Travel Journal to Australia

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Travel

Date July 16, 2007                                                        Day 1 of my journey

Starting destination: New York, New York, USA

Ending destination: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Activity/Site #1: JFK International Airport

What did you learn?  Write facts about history, culture, geography, and government you remember.

  • JFK is located in the southeastern section of Queens County, New York City, on Jamaica Bay.  It is fifteen miles by highway from midtown Manhattan.
  • JFK consists of 4,930 acres, including 880 acres in the Central Terminal area.
  • JFK consist of eight terminals.
  • JFK was originally known as Idlewild Airport.  The name was changed on December 24, 1963 after the death of John F. Kennedy.
  • JFK is the busiest international aiport in the United States.

Activity/ Site #2: Boeing 747

What did you learn?  Write facts about history, culture, geography, and government you remember.

  • The 747-400 wing weighs 95,000 pounds.
  • For a typical international flight, one 747 operator uses about 5.5 tons of food supplies and more than 50,000 in-flight service items.
  • The 747-400ER can carry more than 63,500 gallons of fuel.
  • The 747 fleet has flown 3.5 billion people - the equivalent of more than half of the world's population.
  • The 747-400 tail height is 63 feet 8 inches.

Dear Journal,                                                                        July 16, 2007

        Today, July 16, 2007, I am leaving the United States for Australia.  I am excited about going to Australia, but I will probably miss my parents.  We are getting ready to board our first airplane.  We leave New York for Los Angles.  It is a six-hour flight.  We should land at 7:25PM Pacific Time.  I hope we are not delayed.  Then, we leave for Sydney at 11:50PM Pacific Time.  It is going to be a long two days.

        We finally landed in Los Angles.  We were delayed in New York for three hours.  We landed in Los Angles at 9:30PM Pacific Standard Time.  We claimed our luggage and checked-in again for our flight to Sydney.  We had to rush to get something to eat.  It was already 11:30PM Pacific Standard Time.  We are flying with another delegation.  They are a high school group from southern California.  I am so excited!  We are getting closer to Australia!

Date July 18, 2007                                                        Day 3 of my journey

Starting destination: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Ending destination: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Activity/Site #1: Sydney Tower

What did you learn?  Write facts about history, culture, geography, and government you remember.

  • The Sydney Tower is the 25th tallest freestanding structure in the world and the 2nd tallest in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Sydney Tower is the same height as the Eiffel Tower located in Paris, France.
  • It boasts the highest public observation deck south of the equator.
  • The Sydney Tower has the best 360 degree view of Sydney.
  • Sydney Tower is the 1st place in Sydney to greet the dawn each day and the last place to see the sunset.

Activity/ Site #2: Sydney Opera House

What did you learn?  Write facts about history, culture, geography, and government you remember.

  • Was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon.
  • Was opened by HM Queen Elizabeth II on October 20, 1973.
  • Contains over 1,000 rooms.
  • Provides guided tours to 200,000 people each year.
  • The design for the Sydney Opera House was chosen by a contest held in 1955.

Dear Journal,                                                                        July 18, 2007

        Today, July 18, 2007, I am officially in Australia!  I cannot believe I am actually here!  When we were approaching the airport, I remember looking out the window and seeing the water and the Sydney Opera House.  It was amazing!  We landed in Sydney at 9:00AM Australian Time.  It is hard to adjust to the time change.  Australia is fourteen hours ahead of New York!

        When we arrived at the airport, we cleared customs and we reclaimed our luggage.  After we reclaimed our luggage, we had to line up our luggage and backpacks for a dog to sniff our bags.  We met our delegation manager, Carmel, at the airport too!  I cannot wait to begin touring around Australia!  I wonder what the country looks like.  I wonder what the citizens are like.  I wonder what the weather.  I wonder what sports they play.  I wonder what they watch on television at night.  I guess my questions will be answered as the trip progresses.

        After we left the airport, we began our day at the Sydney Tower.  The Sydney Tower is a 360-degree view of Sydney’s skyline and is Sydney’s tallest freestanding structure.  The view was spectacular!  Then, we went down to the harbor for lunch.  We ate lunch on a sailboat.  During lunch, we had the opportunity to take amazing photos of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge.  At lunch, I was surprised to see that Australians serve Cesar Salad with whole anchovies.  After eating lunch, we walked around Farm Cove.  There, we took a group photo at Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair.  The photo was amazing; it included our group, the Sydney Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge.  The view was gorgeous!  We then headed off to the Sydney Opera House.  

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, NSW, Australia.  It is a World Heritage Site.  It is known for being one of the most distinctive-looking and famous 20th century buildings, and is one of the most famous performing arts venues in the modern world.  The shape of the opera house is of made up of six “sails” or “shells.”  The shape of the opera house internal and external helps keep the sound inside each theatre.  The opera house is covered with 1.056 million glossy white tiles imported from Sweden.

In the late 1940s, there was a need for a large music venue in Sydney.  In 1955, a contest was held for a design for a large hall seating 3,000 and a small hall for 1,200.  The contest received 233 entries from 32 countries.  The winner was a Danish architect named Jorn Utzon.  Construction for the opera house began in 1959 and was completed in 1973.  The Sydney Opera House consists of five theatres, five rehearsal studios, two main halls, four restaurants, six bars, and numerous souvenir shops.  The Sydney Opera House continues to be Australia’s most famous landmarks.

We finished our day by eating dinner at a restaurant over-looking the spectcular Darling Harbour.  After finishing dinner, we headed back to the hotel to retire to bed.  I hope tonight I get a goodnight’s sleep because we have a busy day ahead of us!

Date July 19, 2007                                                        Day 4 of my journey

Starting destination: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Ending destination: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Activity/Site #1: Sydney Cricket Ground

What did you learn?  Write facts about history, culture, geography, and government you remember.

  • The Sydney Tower is the 25th tallest freestanding structure in the world and the 2nd tallest in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Sydney Tower is the same height as the Eiffel Tower located in Paris, France.
  • It boasts the highest public observation deck south of the equator.
  • The Sydney Tower has the best 360 degree view of Sydney.
  • Sydney Tower is the 1st place in Sydney to greet the dawn each day and the last place to see the sunset.

Activity/ Site #2: Sydney Opal Museum

What did you learn?  Write facts about history, culture, geography, and government you remember.

  • The gemstone Opal is the official October birthstone.
  • Most Opals are found in Australia.
  • Opals are soft gemstones.
  • There are three types of solid opals, which are the following: black, boulder, and light.
  • Opals contain around 6-10% water.

Dear Journal,                                                                        July 19, 2007

        Today, July 19, 2007, is our second day in Australia.  We began our day at the Sydney Cricket Ground.  Cricket is played during the summer months.  Australia’s summer months are December, January, and February.  Cricket is Australia’s most popular summer sport.  It is similar to our baseball.  Cricket is played with two teams usually with eleven players each.  A cricket match is played on a grass field that is in an oval.  In the middle of the field, there is a flat strip of ground, which is called a pitch.  At the end of each pitch, there are stumps, which are wooden stakes with two bails that lay on top of them.  The , a player from the fielding team, hurls a leather-covered  from one of the wickets towards the other.  The ball usually bounces once before reaching the batter, a player from the opposing team.  In defense of the wicket, the batter hits the ball with a wooden .  The other members of the bowler's team stand in various positions around the field as , players who retrieve the batted ball in an effort to stop the batter from scoring, and to get him or her . The batter, if he or she does not get out, may run between the wickets, exchanging ends with a second batsman, who has been waiting near the bowler's wicket.  Each completed exchange of ends scores one , and the match is won by the team that scores more runs.

        We had the chance to play cricket.  We were able to practice our batting and bowling skills.  Bowling is extremely hard.  The bowler has to keep his or her arm straight while he or she pitches the cricket ball to the batter.  It is nothing like pitching in baseball.  But, batting is like batting in baseball, except you bat from the ground, not above the waist.

        After playing cricket for a few hours, we to Bondi Beach.  Bondi Beach is a popular beach in Australia and is located in the subarb of Bondi.  Bondi is seven kilometers outside of central Sydney.  Bondi Beach is gorgeous!  The water is crystal clear.  At Bondi Beach, I had the opportunity to try one of Australia’s delicacies, meat pies.  It was very good.  After eating lunch at Bondi Beach, we headed to Pitt Street Mall for shopping.  There, we broke up into groups of four and went shopping for two hours.  We met at the National Opal Collection after shopping.  There we learned about Australia’s national gemstone, the Opal.

        The Opal is a paradoxical soft gemstone and is a form of quartz.  The chemical composition of an opal consists of amorphous, gelatinous, hydrous silica containing varying degrees of water and traces of metal oxides.  The name “Opal” evolved from the Greek word “Opallus” which means to see a change in color.  The Opal is a rare and precious gemstone.  Most Opals come from Australia.  It is one of the most colorful gemstones, and can be very brilliant and gorgeous; it can also be dull and dead looking.  Opals are best known for their fiery look.  Opals are either black or white.  In some cultures, Opals are considered unlucky if someone buys an Opal for himself or herself.

Join now!

        After we finished watching a presentation and purchased Opals, we left the Pitt Street Mall and headed for the Hard Rock Café for dinner.  After eating dinner, we went back to the hotel and had free time until curfew.  Tomorrow, we are leaving the city of Sydney and heading to Mangrove Mountain for Full On.

Date July 20, 2007                                                        Day 5 of my journey

Starting destination: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Ending destination: Mangrove Mountain, NSW, Australia

Activity/Site #1: Giant Swing

What did you learn?  Write facts about history, culture, geography, and government you remember.

  • The Giant Swing ...

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