><font style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif"><font style="font-family:georgia,serif;color:rgb(153,51,153)">Ali Hutchinson '13</font></font></span></i></font><br> </font></font><i><font face="times new roman,serif"><font face="garamond,serif"><br></font><br><br></font></i></div> <div><i> </i></div> <div><i> </i></div><br> Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-59054257051037708962012-05-20T16:46:00.001-07:002012-05-20T18:21:37.928-07:00Zak's day at the GBR<br />
[Charlie's note: Zak intended to post this on 11 May.]<br />
<div class="gmail_quote">
<br />
Wanted to put a blog up saying how yesterday may have been the best day of the trip thus far! We went snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef! That in itself is still unbelievable. Not to mention all the different types of fish I saw. I saw a lot of vibrant colored parrotfish along with a few Anemonefish (couldn't find Nemo though)! The coolest fish I saw by far was the Lion fish. Although it was a smaller fish, the size of its fins were huge! And the way the fins moved through the water was unlike any of the other fish I saw! I was alos fortunate to see a sea star was well just laying on the reef floor. I loved snorkeling so much, I plan on going again on Fitzroy Island which is just off the coast of Australia. I hope to see some more types of fish and maybe even a turtle or two! Until next time!<br />
<br />
Zak Kumor </div>
<br />Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913286253559861630.post-67616294544042629902012-05-20T16:45:00.003-07:002012-05-20T18:17:17.044-07:00Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary<div class="mobile-photo">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ViagGGq96wM/T7mCC9NVFkI/AAAAAAAAAUs/qM2zkAWBW58/s1600/kd-715636.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5744765786989598274" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ViagGGq96wM/T7mCC9NVFkI/AAAAAAAAAUs/qM2zkAWBW58/s320/kd-715636.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
[Charlie's note: we were at Lone Pine on 3 may.]<br />
Today we went to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. At first I thought that
<br />
there would only be koalas.... I took the name literally and did not
<br />
look closely at the information we were given by our professors in our
<br />
journals (woops!). Needless to say though I was pleasantly suprised when we
<br />
arrived at the Sanctuary and I realized that there were koalas along with
<br />
kangaroos, platypus, tasmanian devil, and a variety of other animals. The
<br />
first thing we did at the sanctuary was check out a couple of the
<br />
koala enclosures and then we rushed over to hold a koala and get our picture
<br />
taken with one. We had been told by Dr. Jacobson that koalas were stinky
<br />
and not friendly, but we still could not resist. It is a bit funny to hold
<br />
a koala. You have to pretend that you are a tree and hold your arms and
<br />
hands as if they were a tree branch. The koala that Zac held was being
<br />
trained, so he got scratched and didn't have the best koala encounter but
<br />
the second koala he got to hold was more friendly. When it was my turn I
<br />
got a rather friendly koala, he was sniffing at my face which made for
<br />
some pretty great pictures. Next we bought kangaroo food and headed
<br />
over to feed the roos. This was a treat! There were so many of them,
<br />
and they were very friendly! We even got to see a baby joey. At first
<br />
he was in his mother's pouch, then he get out and struggled to
<br />
coordinate his jumping, and then we saw him climb back in the pouch.
<br />
To my suprise the joey climbed in the pouch with his feet sticking out
<br />
the top, not with his head sticking out! I really enjoyed the Koala
<br />
Sanctuary today, and am glad that we got the chance to come here!
<br />
<br />
-Kathleen D.Lynn Ghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18204474704712217582noreply@blogger.com0