Day 16: Planes, Planes and More Planes - The Long Journey Home

Froggy has been waiting for Katie
to come home for weeks now.

If I have done my calculations correctly, as I publish this blog at 9am Pacific Time, they will be dragging their bodies out of bed (if they even went to bed) to get packed and make their way to the airport in Cairns. It will be 2am in Australia. 

Their flight from Cairns to Brisbane (Qantas 799) is scheduled to depart at 5:30am, but People to People always likes their delegates to be there three hours before a flight. They fly one hour and forty-five minutes to Brisbane and then have a three hour layover before their next flight to Los Angeles (Qantas 015). Flight 0150 is a nearly 13 hour flight. 

They arrive in LA at 6:30 am (now your brain has to do some work - they arrive here before they left in the international dateline time/space continuum). They proceed through their Groundhog Day experience catching a plane in LA at 12:05pm (that's a horrible five hour layover) to arrive in SF at 1:20pm on the very same day (or tomorrow for us). 

I expect texting (if she's conscious) while at the airports. Could start really early tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I need to go buy some groceries - especially fresh fruit - that's always what's she's craving after these trips.

Here's to a safe trip home for the kidlets and a weekend full of wonderful stories.

UPDATE: Here they come!

From the People to People Itinerary:

• Say farewell to beautiful Australia and board the motorcoach to the airport for your return flight to the United States.
• Be prepared to declare! You will need to declare your farm stay on your arrival card. This is an important precautionary measure to prevent the spread of disease and pests.
• On your flight home, reflect on your journey, your new understanding of New Zealand and Australian culture, and expanded horizons as a Student Ambassador. Welcome home!

Day 15: Their Last Day Down Under Ends With a Hop, Hug, and Cuddle!

If they aren't suffering from incredible sunburn, today they will delight in the oohs and ahhs of Australia's more cuddly nature.

I was hoping someone might have posted a few pics last night from yesterday's adventure, but I am pretty sure they don't have wi-fi and won't until the airport tomorrow.

It looks like they will finally do their service project (although they are going to be so tired, I hope they aren't responsible for anything too important!). The itinerary says restoring the rain forest. Maybe planting trees?

They they get a taste of Aboriginal culture with a little dancing (see videos below) and they get to throw a boomerang. How many of those do you think will come home - to California?!

Finally, they get to see koalas, kangaroos and wombats at a wildlife sanctuary (there are several, maybe this one or here?). I know Katie's been waiting for this. I honestly don't know how they are going to fit all this in!

The leave for Brisbane EARLY in the morning on Friday (their Friday which is our Thursday) and start their flight home.

From the People to People Itinerary:

• Walk on the wild side when you get up close and personal with crocodiles and learn more about these amazing creatures.
• Participate in a unique service project; restoring world heritage rainforest to its original state.
• Be immersed in the Aboriginal culture with a demonstration of Aboriginal traditional dance, boomerang and spear throwing, as well as an introduction to Aboriginal history.
• Ride through the rainforest in a World War II amphibious vehicle, an Army Duck, which can traverse land and water. Officially spelled DUKW, Army Ducks were used in Australia by the U.S. Military during WWII.
• Encounter Australia’s unique fauna, such as koalas, kangaroos, and wombats at a wildlife sanctuary.
• Cuddle a koala and have your photo taken!
• Participate in an ‘Aussie’ bush dance. 

Here's an Aborginal Dance:

And an Aussie Bush Dance (that looks a lot like something Billy Ray Cyrus might do!)

Day 14: California Kids Go Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef

There's not much to say about today's events other than OHMIGOD!

They will be snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.

This means I was up at 4am with my typical anxiety because she's going to be in the water (this is a lifelong condition I've had and while my kid is an excellent swimmer, I still choose to be a complete mental patient and worry about these things). Mind you they won't be in the water until about 4pm our time, but why should I waste my time sleeping when I could be up worrying about something I have absolutely no control over!?

To combat my frailty, I've decided to imagine snorkeling with her later today. I will get my work done as fast as I can and then maybe stream a video on Netflix like The Reef, oh wait, not that one, maybe Grainger's World - oh good lord, NOT that one - okay, okay, I guess there aren't a lot of streaming movies to watch. I guess this will do.

So we can all imagine snorkeling later today, I've found a few photos to share. Hopefully this will get all of us off to a great start today.

Note: the water temperature for their dive was 72 degrees. Not too shabby.

PS: we should be grateful our kids are getting to see the reef: one of the seven wonders of the natural world. There are several threats to the health of the reef and speculation it could be in danger of surviving.

From the People to People Itinerary:

• Take the plunge and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, coming into contact with brightly colored tropical fish, giant clams, and an amazing array of soft and hard coral of every imaginable color.
• Got questions about the reef or its inhabitants? Ask away! You’ll get answers from the marine biologist that exclusively joins your delegation for this experience. 

Day 13: Sand Tobogganing, the Tasman Sea and Off to Cairns

Wow, she does look kinda waxy!

Today they take a coach from Shoal Bay back to the airport in Sydney.

They can fly to Cairns at 1:30 and arrive at 4:30 where tomorrow, they will snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. I wasn't sure if they would hit the dunes yesterday or today but the itinerary said today. Turns out it was yesterday and Sheila posted a few great shots!

She also shared a few other photos from the last few days. From the climbing and repelling trip to the Antarctic Center and fireworks in Sydney. These kids are living large and will have stories to tell us through Christmas! They only have a few more days!

The photos below are Sheila's pics except the one I swiped from Eloise's Instagram on the right!

From the People to People Itinerary:

Welcome to Cairns, a coastal cosmopolitan city nestled in tropical northern Queensland amid two of Australia’s most treasured World Heritage destinations, the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef.

• Challenge yourself to try sand boarding and race down the sand dunes that can be over 90 feet high!
• Travel back to Sydney to board your flight to Cairns this evening.
• Interact with local Aussie families over dinner and enjoy this unique opportunity to be immersed in local culture and learn about life in Australia. 

At the Dunes. Some of Mad Max was filmed here Sheila reports.

How fun is that!?!

At the Antarctic Center. 

Just before the repel down the mountain!

I have no idea where this is...

Fireworks over Sydney Harbor.

Day 12: Finding Nemo in Shoal Bay, Australia

I swiped Casey's pic off Instagram this morning because it was so good and I really loved the words she used to describe their experience: beautiful, amazing, bestexperience. What else could we want for them?

The kids are leaving Sydney this morning and heading the Port Stephens and the Shoal Bay Resort and Spa. (Again, really!?!)

Provided they have one ounce of time, the place looks fantastic with a pool and lots of areas to explore.

But first, they will check out the Port Stephens Harbor and learn about the environment. It looks like a place rich with sea life and incredible views. They will get to take a cruise to look for dolphins (I hope they see some) and other wildlife - maybe a whale or two? We are in Nemo Country folks!

They'll have wi-fi at the hotel tonight so hopefully we'll get some pictures and phone calls.

UPDATE: I got one tiny text from Katie at 2pm (this time I was out of range) and she said "Having breakfast, the Opera House was amazing!"

From the People to People Itinerary:

• Travel north to Port Stephens, a large natural harbor that is larger than Sydney Harbor, and learn about the complexity of managing this delicate environment.
• Take to the waters on a dolphin observation cruise and learn more about the fascinating local wildlife.

Shoal Bay - I think the resort is there in the center somewhere.

They start seeing critters today and have to big snorkel on the Barrier Reef in two more days!

Day 11: Dog-Tired, Today They Learn Football and Cricket and Visit the Sydney Opera House

Weird face. Casey looks happy!

Got a call from Katie a little after noon - morning her time - and she sounded wiped out! I guess they got sleep last night but the two nights before, not so much.

They toured the aquarium last night and she said, very deadpan, "Great. Fish." Of course that's the one thing we have plenty of around here.

The other thing she said was hard was the food. I guess they have all gained weight (so they think, their clothes aren't fitting all that well) because most of the meals have been fried food and dessert. She didn't complain about it being particularly bad food, just really fattening. I assured her vacation weight comes off pretty easily when she gets back home.

They got to see fireworks last night over the harbor. They look a lot better than the fireworks we saw on July 4th. She mentioned that first thing so it must have been exciting.

Today they are going to do "something sporty" she said with little enthusiasm. Did I mention how tired she sounded? Looks like its some Australian rules football (the ball is super weird - it's not like American football or soccer) and cricket. It says they will be playing with some Aussies. After the "big flirt" with the New Zealand boys, this could be good!

She was excited they end up today at the Opera House. It looks like a dinner cruise too. And then hopefully, another good night's sleep.

I think this is at the airport waiting to go to Sydney.

"Great. Fish."

From the People to People Itinerary:

1. Sport is an important aspect to the Australian culture and lifestyle. Today have the unique opportunity to learn about some of the most popular Australian sports; Aussie rules football and cricket. After learning the basics, you will have the chance to try and play them with some local Aussies!

• Examine and handle exquisite opal, Australia’s national gemstone, during a cutting and polishing demonstration at an opal establishment.
• Get a backstage pass to the world-famous Sydney Opera House. Enter areas that are not accessible to the public during an exclusive guided orientation of this iconic facility, a masterpiece of late-modern architecture.
• Enjoy a dinner cruise on the Harbour, with Sydney’s skyline as your spectacular backdrop.

This is pretty cool. This guy mines opals about five months out of the year. This is his camp. His blog is interesting and tells his story and has some examples of the opals he mines. Do you know what a Dunny is?

Day 10: Good Bye New Zealand, Hello Australia and Mystery Solved!

They are on their way to Australia!

Part two of the trip officially begins today (which is Saturday for them) and they are flying to Sydney. I got a chance to talk with Katie quickly today (via wi-fi at the airport) and she said the adventure yesterday was a killer! It was hard, challenging and mostly COLD. While it didn't happen to her, some kids had frozen feet it was so cold. I hope they warmed up today so they could make their way to the plane.

They were participating in some amazing team and confidence building activities with the company, Full On. It appears they worked their way to the top of a mountain and repelled down.

Collen Estes, a leader from the Vacaville area, posted a fantastic shot of the delegates with huge, amazing smiles and all their gear (below). The girls look pretty psyched to me! There's a video from the company about People to People delegates below.


The other day, they got to go to the Christchurch Antarctic Center to learn about the animals and research happening down south.

I stole this pic (above) from KC's Instagram because I loved it! They are getting ready to go into an Antarctic Windstorm Simulator and their faces reflect the excitement and a little hesitation as they get ready to get their faces blown off!

Sheila also posted a pic (right) of Katie and her buddies at the center where my daughter is managing to hug the crap out of a fur seal while the other girls sit casually on his back.

Of course, the thing I noticed most (because I'm the mom), is most of Katie's crap is on the ground in front of her; all spread out, including her phone. My how I haven't missed THAT around the house!

The kids should have wi-fi tonight so I expect at least a few photos.

From the People to People Itinerary: [Note: so this is weird because they did this the other day! It must be a weird out of order mistake. But they did fly to Sydney.]

• Join in the fun at the Christchurch Antarctic Center, a showcase for the unique International cooperation that exists in Antarctica today.
• Meet with people that have worked in Antarctica and have an opportunity to call a base camp in Antarctica to speak with scientists there.
• Come face to face with adorable blue penguins that have been cared for and nursed since they were chicks. 

Then it's off to Australia! Known as the Harbour City, Sydney is the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia. Brimming with history, nature, culture, art, fashion, cuisine, design, it is set next to miles of ocean coastline and sandy surf beaches.

• G’day, mate! Welcome to Australia!
• Meet your Australian Delegation Manager upon arrival at Sydney Airport.
• Dine at a Sydney restaurant overlooking Darling Harbor, where you will have the opportunity to try kangaroo for dinner.
• Go beneath the sea at the Sydney Aquarium for a chance to discover fascinating marine life, including dugongs, turtles, and stingrays.

Sydney, Australia

Day 9: Mystery Day - Will Write More When the Mystery is Revealed!

I think they are in Christchurch today but I am not sure what they are doing.

The itinerary is annoyingly vague.

It could be they are doing some extreme sport activity or the service activity. We'll have to wait and see - the references to "physical fortitude" and "heart pounding" are intriguing.

The temperature got pretty low last night; I hope there were warm blankets on the beds because our California kids were in the negative numbers if you use Celsius. And as the day played out, it doesn't seem to be getting much warmer!

Nighttime temps got low!

In the meantime, for those of us at home or at work (for me, that's both), you can have some fun monitoring the near-steady earthquakes jiggling the Christchurch area. They have had two today but they are really small and chances are there are sneezes and laughing causing more motion that these little tremblers.

Speaking of quakes, if you have a minute, watch this video that shows how many earthquakes happened just prior to, during and then after the big quake in June 2011. It will start out slow, but if you watch, the big one will hit and then yowza - the map just comes to life. You can pause the action in the upper right.

We should hear from the kids tomorrow when they get free wi-fi at the airport as they make their way to Sydney. Can't wait to get the texts and see the pics from a very busy week. I mapped out their route in New Zealand and the covered a lot of territory in a week. There's a map below.

UPDATE: Sheila just posted a note!

Having a fantastic time;-) 

Destruction from earthquake in Christ Church was sad, but the people are such realists and SO VERY PRACTICAL. Businesses are being run out of shipping containers...they only took down the restraining fences two weeks ago.

We've have great memories of New Zealand. 

Ambassadors are off "Ab Sailing" (repelling) and I have stayed behind with Ann as there was no access for her to walk other than hiking in to rough slippery terrain and then fairly steep to repel down. [Note: Poor Ann tore her ACL two weeks before the trip but her Doc okay'd her to travel!] 

Here at Pudding Hill Lodge they have skydiving too, but not for us. Snow is on the ground...it is cold, but not so much on the ground...we are right at the base of the mountains. Off to Australia tomorrow and a bit warmer weather.

From the People to People Itinerary:

• Rise and prepare to sharpen your mental focus and challenge your physical fortitude as you participate in Full On, a day-long program specially designed for People to People delegates.
• Boost your confidence and self-awareness during Full On interactive workshops that promise to get your heart pounding. 

Christchurch from space in 2001.

Auckland to Rotorua to Wellington to Picton to Methvan to Christchurch (and everywhere in between).

Day 8: Kiwi Birds, Fur Seals, Penguins and Kids! On the way to Methven, NZ

Today they leave their homestay families. Sheila sent a note about the journey so far. I posted it midway down here.

They'll board a coach and head off down the coast where they will end up at the Pudding Hill Lodge (sounds so rough). That's in the town of Methven which is a snow extravaganza (and I'm thinking we didn't pack snow gloves. Gloves yes, but SNOW gloves?! I guess socks aren't her biggest problem now.)

I'm not sure, but there's a Kiwi Bird Sanctuary along the coast that appears to be on their way south to Methven and Christchurch (actually, it's on the other side of the island darn it!). You have to visit this site to hear how the Kiwi bird sounds. I had no idea! While on the subject of Kiwi's, I found a great little video of the poor flightless bird! You can see it below.

They also have to keep their eyes peeled for fur seals and penguins. They will be taking the coastal route and may see Penguins so I hope they get to stop! They did get to see some fur seals the other day (on their way to the homestays) and Sheila posted some photos (see below).

Apparently they go through Christchurch to get to the Lodge. There's a good map here to track their route.

I expect we'll hear from the kids tonight. The itinerary says they'll have access to the Internet. We should get some good photos! Here are a few photos from Sheila McKell:

The kids at an overlook spying on the fur seals.

The fur seals! The black dots.

From the People to People Itinerary:

It is believed that Christchurch was first settled in 1250 by Maori tribes hunting the now extinct moa, a large flightless bird that was common to New Zealand. More recently, Christchurch made headlines as residents experienced a 6.3 magnitude earthquake which heavily damaged the downtown area and some of the residential suburbs. Your travels will not pass through the quake-zone, however you will learn about the impact of this event on the local inhabitants as you explore the area.

• Say farewell to your homestay hosts and exchange addresses and contact information so you can keep in touch!
• Travel along the beautiful Kaikoura coastline to Christchurch, keeping your an eye out for seals and penguins.
• Enjoy the rare experience of viewing the New Zealand’s Kiwi national symbol, the Kiwi Bird, in its natural habitat.
• Arrive at the small rural community of Methven, located near the beautiful foothills of Mt. Hutt and the Southern Alps.

Mt Hutt in the Southern Alps of New Zealand  

For the Kiwi lovers and dreamers out there, a little video. Enjoy.