Day 3 - Brisbane

It was quite the early morning to get to the airport to catch our flight to Brisbane.  The students all agreed that after the 15 hours of flying to get here, the little flight from Sydney to Brisbane was nothing (1.5 hours).   After loading up in the coach we were off to Lone Pines Koala Reserve to see some of Australia's animals.  We had the opportunity to hold the koalas and get our picture taken.  All the students have individual pictures, so none will be posted here.

 We also got to feed the kangaroos and even saw a couple of female roos with joeys in their pouches.  All the students thought that was pretty cool.

The reserve also had other animals like the wild dingos - both arctic and desert, platypus, wombat and Tasmanian devil, as the highlights.

From there we were the guests of honor at a BBQ.  Our hosts were the families of a local paddling club, which is different from rowing as it is done on outriggers.  After supper, they had some music for us where we all showed off our dancing skills.  I hope we did America proud.  The hosts were fantastic and asks lots of questions of the students and were genuinely interested in what we had to say.  After eating and dancing, it was time to get settled in our new hotel, so we will be ready for tomorrow's adventure at Underwater World. 

More pictures still to come, but it is getting late and we all need to get some zzzzz's....

Day 2 - Having a blast in Sydney

Our second full day in Sydney has come to a close and it was another action packed day.  Morning wake up was at 6:15 for a full breakfast at 7,which included spaghetti - for those who were brave enough to eat it that early in the morning.

The first stop was to the Altman & Cherny Opal store where the students learn all about opals, including the different types, natural versus man made, and locations were certain opals are found.  We even got to see a $1,000,000 black opal!  The students even had their first chance at shopping and making those good decisions with regards to money.

From there it was off to Circular Quay for a cruise of Sydney Harbour where we were able to see the sights of Sydney from the Harbour and actually even got to Sydney Harbor heads and the Pacific Ocean.  Some of the homes we were able to see belonged at one point or another to Tom Cruise when he was married to Nicole Kidman, Paul Hogan (of Crocodile Dundee fame), the Queen and the Prime minister when they are here.  Most of these were located on Point Piper, the most expensive area in Sydney with homes running in the 20 to 40 million range.  We were able to get great views of Harbour bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

Once back on dry land, we headed to lunch where the most the students had pizza, while others had fish and chips, spaghetti.  The kids are eating well and enjoying their meals.

After lunch, we were off the Sydney Opera House.  We learned all about Jorn Utzon and how he won the design contest for the opera house.  We also learned about all problems that were involved in building it - including huge budget overages and time it took to build.  We were able to sing in the drama house (one of the smaller theaters) and take a back stage tour.  We were also able to watch and listen to the Melbourne Philharmonic rehearse for a concert this evening.  What a special treat that was.  AMAZING.

Then it was off to Parliament where the students learned about Australian government and the differences and similarities to our own systems.  We were able to sit in both the upper and lower houses were they meet and learn about the different traditions that each house partakes in.  The students asked some great questions - and it was great to see their minds at work.

At dinner tonight, most of the students got to try kangaroo.  Some liked it - others didn't.  Either way it was an experience.  The kids are now back in their rooms for the night - tired out from the day.

Tomorrow we are off to Brisbane first thing in the morning.  Hopefully we will have better internet access to post pictures.  Sorry it is taking us so long to get them up.  We have been trying, but it stalls out with 1 picture after about 30 minutes.

First Full Day in Sydney

To say that we hit the ground running today is an understatement.  We finally landed after our 14-1/2 hour flight from Los Angeles.  Many of the students only managed to squeeze a few hours of sleep, while others were able to sleep almost the entire flight.  After we made our way through customs, we met our delegation manager, Elisa. From the airport it was straight to the Rock area of Sydney where the first colonies were. The students were able to dress up as either the governor of Sydney, a soldier, or a convict.  Our tour guide showed us around this historic area, telling us little tidbits about the people we were portraying.  Some people were sent to the the Australian colony for very small infractions, including stealing a hairbrush.  However, it seemed like being sent to Australia worked out pretty well for some of these people and they became very wealthy and influential people in Australia's history.

From the rocks we headed to lunch where many of the students had fish and chip.  Other options included chicken, pasta or nachos.  No complaints from any of them yet on the food.

From there it was off to Olympic stadium and the Aquatic center.  We learned about how it was built and certain facts of the swimming pool itself.   Apparently, the Sydney Olympic pool is considered the fastest because of its design and many other places are now building Olympic pools using Sydney's as a model.  Many Olympic and World records were set here in 2000.  The only other Olympics that equaled Sydney was Bejing, but the sleek swim suits they wore in those Olympics are now banned, so Sydney feels they still are the fastest.  After our tour and getting to pose on the Olympic podium, if was off to swimming.   Most of the kids swam and/or played in the water.  After this, we were off to take a walk around the harbor and a pasta dinner.

We have now arrived at the hotel and all the exhausted students are tucked in bed.  Tomorrow we are off to the Sydney Opera House, Parliament and the Opal Museum.  Unfortunately still cannot post pictures because we cannot use our own computer and this hotel computer will not let me use the camera card to upload.  Hopefully tomorrow will be able to post from the past few nights. Please be patient.  Will have some wonderful shots once we can get access to them. Until tomorrow...

Arrival in LA....

We have arrived at our Gateway City of Los Angelos, California.  All the kids are still super excited, but starting to tire out  since it is 11/12 at night.  The flight to here was pretty smooth and the kids were all complimented over the PA system about how well behaved they were.  The flight attendants were very impressed with all the "pleases" and "thank yous" they received.

Once in LA, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Burger King and has finally made our way to our gate and will be boarding in about 25 minutes.   We are all hoping that the kiddos will get some good sleep on the plane because in just a few short hours, our adventure will truly begin down under.  Pics to follow later.

Miss Maddie

Maddie

Outgoing, intelligent, athletic, and crafty

Daughter of Larry and Kristy, sister of Matthew, owner of Quigley and Avery

Lover of animals, performing, and creativity

Who feel happy when learning something new

Who feels sad when drama takes over

Who feels excited when there is a roller coaster near by

Who needs love, friends, and adventure

Who fears scary movies, dead things, and forgetting the words

Who gives compliments, hugs, and a helping hand

Who would like to see the Eiffel Tower, the leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Great Barrier Reef

 Previous resident of Michigan and Nebraska, current resident of Florida

Miss Rachel

Rachel

Funny,  nice, caring, quiet

Sibling to Sister Lauren

Lover of Dogs and Dolphins and Horses

Who feels happy when I design, when I take vacations with my family, when I listen to my aunt Beth sing

Who needs family, friends, Home

Who fears  all bugs, Lizards, Harry potter simulator roller coaster.

Who gives happiness,  entertainment, Fun

Eiffel tower, Grand Canyon, My cousins in Israel

Resident of Florida

Meet our Delegation Manager - Ms. Elisa

Name: Elisa McGarry
From: Sydney
As a Delegation Manager, I manage many aspects of the program, including all
aspects of the daily itinerary during travel, guided excursions and sharing my
knowledge about the country and customs we are visiting.

This will be my third season as a Delegation Manager with People to People
Ambassador Programs.

Education
• Advanced Diploma in Events Management
• High School Certificate

Professional Accomplishments
• Coca-Cola Team Manager
• McDonalds Manager

What I am most looking forward to on our People to People program is getting to know
the Student Ambassadors and Leaders, meeting new people, and embracing the
differences between our cultures. I also look forward to showing off the place I call
home, as it truly is beautiful.

My favorite People to People moment was in 2010 when a student from New York
taught himself to swim throughout the program which allowed him to then swim in the
Great Barrier Reef.