Simply Sarah Suzanne

  Day 2 started with a group meeting on the beach to go over some logistics and options for the day. Our cabins are right along the waterfront, so this was just a short walk down from our doors.  After our meeting I walked down the path with two of the other group members to get some coffee and a pastry and then we (along with 3 others) got in the van to head over to the local grocery store. Since we will be staying in similar cabins in somewhat remote locations throughout our trip, we will often be responsible for cooking our own meals rather than dining out. The cabins have full kitchens and utensils but there is still the challenge of traveling to a new location every couple of days which makes grocery shopping and meal planning a little more tricky. After returning to the cabins for lunch, I decided to head out with our group leader for a hike up to Brokers Nose. We hiked up through the forest to come out at a spectacular view of Australia’s south east coast.  Althoug...

 After a long day of travel (5 hours to Hawaii plus 10 hours to Sydney) I finally arrived in Australia! My flights on Hawaiian Air were as pleasant as 15 hours on a plane can be and it was a really nice plus that they provided meals. On my first flight we got a ham/bacon and cheese bread roll and on the second flight we got chicken, veggies, and rice and then 2 half-sandwiches. They also provided snacks of cookies, trail mix, and crackers.  Upon landing in Sydney, we had to sit on the plane for an extra 20 minutes or so for their quarantine procedures, but then it was time to finally get up, stretch my legs, and make my way through customs & immigration. The immigration process was fairly quick and painless thanks to the addition of their e-passport kiosks where you can scan your own passport, answer a few questions and you are issued a ticket. You then take the ticket to a gate much like the entry points to BART/subway train stations where you have your picture taken. Aft...

After 8 years of teaching, I have decided to take a sabbatical!  So, instead of preparing for back to school, I've been preparing to travel.  I will be traveling first to Australia with a group led by Derek Marks , Professor at Saint Mary's College of CA.  After 2 weeks with the group, I will depart on my own for New Zealand. Most of my Australian activities were planned by Professor Marks, and I'm so excited for all the experiences we get to have due to his position with the college and his relationship with the Australian guides. I will start my trip in Sydney, which is located on the east coast of Australia in New South Wales.  We will travel to 4 different locations around NSW before flying up to Cairns in Queensland. Some of the highlights on the itinerary:  Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo Fitzroy Falls Wombat Care Bundanoon Bendalong Beach (to feed Giant Stingrays) Murray's Beach   (whitest sand on the planet) Australian Walkabou...