Only one more week in Aussie!
By Sisiter Cities
Published: Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Hello everyone, as our time here comes to the last week of our experience, we have done so many fun things, and still have many more experiences to have. So far in the second week, on Thursday, we went to the nations capital, Canberra, and stayed for the night. On that Friday we had gone to the Questacon Museum and the National Museum. Saturday was the day of the switch, and I myself had changed from the awesome house of the Robbs to the hopefully wonderful Crowther house. I can’t wait to experience many more fun things here in this wonderful country. Thank you all. -Kasey Sickles
It’s a shame to say that our third week in Australia is quickly coming to an end. None of us can believe that we’re coming home in one week. I never believed it at first but now it’s clear to see that when people say the trip will go by fast, they aren’t kidding. This past week has been an excitement for all of us, especially beginning our first week with our new host families! So it was a sad bye bye to the wonderful and warm Reid family and hello to the exciting and make-yourself-at-home Barretts. Everyone had the opportunity to spend the previous weekend bonding with family they will call their own for the next two weeks.
I was lucky enough to have brunch with the Reids for the last time and we ate dim sum! I’ve been having major cravings for authentic Asian cuisine since I’ve been here. It’s always good to try something new, and what I enjoyed the most was the fried squid. Alex, Rachael’s sister, refers to them as “similar to salty chewy fries.” After lunch, I said my last goodbyes and gave tight hugs to the Reid family and was off to my new home at the Barretts. I was immediately welcomed with loving and warm arms and felt right at home. That night, we celebrated Lexi’s 16th birthday at her house where we danced, ate hot dogs, and sat around campfires.
The next day, the Barrett’s treated me out to a day at the zoo. I haven’t been to once since I was little, and what I was most excited to see was the kangaroos and koalas. Although, that wasn’t all I saw! I was able to see some giraffes, zebras, a seal show, birds, lizards, snakes, frogs, lions and tigers, gorillas, and the adorable baby elephants! I also had my first sausage roll, and if I might add, it was very delicious! I also managed to buy a souvenir t-shirt from the gift shop, as I’m on the hunt for one everywhere I go. That was a great day I’ll never forget!
Starting off the week fresh, we took the train to Manly Beach, and it was a fantastic day. The sun was shining and the water wasn’t as cold as the Sydney Harbour. We took plenty of pictures in the sand and just walked around the shore. The rest of the time we had there we were allowed to shop around. As mentioned before, I’ve been on a hunt for t-shirts where ever I go, and I managed to find a few there! Once we met up again to board the train, many of us were exhausted and ready to go home. While sitting with Tyler on the train, he fell asleep on the random stranger sitting next to him, and right when I woke him up, she got up and switched seats. It was pretty funny! I’ll always remember the feeling of the warm sand between my toes at the beautiful Manly Beach!
On Tuesday, the weather decided to completely change on us. As we were visiting one of the primary schools, South Windsor Primary School, it wouldn’t stop raining. When we arrived, we were greeted by one of the teachers, who also happens to be on the Hawkesbury Sister City Committee. We visited some classrooms, which consisted of kids from Kindergarten to 6th grade, where they asked us questions like, “What kind of food do you eat?” and “Have you tried vegemite?” After our tour, all the kids taught us how to bush dance. It was an exciting experience for all of us! Besides dancing with each other, we were honored to dance with the little kids as well. They’re all amazing dancers! After touring the elementary school, we headed to Featherdale Wildlife Park. The rain certainly didn’t stop us from feeding the kangaroos and emus, petting the sleeping koala, seeing an actual Tasmanian devil, observing wombats, and exploring the rest of the park on our own. That’s when we all realized that kangaroos and koalas have very soft fur! Also that night, we were welcomed by the Hawkesbury City Council and given certificates by the mayor. Tyler delivered his speech and presented the mayor with a little gift from Temple City. He was very “delighted”!
Wednesday was our first day at our new school. However, Tyler and I got the opportunity to head up to the Blue Mountains with Renee Smyth, Tyler’s host sister and Joel, Eden’s older brother, because we lost our chance two weeks ago when the Three Sisters were fogged out. We rode the Zig Zag Railway and experienced how miners got coal from the bottom of the mountain to the top, we rode the steepest railway in Australia, walked 10 minutes around the scenic route, then took a cable car back up the mountain. We also got excellent photos of the Three Sisters, which were absolutely beautiful. If I could do it all over again, I definitely would.
Today was probably the day that everyone would look forward to if they visited Australia. We took the train into town and walked across the Harbour Bridge. You can get fantastic photos of the Sydney Opera House with the amazing view from up there. After what seemed like a long hike, we were off to the Sydney Opera House, which is just as breathtaking on the inside as it is on the outside. We learned about the structure, how long it took to build it, how much money it took to build it, what it’s made out of, and we even got to tour inside the theaters. One of the theaters has 2700 seats! What really struck me about the Opera House was the purple carpet, which was chosen because it represented royalty, and they stayed true to the Queen, the incredible tiling, which changes color with the environment around it, and the original designer of the Sydney Opera House resigned a few years before it was completed, and passed without seeing the final masterpiece. The tour was very informational. After the tour, we rode on the jet boat. I wasn’t paying attention when Brian Russell, one of the chaperones, advised us to bring extra clothes. Because I sat in the back, I probably got the most wet. Even though I got completely soaked through, I’d have to say that was one of the most memorable and fun things I’ve ever done. We had lunch at the food court nearby the Centre Point Tower, and as soon as we finished, we headed up for the amazing view of Sydney. They weren’t kidding. We all were just taken back when we looked out of a window. We all couldn’t have asked for a more fun-filled day!
As Carrington, Tyler, and Kasey have mentioned, our past two weeks have been jam packed with fun and exciting places to visit, as well as we made memories that will last our lifetime. Even though we all miss little things about home, it’ll be so hard to say goodbye to the friendly and loving people we’ve met here. I’m so thankful that all of the people here have taken time out of their schedules just to give us an out of this world experience for the entire month. I learn so many things that I never knew about Australia every single day. Instead of being sad that it’s my last week here, which is what I intended to do at first, I’ll make the most of every single day and soak up the rich Australian culture. I love Australia, and uh, dad, can I come back next year? 
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