During the busy week, we scheduled some different trips to check out some Australian wildlife; one to the aquarium and one to a nearby wildlife park called Featherdale. I had been living in Sydney for over a month at this point and I still hadn’t been to the aquarium, which is only 15 minutes away in Darling Harbour. Since the weather looked to be gloomy, we figured an indoor activity was needed as well. It turned out that the Sunday weather was actually quite pleasant, but we still kept our plans to go to the aquarium, adding in a scenic walk down to the harbour in light of the beautiful weather. The weather here is such a mystery and I always seem to dress inappropriately. There I was in a sweater and jeans with the sun shining down intensely, while the day before I was in a tank top and drenched in rain; there’s just no way to tell. I was tempted to buy a Darling Harbour souvenir t-shirt at a nearby shop, but was unimpressed and not willing to spend the money. Instead, I stubbornly stuck it out and continued on our walk to the nearby aquarium.
There’s not much to report on the actual events of the aquarium – it was your typical glass cases filled with exotic fish and marine life. Not that I didn’t enjoy wandering around and looking at all of the pretty fish fish, I just don’t have much to write about it in my blog. We spent a few hours admiring the Australian marine life and learning a little more about some exotic species. We did, however, get a chance to use Allison’s awesome Nikon camera. I was quite disappointed when I arrived in Australia and found out that my photography class had been cancelled because I was really looking forward to using it here in Australia. I didn’t think I would actually take it out and use it on my own, but as it turns out, I’m using it quite often and getting some great shots. We got some cool pictures of Dugongs, an animal that might interest you readers back home. This massive blob of an animal looks similar to a manatee, but is slightly different in that it has a tail similar to a dolphin and it originates in the southern hemisphere. Other than that, it’s still as ugly looking as you would imagine. They seem to be pretty popular here though, a huge advertisement to see these exotic creatures being the main attraction plastered on the side of the building.
After wandering around the aquarium for hours we spent a half hour in the gift shop, sifting through random, useless souvenirs that we might need. At this point, I was starving and looking forward to some lunch. I was really excited to get a hamburger today– it’s been way to long. I was pleasantly surprised with my decision and ate my food in a matter of seconds. While this meal might have been a success, I must say that the food here is pretty much disappointing me most of the time. I will acknowledge that I am a picky eater, but a lot of the food here is just odd or different. The cheese is not normal (in colour or taste) and neither is the milk – I don’t care what anyone else says (Luke). The grocery store is an adventure in itself, as a search the aisles for something I actually might like. I’m desperately missing a home cooked meal by dad at this point of the trip, along with some of my normal favourite food items and brands. Enough complaining - back to Sunday’s activities; after the aquarium and lunch, I left the group to go to the library and work on a group project for illustration (yes, possibly the first mention of homework yet). While my focus these days might not be on school, I am trying to keep up and actually get something accomplished during my time here. My classes here are much different then what I am used to back home. I have two big projects in each and that’s it, no smaller assignments in between. The teachers are also very vague in their explanations and expectations for the course projects and goals. I am used to rules, guidelines, and specific requirements while they seem to be more focused on individual creativity and freedom. While I could see how this would be beneficial, I am finding it to be very frustrating as the semester continues on. Anyways the presentation is on Obama, go figure I come to Australia to report on politics in America. I have noticed that they are pretty obsessed with our new U.S. president here in Australia, as I have heard way more about Obama then their Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. It’s quite funny I think, but I guess it’s easier to report on something I am somewhat familiar with so I’m not complaining. After a few hours arguing with our bossy group mates, Jenna and I left the library annoyed and frustrated. The presentation was complete, but we were not happy with the way they insisted on putting it together. We quickly realized there was no use in fighting with them; hope all goes smoothly!
This week held even more animal encounters with a trip to Featherdale Wildlife Park on Wednesday. This trip included a 30 minute train ride along with a 10-15 minute bus ride, but it was definitely worth it all the hassle. This quaint wildlife park was small and peaceful, a perfect place to play with kangaroos and pet koalas. The maze of cages and habitats twisted and turned every which way, with new and interesting creatures around every corner. Birds of every colour flew and bounced about, while tons of kangaroos hopped around eating food right from your hand. I had already seen kangaroos and wallabies in Cairns, but Luke’s friends were very excited for their first encounter. The animals were so cute and friendly; we probably spent a good hour taking pics, petting, and feeding them. There was much more to see after the kangaroos play area, including Tasmanian devils, dingos, and wombats. It was quite the exciting/educational day as we learned about different Australian wildlife and their backgrounds. I found featherdale to be much more pleasant than a crowded, busy zoo; we were able to wander, relax, and enjoy the day without the battling the annoying crowds. As I said we spent a whole lot of time taking pictures, so here are a few good ones to better show you what I’m talking about.
The emus were viscous!
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