This past weekend our program had the opportunity to participate in two different activities that allowed us to experience the vibrant culture of Australia. First on Saturday the 18th we took a 1.5 hour walking tour around Sydney. Being able to see the immense size of the Sydney Opera House coupled with the vibrant old town with a multiple of different shops and restaurants was very interesting. Also learning first hand about the history of Australia from a local was awesome. I was able to learn that Australia was essentially a foreign prison for the British crown which is an interesting connection to the United States. Overall it was a great experience to see the section of Sydney that combines modern technology with historical features.
The second activity of our weekend was a trip to a wildlife preserve. After experiencing poor weather the day before, I was just hoping for better weather than the pouring rain we experienced at the start of our walking tour. Everyone was very excited about the opportunity to see the various wildlife that is native to Australia. After having the opportunity to sleep on the hour long bus ride north to the preserve we were all ready to go. Starting off with a lengthy welcome speech from the owner of the preserve. We were able to take a quick look around the local aboriginal people and the marks and symbols that have withstood the last 5000 years of extreme weather and change. During the tour we were offered to eat termites, at first I declined but after considering the experience and how easy and comfortable the guide made it seem, I mustered up the courage to be one of the 3 volunteers of our group to try them. Unfortunately or fortunately we were not able to harvest any termites from the tree given the recent weather we had experienced. After returning back for a lunch of an authentic Australian meal which was essentially a sausage on a slice of bread. It may have been the best sausage of a slice of bread I have ever eaten. Everyone in my group had a few of the sandwiches (which was encouraged) we headed out for the second half of our day. It consisted of Boomerang throwing, whip cracking and pictures with Koalas. Not to mention walking around side by side with kangaroos and other animals. It was overall a great day and an awesome experience to see all of the wildlife as well as the history of Sydney. Some pictures of the wildlife center are below.
