Here we come Lady Elliot Island

We're heading off to Lady Elliot Island. Lady Elliot Island is a amazing island that pulls scuba divers, snorklers, turtle enthusiasts, and people with the love for birds. Each night they release turtle hatchlings into the big ocean where they will start their big adventure. Also, every morning and night they have a buffet, but for lunch you either buy lunch from the bar or pay for the buffet. When we went snorkling we saw many sea turtles and fish. It was a majestic landscape underwater. It felt like one huge city of fish. Dad really wanted to get a spear gun and shoot all the big groopers and the other fish, but it was illegal to take something or pick anything up. I had a lot of fun at Lady Elliot Island. With it's crystal clear waters and amazing creatures, it seemed like paradise.

A view of Lady Elliot Island from the plane.

Electric blue sea star.

Releasing the turtle hatchlings

 

Mia Lady Elliott Diving from Jennifer Pennell on Vimeo.

 

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Canyoning in Death Waters

So I'm listening to the guy in a wet suite with a giant yellow backpack. It's a half an hour drive to the canyon with a dirt road and pot holes. When we finally get there it is a short bushwalk to the spot. When we get there we put on our wetsuites and the guy goes over safety instructions. When we finally go into the water I am shocked by the cold. As we trudge threw the river we get to our first exciting part- a slide. By that point I'm freezing my butt off.

When we finally get to the resting spot I'm so cold that I feel like I have hypothermia. But we have to go on. When we get to the endpoint you have the choice to jump a big, yet fun, ledge. I did not do it. Then he said it was time to go back. I thought he meant a trail but he meant going back through the cold water, the way we came! We gone down some pretty steep mini cliffs, so I thought "how are we going to go back the way we came?" When we got back to the spot we had used for a resting spot, he said we can start taking off our wetsuites and have lunch. We each had three rolls; coffee, tea, or soup; and various gummy items. When we were finished with our lunch and had taken off our wetsuits and packed every thing up, we started to walk the hike back to the car. I was exhausted when we all plopped into the car so I fell asleep for the drive back. I had a fun, but cold time and it was a amazing experience. But I learned a lesson-never go canyoning in Blue Mountains, Australia!

After we get back from the canyoning, we grabbed our stuff, changed into dry clothes, and headed out. We drove to Sydeny, we went to our hotel and crashed. I was exhausted, so I fell asleep instantly.

Ready to go canyoning!

Canyoning is where you tread through freezing cold rivers, jump off ledges, and slide down rock slides (that are smooth).

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A Aboriginal Walkabout

Day Four-A Aboriginal Walkabout

Dear class,

Sorry, I could not bring Swampy on this adventure or the next. He would get wet and dirty!

So, we wake up to our host making a delicious breakfast of porridge and toast. We get dressed and headed out. We stop at the train station where we were suppose to meet our guide-Evan, a descendent of the Aboriginals. There was 6 other people in our group also waiting for the guide when he finally arrived he was 30 minutes late, and I thought we were slow-pokes! So on the start of the walk he tells ud to sit inthis dirt cave. He gives us each a eucalyptus leave and tells us to break it in half, roll up each piece and stick it in our nose. So while he is talking, we all have eucalyptus leaves stuffed up our nose. It was awkward.

We walked through the foresty jungle. Evan taught us about how aboriginals collected food, their medicenes, and their way of life. When we finally stop for lunch I was starving! We finished the walkabout I was exhausted! We walked back to the car and drove back to the house. we had a short relaxation time than we went to a pub. me and Kai fell asleep in the middle of dinner, but our parents still made us walk home. We immediately went to bed and slept like a rock. I had a great time that day and got to learn a different cuture.

 

My leave I painted

A local lobster

Me and our guide, Evan.

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The Three Sisters

Day Three-The Three sisters

Oh no! We leave Sydney today! After breakfast Mom tells us to pack our stuff. Once we are done we go downstairs with our stuff and checkout of the hotel. Then we take a cab to the car rental place and put our stuff in our rental car. After we start walking to the aquarium. On the way we stop at a cafe and get pastries and coffee to hold us out 'till lunch. Then we start walking across the bridge (not Sydney harbor bridge) to the aquarium. Once we get there get our tickets and start walking through the aquarium. There is many intereting and cool looking fish. But there is also manatee, sea cucumbers, sea plants, sharks and their eggs, many different types of sting rays, and many other strange looking sea creatures. We walk through a glass tunnel in the middle of the tank. Once we are done with the aquarium we walk back to the car. On the way we stop by a greek food restaurant and got gyros.

On the way to the Blue Moutains me and Kai sleep. When we finally get there we relax in the house. Then we go to the steepest rail way in the world (it's 53 degrees steep)! Then it was a short walk to the cable ride, last we hurried over to the last ride for the glass bottom cable car. When the ride is over we head back to the house and relax. Then we go out to dinner at a place called the Garage. When we we were done we headed back to the house and climbed into bed. I had a great time on my last day and got to see many interesting places.

 

 

P.S. After the glass bottom cable car we took a short walk out to see the three sisters(three rocks) and on the way Dad and Kai complained that their feet hurt also when we walked to the Garage they complained, talk about three sisters!

 

Swampy at the aquarium!

On the steepest railroad in the world!

The Three Sisters(with little Dave at the end).

 

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Day two-A slow day

We wake up to a breakfast of oatmeal and leftovers. When we finally get out of the hotel we went over to starbucks for something to hold us out 'till lunch. We took a long bus ride to Bondi beach. When we got there we warmed up an me and Dad jumped in the water. Mom and Kai were lazy so we had to run up and get them all wet. We ended up all jumping in the water and playing in it for a while. When we were done we dried off and changed into clothes and went to a restaurant called Icebergs. When we were finished we hiked to the point. Then we hiked back and caught the bus back to the hotel. We were all tired so we just relaxed. Then a round 7 we started getting ready for bed. We had a slow day but we had a busy day yesterday.

Mia and Swampy in Australia

Day one-we barely survived

It's six o'clock and we're driving to LAX. When we finally got there we found the parking garage. Mom asked where they park the cars. The lady said that they have parking garages around the city where they lock up the cars. Mom gave Dad a look that said "are we ever going tovsee the car again?" After we hopped on a bus to the airport, then a flight to Australia that is 14 hours and 15 minutes. I slept for 3/4 of the trip.

When we finally landed we took a cab to our hotel- West Quay Suites. We all took showers and changed into fresh clothes. After we walked to the farmers' market and got some real food.

 

We walked across Harbor bridge and got a wonderful view of the Sydney Opera house. Swampy kept on complaining that his feet hurt. Swampyu is our class pukeko. Finally we got tired and walked into a near by Saloon. We all had refreshing drinks. Well the boys watched Rugby, me and Mom played card games. We played Kings' corrners and Rummy. Then we walked back to the hotel. We all relaxed and read. After we went to the indoor pool. It was on the top story (level 23) and when you walking up the stairs there was a glass window that you could see through into the pool! After our swim we went back to our room and relaxed a little bit more. Kai and mom went down to the lobby where they had free wifi to download the pictures and start the blog. When they were done we started to walk to the Sydney Opra house. On the way we got some excellent gelato. I got lime, Kai got mint-cocolate chip, and my parents got caramel. When we finally got there Swampy got excited. He told me to take a bunch of pictures with him and the Opera house. I said only a few. I turned around to ask my parents something and when I turned back Swampy was gone! Guess where we found him?! Having a refreshing cocktail at the Sydney Opera bar! When we pulled him out we started walking to a restaurant called "Curry at the Rocks". When we were done eating we took a cab back to the hotel. Everyone was pooped, so we all went to bed right when we got back. And that is the first day of my adventure with Swampy!

 

View into the pool.

At the Saloon.

 

Swampy having a refreshing cocktail.

 

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