Science Inquirer
  • Home
  • Student Resources
  • MY BLOG: Australia
  • 2015 Trip to Costa Rica
  • Student Spotlight
  • 7th Grade Science Vocabulary
  • Science in the News
  • Science Links
  • Contact Me
  • About Me
    • Travel
    • Pictures
  • Teacher
    • Emergency Lesson Plans
    • Lesson Plan
    • Archive
    • Behavior Log

Last weekend in Oz...this time 'round, last post from Australia

4/29/2012

0 Comments

 
My last weekend in Australia has now come to an end.  Let me rephrase- my last weekend in Australia, during this trip, has now come to an end.  Do I really have to leave?  Can I just get everyone to come over here with me?  I would have loved another few months in Australia, but I’m anxious to get home and graduate.  Not to mention, I also have to find a job to start my career of teaching.

Yesterday morning, Linda and Ernie picked me up early to head east to Cape Conran for a fish.  We arrived at Linda’s favorite fishing location, where I caught the nice salmon a few months ago, and cast our lines out.  Unfortunately, we didn’t catch a single thing but it was nice to be at the beach on such a beautiful, sunny day!

After a few nibbles, the tide started to come in, so we decided to call the fishing off.  We headed back to the car and drove off to Sailors Grave, a short section of beach, named to honor those who had perished in the area after wrecking on the Beware Reef, just off the coast in the Tasman.  We took the trail along the shore to the various coves and inlets along the coast.  I had never seen seashells like the ones I did yesterday.  Since Conran is a national park, taking them home would have been illegal...I got home a few of them had managed to appear in my pocket.

After the nice walk and soaking up the rays, we headed a few kilometers west to Marlo, a small town overlooking the flood plain and estuary of the Snowy River.  We stopped for lunch at the Marlo Hotel, where we had a beautiful meal overlooking the Snowy, with Carlton Draught in hand of course.

I am very grateful to have met Linda and Ernie, and thankful for everything they’ve done for me since I’ve been here.  I will miss fishing with Linda and “stirring the shit” with Ernie; he is certainly a stirrer. 

 Last night, a few of the teachers from school had dinner with me at the Main Hotel.  It was great to see them one last time before having to leave.  I had the roo of course, which was delicious.  I was keen to try koala or wombat, but I’ve yet to see them on any menus since being here.  Actually, koalas are a protected species, so I wouldn’t expect to see koala steak or ribs on any menu!

After dinner and some great conversation, we headed to the pub and played a few games of pool.  I really needed Poyma (my best bud back home) to help me out; I was terrible.  After a few games, a few of us headed up to Oz Mex for a few more drinks.  I really enjoyed the night and it was great to see everyone one last time!

Today, after sleeping in a bit, I started the laundry for the last time here.  Once it was done, and my clothes were hung up, Domenic and Sheryl took me to the Den of Nargun, a few kilometers north of Lindenow, where Sandie’s farm is located.

According to the Gunai/Kurnai tribal legends, the Nargun is a half-human half-stone creature that lives under a rock overhang behind a waterfall.  The Nargun is said to take uninvited travelers into the den, and could turn any weapon against it back onto the traveler. 

The den of this beast is located in the Mitchell River National Park.  After parking the car, we hiked downhill along a cliff into the rainforest of the Woolshed Creek.  The 15-minute walk down into the forest brought us to the creek, which we followed uphill to the Den of Nargun.  The waterfall was small but the pool in front of the den was full and reflected the beautiful red-colored rocks of the surroundings off of its clear water.  I was so happy we went!

On the way back, we decided to take the long route, following the creek, almost making it to the Mitchell, before heading back up the cliff face on a trail that reminded me of a Swiss alpine road, weaving back and forth until reaching the top.  We walked in and out of black wattle cover before reaching the top of the cliff, where we had a view of the Mitchell River rapids below and the lush, green surrounding forest of eucalypts.  

Tonight, Domenic and Sheryl surprised me with a few things they had picked up while I have been here.  They gave me a footy jersey, a Driza Bone hat, a couple baseball hats, a shirt from darwin, coasters telling the story from "Waltzing Matilda," and an Aboriginal storybook.  I couldn't believe it!  I felt like my birthday came early!  I will miss Domenic and Sheryl a lot.  They have certainly made me feel like a part of their family, and for that i am very grateful!  

Today was my final day in East Gippsland.  Tomorrow, after Domenic and Sheryl get home from school, we are going to head down to Melbourne for the night.  The plan is to go out to dinner in Carlton before retiring for the night at the hotel.  My flight leaves Melbourne on Tuesday at 11 in the morning, so I’ll need to be at the airport somewhat early. 

This will be my final blog from Australia.  I will write one last time when I arrive home to conclude my thoughts and to reflect on my travels but it is hard to believe this post is the last one from Oz.  I have loved writing and am looking forward to reading about my adventures in a few years.  I’m sure it will convince me to come back!

0 Comments

Vacation with mom and dad PART #1...Part #2 Tomorrow

4/7/2012

0 Comments

 
Where do I begin?  It seems like it’s been a while since I last wrote; in fact it is the longest time between blog posts.  Part of it is because I am having such a great time with my family, minus Kevin, and I’ve been without Internet for the past week.  I also put off writing this blog for a while so you’ll have to keep with me through this one…it could get long.

My parents arrived in Oz last Thursday, when their flight arrived in Sydney.  After a night in Ulladulla, they made their way to Bairnsdale.  As I was wrapping up the successful day of parent teacher conferences, my dad rang to tell me that they were in town and settled into their hotel.  I had them meet me at school, so I could show off what a wonderful predicament that I was in! 

I was so pleased to see them and was extremely excited to show off BSC.  They seemed to be quite impressed with the science center…who wouldn’t be- you can’t see anything like it back home.  While at BSC, they met a few of my colleagues along with Domenic and Sheryl, who kindly invited my parents to a BBQ for dinner at their home that night. 

That afternoon, I decided to take mom and dad to Raymond Island to see a few Koalas.  I assured them that they would see many kangaroos and wallabies but may not have the chance to see too many koalas in the wild whilst they were here.  Little did I know, we would see a multitude of them while driving on the Great Ocean Road later on the trip throughout Victoria.  On the way we stopped at Eagle Point so they could get a view of the surrounding area and to see where the Mitchell flowed into King Lake. 

After spotting a few Koalas and a couple Kookaburras, we headed back from Paynesville to Bairnsdale for tea at Domenic and Sheryl’s house.  They had a little bit of everything on the grill, from lamb to Kangaroo sausages (kanga-bangas is Aussie speak), along with a ton of vegetables.  After dinner and a great conversation, it was time for the best part of the meal- the Pavlova (Pav)!

 Pavlova is a meringue covered in various different fruits that are in season.  Australians and Kiwis will both tell you that they invented this sweet piece of heaven but it really doesn’t matter- it is the BEST.  I made sure my mom left with the recipe!

The following morning, I took my parents to Lakes Entrance to walk to the entrance through the Banksias and Eucalypts on the Cunninghame Arm of Ninety Mile Beach.  I had done it prior with Linda, but it was nice to be able to point out a few things to my parents, like Linda had done for me; I really felt like I was a local.  At the entrance, we watched boats fight the intense current coming from the lakes to get into town.  After a few minutes, we headed back to the bridge linking the town to Lions Park along the beach.  The weather was clear and the water in Bass Straight seemed to be relatively calm; it couldn’t have been a better day to take the adventure out to the entrance. 

After making in back to the car, I decided it was time for a beer and some lunch, so we headed to Metung.  A beautiful town on the lakes, Metung is home to beautiful real estate, and mega sailboats and yachts, along with views that I knew would remind my parents of Northern Michigan.   After a pot of Carlton and a chicken Parm each, we took in some more of the view and decided to head back into town.

We headed back into Bairnsdale, stopping at Linda and Ernie’s house so I could show their property and views off to my parents.  I am increadibly jealous whenever I go over to their home; they have an incredible garden and a spectacular view of Jones Bay.  I would love to call a place like theirs home one day!

My parents decided to take out Linda, Ernie, Domenic, and Sheryl to dinner that night.  I decided on the Main Hotel since their menu is outstanding and it was only a few doors down from my parents’ hotel.  Dinner, of course, was outstanding, other than the noisy children at the table next to us who seemed to be unsupervised the whole time we were there.  After getting fed up with the whimpering children, we decided to move the after dinner conversation to the pub, just across the dining room.  Luckily footy was on so Domenic and I had a chance to fill in my parents on the rules of the unfamiliar sport.  I was very pleased that my parents had some time to spend with the people that I have become very close to while here in Australia!

We awoke the next morning early to make our way to Melbourne for the next few days.   The three-hour drive was quick, especially with minimal traffic.  Our apartment was situated about 150 meters or so from the Yarra River in Southbank.  We were stunned when we entered the 17th story apartment we stayed at.  The main room faced southeast and overlooked the funny-looking Rectangular Stadium (AAMI Park), the massive Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), and the beautiful Port Phillip Bay. 

We decided to make the most of the rest of the first day and headed into the city for a walk around.  We first started in Southbank, where I decided to point out the largest casino in the Southern Hemisphere, the Crown Casino.  Whilst browsing, we noticed the Ohio State Final Four game was on.  After getting some lunch at the food court, we headed back into the casino to catch the last few minutes of the game.  We weren’t too pleased when we left the casino.

We decided to take our sorrows up the street, across the river, to the Queen Victoria Market.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have too much time to walk around since it was about to close.  The market was immense and full of fruit and veg, as well as various crafts.  We came across a stand with aboriginal crafts with a few didgeridoos on display.  I remembered the vendors for the following market day so I could return to pick one out.

After a quick walk around, we headed back south toward the river, where I took my parents to see Chloe on the second floor of Young and Jacksons, right across from Flinders Street Station.  Chloe looked as beautiful as she was the last time that I had seen her.  If you’re wondering who she is, please find a link to my first blog about her to the right.

The next morning we decided to have brekkie in St. Kilda at a café on Acland Street.  After something quick to eat, we made our way out to the pier so I could show my parents a little penguin.  We eventually found one of the blue-feathered little animals in the rocks, but it wasn't easy.  The pier also provided us with a great chance to take pictures of the Melbourne skylinesouth to Phillip Island.  We didn’t plan to go see the penguin parade, but we decided to head to the Nobbies to see the seals.  On our way to the western most part of the island, we stopped at a Koala sanctuary; I guess my parents didn’t get enough of them at Raymond Island!  It was a great stop since we were able to see so many of them and a few wallabies that had hopped the fence to graze within the sanctuary boundary, where there was no risk of cars.  I was amazed at how close we were able to get to one of the koalas.  It walked across the railing of the boardwalk, which took us up into the trees of the sanctuary.  I could have easily reached out, without fully extending my arm and pet the koala.  I decided not to risk and finger and kept my hands to myself.  In fact, we had to stop a lady from touching the koala.  Blatantly disregarding the rules of entry to the exhibit, she reached her hand out to touch the koala, and the three of us yelled at her to keep her from bothering the animal.

After a fantastic experience with the koalas, we headed out west to see the largest fur seal colony in Australia.  The seals were situated on an island in the distance and could only be seen with the use of a telescope.  The views from the island’s edge were spectacular, overlooking Bass Strait and the mainland. 

The following day, we headed back to the market to pick up a few souvenirs and that didgeridoo that I became fond of during our previous visit.  I chose to get an authentic didgeridoo, which was made by an aboriginal, and had been bored out using termites, rather than by machine.  After choosing the didgeridoo that I wanted I was shown how to apply the beeswax to the end of the instrument and was given a quick lesson on how to play.  I have a feeling I’ll be learning for a few years to come.

We headed deeper into the market, where we found ourselves in the seafood area, where I decided to get a ½ dozen fresh Tasman oyster.  I was surprised to only have to pay a dollar for each of them.  We later saw the same oysters in on the of the Crown restaurants for more than five dollars an oyster…we made out quite well!  They were delicious as well!

Once our time at the market was over, we headed southwest to Southern Cross Station to take the pedestrian bridge over to the Docklands where Etihad Stadium is situated.  We made it to the docklands just in time to see the end of a dragon boat rowing competition.  There were thousands of people from all over Australia; there were even people from Perth…FROM PERTH!  We made our way back to the hotel along Southbank.  We went out later to Federation Square to finish our stay in Melbourne with a pint of beer…not a bad way to say goodbye to one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to!

The following day, we headed southwest along the Great Ocean Road…


Part 2 to come tomorrow.
0 Comments

    Author

    Welcome to the blog I wrote while student teaching at Bairnsdale Secondary College (BCS) in Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia.

    Archives

    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All
    11 Biology
    Afl
    Algae
    Al Jazeera
    Animal Inside
    Aussie Sun
    Australia
    Australia Day
    Australia Rules Football
    Bairnsdale
    Bengals
    Ben Kingsley
    Biking
    Biology
    Blue Mountains
    Bones
    Boomerangs
    Bowls
    Brighton
    Bruthen
    Bsc
    Buchan Caves
    Cage Diving With Sharks
    Caledonian
    Camp
    Cape Conran
    Carlton
    Carlton Draught
    Casino
    Chloe
    Chuck Darwin
    Circular Quay
    Clontarf
    Coprophagy
    Cows
    Cricket
    Culture
    Current Affairs
    Dairy Farm
    Darling Harbour
    Den Of Nargun
    Didgeridoo
    Dissection
    Doclands
    Driving Australia
    Eagle Point
    East Gippsland
    Etihad Stadium
    Expensive Beer
    Farmer
    Farmer's Market
    Federation Square
    First Day
    First Full School Week
    First Lesson
    Fishing
    Fish Market
    Footy
    Formule 1
    Fortune Of War
    Friendly People
    Funny Accents
    Giants
    Gnocchi
    Great Dividing Range
    Great Ocean Road
    Great Students
    Great Weather
    Gridiron
    Happy Birthday
    Harbour Bridge
    Hero
    India
    Initiation
    Internet Issues
    Jet Lag
    Jim Stynes
    John Fogerty
    Kangaroo Steaks
    Katumba
    Kirribilli
    Koala
    Koalas
    Kookaburra
    Lake
    Lakes Entrance
    Language
    Laundry
    Legend
    Lindenow
    Little Penguins
    Luna Park
    Lunch Lady
    Magpies
    Main Hotel
    Main Hotel Bistro
    Manly
    Manly Beach
    Market
    Marlo Hotel
    Maths
    Melbourne
    Melbourne Zoo
    Memorization Isn
    Metung
    Mitchell River
    Mozzies
    New School Year
    North Beaches
    Oblivious Parents
    Observation
    Ohio State
    Omeo
    Paddy
    Palm Beach
    Parent-Teacher Conferences
    Parramatta
    Parrot
    Paynesville
    Penguin Parade
    Phillip Island
    Pizza
    Politics
    Port Fairy
    Priorities
    Project Learning Curve
    Pub
    Purple Carrots
    Qld
    Rain
    Raymond Island
    Richard Dawkins
    Ron Paul 2012
    Royal Botanical Garden
    Salmonids
    Santorum Is A Bloody Idiot
    Scenic World
    School Pictures
    Seals
    Shrimp
    Snoring
    Soccer
    Southbank
    Sri Lanka
    Stir-Fry
    St. Kilda
    St. Marys
    Student Teaching
    Swimming
    Sydney
    Sydney Fish Market
    Sydney Opera House
    The Godfather
    The Nature Of Science
    Three Sisters
    Time Travel
    Two-Horse Towns
    Vegemite
    Wagga
    Wagga Wagga
    Wak Wak
    Wallaby
    Waltzing Matilda
    Weebly
    Zac Efron

    RSS Feed

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.