Australia/ New Zealand: Day 10

My Top 10 List:

1. Traveling with new people and making new friends.
Throughout my travels on this trip, I made great friendships with new people that I never really knew.  I had a lot of fun going out and being with new people that I wasnt friends with before. Without them, this trip wouldnt have been nearly as fun!

2. The Great Barriere Reef.
The GBR is one spectacular sight to see. Its just surrounded by beautiful scenery,  and wildlife to match. Its so cool to be swimming in the GBR because you see how much more there is to the world than just the outside surface. You're swimming in the homes of thousand of species of life, and there are marine life all around you. Its a great experience to have.

3. Sydney.
The city of Sydney is simply beautiful. Its so nice and full of fresh air. The views from the top of the tower are undescribeable. This was definitely one of my highlights.

4. Cairns.
Cairns is a lovely small town, thats booming with excitement! Theres so much to do there, like go to the pool, the beach, go out shopping, or go to find something to eat! Endless possibilities! Cairns is just so beautiful and i cant wait till I return!

5. Aboriginal Culture.
While visiting Australia, everywhere has traces of their culture. The people do the best they can to keep their culture alive. They perform songs and dances, and show off their Aborginal legends! Its definitely a cool thing to experience.

6. Food.
Oh gosh. The food on the trip was amazing! Every place i went to, I would try something that Ive never had before. Like, Kangaroo, Crocidile, and Emu. All so delictible. They definitely have exotic foods down under.

7. Ogo.
Ogoing was soo much fun! I enjoyed trying new activities, seeing as how we really dont have things like this at home. So it was fun to try something different.

8. Agradome.
The huge Agradome was incredible to see. Its just amazing to see how people make a life like this, and do that almost everyday. Its incredible. A farmers life is not too easy.

9. Sports.
There are so many different kinds of sports down under. Like, theyre way different than what we have here. Things like rugby, netball, Australian rules football, cricket, we dont have in the US. Sports are taken very seriously in Australia and NZ. Its practially a religion.

10. Branching out.
This trip has definitely given myself a chance to broaden my horizen of the world, and to see it in a new light. I went out, and I tried new foods, I met new people, and I grew new friendships with people. Making new friends in different countries was a lot of fun. I will never forget them.

Australia/ New Zealand: Day 9

Oh gosh, well today was our last day in Australia! Its so sad. Im going to miss all our fun times we had on this fantastic trip! We went to the rainforest today, as our last day. We took a long train ride up the mountain, and saw some beautiful views. Including trees, two big waterfalls, and a large cliff! When we got into town, we split up into groups again and went to take a look around town and try to find some lunch. Our group found a nice little shack area to have lunch. We found Ms. Titus and Mr. Berry in there! I went and bough some nivce crocidile! It wa absolutely delivious.  Duing our walk in tow, a few of us learned how to play the didjeredoo.  When all  the groups gathered to go up in the gondolas, i almost had a heartattack because i dont like heights, an i dont likk dangeling in a big box on a small cable. Our tour guide through the small part of the rainforest knew a lot about the jungle. He would tell us about all the different inhabitants and its previous inhabitants. Later we sad wome huge spiders and that scared me even more! Bythe time we had goneback into Cairns, it was starting to get late, so my friends and I decided to out to eat one last time. I had shrimp. We all ate  last meal,the went back to our room and packed all our things for the last plane rides home. Im going to miss Australia.

Australia/ New Zealand: Day 8

Our second day in Cairns today! Once again, about 80 degrees outside! Chyeaahh! We took a bus to the peir, and got on board to the Great Barrier Reef! It was quite a boat ride. About two hours long. But, it didnt matter because the scenery all around us was simply beautiful! My friends and I all had fun. When we arrived at the Great Barrier Reef, we all got into our snorkel gear, and dove into the water! Shelby and I swam around the Reef about five times. When we got out, we found out we had gotten a few cuts from the reef! We went below deck and watched all the fish swim about. It was really neat, and interesting to watch. We got a chance to hold some starfish, and some sea ceucumbers! They were soo  slimey and gross hah. Our group got a lot of compliments because we acted so well. When we left, we came back to a beautiful moon rising in the air. The group went back to the hotel, and we got another chance to spend our night in town again. We had a delicious dinner, and went looking around the stores. We all had a great time walking around town. I know Im gonna miss these days.

Australia/ New Zealand: Day 7

Well today we landed in Cairns. Its a beautiful 82 degrees outside! YES! Thankfully, today was a relaxing day. We went to the hotel, changed into swim suits, then went to the pool and went tanning! The pool was soo cold, and somehow, I ended up carrying three people on my back in the pool. After the pool, we just tanned in the sun. It was soo much fun. Later, my group went into town and had a look around. It was a chance for all of us to do some friendly bonding. And ya know what? It was a lot of fun! I cant wait to do it again! I love Cairns already!

Australia/ New Zealand: Day 6

I absolutely love traveling to different places. I find it very entertaining and I love learning about the places I travel to. Being with other people during my travel because it is very fun. I love getting to know other people so I can make more friends . Like now, Im friends with other students that I rarely ever talked to or didnt talk to before this trip. I find things in common with many students that I wasnt friends with before. I think traveling with other people is a lot of fun because you grow bonds with new people. Although, exploring new places by yourself is a great new way of exploring the world. So am i ready to travel on my own? Yeah, i think I am!

So today was our last day in Sydney. We went out and did our excursions today. The weather was kinda bad, so we didnt get to go whale watching. So Schagrin took some of us to the Aquarium. It was soo much fun just to go in a small group and hang out. We got to look at some exotic wildlife of the ocean. And we got to see a 10 foot lemon shark. Later, we met the other groups by the harbor and watched a laser light show on the Sydney Opera House. It was like disney world haha. It was absolutely beautiful. However, it was time for us to go. Its been fun Sydney... I'll be back soon.

Australia/ New Zealand: Day 5

Traveling so far, has been one of the best experiences of my life. I've grown so much during this trip. I've come to be friends with everyone on this trip, and grown closer to people. Now, I'm friends with people I probably wouldnt have been friends with before. I've done things that I never thought I wouldve done. Like, I FED a shark. It was sweeeeet! And these upcoming days will only continue to help me grow even more. I cant wait. This trip has given me so many memories that I will never forget, and will continue to share my travel experiences with others. I've tried a lot of different foods as well. Im usually not one to go out and try everything new, but hey, its Australia. A once in a lifetime trip. Take the chances when you can. And thats what i did, and what I will continue to do throughout the rest of my travels. I love to travel, and this trip has continues my love for seeing new places. These new places I've seen and people I've met have inspired me to go to new places around the world in the future. I cant wait..

Today we walked around Sydney for a bit. Then we went to the little zoo area they had near the harbor! I thought it was very neat to see all the different sorts of wild life that they had. The only part I was not fond of, was the spider exhibit. EW. It creeped me wayyyy out. On the up side, i saw a kangaroo, and kuala bear! We walked through the exhibits and saw many different species of animals there. Its was a blast! We had dinner there after everybody got back, then we took a nice long walk back to our hotel for a rest. Oh boy, What a day.

Australia/ New Zealand: Day 4

Goodbye New Zealand! Hello Syndey, Australia!
Today, we landed in the beautiful city of Sydney! An arieal view of the city is simply amazing, looking down at the harbor and Opera House. We got there and started walking around the city. I love just taking strolls around the city. I find them enjoyable. We walked through some gorgeous scenery, and went all the way to the top of the Sydney Tower. It was spectacular, just walking around and seeing the city from a totally different view. Sydney is a lot bigger than Chicago. But theres no comparison, I love Sydney way more than Chicago after one afternoon. Theres so much more to do and way more to see. There was a shop up in there, and i went and had some emu and kangaroo jerkey. It was delicious. Later, we went to go visit the opal store. We learned so much about opal and where is comes from. I decided to be a good son, and bought my mother a nice opal kangaroo necklace. Afterwards, we all walked towards the big opera house. It was absolutely beautiful! We got to go inside, but just for a few minutes and we werent allowed to take pictures. My group went to go find some lunch, so we walked around the harbor, which was really nice. Everything around the harbor was clean, nice, and not very expensive. Later that day, after walking around the harbor, we all went to go to a local market to go shopping. It was a lot of fun and I ended up buying a boomerang . We were all very tired by the end of the day, and so we went back to the room for the night. Sydney was gorgeous. -6/10/11

Australia/ New Zealand: Day 3

Well, today was probably my favorite day of the trip so far! We had a delicious breakfast. I had about eight hash browns, orange juice, and four panacakes. It was so good man. Later, we had to put on all our rain gear because it was raining really badly outside. Thankfully, it wasnt very cold. Although, we waited for the bus for about twenty minutes, and by the time it arrived, the bus was full and some of us had to stay behind and wait for the next bus. haha. By the time we got to the Redwoods, my group started singing songs through the woods. Mostly disney songs. It was a blast! The trees there were absolutely enormous! They were so think that you could barely see 20 feet off the pathway! Later, we caught up with the group, and were gonna head back into town and visit the Rangitoto College. Yet, once again, my group got left behind again and had to wait for the next bus. But, Schagrin led us in more songs to sing! Its times like these that you cherish, and remember, and put a smile on your face.

We were all pumped to finally see our pen pals who we've been talking to for a while. When we got to the school, the teachers chose me to be a leader and give a little welcoming/opening speech and represent our schools. Yeah, no pressure, right? Thankfully, i did pretty well. Then, the Kiwi students opened up with the Haka dance. It was incredible! After their performance, we all got to walk around and talk with everybody. It was really nice talking with all of the students and learning about their culture. Unfortunately, we had to leave, and we didnt want to go! We said our goodbyes, and took our leave. Even though we had only just met, it was sad to leave. We all had a great time! -6/9/11

Australia/ New Zealand: Day 2

Today was a great day! We went down to breakfast in the morning as usual, but when we went outside, we were greeted by the most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen in my life! We took about half an hour to watch the sun rise, then our duck tour drivers showed up. We went on these "ducks" and took a view of the town and its surrounding area, including the lakes. It was beautiful! These "ducks" that we drove around in were vehicles used during World War 2. It was really interesting because it was also a great learning experience. The driver was very informal. He told us the history of the town and about the lakes. When he drove us around and in the lakes, he told us all about the legends of the lakes and how they were special to the people. The duck tours were very fun!

When we went to Whaka, the thermal village, we walked around town learning about the history and legends of the town. It was a lot of fun! Our tour guide was amazing. He knew everything there was to know about the town. The hot springs were very fun to see and learn about. You can really tell that the New Zealanders definitely take their culture seriously, and do the best they can to keep it alive. When we got back to the hotel, we had an amazing dinner, and performers doing the Haka dance. It was awesome! We all had a good time. It was a good way to end a great day!  -6/8/11

New Zealand: Day 1

Well, today has been a very long and tiring day. Very long indeed. After a sixteen hour or so plane ride, we landed in Aukland. Immediately, I saw differences from the United States to New Zealand. Their airports are something I've never seen before. They have way different candy and food than we do back home.What was incredibly cool was that they drive on the other side of the road! My first impression was like, "Woahhh!  Cool!!" I also noticed that the people down here are all really big into sports. Rugby, in particular. Rugby, to them, is practically a religion! When my friends and i went down to one of the local sports stores, more than half of the store was taken up by rugby gear! We had talked to one of the store owners and they told us all about rugby and how they are all really into it down in New Zealand. Its their national sport. I find this place very interesting. They have no nuclear power down there at all. They get alll their power in a much more eco friendly way. The towns arent very big, but the locals still have activities and many other things to do to have fun! They have luging, zorbing, bunjy-jumping, and countless other activities! I highly enjoyed the Jade shop we went to. I find it fasinating that people can take something from the earth, and turn it into something so beautiful. Tomorrow should be really fun! We're all gonna go out zorbing and having a blast! Cant wait!  -6/7/11

Food, Glorious Food!

Although Australia and New Zealand are so close together, their food and methods of cooking do differ. I noticed today that the New Zealand biscuits contain more sugar and have sweeter ingrediants, rather than the Australian food. The Australian patties and wedges definitely used more spices and herbal ingrediants. NZ is sweeter and more sugary, while Australia is more spicey and herbal.
I am excited to try new foods while on our trip. I usually am not so willing to try new food, but trying these foods in class are making me want to try out some of their unique delicacies. I can't wait for these new experiences!

Invasive Species: Cane Toad

Cane Toads came to Australia from Hawaii in June, 1935 by the Bereau of Sugar Experiment Stations in order to control the cane beetle. They bred immediately in captivity and by August 1935 more than 102 young toads were released in areas around Cairns, Gordonvale and Innisfail in northern Queensland. Since their release, toads have rapidly multiplied in population and now number over 200 million and have been known to spread diseases affecting local biodiversity. As of 2005, ultraviolet light which attracts the moths the toads love has been used to lure and capture Cane Toads for extermination. In June 2006, the University  of Queensland announced research into a gene to reverse the sex of female cane toads. This would lead to a population of males, and thus eliminate the population.

An invasive species in the US is the Brown Tree Snake.


The Brown Tree Snake preys on native lizards and birds. It also causes frequent power outages by climbing on electrical wires. They were introduced to the US accidentally on imported cargo. Many people out there are trying their best to try and capture these pests and reduces their snake problem.

Rabbit Proof Fence

Rabbit Proof Fence

1. In chapter 3 of the story, the Aboriginal populations face many injustices caused by the European white settlers. Some of the rights that were being violated were rights such as, Free Movement in and out of the Country, when Bidgup was saying "We cant go down along our hunting trails, they are blocked by fences... And when we climbed over the fence, one of those men pointed guns at us and threatened to shoot if we went in there again." So, the Aboriginals are being told where they can or cannot go. They were also deprived of the right to Equality Before the Law, when an old man Udja had his wife stolen by the white man, he did not receive the same form of justice under the white man's law.

2. The "civilizing" of Australia can mirror historical events in the United States in many ways. During the Manifest Destiny, the Americans were pushing the native Americans out of their land or trying to make them become more civilized. In Rabbit Proof Fence, the aboriginals were being forced out of their lands by the Europeans. This is violates the "right ot own property" law.

3. I do not believe that the government was morally justified in relocating the children of mixed decent. In doing so, the government is tearing families apart. This is a very selfish act because they arent thinking about how they are affecting the families and other communities.

Coral Bleaching/ Coral Reefs

                                 Video #1

1. What is a polyp? What does a polyp need to be concidered "coral"?
    -Polyp is the begining stages of coral. Hundreds of coral are needed for one coral.
2. What types of things are coral senitive to in the ocean?
     -Coral is extreamly sensative to climate change.
3. When does coral bleaching occur?
     -The coral bleaching occurs when the water stays warm for too long.
4. Why do scientists think that bleaching is occuring more now than ever?
     -Bleaching is happening now more due to climante change.
5. List three ways people can reduce their impact to climate change?
    -Three ways we can help are turning off lights, avoiding car journys, and recycling.


                          Video #2

1. How many species of : fish, hard coral, soft coral, sea brids, shore birds?
     -The reef has 1,500 speicies of fish, 360 hard corral,  one third of the worlds soft corral with 22 sea bird speicies and 32 shore birds.
 2.  What is responsible for warming our oceans?
     -Climate change is warming our oceans.
3. How does increased flooding affect the reefs and the fish and birds that live there?
     -Flooding causes fish to swim off to colder waters and causes birds to have less food.
4. List three additional ways (not listed above) that people can reduce climate change?
      -Dry clothes on the line, use public transportation, and open windows instead of air conditioners.

                        Video #3/4

1. Two reasons why we should use media to share this information is so that kids start doing theese things and so that everyone does these things not just people around trouble areas.  Downsides are that not everyone has accses to the media.

The Great Barrier Reef

1. The Great Barrier Reef is considered the "largest reef system on earth".
2. What compound does coral extract from the ocean to make solid tentacles?
     -The coral extracts Calcium Carbonate from the ocean.
3. How does red algae impact the stucture of a coral?
     - The red algae is what is used to make the coral.
4. What year did the Great Barrier Reef become a national park?
     - The Great Barrier Reef was named a national park in 1975.
5. What percentage of the reef is protected from fishing?
     - Around 33 percent of the reef is protected from any kind of fishing.
6. How old do scientists believe the CURRENT reef is? The ANCIENT reef?
     - The  current reef is estimated to be around 20,000 years old and the ancient reef is estimated as old as 500,00 years old.

The Roles of Technology While Traveling

Technology can play many different roles while traveling. Sure, technology can help us during our travels, like finding what road to take, taking pictures and videos, and talking to family and friends telling them how much fun your having. However, technology can also distract us from actually experiencing our trip. Nowadays, people spend more time on their smart phones texting rather than enjoying their trip and seeing the sights. Way back before the iPhone whenever you needed to find someplace to eat, or find what to do next, it was like another adventure. But now, theres an app for almost anything. Like Christopher Elliot says in his article, need to find dinner, theres and app for that. Taking pictures of our trip is fun and all, but, not when its taking up the whole trip! We dont take time anymore to actually observe whats going on around us. So sure, technology can be helpful during our travels, but really, its taking away the actual experiences we may encounter. So next time your on a vacation, try to take a break from this technology.

Examination of Creation Stories

1.  Almost every human culture has their own stories or myths.  I think this is because every culture needs or has something to believe in, like a god or spiritual being. I think that is is something that every culture has in common. Everybody needs something to believe in.  Some cultures explain their stories in a way like they are legends. What are myths to us may have been legends or truth to other cultures. In our modern day, we share our different stories with things such as religion.

2. In both the Maori and Australian Aboriginal stories, they reveal things about what their cultures believe in. For example, from the stories we read, they both seem to believe in some spiritual form or "motherly/fatherly" being. They also value things like the nature of plants, animals and/or elements.

3.  Borh stories have similarities and differences. Some similarities they share are that they both believe in a "Mother and Father" figure. They both talk about the mother and father figure coming together and forming the Earth and all its beings, giving them form. The Australian story focuses more on the  creation of the earth and its beings coming into physical forms. The Maori story focuses on the several elements which are the children of the mother and father spirits, trying to split the parents apart.

4. Although these stories nowadays seem to be untrue, they can explain many things that science fails to answer.  Science always has different theories of how the earth was formed, but these stories have their own ways of explaining the earths formation. Creation go beyond the actions of science, and goes into deeper meaning of the spiritual beings coming together and forming life on earth.

5. There are many theories of how the earth was created. There are the many different "creation stories", and then theres the science behind it all. I personally believe in a little bit of both. I believe in the science of how the earth itself was made, but my religious views allow me to believe in the spiritual side of how life was created. These are my beliefs.

Why We Travel

1. Why do you travel? Do your reasons align with Iyer's essay?

When I travel, I travel for the experiences, and for the love of seeing new places. Iyer claims that people travel to "lose themselves, and find themselves." I agree with what Iyer has to say. I like to travel so I can just go out and learn whats out there in the world, and to learn about our people's cultures and ideas. That is what traveling means to me.

2. Iyer says, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new places, but in seeing with new eyes." What does this mean? How might this relate to you?

In traveling, seeing new places doesn't make it a discovery, but instead learning about the environment and culture in which you are traveling. That is what makes a true experience, and that is what the quote above is saying. This relates to me because, when I travel to a new place, wherever it may be, I like to learn about the culture in that area and how it may differ from my own, or how it is similar. In any way, I take what I learn, and try to put it to good use in my everyday life as a new learning experience.

3. Iyer says, "What gives value to travel is fear." What does this mean? How might this relate to our journey?

Fear gives value to travel. It means that fear is all part of the experience while traveling. For example, if you keep going to the same places, it gets boring after a while, and you start to lose the value of the trip. So, by exploring new places in the world, you don't know what to expect. You have no idea if you're going to love it or if you're going to hate it. And that is what adds the concept of "fear" while traveling, and what adds value to your trip. This could relate to our journey in many ways. Some people who haven't traveled to another country or ever flown in a plane may be fearful of what awaits them. Others may be afraid to try new foods or things like that.But, its all part of the experience of the journey- learning to conquer your fears. As for myself, I'm ready to embrace every new experience that Australia and New Zealand have to offer!

4. Iyer talks about a traveler being a human "carrier pigeon", transporting ideas and culture form one society to another. Do you believe that travelers have a responsibility to share their knowledge and experience with all they visit and those they return to?

I believe it is the job of the traveler to transfer their experiences and newfound knowledge everybody else. Its all part of the learning experience of traveling. So, even if one of your friends back home were not able to go on a trip, the traveler can share any and all of their experiences with them when they return home. Also, the traveler can share their knowledge of their own culture and ideas with anybody they may meet on their journey. In a way, they sort of are like carrier pigeon...

5. "We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world."

This is my favorite quote from this essay. Its my favorite, because it states exactly how i feel about traveling. I got traveling to learn, and open my eyes and actually see the world in a totally new perspective than before. Not judging the world, but seeing it for yourself, and sharing your knowledge with others. Learning about others' cultures and ideas, and in doing so, learning more about your own. This quote really runs deep, and relates exactly to how I feel towards traveling.

Blog 1- Cuz im awesome

Please give a brief one paragraph introduction of yourself. Then in about 4 paragraphs answer the following questions:
1. Why did you sign up for this course?
2. What do you hope to learn from traveling abroad?
3. What specifically interests you about Australia or New Zealand?
4. Why do you think learning about where you are going before actually going can improve your traveling experience?
Hey, my name is Steven Fletcher. I'm 16 years old and I go to Grayslake North High School. I love playing soccer and lacrosse with my friends. I love being outside and having fun with family and friends. Some of my hobbies are drawing, reading, and going biking.

I took this course because I think it is a great learning experience for myself. It also is the chance of a lifetime to go see new places and meet new people. I love to travel to new and exotic places out of the country. I've always wanted to see Australia and New Zealand, so I wanted to go pretty bad. I can't wait!

I believe it is a chance to go out and see the world in a different view other than my own. Getting to experience other peoples cultures, learn about it, and in doing so, learn more about my own. I hope to learn more about the country as a whole as well and bring back that knowledge and share it with my family and friends. I think that will be fun.

I've always been impressed with the scenery, culture, music, and animal life of Australia and New Zealand. The Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney opra house have been things I have always wanted to see. So I'm very excited to see those during our travels. I only know a few things about the two countries that I've read about in books, so I'm anxious to go and learn more first hand.

Learning about where you are going before you actually leave can be very helpful I think. It helps you prepare for what you are going to be doing, what you will see, and just things that you didnt know before. Its useful for when you arrive so you can actually understand more about whatever is going on at the time. Plus, its just an absolutely great learning experience.