Saturday Nicole, Emy, Dallas, and I made a trip to Byron Bay to learn how to surf! All week the forecast for the weather was nice. When we pulled up just before 12 Saturday, clouds rolled in and the wind picked up. We got on the bus with the surf instructors and they said right away that they didn't know if we would be able to go out since the wind was pretty strong and there were some pretty big swells. We drove to Lennox Head which was about a 20 minute drive. There we got out to assess the water. They decided that it would not be safe because of the wind and the large swells. On the bus we went. Time to check option two. We arrived at the next beach and they said it wasn't ideal for learning to surf and the beach we too crowded. Two down, one option left. Finally we arrived at the final destination. After an assessment of the ocean, the head instructor decided that we could make this beach work.
We all got into our wetties and got our boards, then we headed down to the beach. The lesson began with a warm up to stretch our muscles and get our bodies ready. After the warm up it was time to learn about the ocean and places to avoid when in the water and what to do if you are not able to make it back to the beach. Finally it was time to learn the fundamentals of surfing. We practiced paddling, locating the wave, and getting up on the board. On land, this is all very easy. However, on the moving ocean, it is all much easier said then done.
With the wind and such an active ocean, they explained that this was probably the hardest day to learn how to surf. On the positive side we decided that next time we try, we will find surfing rather easy :) There were two instructors and probably 10 beginners so it was pretty easy to have some one-on-one time. My first go I actually stood up and did pretty well. It was heaps of fun. I only got up a couple times, but it was fun just to be out there learning something new. Eventually the waves started getting too big and it was no longer safe for us to be out there. We headed back to the bus. Before we took off though, a few of us ran across the street to a lake. Along the bank, there are many tea trees so the water literally looked like coca-cola. We had a quick dip in the lake to clean off the salt and sand from the ocean. Apparently the water is very good for the skin and hair.
Surfing was not as hard as we thought it was going to be. I was imagining what it was like to learn how to snowboard so I was expecting to be pretty sore. However, none of us were very sore. I guess the ocean is a little more forgiving than a mountain.
We were going to stay the night in Byron and just bum around the beach on Sunday, but decided it would be cheaper to head back to Lismore that night. Before we headed out we went to a couple shops just to look around. Being in the sun and ocean all day took a toll on us and we all called it an early night.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Australian Lingo and Whatnot
Since I have been here I have not written much about the lingo, culture, and other differences here so that is what this post will be dedicated to. First I will give a list of words and their meanings.
Frothing= sweet, really awesome
Keen= down, ready to do something, into someone
Heaps= a lot, really, much (used all the time)
Reckon= think (again used quite regularly)
Bloke= guy
Mate= friend
Footy= rugby
Barbie= barbecue
Bush walk= hiking
No worries= no problem, you're welcome
Cheers= thanks
Biscuit= cookie
Lollies= candy
Goon= cheap boxed wine
Fairy floss= cotton candy
Holy dooley= holy crap
Sunnies= sunglasses
Jumper= hoodie, sweatshirt
Trackies= sweatpants
Uni= university, college
Hot chips= french fries
Toilets= restroom
Indicator= turn signal in a car
Car park= parking lot
Trolley= shopping cart
They also have some different foods. Vegemite is very popular though I do not know why. It is way too salty for my liking. Instead of ketchup they just have tomato sauce which is not as good as ketchup. The barbecue sauce is different here too. I like ours in America better. I have yet to see a fruit pie, but there are meat pies everywhere!! And they are delicious!! (going to be looking up how to make those for when I get back) Weet-bix is also big. It is hard to describe though. Basically it is dry bran cereal in a bar. Aussie kids grew up with them. I love them! Nicole, Emy and I usually put peanut butter and sometime jam on them! Wonderful!! We get some pretty weird looks from the Aussies when we do that. The other day I tried a weet-bix with Vegemite and melted cheese. It was actually pretty good. Oh and Milo. It is a chocolate powder that they put in milk to make chocolate milk. Or you can put it in hot water for a hot cocoa kind of drink. I have heard of them using Milo to bake as well. I didn't like it the first time I tried it, but now I drink it all the time and it is fairly cheap. They have many different dessert types of things. Coconut and raisins seem to be in everything here! Tim Tams are sort of like a cookie and delicious. It is just all so yummy. Tea is also a large part of their diet. Everyone has these amazing kettles that boil water in seconds!! They are wonderful!!
Some other differences. The light switches are little buttons instead of a switch and they are opposite the ones in America. Meaning, I flip it down to turn the light on and vice versa. The toilets have two buttons on the top. The left button is a water saving button. They are very conscious of the environment here. To save energy, there is a switch on all the electrical outlets. When you plug something in, you also have to turn the outlet on.
There isn't really any style of clothing here. Everyone just wears whatever they want. There are a lot of people with dreads and other interesting hair styles though. And a guitar seems to be an accessory often worn here. It seems like everyone has a guitar here.
Traffic rules are even different. Here pedestrians don't have the right of way so when walking we have to be very careful. Nicole is pretty oblivious a lot of the time so if any of us get hit by a car it will be her. It is also weird that we have to look right left right instead of left right left. I don't know how many times we have almost walked out into oncoming traffic because we looked the wrong way. The other day my friend Hayden let Nicole, Emy and I drive his car. Driving on the wrong side of the road was quite an experience. First of all everything in the car is flipped since they sit on the right side. So whenever I went to turn my indicator on to turn, I would accidentally put the windshield wipers on. Instead of traffic lights, they just have a bunch of roundabouts. I have not gone through all that many roundabouts before so going through one backward was extremely hard!! I am really glad we had the opportunity to drive though. Hayden was very trusting of us.
As of right now, those are the main differences I can come up with. I am sure there are many that I am forgetting, but I will put them in future posts.
Frothing= sweet, really awesome
Keen= down, ready to do something, into someone
Heaps= a lot, really, much (used all the time)
Reckon= think (again used quite regularly)
Bloke= guy
Mate= friend
Footy= rugby
Barbie= barbecue
Bush walk= hiking
No worries= no problem, you're welcome
Cheers= thanks
Biscuit= cookie
Lollies= candy
Goon= cheap boxed wine
Fairy floss= cotton candy
Holy dooley= holy crap
Sunnies= sunglasses
Jumper= hoodie, sweatshirt
Trackies= sweatpants
Uni= university, college
Hot chips= french fries
Toilets= restroom
Indicator= turn signal in a car
Car park= parking lot
Trolley= shopping cart
They also have some different foods. Vegemite is very popular though I do not know why. It is way too salty for my liking. Instead of ketchup they just have tomato sauce which is not as good as ketchup. The barbecue sauce is different here too. I like ours in America better. I have yet to see a fruit pie, but there are meat pies everywhere!! And they are delicious!! (going to be looking up how to make those for when I get back) Weet-bix is also big. It is hard to describe though. Basically it is dry bran cereal in a bar. Aussie kids grew up with them. I love them! Nicole, Emy and I usually put peanut butter and sometime jam on them! Wonderful!! We get some pretty weird looks from the Aussies when we do that. The other day I tried a weet-bix with Vegemite and melted cheese. It was actually pretty good. Oh and Milo. It is a chocolate powder that they put in milk to make chocolate milk. Or you can put it in hot water for a hot cocoa kind of drink. I have heard of them using Milo to bake as well. I didn't like it the first time I tried it, but now I drink it all the time and it is fairly cheap. They have many different dessert types of things. Coconut and raisins seem to be in everything here! Tim Tams are sort of like a cookie and delicious. It is just all so yummy. Tea is also a large part of their diet. Everyone has these amazing kettles that boil water in seconds!! They are wonderful!!
Some other differences. The light switches are little buttons instead of a switch and they are opposite the ones in America. Meaning, I flip it down to turn the light on and vice versa. The toilets have two buttons on the top. The left button is a water saving button. They are very conscious of the environment here. To save energy, there is a switch on all the electrical outlets. When you plug something in, you also have to turn the outlet on.
There isn't really any style of clothing here. Everyone just wears whatever they want. There are a lot of people with dreads and other interesting hair styles though. And a guitar seems to be an accessory often worn here. It seems like everyone has a guitar here.
Traffic rules are even different. Here pedestrians don't have the right of way so when walking we have to be very careful. Nicole is pretty oblivious a lot of the time so if any of us get hit by a car it will be her. It is also weird that we have to look right left right instead of left right left. I don't know how many times we have almost walked out into oncoming traffic because we looked the wrong way. The other day my friend Hayden let Nicole, Emy and I drive his car. Driving on the wrong side of the road was quite an experience. First of all everything in the car is flipped since they sit on the right side. So whenever I went to turn my indicator on to turn, I would accidentally put the windshield wipers on. Instead of traffic lights, they just have a bunch of roundabouts. I have not gone through all that many roundabouts before so going through one backward was extremely hard!! I am really glad we had the opportunity to drive though. Hayden was very trusting of us.
As of right now, those are the main differences I can come up with. I am sure there are many that I am forgetting, but I will put them in future posts.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Coffs Harbour for the Weekend
The family (Nicole, Garrett, Emy, Shaughn, and I) decided it was time to get out of Lismore and see some more of Australia. We just didn't know where; to solve this problem, we just pulled up a map of the bus route. There is a train that goes from Casino to Sydney (Casino is only a 25 minute bus ride from Lismore) and it runs basically everyday. Along the way there are many stops and the closest/cheapest with a beach was Coffs Harbour. And this is how we decided where we were going to go for the weekend. Nicole found a great hostel so we booked it.
Our bus left Friday evening at 6:30. It was a short ride to Casino and then we were able to catch the train to Coffs. This was the first train any of us had been on so it was quite exciting. However, it was dark by the time we got on the train, so we were not able to see anything. We arrived at the Coffs Harbour train station a little after 10. From there we just had to walk a short way to our hostel. Once there we checked in and went straight to bed.
Garrett, Nicole, Emy and I were all in the same room. Shaughn unfortunately was not able to get in the same room as us because the hostel was full. The girls and I were very thankful we had Garrett with us though. We got into our room and there were two guys already asleep in there. One woke up and talked to us for a bit as we got ready for bed; the other guy stayed asleep. However, when we were trying to sleep, the guy that was still asleep started making a ton of noise and moving around. He seriously sounded like he was in a fight. In the morning we all just looked at each other with a questioning look. It was later decided that he has night terrors. The rest of the weekend he was referred to as the Thrasher.
Saturday morning we walked along some shops until we found this cute little coffee shop. There we got scones and coffee. Then we set out for this look out where you can see the whole harbor. It was an amazing view. While we were up there we tried to make a plan of action for our day. First on our list was to walk down to the harbor and go out on Muttonbird Island. It is more of a peninsula than an island, but we walked out on it and had the most amazing view of the ocean. From there we decided it was time to pay a visit to the beach. We walked down to the beach and went into the water. The air temperature was very nice, but the water was a bit chilly. Nonetheless we were too excited about being at the beach so we continued to walk in the water until we reached our resting point. There we lied out to catch some sun. The boys were the first to get into the water. Nicole soon joined them to jump some waves. Emy and I stayed on the beach just enjoying the sun. A large portion of our day was spent there, but eventually we decided it was time to venture back into town for a late lunch. As we were walking back we decided to look for sea shells. All of us found some pretty neat ones. Emy and I even found ones that fit on our fingers so we decided to make them be rings. Once in town we decided to go back to the coffee shop and just get something light. It was pretty late in the afternoon and there were still some things we wanted to see so we ate as we walked. Eventually we came upon the Botanic Gardens. Unfortunately we arrived at 3:45 and it closed at 4. Since we could not walk through the gardens we decided to walk back to the look out to watch the sunset. The sunsets so early here since it is winter so we almost didn't make it in time. Luckily we made it just in time and I am so glad. On one side we had the sun setting over the ocean on the other we had mountains with a sky full of colors as the backdrop. There we stayed for a while to soak in the beauty. Then it was time to find dinner. We found our way back to the main street and decided on a little Indian family restaurant. The food was delicious and very filling. Nicole, Emy, and I were able to save half ours for lunch the following day. After dinner we decided to go back to the hostel. There we sat up and talk until it was time for bed. The hostel was not full Saturday night so Shaughn was able to move into our room so that was much nicer than having the Thrasher.
Sunday we got up early and had breakfast at the coffee shop again. After breakfast it was time to go whale watching. This was my first time on a boat out in the ocean and it was very exciting! We saw quite a few whales and they were magnificent!! They are just so big and yet so graceful! The captain said that they were being a bit boat shy, but we were all pretty happy to see the ones we did. On our way back to the harbor some dolphins started swimming along the boat. They were so playful!! Once we returned to shore we went to check out some local markets. Earlier that morning we say bananas for sale so we wanted to get some. Unfortunately by the time we got there, the bananas we sold out :( We did get to try some fresh sushi which was delicious. There were some pretty neat crafts for sale too. It was fun to just look around. After that the boys went to the beach and Nicole, Emy and I went to the Botanic Gardens. This time we made it before it closed and we walked around for a good amount of time. The plants here are so beautiful!! I absolutely loved seeing them all. It is winter though so some of them weren't blooming yet. Hopefully everything will be blooming before we leave in October. From the gardens we went to the beach for some lunch and to find the boys. It was windy on Sunday so it was quite a bit chillier than it was on Saturday. We all just sat in the sand and ate our left overs. When it got too chilly we walked back into town for the boys to get some food. Emy, Nicole and I broke down and got chocolate banana smoothies. We decided this would be our last time enjoying bananas for awhile since they are $14 in Lismore. Then it was time to catch the train. We made it back to Lismore around 8:00 and we all went straight to bed. It was a fun but exhausting weekend.
Today is grocery day. We have not purchased groceries since before out camping trip so we literally have oranges and weet-bix. Hopefully we will get some laundry done and I suppose I should do some school work too.
Our bus left Friday evening at 6:30. It was a short ride to Casino and then we were able to catch the train to Coffs. This was the first train any of us had been on so it was quite exciting. However, it was dark by the time we got on the train, so we were not able to see anything. We arrived at the Coffs Harbour train station a little after 10. From there we just had to walk a short way to our hostel. Once there we checked in and went straight to bed.
Garrett, Nicole, Emy and I were all in the same room. Shaughn unfortunately was not able to get in the same room as us because the hostel was full. The girls and I were very thankful we had Garrett with us though. We got into our room and there were two guys already asleep in there. One woke up and talked to us for a bit as we got ready for bed; the other guy stayed asleep. However, when we were trying to sleep, the guy that was still asleep started making a ton of noise and moving around. He seriously sounded like he was in a fight. In the morning we all just looked at each other with a questioning look. It was later decided that he has night terrors. The rest of the weekend he was referred to as the Thrasher.
Saturday morning we walked along some shops until we found this cute little coffee shop. There we got scones and coffee. Then we set out for this look out where you can see the whole harbor. It was an amazing view. While we were up there we tried to make a plan of action for our day. First on our list was to walk down to the harbor and go out on Muttonbird Island. It is more of a peninsula than an island, but we walked out on it and had the most amazing view of the ocean. From there we decided it was time to pay a visit to the beach. We walked down to the beach and went into the water. The air temperature was very nice, but the water was a bit chilly. Nonetheless we were too excited about being at the beach so we continued to walk in the water until we reached our resting point. There we lied out to catch some sun. The boys were the first to get into the water. Nicole soon joined them to jump some waves. Emy and I stayed on the beach just enjoying the sun. A large portion of our day was spent there, but eventually we decided it was time to venture back into town for a late lunch. As we were walking back we decided to look for sea shells. All of us found some pretty neat ones. Emy and I even found ones that fit on our fingers so we decided to make them be rings. Once in town we decided to go back to the coffee shop and just get something light. It was pretty late in the afternoon and there were still some things we wanted to see so we ate as we walked. Eventually we came upon the Botanic Gardens. Unfortunately we arrived at 3:45 and it closed at 4. Since we could not walk through the gardens we decided to walk back to the look out to watch the sunset. The sunsets so early here since it is winter so we almost didn't make it in time. Luckily we made it just in time and I am so glad. On one side we had the sun setting over the ocean on the other we had mountains with a sky full of colors as the backdrop. There we stayed for a while to soak in the beauty. Then it was time to find dinner. We found our way back to the main street and decided on a little Indian family restaurant. The food was delicious and very filling. Nicole, Emy, and I were able to save half ours for lunch the following day. After dinner we decided to go back to the hostel. There we sat up and talk until it was time for bed. The hostel was not full Saturday night so Shaughn was able to move into our room so that was much nicer than having the Thrasher.
Sunday we got up early and had breakfast at the coffee shop again. After breakfast it was time to go whale watching. This was my first time on a boat out in the ocean and it was very exciting! We saw quite a few whales and they were magnificent!! They are just so big and yet so graceful! The captain said that they were being a bit boat shy, but we were all pretty happy to see the ones we did. On our way back to the harbor some dolphins started swimming along the boat. They were so playful!! Once we returned to shore we went to check out some local markets. Earlier that morning we say bananas for sale so we wanted to get some. Unfortunately by the time we got there, the bananas we sold out :( We did get to try some fresh sushi which was delicious. There were some pretty neat crafts for sale too. It was fun to just look around. After that the boys went to the beach and Nicole, Emy and I went to the Botanic Gardens. This time we made it before it closed and we walked around for a good amount of time. The plants here are so beautiful!! I absolutely loved seeing them all. It is winter though so some of them weren't blooming yet. Hopefully everything will be blooming before we leave in October. From the gardens we went to the beach for some lunch and to find the boys. It was windy on Sunday so it was quite a bit chillier than it was on Saturday. We all just sat in the sand and ate our left overs. When it got too chilly we walked back into town for the boys to get some food. Emy, Nicole and I broke down and got chocolate banana smoothies. We decided this would be our last time enjoying bananas for awhile since they are $14 in Lismore. Then it was time to catch the train. We made it back to Lismore around 8:00 and we all went straight to bed. It was a fun but exhausting weekend.
Today is grocery day. We have not purchased groceries since before out camping trip so we literally have oranges and weet-bix. Hopefully we will get some laundry done and I suppose I should do some school work too.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Meebunn-bia!
3 days of bush walking=most fun I have had in Australia so far. For my Outdoor Education class we go on two bush walking (camping/hiking) trips. Monday the 4th of July was the beginning of the first one.
Day 1
The bus arrived at 7am to take us to Meebunn-bia were we would get to spend 3 days in the bush. It was around a two hour drive so we arrived around 9. There to great us were two instructors: Laurs and Hayden. We got to know them pretty well over the few days we were together. We started with a little game to get everyone going. Finally we took off on a little walk to the low ropes course.
At the low ropes we played a few trust-building games on the ground. Next we moved to cables that were probably a meter and a half off the ground. Each element varied a little bit, but on all of them we had to trust our spotters to catch us if we were about to fall. Even though they were not that high off the ground, it was rather scary to walk on such a wobbly cable.
After low ropes we hiked up a spur (side of a mountain). It was quite steep and we all had our packs with everything we would need for the days in Meebunn-bia. Once we hit the summit is was totally worth it though. It was a magnificent sight to look out from the top. We stopped here for lunch and a little rest.
Since we were at the summit, we had to start to make our way down the mountain. On the other side we eventually reached a high ropes course. The course was huge! After some safety instructions, we were able to get at it. I have done high ropes once before, but nothing like this. It was rather challenging, but nonetheless a lot of fun. There were 3 levels of difficulty, Emy and I only got to do level 1 and 2 because it started getting dark and we still wanted to do the Flying Fox (I will explain this in a bit). We heard, however, that level 3 was pretty difficult. There were two elements that I absolutely hated: the one were we had to jump across swinging tires (so scary) and then the one were we had to jump from swinging log to swinging log. I spent the most time on the swinging log one and actually fell a couple of times. Falling was not scary though since we were in a harness and everything.
When Emy and I finished level 2, we had to rush down to the Flying Fox. This course led to a zip line. Flying across the valley was such a great experience!! There was so much to see and it was so pretty!! I enjoyed it a lot more than the high ropes.
At this point it was getting dark so we started setting up camp. We didn't have tents, but there were tarps that we could lay on the ground and then set one up as a tent. My group decided that we would lay the ground tarp down, but we wanted to sleep under the stars since it was such a clear, beautiful night. This was the first time all of us were actually able to sleep under the stars. We could never do this at home because of the bugs. Since it is winter here, there were not a lot of bugs out. We made some dinner and then sat around the campfire, told stories, and played some games.
Day 2
In the morning we had some breakfast and then it was time to do a couple activities before we actually started the day's events. Each instructor had a little station that we went to. My group (aka Momma Duck) went to Laurs station first. There we had to play some problem solving games. There were a couple of really good ones that I would like to use in my own classroom some day. Hayden's station was next. There we did some more trust activities. Last we went to the station with our actual teacher, Steve. His was all about navigating in the bush. We talked a little bit about using a compass and looked at some land features on the map.
When we were finished with all the stations, it was time for each group to set out on a nav course. We had a map showing us the location of 14 cans. We had to use the map, compass, and each other to find all the cans. At the beginning we did pretty well. We were able to find the cans pretty easily until we got to can number 8. This one was rather difficult because one the map there was a fork in two rivers where the can should be. We found a fork in the rivers, but couldn't find the can for like a half hour. It turned out that the fork we were looking at wasn't on the map so we had to hike up a spur and then walk through the river bed to find the right area. We finally found it; after that we found the rest pretty easily and made it back to camp for some much needed lunch.
It was then time to pack up and head out for our next location. Our next campsite was on another hill side and we wanted to make it there before dark so we could go to the top of this hill and watch the sunset. The first 3 kilometers were not bad at all. The ground was even for the most part and we followed a road instead of going through the bush. However, the final 3 kilometers we a little more strenuous. This part was all up hill. Although it was not as steep as the first day. We made it to camp just in time to drop our stuff off and hike up the hill next to us to watch the sunset. I was such a beautiful sight!! Not a lot of people have been to this specific area so it was quite peaceful. We all went off to find a spot to sit by ourselves and have a little moment of reflection. For me it was a very spiritual moment and I really enjoyed it.
After the sun set, we headed back to camp for dinner. When we were finished eating we again sat around a campfire to chat. Most of the girls went to bed right away, but the people I hung out with all stayed up and we got to know each other pretty well. Steve suggested we all get up early and hike up the hill again to watch the sunrise. Hayden said that he would actually be willing to sleep up there if anyone else wanted to. Luke, Sarah, Garrett, Shaughn, Emy, Nicole, and I decided that we would love to sleep up there!!
It got pretty chilly after the sun went down and the wind picked up quite a bit so we took a large tarp up. It was heaps rocky everywhere so we tried to find a flat spot with not so many rocks. This proved to be easier said than done. We finally gave up and just decided to deal with sleeping on rocks. We all laid down and then Hayden had to tuck us in by pulling the other part of the tarp over us to help block the wind. We looked like a human taco! It was great though because we were protected from the wind, but still able to sleep under the stars. I just can't explain how magnificent they are. The southern hemisphere naturally has more stars then the northern and they are just so bright. There was no light pollution so we were able to see them so well. It was seriously overwhelming and we just lied there in awe. Finally we fell asleep, but we were up at the crack of dawn!
Day 3
It was a great experience rolling over and seeing the sunrise!! It was definitely worth sleeping on huge rocks. We enjoyed our breakfast and then packed up to head back to camp. There were a few things we had to do before we could take off for our final day.
Around 8 we headed down the path to our next obstacle. It was another high ropes course, but this time you had to do it connected to another person. So they had to work together to make it through. I decided not to do it because I didn't think it would be enjoyable to me. Only a few people actually wanted to do it. We were all getting pretty tired by day 3. We had a little snack and then continued down the rode.
Our next stop was not far. Here we would have to climb a tree and then jump!! We climbed up a swinging rope ladder about 13 meters off the ground. Then we had to climb onto a tiny wood platform and wait a little while for Hayden to get everything ready. Finally it was time to jump. It was like a free fall, but of course we were in a harness and attached to cables. I was the first girl to go and also the first one to jump off backward. It was so exhilarating!! When I reached the ground, there was so much adrenaline going through me that I was shaking, but I loved it!! Only two more people jumped off backward. It wasn't scary once I actually left the platform. It was just the getting up there and making myself jump that was hard. When everyone who wanted to had a chance to jump, we took some time for lunch.
Then it was time to head for our final activity. All they told us was that we would be able to climb a pine tree. Nicole, Emy, and I were thinking we might sit this one out because we can climb trees whenever we want at home. However when we got there we changed our mind. This was not a pine tree like we have in the states. I think it was called a Hoop tree or something like that because the branches grow in ringlets around the tree. The most challenging part about this was that we would have teams and be attached as we climbed this tree. It was so hard and the branches were so far apart. We had to use every muscle in our bodies to make it to the top, but we did it. I was so thankful that Hayden was the person behind me because he helped me out a heap. There was one point I actually almost fell. I just let out a scream and scrambled back onto the branch. Once safely in the branch, I just started laughing and crying. We were up in this tree for more than an hour, but finally we all made it to the top and back down. I was so happy once I touched ground. It was a wonderful sight at the top, but it was scary getting there and getting back down.
Our group chose the big tree of course and we made it our goal for all of us to get to the top instead of just the first person making it and then spiraling down. Therefore we took quite a bit longer than the other group. They actually left before we even started coming down because it was almost time for the bus to be there. When we made it to the ground, we took a quick picture and then ran to meet the others. We got there just in time for a little debrief and then it was time to head back.
We got back to Lismore at 6:30 Wednesday night. Everyone rushed to the shower. It was wonderful to have a nice warm shower after 3 days in the bush. We all ate a quick dinner and then met up again to watch the State of Origin which is a big rugby game.
There are 3 State of Origin games every year. The team that wins two out of three times is the champ. When we first arrived in Australia, Nicole, Emy and I tried to watch the 2nd State of Origin, but none of us understood the game and we were still a little jet lag. We only made it through half the game. This time our goal was to watch the entire game. We sat next to Ryan who was able to explain the rules to us so it was much more enjoyable and we made it through the entire game! Sadly, New South Wales lost, but it was still fun to watch and understand a game of footy. After the game was over, we all went straight to bed. It was an exhausting few days!
Even though it was exhausting, we all had a great time and we are looking forward to our next trip!!
Day 1
The bus arrived at 7am to take us to Meebunn-bia were we would get to spend 3 days in the bush. It was around a two hour drive so we arrived around 9. There to great us were two instructors: Laurs and Hayden. We got to know them pretty well over the few days we were together. We started with a little game to get everyone going. Finally we took off on a little walk to the low ropes course.
At the low ropes we played a few trust-building games on the ground. Next we moved to cables that were probably a meter and a half off the ground. Each element varied a little bit, but on all of them we had to trust our spotters to catch us if we were about to fall. Even though they were not that high off the ground, it was rather scary to walk on such a wobbly cable.
After low ropes we hiked up a spur (side of a mountain). It was quite steep and we all had our packs with everything we would need for the days in Meebunn-bia. Once we hit the summit is was totally worth it though. It was a magnificent sight to look out from the top. We stopped here for lunch and a little rest.
Since we were at the summit, we had to start to make our way down the mountain. On the other side we eventually reached a high ropes course. The course was huge! After some safety instructions, we were able to get at it. I have done high ropes once before, but nothing like this. It was rather challenging, but nonetheless a lot of fun. There were 3 levels of difficulty, Emy and I only got to do level 1 and 2 because it started getting dark and we still wanted to do the Flying Fox (I will explain this in a bit). We heard, however, that level 3 was pretty difficult. There were two elements that I absolutely hated: the one were we had to jump across swinging tires (so scary) and then the one were we had to jump from swinging log to swinging log. I spent the most time on the swinging log one and actually fell a couple of times. Falling was not scary though since we were in a harness and everything.
When Emy and I finished level 2, we had to rush down to the Flying Fox. This course led to a zip line. Flying across the valley was such a great experience!! There was so much to see and it was so pretty!! I enjoyed it a lot more than the high ropes.
At this point it was getting dark so we started setting up camp. We didn't have tents, but there were tarps that we could lay on the ground and then set one up as a tent. My group decided that we would lay the ground tarp down, but we wanted to sleep under the stars since it was such a clear, beautiful night. This was the first time all of us were actually able to sleep under the stars. We could never do this at home because of the bugs. Since it is winter here, there were not a lot of bugs out. We made some dinner and then sat around the campfire, told stories, and played some games.
Day 2
In the morning we had some breakfast and then it was time to do a couple activities before we actually started the day's events. Each instructor had a little station that we went to. My group (aka Momma Duck) went to Laurs station first. There we had to play some problem solving games. There were a couple of really good ones that I would like to use in my own classroom some day. Hayden's station was next. There we did some more trust activities. Last we went to the station with our actual teacher, Steve. His was all about navigating in the bush. We talked a little bit about using a compass and looked at some land features on the map.
When we were finished with all the stations, it was time for each group to set out on a nav course. We had a map showing us the location of 14 cans. We had to use the map, compass, and each other to find all the cans. At the beginning we did pretty well. We were able to find the cans pretty easily until we got to can number 8. This one was rather difficult because one the map there was a fork in two rivers where the can should be. We found a fork in the rivers, but couldn't find the can for like a half hour. It turned out that the fork we were looking at wasn't on the map so we had to hike up a spur and then walk through the river bed to find the right area. We finally found it; after that we found the rest pretty easily and made it back to camp for some much needed lunch.
It was then time to pack up and head out for our next location. Our next campsite was on another hill side and we wanted to make it there before dark so we could go to the top of this hill and watch the sunset. The first 3 kilometers were not bad at all. The ground was even for the most part and we followed a road instead of going through the bush. However, the final 3 kilometers we a little more strenuous. This part was all up hill. Although it was not as steep as the first day. We made it to camp just in time to drop our stuff off and hike up the hill next to us to watch the sunset. I was such a beautiful sight!! Not a lot of people have been to this specific area so it was quite peaceful. We all went off to find a spot to sit by ourselves and have a little moment of reflection. For me it was a very spiritual moment and I really enjoyed it.
After the sun set, we headed back to camp for dinner. When we were finished eating we again sat around a campfire to chat. Most of the girls went to bed right away, but the people I hung out with all stayed up and we got to know each other pretty well. Steve suggested we all get up early and hike up the hill again to watch the sunrise. Hayden said that he would actually be willing to sleep up there if anyone else wanted to. Luke, Sarah, Garrett, Shaughn, Emy, Nicole, and I decided that we would love to sleep up there!!
It got pretty chilly after the sun went down and the wind picked up quite a bit so we took a large tarp up. It was heaps rocky everywhere so we tried to find a flat spot with not so many rocks. This proved to be easier said than done. We finally gave up and just decided to deal with sleeping on rocks. We all laid down and then Hayden had to tuck us in by pulling the other part of the tarp over us to help block the wind. We looked like a human taco! It was great though because we were protected from the wind, but still able to sleep under the stars. I just can't explain how magnificent they are. The southern hemisphere naturally has more stars then the northern and they are just so bright. There was no light pollution so we were able to see them so well. It was seriously overwhelming and we just lied there in awe. Finally we fell asleep, but we were up at the crack of dawn!
Day 3
It was a great experience rolling over and seeing the sunrise!! It was definitely worth sleeping on huge rocks. We enjoyed our breakfast and then packed up to head back to camp. There were a few things we had to do before we could take off for our final day.
Around 8 we headed down the path to our next obstacle. It was another high ropes course, but this time you had to do it connected to another person. So they had to work together to make it through. I decided not to do it because I didn't think it would be enjoyable to me. Only a few people actually wanted to do it. We were all getting pretty tired by day 3. We had a little snack and then continued down the rode.
Our next stop was not far. Here we would have to climb a tree and then jump!! We climbed up a swinging rope ladder about 13 meters off the ground. Then we had to climb onto a tiny wood platform and wait a little while for Hayden to get everything ready. Finally it was time to jump. It was like a free fall, but of course we were in a harness and attached to cables. I was the first girl to go and also the first one to jump off backward. It was so exhilarating!! When I reached the ground, there was so much adrenaline going through me that I was shaking, but I loved it!! Only two more people jumped off backward. It wasn't scary once I actually left the platform. It was just the getting up there and making myself jump that was hard. When everyone who wanted to had a chance to jump, we took some time for lunch.
Then it was time to head for our final activity. All they told us was that we would be able to climb a pine tree. Nicole, Emy, and I were thinking we might sit this one out because we can climb trees whenever we want at home. However when we got there we changed our mind. This was not a pine tree like we have in the states. I think it was called a Hoop tree or something like that because the branches grow in ringlets around the tree. The most challenging part about this was that we would have teams and be attached as we climbed this tree. It was so hard and the branches were so far apart. We had to use every muscle in our bodies to make it to the top, but we did it. I was so thankful that Hayden was the person behind me because he helped me out a heap. There was one point I actually almost fell. I just let out a scream and scrambled back onto the branch. Once safely in the branch, I just started laughing and crying. We were up in this tree for more than an hour, but finally we all made it to the top and back down. I was so happy once I touched ground. It was a wonderful sight at the top, but it was scary getting there and getting back down.
Our group chose the big tree of course and we made it our goal for all of us to get to the top instead of just the first person making it and then spiraling down. Therefore we took quite a bit longer than the other group. They actually left before we even started coming down because it was almost time for the bus to be there. When we made it to the ground, we took a quick picture and then ran to meet the others. We got there just in time for a little debrief and then it was time to head back.
We got back to Lismore at 6:30 Wednesday night. Everyone rushed to the shower. It was wonderful to have a nice warm shower after 3 days in the bush. We all ate a quick dinner and then met up again to watch the State of Origin which is a big rugby game.
There are 3 State of Origin games every year. The team that wins two out of three times is the champ. When we first arrived in Australia, Nicole, Emy and I tried to watch the 2nd State of Origin, but none of us understood the game and we were still a little jet lag. We only made it through half the game. This time our goal was to watch the entire game. We sat next to Ryan who was able to explain the rules to us so it was much more enjoyable and we made it through the entire game! Sadly, New South Wales lost, but it was still fun to watch and understand a game of footy. After the game was over, we all went straight to bed. It was an exhausting few days!
Even though it was exhausting, we all had a great time and we are looking forward to our next trip!!
Friday, July 1, 2011
An Afternoon in Nimbin
It has been awhile since I have posted because not a lot has been going on. Pretty much all that I did last week was go to class. I feel a little more confident about classes now that I am in more of a routine. I know what they expect and I think I will do just fine. My Music and Children class is going to be my toughest class just because I am not comfortable performing in front of people. It hasn't been too bad yet though.
Yesterday was Canada Day so we had to celebrate with Nicole since she is from Canada of course. Basically all we did was wear red and listened to Canadian music. It was still fun though.
Today we went to Nimbin for the day. It is probably the smallest town I have ever been to and true hippies live there. Everyone was happy go lucky and it was fun to people watch. They also make a lot of crafts so we were able to pick up some sweet souvenirs. It is not a place someone would want to spend a lot of time in, but it was nice to get out of Lismore for a while.
Tonight we are planning to go down to Tommy's to celebrate one of the Aussie's birthday and listen to Nicole's roommate's band play. I am excited to hear some live music and they write their own songs so it will be interesting to see how their music compares to what we listen to in the States.
Next week is going to be a busy week as we are going to be heading out on our first camping trip 7am Monday. I cannot wait to go camping and experience some more of Australia. I will, however, be missing 3 of my 4 days of classes, so I will have quite a bit of make up work.
Yesterday was Canada Day so we had to celebrate with Nicole since she is from Canada of course. Basically all we did was wear red and listened to Canadian music. It was still fun though.
Today we went to Nimbin for the day. It is probably the smallest town I have ever been to and true hippies live there. Everyone was happy go lucky and it was fun to people watch. They also make a lot of crafts so we were able to pick up some sweet souvenirs. It is not a place someone would want to spend a lot of time in, but it was nice to get out of Lismore for a while.
Tonight we are planning to go down to Tommy's to celebrate one of the Aussie's birthday and listen to Nicole's roommate's band play. I am excited to hear some live music and they write their own songs so it will be interesting to see how their music compares to what we listen to in the States.
Next week is going to be a busy week as we are going to be heading out on our first camping trip 7am Monday. I cannot wait to go camping and experience some more of Australia. I will, however, be missing 3 of my 4 days of classes, so I will have quite a bit of make up work.
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