Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary 4/30


I was very excited for today because we would be going to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. I've been waiting to see and hold a Koala for awhile. When I thought of Lone Pine, I thought it would be only koalas and kangaroos. It surprised me to find out there was a wide variety of different animals.

The day started off a bit cooler but once we began walking to the bus station it got fairly warm out. By the time we got to the sanctuary it was very warm outside. There was many trees when we walked around so it did not seem that warm, until i stood right in the sun.

I learned a lot about the Koala today. To start off they are marsupials, and the females carry their babies called joeys in their pouches in the front of them. Second is the males have a scent gland right on the front of their chest, which is used to attract females. Another is they all look different because of a few key features such as their color, nose and ears. They also have spots on their bottoms used for camouflage. Another is they eat gum tree leafs, and eat about a half a ton of them. There are over 500 species of gum trees, but the koala will only eat 10-15 species. Lastly is the koalas can contract diseases similar to humans such as chlamydia, and cancer.

I spent a lot of time observing the kangaroos. I noticed they are very calm, and friendly. I did not expect them to allow us to get so close to them.

I had two encounters with the kangaroos. First, every time they saw a camera come very close to them they would get up. They would not jump away, but turn away. Second, I was bent down petting one kangaroo, and I felt something on my leg. When I turned I realized it was another one trying to lick my leg.

There was a lot of other animals. One animal that was memorable was the merino sheep. It is not something I want to remember but I will remember it because of what happened to the poor sheep. The sheep was locked in a small square and pulled out to get sheered. It was very sad to watch this happen because the sheep looked in pain. I do not like to see animals in pain, and wanted to help the sheep but I knew there was nothing I could do.

One thing I noticed about the sanctuary was even though the animals are in captivity, and is mostly about the koalas. The sanctuary did a number of things to help raise money for majority of the other animals there.

While I was petting the kangaroos, I heard a new word. The word is skippy, and it is another word for kangaroo.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Tuesday, 29 April, 2014 (Flight to Brisbane)

Today was the day we made the flight from Canberra to Brisbane. Syndny could have been mistaken for any older city in the US. Canberra had the feel of a city devoted to government, much like DC. Brisbane is colorful with twisting roads and shops hiddin all over the place. Brisbane has a different feel to it the the other cities that makes it feel more Australian. You can tell that there has been a flood recently because there are many newer buildings along the water ways. After checking into the hostel eleven miners of the group had lunch at the Hogs Breath and then went shopping at Coles. After shopping myself and four others dropped off our shopping in our rooms and then explored the YHA. We spent the rest of the day relaxing in different ways.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Canberra: Mount Ainslie, Parliament, National Gallery, U.S. Embassy, Australian War Museum

We began our day with a short bus trip to Mount Ainslie. The weather here was clear, but a bit chilly. We were able to overlook the coolness in the air due to the breath-taking view of Canberra. Mount Ainslie gives you the perfect view of the entire city of Canberra.

While atop Mount Ainslie, we learned about The Griffin Plan. This was a plan created by Walter Burley Griffin, an American who grew up in Chicago, that actually won the international competition of setting up the city of Canberra. Canberra is set up in a triangular manor, allowing one point for commerce and business, another point for the residential area, and the final point for parliament and other government buildings.

After spending some time on Mount Ainslie, we rode in the coach over to the Australian Parliament House. A nice Australian man named Michael gave us a tour of the premises. He was full of interesting facts about the Australian government. A few of the facts I found most interesting were the information about the emblem of the Australian Parliament (shown below); it features a kangaroo and an emu. This is because not only are these animals native to Australia, they also cannot walk backward; this is just like the Australian government, always progressing and never retreating.

One interesting fact concerning the creation of the Parliament House is the Aboriginal painting in the front of the building. It is a dot painting of a circle, which represents a watering hole or meeting place. This makes sense because the Parliament House is a meeting place for government officials. Also the beautiful marble in the foyer came from Italy, the black stone came from Belgium, and the rose marble came from Portugal. In addition, this building was built between 1980-1988 and it is meant to last for 200 years. In addition, this magnificent structure cost $1.1 billion.

During our tour we had the opportunity to actually sit in the House of Representatives and Senate to see what it looked like. We also learned a little bit about the Australian system of government. This includes a House of Representatives and Senate just like the United States, with representatives elected by population and senators elected in equal representation numbers (six senators per state, two senators per territory). Something that is a little different for the United States' voting system is that in Australia, voting is compulsory. Citizens that do not vote must pay a fee as a penalty. Also Australia is governed by the governor-general, unlike the president in the United States.

From the Parliament House, we went to the National Gallery.  Here we were shown several different pieces of Aboriginal art. We were able to see the different styles that Aboriginals used and some of their most famous pieces. One piece that our tour guide stressed a lot and that I also enjoyed seeing was what liked like a forest of poles. These poles were actually used in Aboriginal burial ceremonies. The bones of a passed loved one are placed in the hollowed out pole and placed in a sort of cemetery. One aspect that was really stressed about the Aboriginal art was the identity that it gave to the people. This art was not only a way of expressing themselves, but also a way to share their dreaming stories and legends between generations.

After the National Gallery, we headed to the U.S. Embassy. Here we were able to speak with two men, one who deals with the policies and laws of Australia and another who deals with the culture of Australia. These men were able to enlighten us and share some details about their duties and responsibilities. After this briefing, we were given a short tour of the grounds. A few fascinating facts that I learned were that the U.S. Embassy covers nine acres, Eleanor Roosevelt started the tradition of  planting trees, and Jackie Chan spent the night at the Ambassador's house.

Finally, we needed our day with a tour of the Australian War Museum. While here Lauren, our guide, shed a lot of light about the Australians' involvement in World War I and II. It was interesting to hear this because I never really learned just how involved the Australians were. The war museum had several different exhibits that were about several different topics dealing with war. Despite the various pieces available, I think my favorite was the John Simpson piece. Simpson was a British soldier that was a member of the Australian armed services. He was sent to war in Turkey. Wishing he was on his way to England, he planned on jumping ship. He ended up making it to Turkey, but dying only three weeks after his arrival. The controversy surrounding this exhibit comes from the fact that Simpson has many supporters stating that he should be awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest honor of courage and bravery awarded to service members. He has not yet received the honor, but there are still many individuals that believe that he is deserving and are pushing forward to help him earn that prestigious honor.

Overall we had a very busy day, so picking out something that I noticed today that nobody else did seemed a little easier. Today, I noticed that the "Caution: Wet Floor" signs in the U.S. Embassy security/check-in building were neon pink rather than the traditional bold yellow. Also the new word that I learned today is peak hour. This simply means rush hour, and I learned it from our coach driver Wayne.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Thursday 24,April
The day began with a two hour train ride out to Katoomba. Katoomba is a scenic quaint town located in the blue mountains of Australia. To meet our tour guide, we took a London style double Decker school bus.  Our tour guide Jamie was a ranger and has lived in the Blue Mountains all of his life.  He was knowledgeable about the Blue Mountains.  We lucked out on the weather, being inland, the Blue Mountains are a bit chiller than Sydney is.  However, for our trip to the Blue Mountains, temperatures were in the mid 60's to low 70's, sunny, and accompanied by a slight breeze.

The Blue Mountains are not a mountain range.  They were actually created over time.  They were once at sea level, but were slowly eroded over time due to erosion via a river and various other factors.  At the top of the plateau, the canopy was minimal, but in the valley/gorge, the canopy coverage increases from about 20% coverage, to roughly 80%+ coverage.  The Blue Mountains get their name from the light being refracted through the eucalyptus tree oil, which shows up as a blue color.  On our walk down through the valley, we encountered cockatoos during our hike to the waterfalls.  The lyerbirds were briefly mentioned, however, were never seen.  The lyerbird is similar to a peacock, and is also a large factor for erosion in the Blue Mountain area.  One lyerbird is capable of moving 63 tons/bird/hector/year.  They are generally found in a cool or warm temperature rain forest.

I did notice while visiting Katoomba that houses did have rain water collection systems.  One unique thing that we did because of the tour guide that we had was eat raw sarsaparilla.  The word of the day was Skippy, which is another name for a kangaroo.  A girl that I was talking to at the YHA happened to use this word in passing when I told her my travel plans for the month that we would spend in Australia.  Before leaving Sydney, me and a couple of friends that I made while visiting Australia actually had the opportunity to eat kangaroo.  I found the meat to be quite good and if I had to describe it, it probably tasted close to steak.  The difference being that a normal cow steak is normally cooked a bit more whereas kangaroo meat is actually eaten rare.  Even with this difference, the meat was excellent, and it was well worth the cost.

Cheers mates,

Mark Smith

Sunday, 27 April, 2014 (Trip to Canberra)

The day started waiting for the bus in the rain at the train station across from the Sydney YHA. The train station had the same collection of people that any train station in the states would have had. Some were travelers like us others were taking trains to other places to enjoy their weekend at. The weather here in the southern part of Australia is a lot like the fall weather in my home town in New York. One if the major differences is that almost none of the trees are changing color. All of the trees native to Australia are evergreen trees. On the way to Canberra I saw a wind farm from the bus window. This fits with the information I have been given that states that Australia is very serious about being environmentally friendly. The new word I learned today was that the word fag is for cigarets and not a derogatory term.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Anzac Day- Sydney Aquarium/ Taronga Zoo

Today started off to be a very gloomy day. In the morning it was pouring rain and very windy. We had to get all geared up for the rain and walk to the Sydney Aquarium. This aquarium was filled with many different sea life and animals that I had never seen or heard of before. My personal favorite was the moon jellyfish. Their species is over populated in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean. However, they are harmless to humans because they are too weak to sting us. Another marine animal that I found interesting at the aquarium was the Japanese spider crab. I never imagined that crabs could be this big! They are actually nicknamed "crabzilla" because they are so big.

After leaving the aquarium, the group headed over to catch a ferry to the Taronga Zoo. I noticed that these ferries are used almost in equivalent to a train or a bus in Sydney. Passengers on the ferries get off at many different stops to see many different attractions. I also noticed that there was a lot of traffic on the harbor. Many people seem to take boats and ferries through the harbor instead of traveling around it. The third thing I noticed about the ferries were that that had many advertisements posted on it, including signs telling the passengers to leave reviews on how the service on the ferry was.

Once we arrived at the zoo, there were many Australian animals that were very unique and unusual. The most unusual animal in my opinion was the jumping mice. They ran extremely fast and jumped very far for a tiny little mouse. I noticed that they had the same leg structures as a kangaroo allowing them to jump like that. I also thought it was unusual because I have never seen mice in a zoo before. Luckily, by the time we were leaving the zoo, the rain had cleared up and the sun was shining beautifully.

Today in Sydney I noticed that in the harbor had many boats docked in the middle of the water. I didn't know how the passengers got out to their boat until I learned that they ride boats called dingies out to their boat. Also, the Australian word that i learned today was "skippy" which is another word for a kangaroo. I heard a group of Australian boys talking about this at breakfast.

I really enjoyed the aquarium and the zoo today. Despite the horrible weather the group made the best out of it.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Sydney: First Impressions

For our first day in Sydney, we had some nice weather all day, being partly cloudy with temperatures ranging from 16-20 degrees C. From what I saw today, I can say that the town can feel cramped at times, somewhat like New York City to a lesser extent. However, the town looks amazing, especially at night with all the lights from the buildings being on. The parks in Sydney were even better, making it a great place to just hang out with friends.

One of the first places we visited was the Hyde Park Barracks. I believe that the Convicts at first dreaded this place, as they were sent away from family and friends to work on this new colony as punishment. They did not have good living conditions, as the resting rooms, while comfortable, will end up being very fowl, as the only bathrooms they got were two buckets that were placed on opposite sides of the room.

We got to go on break for lunch, and I was surprised at how expansive the shopping area was. Everywhere we went, there were more and more stores and restaurants. Even when meeting up with the others, I still discovered more places based on what the others said. What I know for sure is that I will probably get lost, but I will most likely find whatever I am looking for.

The last place we visited for the day was the Australian Museum, where we learned more about the First Australians. The tour guide we had gave very detailed information about the different artifacts and tools used by them, and how they behaved before and after the British made it to Australia. The First Australians, while surprised at how advanced the British were, did not completely trust them at first. The British did not normally follow their traditions, so it made the First Australians upset at times.

During the day, one thing I noticed was that every block on every street seemed to have at least a couple of stores and/or restaurants. Everywhere you go, you would find a new or similar store or restaurant, depending on the area that you are in. Also, I learned a couple of new Australians words during the day. One of them was dilkara, meaning rainbow. This was one of several words told to us by the tour guide at the Australian Museum today.

Overall, I am excited about what I have learned for the first day, and I hope that these next days in Australia will be just as exciting as today was for me and the others.
I have a new cell phone.  The number is 04-0610-1407.  If you dial from the US, it is 011-61-4-0610-1407.

--charlie

Sunday, April 20, 2014

This is just an information post.  I have a new USA cell phone number:  443-240-7469.  Please use this to contact me if needed as you make your way to the international terminal of JFK on Monday.

I will arrive mid-afternoon (2:30-3:00pm) and wait for you to come in.  Please do not get your ticket and go through the security gate until you have spoken with me.  Plan to arrive no later than 4:30 pm.  If you have any delay, contact me at that cell phone number as soon as possible.

I have re-activated my long-unused Twitter account, @chazjac.  Please use #ECAustralia2014 for course-related tweets.

I will be arriving in New York Sunday evening, staying at the airport Holiday Inn.  Feel free to contact me there.

--charlie