Day 1

Everyone was terribly excited about the journey we began today. The fact that 33 hours of flight time are involved did not dampened the spirits of our group. Parents and family members gave final hugs and kisses and we were on our way Down Under. We were joined with a group of People to People students and leaders from Minnesota. The combined group with their red shirts was a sight to see. Our special flight attendant, Travis, sure made the safety procedures interesting!

Day 3

G'Day! We lost a day in travel and at 6:30 a.m. we arrived in Sydney where we met our travel manager, Vicki Longmuir. It is hard to believe that it is winter, the sun is shining and the weather is cool, but not cold. Our first stop was the Aquatic Center where the 2000 Olympic Swimming events will be held. Although the center is massive, it is an inviting environment with palm trees, wading pools, saunas, and Jacuzzis along with your basic Olympic size pools. After a refreshing swim, we were ready to meet the citizens of Sydney as we toured the eastern suburbs. We stopped for a walk along Bondi Beach, some of our brave souls went barefoot to test the waters of the South Pacific (not too bad)

After a lunch of fish and chips we headed for the New South Wales Parliament House. Unfortunately, parliament was in recess, but we got a "hands on tour" and the students were able to role play in the lower house, which was lots of fun. The system of government here is similar to ours in that there are two "houses," the upper and lower, and officials are elected. However, the similarity ends there, the lower house does most of the law making and a member does not, under any circumstances, vote against the party. Therefore, the party in power pretty much can pass what they want. The only recourse the minority party has is to make public, very public, policy decisions they are against.

We checked into our hotel for a much deserved sleep. Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Day 4

We went to Costello's to learn about opals: the different types, how opals are mined and cut for jewelry, and how to judge a good opal. Black opals found in Australia are the most rare and arguably the most beautiful. Good thing we had time to shop!

The highlight of the day was the tour of Sydney Opera House, one of the world's wonders, which took 16 years to build and cost $100 million dollars. We were so lucky that the symphony orchestra was practicing in the concert hall. The sound was exquisite and the acoustics remarkable. Alas, we could not stay, but our group photo was taken with the opera house as a backdrop.

We walked around the bay, sat in Mrs. Macquarie's chair, and enjoyed a delicious lunch while on a cruise in Sydney harbor. Afterwards, we went to the Australian Museum and saw opalized bones. Our day ended with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, where we celebrated Lynn and Brynn's birthday.

Day 5

We're off for Coff's Harbor, heading for sun and fun. Today was basically a day on the coach with a lunch stop at Taree where some people tried the national dessert, Pavlova. Pavlova is a meringue, much like angel food cake without the flour, that is served with whipped cream and fresh fruit...delicious! We arrived at Pelican Beach Resort in time to enjoy the large pool, hot tub, and beach.

Day 6

The morning was spent either on the beach or in the pools, then onto the coach to depart for Macksville. Our first stop was "The Big Banana", a banana plantation theme park. Bananas are herbs, not trees, and every full moon, another bunch of bananas begins to grow.

The tension built as we got closer to Macksville because our homestays began today. When we arrived at Macksville High School several groups of families seemed to examine our "coach" (bus) and each of us inside. Everyone on the coach waited in nervous anticipation for their name to be called and wondered which group of people would step up to greet us. With lots of nervous laughter we met our family and headed off in separate directions.

Day 7

We met up again in the morning and were greeted by the Mayor of Macksville. We toured the high school beginning with the administration offices. The rooms we toured were vocational classes such as foods, applied arts, technical arts, and computer classes. The principal was very proud of these classrooms. They were recently completed with some extra funding which he had secured himself. We also visited a science room. We did this in honor of our leader Suzanne, right? It also helped that the principal was a former science teacher. In our honor we had a luncheon "barbie" (BBQ) and had the opportunity to play beach football with some of the locals. A volunteer from the community took us all, homestay families included, on a beach walk to learn the history of the area.

Day 8

Lots of hugs, sadness and laughter when we left our homestay families. Who could believe that we could get so close in such a short amount of time? Ah well, it was back to the coach and onward to Byron Bay, the most easterly point in Australia and part of the Sunshine Coast.

Byron Bay is known for its startling white lighthouse , whale watching, and for the eclectic people who live there. We all took a hike from the lighthouse to the observation point in hopes of seeing migrating whales, but the season for migration hasn't begun. We had lunch at the Surf Live Savers Club and had an opportunity to talk to the gentlemen who serve as life guards and also train for sea rowing competitions. Even though it is winter, there were loads of people taking advantage of the warm weather and the beach. We stayed tonight in Mooloolaba, isn't that a great name?

Day 9

We met a true "Auker," named Bronco, who took us in the largest 4-wheel drive vehicle in Australia, a bus. We took a short ferry ride to Tewantin and drove along the sand to an area known as Rainbow Beach . The fine textured sand here is orange, yellow, black, white, and amazing. We stopped for a chance to swim, climb the sandy hills, or walk the beach to look for interesting shells. After a wild 4WD drive to the location of a 1970's shipwreck , we stopped again to watch and photograph commercial fisherman manually pull in a huge net of fish.

After lunch, we shopped in Noosa, and and shopped visited the aquarium. The aquarium had touch tanks filled with starfish (feel bumpy), cucumbers (feel like velvet), and other creatures of the sea. The highlight of the aquarium was the underwater world where we enjoyed a scuba diver's view of marine creatures. This huge tank, like an underwater tunnel, has a moving walkway where fish, sharks and rays swim right next to the glass. It was awesome. The seal show at the end of the tour was fun, such talent! We were exhausted when we returned to our hotel.

Day 10

We departed the Sunshine Coast and continued heading north toward the Tropic of Capricorn and Yeppoon (another fun name). We stopped for lunch at the Gin Gin Primary School. The school was "on holiday" but the headmaster and a student or two greeted us. The primary school had an open playing field and a central courtyard which was open, but was covered with a canvas type tent. The summers here are very hot, and since the ozone hole is above Australia, they have to be very careful in order to avoid skin cancer. Today we finally learned the correct method for throwing a boomerang , which is not as easy as it looks! Lots of science is involved: wind direction, angle of boomerang in your hand, body direction, wrist action...the list goes on. However, once you have mastered a throw, you feel exhilarated, ask Kyle.

We stopped at a marker for the Tropic of Capricorn , the weather was definitely warmer, the foliage more beautiful, or was it our imagination? We arrived at the Rydges Capricorn Resort in time to enjoy the pools, each, tennis, and the fabulous surroundings.

Day 11

We were so lucky to see kangaroos, kookaburas , and exotic plants just outside our door. This morning we took time to enjoy the facilities at the resort--tennis, golf, swimming, walking, bowls, and biking to name a few.

We then departed for Olsen's Capricorn Caverns for lunch and a tour. Although the caverns were limestone, they were unique because they are above ground and dry. The caves only become "active" in rainstorms, but due to guano (from flying foxes) and air flow, the caves quickly dry out. There weren't many stalactites or stalagmites, but the cave had its own rugged beauty. Weddings and concerts are held in Cathedral Cave and it was there that we experienced "cave black"--no lights. We also enjoyed two of our students, Cassie and Elise, singing in the cave . It was a bit eerie, and really made you admire the way caves were first explored. The adventurous types chose to exit the cave through the "whale's belly," a narrow, dark, dirty, scary (but mercifully short) spelunking experience. Tori, "the worm", crawled through an extra small, extra tight, extra dark exit. What a gal!

Our day ended with a tour and dinner at the Koorana Crocodile Farm . We used flashlights, and were very thankful for sturdy fences as we tried to locate crocodiles in the dark, murky water. There were several pairs of shiny red unblinking eyes staring at us, spooky. Koorana is a working farm and crocodiles are harvested for their meat and leather. We got an opportunity to hold a small 3 foot croc . The skin felt like vinyl, soft and pliable, not at all like a snake, which is smooth but scaly. Our meal included crocodile soup as an appetizer, not too bad.

Day 12

We went to Long Island, one of 74 Whitsunday Islands named by Capt. James Cook in 1770. Capt. Cook discovered these islands on Whit Sunday, which is the seventh Sunday after Easter. Nearly all the islands are part of the National Parks and Wildlife system, only 7 have resorts. The water taxi ride was fairly short, and we arrived on the island at dusk. Long Island is truly tropical, with palms trees, lush vegetation, and warm breezes. We heard lots of chattering, which we thought was a healthy bird population, and discovered instead that the island is home to a large colony of flying foxes (fruit bats). These were not the only animals on the island, in the evenings several wallabies (small versions of kangaroo) grazed on the resort lawns.

The evening was spent celebrating Andrea's birthday, a dance , and a wander around the resort, such a beautiful and peaceful place!

Day 13

We had time to explore the island and participate in activities: bush walks, beach volley ball, and a briefing of the Great Barrier Reef. On a short bush walk we learned about the geology, plants, and wildlife of the island. The Whitsundays are actually drowned mountains, and were once part of mainland Australia. When Ice Age polar caps melted, the water flooded the valleys between the mountains and "islands" were left.

The trail was a bit steep at first, but leveled out as we walked further into the bush (woods). In general, the bush is similar to walking in an aspen forest. The bark of most trees is light colored, and some sun reaches the ground. The trees are much taller however, and the variety of plants is more varied.

We observed large rust colored ants with lime green abdomens (green tree ants) on the trail. These ants, using what best can be described as the ant version of a "human chain", take 3-4 large leaves (still on the tree) and bind them together to make football shaped nests. Our guide challenged us to "lick an ant's bum" and describe the taste...sour lemonade. Our walk ended with a look at a mangrove swamp and a walk on a rocky beach. Quite delightful.

A representative from OUCH (Order of Underwater Coral Heroes) spoke about the Great Barrier Reef (on of the world's largest living organisms). As with many natural locations in the world, pollution is taking its toll on the reef. The members of OUCH work to preserve the area and encourage ecotourism. Our anticipation of snorkeling on the reef was heightened after viewing slides of the area, but we must wait 5 more days.

Day 14

We had our first taste of misty cool weather when we left Long Island, but it didn't last too long. We traveled further north to the town of Ayr and received a civic welcome from a representative of the Burdekin Shire Council, who spoke to us about this area which is the sugar capital of Australia. We met the mayor as well and he presented us with a plaque to commemorate our friendship exchange with Australia.

From Ayr we traveled inland to the "real outback." The further inland we went, the dryer the vegetation. We passed miles and miles of prairie covered with wheat colored grass and dotted here and there with gum trees. In some areas, the grass had been burned away and only trees with partially blackened trunks remained. Few houses were located there, and it was easy to see that this is rough country...little water, harsh weather, isolated. As we neared the farmstay, we saw strange looking cattle that we later found out were Brahmans. The road became dirt and narrowed to one lane. Finally, we arrived at Wambiana Station .

Wambiana is a mind boggling 57,000 acres, average by Australian standards, and has been in the Lyon family for 4 generations. Currently John, Rhonda and 2 of their 4 children live at the station.

All of the students were bunked together in a metal barn-like shed, called "The White House," which had no plumbing (the "facilities" were a short walk away) but plenty of room. After getting settled in we took a hay ride on the bed of a truck around part of the ranch to collect firewood for the evening campfire. We had delicious home cooked food for dinner and a lesson in whip cracking ! Later that evening we sat around the campfire and played a few games before turning in.

Day 15

Today was a true "Outback Experience" for everyone, we did so many things and learned so much about the lives of the people who work this land. We began the day with a talk from John Lyon, the patriarch of Wambiana Station, who reminded us of Will Rogers in appearance and philosophy. He spoke on the history of his family, the commitment, responsibilities, sacrifices, and hard work needed to run the station. Throughout his talk, it was clear that he loves and respects this wild country.

Rhonda told us about home schooling, or long distance learning, which she had done with her four children for 19 years. Home schooling in the outback is not a choice but a necessity due to the muddy roads in the rainy season and the distance (30 miles) to the nearest town, Charters Towers. Her family was provided with a two way radio and each term she would receive all the materials necessary to teach all subjects to her children: books, worksheets, tapes, guides, etc. Once per day for half an hour, her children would speak to the teacher on the radio. Occasionally the kids would have to go to the school for testing, but 99% of the work was done at home. After the children reached high school age, home schooling ended and they were sent to boarding school in Charters Towers.

In the afternoon we "had a go" at being ranch hands, by mustering, wrestling , dipping, branding, and castrating. Mustering is rounding up cattle. Wrestling is catching a calf and flipping it on its side. It sounded easy enough, and with two people overpowering a little calf it didn't seem much of a challenge. Who would have thought furry creatures could be so slippery? The dipping was fun to watch, the cattle excitedly cannonballed into the treated water as if there was a competition for the biggest splash, the bull won hands down.

After we helped brand a few calves, we were shown how to castrate, a relatively quick and painless operation with little blood. We were offered the grilled "prairie oysters" as a snack. They tasted like grilled stringy fat.

We spent the rest of the day either riding horses in the paddock, learning how to play cricket, lounging and continuing to practice cracking the whip. We had another campfire after dinner and played charades, too bad we leave here tomorrow.

Day 16

We said good-bye to the Lyons and went to Charters Towers on a "treasure hunt" to learn the town's history. In order to complete the treasure hunt, questions were answered by wandering around the town and looking at buildings, paintings, and sidewalks. The architecture of Charters Towers was quite stunning for a small town, plenty of elegant light colored buildings with lots of columns and a clock tower reminiscent of Big Ben in London. Many of the buildings had been banks at one time.

Charters Towers is an old gold mining town. Legend has it that in 1871 an Aboriginal boy named Jupiter, discovered the gold bearing quartz rock while looking for the lost horse of his employer, Hugh Mosmas. He brought the quartz back to Mosmas and the gold rush began. Jupiter was adopted by Mosmas and received a European education. Statues of Jupiter and Mosmas were erected for the town's centennial and remain today.

For lunch we had a traditional "Aussie Pie" which was a small pie crust pocket filled with shredded beef and brown gravy. It tasted pretty good but was very messy to eat. We did a bit of shopping and then left inland and traveled back to the coast to Townsville, the capital of Far North Queensland.

Before going to our hotel, we drove to the top Castle Hill in Townsville to get a scenic view of the city and the turquoise colored ocean. We decided to have a formal dinner tonight and everyone dressed for the occasion, it was fun.

Day 17

For quite some time now, we have been passing fields and fields of sugar cane and today we went to a cane farm and sugar mill. First we had lunch in Tully, the wettest place in Australia, which receives 4267 mm of rain a year (about 14 ft). It was hard to believe that this area gets so much rain because today was clear, sunny, dry and didn't feel at all humid. Michelle, "Crocodile Hunter", showed us some techniques for wrestling crocs, she is destined for greatness. Then we went to a cane farm.

Sugar cane grows all year here, and when this 8 to 12 foot tall grass goes to seed, it is very pretty; green bamboo like stalks with delicate silvery feather like seed heads. Many farmers burn the cane before

harvesting but not all. Burning is used to rid the fields of weeds and make the job easier. Some farmers harvest the cane green leaving the left over cuttings to form mulch and fertilize the land for the next crop. The cane is harvested and planted by huge machines that look like they belong in science fiction or 007 movies: large tractor belts, mandible like drills on each side of the cab, conveyor contraption, grinding gears--yikes.

Unfortunately, the sugar mill was not in operation at the time we visited. The South Johnstone Mill produces raw sugar and its byproduct molasses. We were given an opportunity to sample the molasses. The raw sugar is sent to other mills to be refined and the molasses is used for cattle feed.

We arrived at our last destination, Cairns (pronounced Cans) one of the gateways to the Great Barrier Reef. Can't wait, the weather has been terrific so far, hope tomorrow our luck holds out.

Day 18

It finally arrived, our day to go to the Great Barrier Reef. The day is sunny, clear and warm, not a cloud in sight. Everyone is excited about the chance to snorkel on one of the greatest natural phenomena's of the world. Armed with plenty of sunscreen and underwater cameras we were prepared to spend an awesome day at the Reef.

We cruised to the reef on a huge 3 story catamaran on calm, clear turquoise and deep blue seas. We sat outside for most of the trip, enjoying the sun and the mist kicked up by the boat. Before arriving everyone was given safety and snorkeling instructions, and as we reached the pontoon where the boat docked, the wind picked up and the water became fairly choppy. We were thankful for the big yellow vests that we had to wear.

It is hard to describe the feeling of this special place, beautiful does not seem quite big enough a word. The variety of brightly colored fish, the different shapes and colors of coral, the blue water...wondrous! marvelous! awesome! too short!

We spent the day on the reef and had many opportunities to go back into the water, ride the semi submersible boat or the glass bottomed boat , or just eat and sun.

What a great day. In the evening we had plenty of free time to go to the movies or shop at the mall after dinner. We also said good bye to our coach driver, Tony . We will all miss his genuine, kind interest in us and his low key personality. He certainly took a lot of teasing, but dished some out too.

Day 19

Our last day is here already, the time has gone by so quickly. We began on the world's longest gondola cableway and rode above the canopy of the Kuranda Range tropical forest. The gondola, incidentally was built in Grand Junction, Colorado. It really is a small world. The bird's eye view was spectacular, nearly every shade of green was represented somewhere in the forest. At the first stop we walked along a wooden trail and listened as the park ranger told about the plants and rain forest ecology. There are some trees that are parasitic, the strangler fern for instance, and the ground itself is not very rich in nutrients. All decomposed plant material is used up immediately. The second stop gave us a chance to explore a bit more and gave a beautiful vista of Barron Falls .

The village of Kuranda is nestled in the heart of the rain forest. The main thorough fare is similar to Pearl Street in Boulder: places to eat, art galleries, shops and people of all types. Or was this village more like Estes Park?

In the afternoon we went to the Tjapukai (the T is silent) Aboriginal Cultural Theme Park . We saw a film on the history of the Aborigine people, the hardships they endured were similar to African American struggles. In the Creation Theater, we saw stories of "Dream Time" acted out and told in Tjapukai. In an outdoor theater, we watched true aboriginal dancing and playing of the native instruments, like the didgeridoo. The rhythm and costumes made this event awesome to watch and hear. As we left the theater we visited a true aboriginal tourist trap. At least it seemed that way, as many of us ended up buying last minute items reminiscent of our trip. It was our last chance, we thought, to secure those souvenirs we needed for our family and friends.

After leaving the Aboriginal Cultural Theme Park we stopped at the Wildworld Wildlife Park where we took pictures of emus, more crocadiles, snakes, and cuddled a koala for a mere $8.00. Some of us couldn't afford this activity as we had spent all of our money at the last stop. But, those more enterprising persons were able to borrow from friends and enjoy the feel of this furry little creature.

In the evening we went to the Australian Woolshed for an entertaining show on the types of sheep (Merino is the best) and how sheep are sheared. Some lucky people were even given an opportunity to ride those lovely sheep. That was an experience, right, Barb? DeAnna, one of our group leaders, searched high and low for sheepskins for her grandchildren. And we thought we had shopped at our last place at the Aboriginal village. (But, would you believe she bought them at the airport in Sydney on our way out of the country. She was always looking for the best deal and finally found one.)

The highlight of the evening was the bush dance--silly type folk dances that had everyone laughing and sweating! A group of students were asked to act out the song "Waltzing Matilda" with humorous results. We also got to sing one of our favorite Aussie songs about the gum trees. The Minnesota group was sharing the fun with us. In the end we were all exhausted, or least the leaders were. The students could have partied all night. But, as all things good happen they have to come to an end. We all jumped or limped on the bus for our ride home to "nighty winky".

Before we headed for our rooms we all sat around and talked about what we learned or gained from the experience. It was wonderful hearing the depth and sincerity of the students and leaders about our trip. We also said good bye to our tour leader, Vicki. She was really a master at traveling. Would you believe this was her first trip as a tour guide? (Shhhhh! we weren’t supposed to know that.) You know, most of us stayed up late to pack and review what we did over the past few day, a few went right to sleep, but there were at least one or two people who tried to...., well who knows. We all had a curfew of ....(now what was that, Skye?)

Day 20

The past weeks have flown by and although we are sorry to leave, we are ready to go home. The plane left at 6:15 am, and our long journey for home has begun. There is plenty of time to reflect on all that we did and saw, the laughs, the tears, the Tim Tams. Perhaps the best things we'll remember are the friends we have made, not only in Australia but within our own group as well, and also the self reliance we have found. We got home in 37 hours, but it is only 16 hours since we left, what day is it????

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