Friday 3rd September – Wildlife World

Today I woke at 5.30am to join the friends I was staying with as they skyped home. After this early start I thought I would take the pace of the day a little slower and allow everything I had experienced do far sink in. So, with this in mind, I made my way back to the city and on to Darling Harbour where I returned to the Aquarium. After two visits yesterday this may seem a little odd, but as I had been leaving yesterday I had noticed that during the mornings you can go into the tanks with the sharks in a glass bottom boat and this I HAD to try!

As with most such trips I have done in Australia, the Aquarium was bursting with school groups, furthering the notion of educational experience had in such an environment. Boarding the glass bottom boat was no different as I found myself sharing it with a group of excitable school girls and their teacher. The boat journey was amazing and everything I had hoped for with even a black tipped reef shark coming to the surface to show its fin protruding through the water. The staff member that took the group out was also very informative and obviously passionate about his job which added significantly to the experience. Very luckily, instead of the 10minute time slot in the boat we had purchased, with no other people waiting, he spent closer to 20minutes moving the boat over and across the tank and even let us feed some of the over excitable fish.

Leaving the aquarium I made my way to the building next door and into Sydney’s Wildlife World. Here I was greeted by all the creatures I had been terrified off during my camp visits; red back spiders, funnel web spiders and a large collection of snakes, insects and creepy crawlies. It was an amazing collection but a little spin tingling as you enter dark corridors and walk past red lit tanks filled with these deadly creatures. I was, however, given the rare experience of having a stick insect crawl up my hand. This is something that I thought I would enjoy as I am not of a squeamish nature, but as it clung its little claws into my skin I realised I had been previously mistaken and that this was not enjoyable at all.

Moving through Wildlife World, I was soon faced with their latest addition, a 4.5m fresh water crocodile. What a magnificent creature to witness, in all its glory, in a glass sided tank and from the viewing platform above. Whilst standing at the platform above, staring at this massive creature, I was given the unusual surprise of having a lorikeet landing on my head and preening me; incredible.

After spending my whole day exploring this place and all the creatures it had to offer it soon became time for something to eat and so I began my walk once again back from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. On my way I spotted a small Indian Restaurant and, feeling like a change, I nipped in for a delicious curry. Sitting there working my way through some paperwork and letting my dinner settle, I was given another surprise of the day when the manager came over with a dessert which she handed me telling me it was on the house. How nice is that?!

Once I finished my free dessert (the best type there is) I paid the waitress and made my way back onto the, now dark, streets to complete my journey back to Circular Quay. Boarding the train, I settled myself once again for the journey back to the suburb and to my friend’s house where I joined the female, the male out for the evening, in watching what can only be described as girly television.

Thursday 2nd September – Whale Watching and Sydney Aquarium

The plan for the day was to do the tourist thing and try something I had always wanted to – Whale Watching. My last contact in Australia had become uncontactable and, as a result, I had acquired a few days with which to explore the City.

I did my usual morning routine whilst staying with friends; get up, shower, breakfast and lock up the house before leaving to walk to the train into the City. Arriving in the City I was still amazed by the structure of all the buildings, the people rushing about in cars and on foot and the general buzz I found myself immersed in. I made my way down the hill and to Circular Quay where there were many stands selling Whale Watching Trips. Not knowing which would have the most luck in finding the whales today, I went with the first one I arrived at and hoped for success. Having bought my ticket I then had to make my way across the city to Darling Harbour where the boat would leave from at lunchtime. The walk through the City was beautiful, with more towering buildings, different views of the bridge and small, enticing streets branching off everywhere. The walk ended with over 100 steps down from the City onto the lower harbour, followed by a brief walk along the harbour front, passed many bars and restaurants and onto the correct Wharf. When I arrived I still had 2hours to spare and so I retraced my steps and went into Sydney Aquarium which I had just passed. Here I purchased an ‘Unlimited Adventure’ ticket which would not only along me unlimited access to the Aquarium, but also to Wildlife World, The Tower and Manly Ocean World.

Walking into the Aquarium I was instantly mesmerised, the glow from the tank lights illuminating the place in a soothing manner. Everywhere I looked were things I wanted to explore; coral reefs, shark hatcheries, and the mystical dugong – sea cow. I spent a while watching the dugong, a strange creature that, in the past, had been thought of as a mermaid. They are very graceful in their movement, eating lettuce from the floors of their tank, which the staff feed to them constantly for 8 hours of the day.

Before I knew it, it was time to move on and catch my boat and as I waited by the side of Darling Harbour’s water edge I was already bursting with excitement at the possibility of sighting some humpback whales. As the boat set off I spent some time at the back taking photos of the city from a different angle, before moving to right up the front where I would be able to enjoy the spray of the sea in my face as we ploughed through the waves. The sea was still my favourite place to be after a childhood in the Channel Islands filled with joy, spent splashing, swimming and snorkelling with my Dad. Being at the front of this boat was like a step back into my own childhood and I was reminded with fresh enthusiasm the importance of children carrying such a connection into their adulthood.

Before long we stopped and spent time watching a calf humpback whale as it splashed around in the water. After a while he appeared to get tired of playing at the surface and dived down into the depths where we would remain unseen until resurfacing again. As this could take 20minutes, it was time to go out further in search of a larger group.

As the boat pounded its way through the waves of the Pacific Ocean, I stood clutching the bar at the front, the wind in my face and my stomach flipping at every wave we crashed through. It was fantastic!

After travelling 4miles into the Ocean, the boat came to a stand still once more as we watched two larger, adult whales playing at the surface. It was an incredible feeling being this close to such large and powerful, wild animals in their own habitat and I was glad that the boat spent some time following them as they moved through the water. To everyone on the boats surprise we were also joined by a pod of pacific dolphins who had taken it upon themselves to swim around the bow of the boat, surfacing frequently at the sound of human voices.

Sadly the trip was only to be three hours and, as with all my experience in Australia, the time passed too quickly and it was time to leave this adventure for the next group to experience.

As I arrived back on dry land, the day was still young and so, using the pass I had purchased earlier, I returned to the aquarium for more exploring. This time I skipped the dugong and instead went to view all of the different shark tanks, these being one of my favourite creatures of the sea. In this section of the aquarium I was impressed to discover how much time and effort had been put into informing people about sharks and the importance of their preservation. Every wall was covered with information about people’s changing perspectives of sharks, the actual statistical dangers of sharks, as apposed to the ones perceived in films and the role of humans in their protection. Furthermore, enhancing a new perspective, as you stand in front of the tanks, gazing at these magnificent creatures, the music playing in your ears is peaceful and soothing and you are instantly overcome with a sense of calm as you sit, staring into the deep blues of the giant tanks.

Leaving the aquarium I made my way back from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay and onto the train back to the necessary suburb. As I arrived at my friend’s house I was tired after another long, adventure filled day and I sat with them watching television only briefly before we all departed for bed.

Wednesday 1st September – Taronga Zoo

Having heard many stories of how wonderful it was and how well it engaged children with animals in a fun and informative way, today I planned to visit Taronga Zoo in Sydney.

After a quick breakfast I made my way into the City via train from the suburb I was staying in with friends. As I climbed up from the station onto the main street, I caught myself being amazed once again by the great stature of all the buildings around me. Sydney is huge! To travel to the zoo I needed to catch a ferry from Circular Quay and so began my journey, walking downhill towards the harbour, my head still darting around as I tried to take it all in.

The necessary Wharf was easy to find and I was soon waiting with a group of other travellers and families, for the imminent arrival of the ferry to the zoo. Boarding the ferry, I was already excited, the shrill screeches of inpatient children adding to the notion that it was going to be a fun and informative day. The views of the skyline, the Harbour Bridge and of course the Sydney Opera House are incredible as you pull away from the harbour and I sat back and took it all in as the ferry made its way across the water.

When you arrive at the Zoo you are greeted with several entry options; walking, bus or cable car (sky safari). I of course chose sky safari, now being a long time past the height phobic I was when I arrived in Australia, what seems, months ago. The views from up there were amazing as you sail over the elephants and lions and look back to see yourself rising over the bridge. Fantastic.

Arriving at the top of the zoo, the, first thing to strike me was the planning involved. Animals are located by country and habitat with paths leading you into the bush, on safari and down into the ocean. There are ‘fact boards’ everywhere informing people about the animals, their habits and their nature. There are guides on recycling and caring for the environment too. And, as with CERES the place was filled to the brim with visiting schools and nursery groups taking everything in as they ran around excitedly.

I spent my whole day exploring this fascinating world; taking in the information, the animals and creatures, the insects and snakes and even the fish and the penguins, until I reached the most magical and peaceful place imaginable. A place I could have stood for hours. A place that would have converted the most anti-natured mindset imaginable into the mindset of an inquisitive five year old. I had discovered the leopard seal. Set deep under the rest of the zoo, placed in a large tank lit to the brightest blue, you will find two of these beautiful creatures, swimming and singing loudly to each other as they play. The male swam right along the side of the glass, tilting his head back and letting out a loud, vibrating hum. Here you find yourself mesmerised, staring at these creatures and taking in their graceful elegance, in spite of their prehistoric demeanour. I, like so many other visitors to the zoo today, and possible every other day, stood in amazement as this creature sang the most incredibly peaceful and relaxing song. Suddenly everything seemed to have a different perspective.

Tearing myself away from this tank at around 5pm, as the zoo was closing, I made my way down the rest of the hill and to the waiting ferry. The journey back to the Quay was even more beautiful than the one this morning, as the lights of the night skyline were beginning to illuminate, as were the Opera House and Luna Park.

Arriving back on the shores of the City, it was time to head back to the train station to return to my friends for the night. As the train pulled into the suburb, night had set in completely and the streets were lit only by the dim glow of the streetlights and passing cars, a balmy heat from the day still hanging as I walked to their house in just shorts and a t-shirt.

When I arrived they were sitting, resting in the lounge were I joined them to catch up on the day’s adventures. Before long it was time for bed to sleep before another day of adventures tomorrow.

Tuesday 31st August – CERES Community Farm

Today I woke early and made my way downstairs to the hotel’s main desk to checkout and leave my bags in storage so that they wouldn’t burden me during my travels. My flight tonight wasn’t until 9pm and so I would have plenty of time to do the exploring of CERES I had planned.

First I had to make my way back to the nearby shopping centre where I was able to visit an information booth for advice on the best mode of transport to CERES which is located out of the City on East Brunswick. Here I was instructed to get a tram into the city and then a subsequent tram to East Brunswick – easy. Leaving the shopping centre, I made my way to the tram, on which I settled for my hour journey into the city. The next tram station was easy to find and I was soon on my way to East Brunswick and CERES.

Arriving in East Brunswick I was suddenly hit by the sense that there was a lot of bother here, with houses and shops having a thick cover of scrawled graffiti, litter and offence. There were no children on the street and for that matter, few people at all and the town gave of an eerie impression. Just past the tram’s final stop was a sign for CERES and so, following its direction, I made my way right and then left up a short street. Rounding this final corner I was faced with a new impression of East Brunswick; the houses here stood tall and proud, there was no graffiti and I could already hear the shrill sounds of children playing and having fun.

At the top of the street were large gates which welcomed me to CERES and as I walked through I was still uncertain of what to expect. As you enter CERES through the gates there are multiple, dominatingly large solar panels to your right. In front of you are newly built wooden huts for shops, offices and meeting rooms. But the real wonder and beauty is in what lies beyond these. Following a path around the huts you find yourself at the top of a small hill which overlooks the CERES community. Here you can see the grid like section of chickens, vegetable gardens, eco-homes, learning spaces, markets and wildlife spaces; all working in harmony in a reasonably small space to create a learning community for young children (and adults). The ‘streets’ of the community were filled with school children of all ages, pushing wheelbarrows, running and shouting and all noticeably happy. To the side of the streets in the outdoor classroom areas, nursery children could be seen learning how to recycle plastics, an activity which they appeared to be actively engaged in.

Walking down the paths, through the vegetable areas, chicken pens and learning areas, you instantly feel welcomed into this community and also get a sense of what could be similarly achieved in other communities. It was fantastic. At the back of CERES is a cafe which runs of the produce grown here, including the eggs from the chickens. Here I indulged myself in some truly organic eggs on sesame seed toast. Delicious! After lunch I spent some time wondering around this community, taking in its characters, its animals, plants and outdoor classrooms. CERES welcomes school groups, visitors and families to learn from its experience and overall I have to say I found the experience mesmerizing.

Leaving CERES, I felt better for having visited and found myself smiling as I boarded the tram for my journey back to the city. As I arrived back in the City, I had only a short time in which to find the tram station which would lead me back to the shopping centre next to my hotel, from which I would need to acquire a taxi and collect my bags before departing for the airport.

Having successfully retrieved my bags from the hotel and made my way to the airport, I could hardly believe I was leaving Melbourne and returning to Sydney already – the time was certainly passing a lot more quickly now I was nearing the end of my travels. The weather had taken a turn for the worst during my last few hours in Melbourne with a strong wind and heavy rain sweeping its way through the city. As a result the plane journey was slightly more entertaining than you would hope, with drinks shaking as the plane fought its way through the turbulence. Nevertheless the plane, of course, arrived safely, and on time, in Sydney and I was soon collecting my luggage and heading to the taxi rank.

During my next few days in Sydney I would be staying with the same friends I visited the AFL game with. They live in a suburb a short distance from the City of Sydney and having directed the taxi driver there, I arrived only 20minutes later, by which time it was well after 10 pm.

It felt good to be greeted by a familiar face as I arrived at thir house, but after a brief chat everyone was too tired to stay awake and we soon departed to our beds for a good night’s rest.

Monday 30th August – Melbourne City

Today, after a late night of work, I slept most of the morning, waking close to 11am. Like most first days after a week of outdoor centres, today I needed to sort out a laundry facility where I could wash the clothes I had used during my snow camping experience. The hotel kindly pointed me in the right direction and, rucksack on my back I waited outside the hotel for the taxi they had called.

Arriving at the laundry I set to work loading three machines; clothes, jackets and sleeping bag. The man working at the facility was very helpful and we chatted briefly in between my reading whilst I was changing loads from washer to dryer. The washing took a couple of hours to complete and by the time I had returned my loads to the hotel it was close to 3pm.

Melbourne has an exceptionally wide spread tram system which I utilised as I made my way into the city, having caught a tram from a shopping centre a short, 5minute, taxi ride from my hotel. Unfortunately, the day having been used almost entirely by laundry, I would not have time to visit Collingwood Farm as planned and instead decided to explore the city of Melbourne. Malcolm, from Somers Camp had suggested I visit this farm and CERES Community Farm during these two days in Melbourne in order to observe how they are set up for children to engage with the natural environment and sustainability. I would still be visiting CERES tomorrow.

Walking around the city I felt a long time had past since I was around so much noise and people, having spent the majority of my time in Australia out in the country. Melbourne is a beautiful city full of lights, statues and colonial buildings and I felt very happy as a wondered around taking it all in.

I stopped for dinner in one of the restaurants in a shopping centre food hall; I am still unaccustomed to shops staying open to all hours in the cities of Australia. By the time I had finished my dinner and ventured back out onto the streets of the city darkness had well and truly set in and night time had arrived; time to head back to my hotel. Making my way back to the correct tram point, I passed alleyways filled with graffiti – this is an art form I have always admired and so I stopped here, taking my time as I captured photographs of people’s work.

The journey back to the shopping centre took close to an hour, during which time I joyfully observed the city, busy despite the later hour. Arriving at the shopping centre it took some time to find a taxi back to my hotel but as I finally climbed into one I was greeted by a very comic driver who had me entertained and laughing for the entire journey.

Once back in my hotel room it was time to pack my bags for checkout in the morning and my flight back to Sydney late tomorrow night. As I placed the last items into my backpack it was already past 11pm and I couldn’t quite believe that my day was already over.

Sunday 29th August – Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary

Today I had a refreshing lye in until 8am, and after a quick shower, I joined Dean, Jill and Steve, who had also stayed the night, in the kitchen for breakfast and tea. During this meal Steve and I continued some of our conversation from the night before and he kindly gave me some documentation detailing the project he is working on and offered to send me some work from his Maters.

Before long it was time for me to load the hire car with bags and paperwork and work my way through another series of goodbyes. Dean and Jill had made lovely, welcoming hosts, and I had thoroughly enjoyed my time with such an interesting and knowledgeable couple.

Under Jill’s recommendation, instead of going straight to Melbourne Airport to return my hire car, I instead drove to Healesville Sanctuary to see local wildlife up close as well as seeing how the sanctuary engages children with nature. This was well worth the trip and I highly recommend the experience to anyone ever close to the area. My day at Healesville started with a Bird of Prey Show in which the birds are not tethered and instead are free to fly frighteningly close over the watching crowd. Amazing! Next I explored the reptiles and animals of the night; here I saw many funny looking creatures that were fascinating to watch as they scurried around.

Leaving this area of the sanctuary, I made my way to their ‘animal hospital’. I have one word: WOW! This was a great building in both design and concept. Here visitors could watch vets as they conducted live operations on injured animals, keepers as they trained the newly born Dingo pups or footage and photographs informing them about the research and reintroduction processes conducted by the Sanctuary. I loved this place and spent a long time here wondering about, watching the staff and taking in as much information as I could.

After some time, I made my way around the rest of the Sanctuary visiting first the Emus, whose facial expressions have always greatly amused me, and the pelicans, who I believe I have been fascinated with since being a young girl reading Roald Dahl. Next on my list of must see animals was the platypus. Having never seen one before, on first impressions I was surprised by both their speed in the water and their tiny stature. They are beautiful little creatures and fascinating to watch as they dart around their enclosures. Kangaroos are also kept at the Sanctuary and upon visiting them I was impressed to note that they were in an open enclosure, in which they are free to roam amongst the visitors. Here there were both red and grey kangaroos, both of which are beautiful to watch as they graze only feet away from you.

My final stop at the Sanctuary was to the Koalas as I had never seen one before and they have always fascinated me. Again, like the kangaroos, their enclosure is open and visitors are within touching distance of these incredible creatures. Seeing one climbing a nearby branch as soon as I entered the enclosure, I stopped to take a picture, only to have it stick its tongue out! Nature never ceases to disappoint!

Leaving the Sanctuary I had just enough time to drive to the airport, and thankfully the journey was uneventful and I returned the car with time to spare. As my flight to Sydney wouldn’t be until Tuesday night, I still had a couple of days in Melbourne and so booked myself into a nearby hotel, which I was settled in by about 8pm.

After dinner downstairs, I stayed awake until 3am attending to emails and note writing, after which sleep certainly came easily and I drifted off looking forward to a day in Melbourne tomorrow.