Top Ten

1. Blue Mountains: This to me was one of my favorite spots. It was inspirational and breathtaking and absolutely beautiful. Even in the rain and stormy weather it left a huge impact on me, somewhere I would love to visit again in the sunshine.

2. Great Barrier Reef: Stunning. The symbol of Australia, something they are most known for an for a reason. It was fantastic and so strange to actually be in. Somewhere I only thought I would see in movies but can now see how majestic it was in person, and it shocked me.

3. Rangitoto College: These kids made my whole trip to New Zealand. They were gracious and welcoming and so happy to see us, how could we not like them? They put in so much effort for us it was hard to leave them behind.

4. Ogoing: Probably the most simple pure fun I had on this trip. Nothing historical or part of a tour group, just something I'm glad I did while I was there.

5. Sunrise @ Rotorua: Waking up in the morning to see such a brilliant light coming through this sulfurous lake was a great way to start off our trip. Pictures were being taken all over the shore and it was so great to see such a stunning sunrise right as we walked out.

6. Walk to the Hotel in the Rain: Getting lost in Sydney, not really knowing that many people in my group, and getting poured down on was actually quite fun. We finally bonded with people when Ty and Joey gave us their sweatshirts and cemented out friendships.

7. Sydney. The city was so much fun. Everywhere you go no matter what day or time there is something unique and fun going on in the streets or in a market. Being spontaneous there is no problem at all.

8. Whaka Village: I'm not sure why this place touched me so, but I really liked being there. I know it wasn't that big of a highlight for everyone else but I liked that they all use the steam for cooking and regularly take baths in their pools everyday as a community. They all stick together no matter what..

9. Cairns: Although it may be very touristy the coastal city is very pretty and well maintained because of all the traffic it sees during all seasons. It was warm and inviting, a perfect city built around the water.

10. Burger Fuel: A delicious hamburger joint that was one of the first dinners we all ate together. The burgers were giant and expensive but we got them for free and definitely enjoyed the heck out of them! They were so good and were talked about for the rest of the trip.

Today we took a secnic train ride up the side of a mountain and through the rainforest to the little town of Kuranda. The town was a tourist trap with high priced foods and sourveniers everyother store. We tried to go into reptile houses and butterfly observatories but they were all way to over priced so we just ended up hanging around the park until we found a little market. I bought some postcards there but had run out of cash so I didn't get much more. Later that night we all poole dour money together for grapes and monsters during our free time and pulled an all nighter for the plane ride tomorrow.

Great Barrier Reef

My Great Barrier Reef experience was absolutely amazing. I think the entire boat ride, swimming, and playing with fish was one of the best parts of this trip. The anticipation on the boar built up as we sat there for almost an half hour soing who knoes what! Finally as we set off and our high speed boat sped through the water into immense blue. I thinkthat in heneralthe sea relaxes me and being out there, not even in the water, just made me feel so happy. Even when the wind got a little cold and I was being sprayed with salt water the entire ride, I stuck it out the entire rideout there. Surprising fact I learned today, is that salt water dissolves/condenses very quickly! When the boat slowed and there was no more water hitting me i looked down at my arm and had a grainy layer of white salt all over my body. When we were finally allowedto leave the boat everyone rusehd to the tables, took of their clothes, and ran over for some life wests. I feel like we hardly got any instruction on what to do out there and how to do it because we only learned form a 20 minute video. But I liked how much freedom we had to go out there are learn what to do from experience and mistakes. So while kind of understanding what was happening we put on all our equipment and jumped in. That first glance under the water was breathtaking. All thesefish and bunches of coral are only things that I have seen in movies. My first contact with the fish were the dark blue and yellow ones that swarmed me right when I got in the water, I freaked out, paniced, and kick around as Arnaud laughed at my pain. We kept swimming into shallower coral that at the time sounded like a good idea until I was right on top of it and it was too close and I kicked around again and cut up my leg. Lesson learned I swam out of there best I could and got back on the boat for some lunch. While on the boat there was a little semi-submersible boat tour that we decided to take out in the water where we saw a little sea turtle! Although the boat was fun I woul dhave to say that I'd rather have been in the water checking it all out but it was something different to try out. We did get to see clown fish and turtles which was very cool. Our next and last dive was after we got back to the boat and lasted about 2 hours. Well mine did, everyone else got out at about an hour but I just couldn't leave. I loved looking at the fish and exploring everything that was in the reef. It was so beautiful and warm and I just felt like I belonged there.

(Summary included)

No Prompt!

Today was our flight into Cairns and the moment we stepped out of the airport I was so happy with the warm weather and sunshine I felt! All we did today was lounge around. Alec took us to an artificial lagoon which was pretty much a big pool on the edge of the water. They don't actually have beaches in Cairns because the low tide just keeps building up mud along the shoreline so there is no where to jump in and swim but the city still boasts itself on being a beach town. We sat out in the sun and tanned all day and then were told we could have three hours of free time to go find some dinner. We all got together and roamed around, eventually finding ourselves at Outback Jacks where Arnaud competed in the Jack's Challenge. He had a steak about the size of his face, and a side of multiple different cooked veggies and huge potato wedges. He had to eat all of that in under 30 minutes and guess what? He did. Me and Ty split that whole thing and couldn't even finish. Overall it was a good relaxing day, something that we haven't been able to have!

Are you a good traveler?

Personally I believe that I am a pretty good traveler. It's usually just me and my mom going somewhere so I'm more independent with what I was to do and where I want to do. Being just me and her promotes is to be a little more risky and adventurous with what we want to do. It makes us live more in the moment than with a big group. But while on this trip I feel like I have had more responsibility and had to keep track of what I am doing and what everyone else is doing too. There is Independence when I and with a group too because I have to make my own decisions personally, complaining and whining doesn't work out here like it might back home. It doesn't matter if your tired or your feet hurt you have to keep pushing ahead if everyone else is. I think my strong point is, as a traveler, U have learned to get over stuff quicker and easier because it's not work hanging on too. Dwelling on things that might have happened earlier in the day doesn't  matter anymore. Especially after hiking for six hours int he pouring rain with four hours in a bus and all you want is a hot shower and dry clothes and they say "I know the hotel is nice but eh light show is supposed to be awesome, you guys wanna go?" How do you say no? Pushing through and dealing with whatever comes along has been a very helpful trait to have learned during this trip. Not being a baby is my way of becoming a good traveler.

Today might have been my favorite part of the entire trip so far. It was excursion day and I picked the Blue Mountains. As the only girl I was a little freaked out about having ot keep up with everyone but hiking was honestly the best thing I've ever done. We went 1,000 steps down a mountain (coming back up was the worst pain I've ever felt) and saw beautiful forests and waterfalls. Even through the pouring rain we hiking up and down and ever got to ride on the steepest train in the world. It's controlled by a barrel of water, very sturdy. This excursion also helped me bond alot with the other hikers and get to know them so much better.

Top 3 Parts of Travel

Best:

1. I am so inspired but the traveling that I want to do it so much more for the rest of my life! Seeing this whole other culture, slang included, makes me just want to live here. Seeing new thinks that we really don't have back home just pushes me to NEED traveling and try and make it a part of my life forever!
2. Bonding withthe people on this trip reallywas one of the good things that came out of travelling with all the school kids. I really only knew about five people and the rest were pretty much total strangers. I am very pleased to have met and already be making plans to hangout for the rest of this summer. All these dinner snad rainy walks really have brought us together just through different situations all around.

3. Learning independence, like taking responsibility for your actions while on your own. You have to fend for yourself and make your own decisions without having mommy and daddy there to protect you or tell you what to do.

Worst:

1. Feeling bad. Overall feelins sick and not knowing what to do about it. Usually I would go to my mom when I am not feeling good and she just tells me what to take or what not to take but while on this trip you have to listen to your body and yuse past knowledge to cure yourself. You also really don't want to guess wrong becuase it could end up in you not participating and having a bad time the next day.

2. Not packing the right stuff or not packing enough. You really have no idea what situations you are going to run into so without any prior knowledge and with limited space you just have to pack whatever you can think of and hope it works out!

Today we got to go to the actually front steps of the Opera House, even with a little rain it was beautiful. After that we got a little free time before a boat ride so we walked around shopping and eating. Later we got to see a great tour of the harbor from atop a boat which was awesome! Riding through the bay was beautiful and a little cold, but it didn't stop anyone from staying on the top level of the boat! Lastly was the wildlife center that was full of the cutest and/or grossest animals. It started off with spiders and disgusting insects but then led up to the pretty butterflies and fuzzy koala bears.

Comparing Sydney

Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been too. It may be a little dirty and smelly in some places, but overall the air is fresh and the parks are green. Our day here was lounging in Sydney in the was sunny skies with only a little chill. Not only was the weather nice but so was the view! The bay is absolutely amazing even if we only got a little peek at it because of the downpour of rain that came down. We headed over to a popular mall that was actually owned by Westfield, a name recognizable by us Americans. It was about 5 stories high and had so many high fashion stores, mostly ones we would never have back home. There was really only one store we found in our short amount of time that was inexpensive and not so fancy looking. Next was the Sydney Tower that was something like the Chicago sky box in the Sears Tower. I was a tall needle like structure with huge windows all around with 360 views of the city. They even had a green screen back round for those who wanted an "authentic" city landscape, even though you could just go all the way to the top. Soon after that the weather started to get worse and rainier. This is when we took a trip to the Sydney bridge and harbor. Chicago also has it's large body of water with little canals and rivers running throughout the city so it wasn't a big surprise to have water running down the middle of the city. One big difference between cities was the Rocks and the market within. Thea market happens every weekend and it sells all sorts of clothing, jewelry, and food. It is sort of a farmers market but ten times larger and better. There is also a lot more expensive think at their stalls than I would usually expect. Our farmers markets aren't really in the city and they are much more low key. Although they are at a set and sell all those things I mentioned earlier, they just don't compare. Sydney's architecture is a lot more European looking with its old buildings and cobblestone walkways.

Today was spent entirely in Sydney exploring the city on tours and on our own. The markets were so great and fun to look around because of all the different stalls and vendors. Walking around the city was beautiful and just learning about different historical areas was cool to see in this modern place. We had a lot of time to go hangout at the Rocks and enjoy some real Australian culture, something I think we are lucky we didn't miss just because we hadn't been there on a weekend or something.

Forest & Rangitoto

This morning started out rainy and cold and I almost made the group late because I forgot my raincoat. On any other day this would have been perfectly fine but we had a public bus to catch and we had no idea where we were going. I was very excited for hiking because I love nature and blah blah blah but I think I would have enjoyed the whole experience a lot more if we would have had a set trail. We were going back and forth and turning around right in the middle of trails with no set direction. But otherwise, the forest was beautiful! A much needed escape from the smell of sulfurous rotten eggs. Besides all contact with the buses (many minutes waiting on the sides of the roads in the rain) the rest of the day got so much better. I feel like my whole trip to New Zealand was complete when we were able to go meet the Rangitoto College students. The whole set up they had for us was so inviting and they all were so excited  to see us. I love that they had teenagers perform their native Haka for us because it made it feel so much more like us! Their Maori group was a little but segregated from the rest of the group which makes me think that while they are being welcomed into New Zealand with recognition and preserving their land, they are still outsiders in their own country. Even with all of that, it was an excellent party. All the foods and treats were made by the students and the whole room was decorated. You could tell how much effort they put into all of it and trying to please us.I don't think any of us has experienced this from foreigners before, but it was good for us to see this other side. I would love to come and house with any one of these students because they all were wonderful and have a good name to their school and country.

Our day started out a little iffy in the freezing cold and rainy forest. It wasn't even hiking that was bad but the bus stops in the cold that got to everyone. Almost our whole day consisted of travel though beyond the forest and ended with our stop in Auckland for Rangitoto. Probably one of my favorite parts of the whole trip was going to their school. They do things so differently but think nothing of it. It was just great overall to meet these people that we had been talking to in person and finally be able to see them.

Hangi Dinner & Whaka Village

The Whaka village was and great and beautiful. Those villagers all have been able to protect and preserve their traditional cooking and living styles, even with this new rush of technology and modernizationg. The have been abkle to stay true to their ancestors and ancient way of life but using tourism as a way to teach the world. They knew that is they didn't let outsiders in peacefully they would eventually be pushed aside so they decided to open up their village and branch out to neighboring communities in a calm and welcoming way. By not threatening others they were allowed to show and preach their beliefs and tell about their traditions without any fight.The Maori people have fought for their independence and prominence within the country by demanding for respect. Fighting for their spot in society is something they have done for awhile and just recently achieved. Personally I just liked to see all the old fashioned houses and decorations all over. I also loved that they still use the heat microwaves to cook their food. To see how they understand the land and utilize it without harming it is inspirational. They know their country like the back of their hand and are their own rulers. Now fast forward to the the Hangi dinner and there just is no comparison. The "native" people were laughing and talking to each other right on stage DURING their performance. Even after yelling at us multiple times to be quite they giggled and whispered throughout their songs, like we couldn't see them! I definitely was more into the village because you could actually feel their attachment to the culture, not just as performers.

Today we got up early, saw the beautiful sunrise, and jumped on a duck tour before the day began. Our duck travelled out onto two different lakes which were mostly covered in fog. Later we were able to get a first hand account into the lives of native Maori people. We were allowed to

go through all of their village and check out different baths, mud pools, schools, and kitchens. All of their kitchens were outdoors so their "microwaves" were boxes on the ground filled with steam that they just leave their food in to cook. Their village was very close knit and beautiful and had some delish pieces of sulfur cooked corn! Back at the hotel we went to a traditional Hangi dinner/dance that really didn't impress much of us considering it was just a buffet and the dancers weren't even into what they were doing.

First Impression, 3 Culture Shocks, and What You Look Forward Too

I loved this country the moment I stepped off that plane. Although their cities isn't too big or like our at all, their countrysid emakes up for it. I thought about how wonderful it would be to be able to drive only about 30 minutes max, out of the city and be surrounded by beautiful hills and open fields. I guess my first impression was that their were so many animals and so little people. Auckland holds about 1/4 of the country's population so their countryside really has hardly any people. Besides that, my biggest  culture shock was the landscape. We have nothing as beautiful as the mountain sides near us or really anywhere in our country. Their strange trees, abundance of sheep, and fog covered mounstains sprawl across the country. Never have I been able to just drive through such beauty, the camera can never capture how pretty the mountains are in reality. Secondly I couldn't get over the driving on the other side of the road. Watching cars drive the exact opposite of us just looked like mass chaos. Walking across streets and seeing people on the other side of the car was just bizarre. My third shock was how kind and inviting the Kiwi's are! Random people on the street asked us all about our trip and where we were from on a regular basis. Many of them gave us tips and advice on places we should go and things that we should do, some real inside knowledge of the country. People in America never really take the time to get to know strangers or customers, or at least not anymore. While walking into a cafe the owners were lounging around driking coffee and put no pressure on us to buy anything at all, infact they directed us to another near by cafe and asked if we needed to use their bathroom. Mostly what I am looking forward to is the Agrodome or the Hangi dinner. I want to experience some less tourist-y sites and get more in depth with their New Zeland culture. 

Today was mostly landing and driving throughout the rolling hills. We saw the complete beauty of it all just out our windows everywhere that we drove. It was only a hour drive through the country, but it was so beautiful. It was like driving straight onto a movie set in some far away forest or something, and now I see why New Zeland is chosen to shoot such scenes. When you get out of the countryside though, we came to a small little town with a bunch of cafe's and souvenirs. A little like the Wisconsin Dells. We only stopped for lunch though and then headed out to Rotorua and into the rotten egg smell for the next couple of days.

Traveling

We arrive at the school right on time to say goodbyes and board our bus. All of the students were looking pretty happy while all the parents just looked nervous. We were 3 hours early which made everyone pretty mad but it ended up to be a good thing when all the computers crashed at the airport and it took us about 2 hours to even check in! Finally we get through and have to board our plane to LAX where some people's tickets weren't working. After our short 4 hour flight which included sitting next to Mr.Barry (woop!) we get to get onto our long 12 hour flight. The plane was gorgeous and came with headphones, blankets, pilllows, and a toothbrush kit. I've never been on a plane like that so just being on there was very exciting. Mr.Ewen switched seats with me so I got to sit next to kaitlyn and we watched movies and ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner of iffy plane food for 12 hours straight. Overall the flight wasn't that bad, exxcept only getting 5 hours of sleep, and when we arrived in New Zealand we walked out where we could see some windows and there was a beutiful rainbow. Just a sign of how the rest of our trip is going to go.

Fine Dining

1. d) Traditions and Customs

The New Zealanders are pretty similar to the Americans on customs and traditions, at least with food. They have very similar dinner times and lunch. Many other European countries have lunch as the biggest meal, but like America they have dinner as their large meal. They also have it later in the afternoon/late night just like us. Their other similarity with food is their barbecues! These are usually bigger gatherings with meat as the focal point. Same as our parties they have guests bring wines or beers and/or other dishes, they even have big 'potluck' parties. Their main differences are that even though they may stop into cafes for snacks or coffee like us, they still consider restaurants are considered very special occasions. Another very big difference is that as Americans always get take out, Kiwis cook mostly from scratch. They don't even use cake mix!

2. After researching all of this I am so excited to try all of the foods there! I was very eager to eat their new foods even before cooking and researching because I am very open to new foods. I am not picky at all and I don't even think that their food will be that different. They prepare things very much the same as we do just with different ingredients.