Students listening to tour guide (James)
talk about bananas at the Sydney Market
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Main alley in the wholesale market (within
the Sydney Market)
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Picture of the Scenic Cableway
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Scenic Skyway in transit
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View of the Jamison Valley with the Three Sisters |
The group then travelled
to Scenic World in the Blue Mountains. Students had the option of enjoying four
different options provided by Scenic World. The first option was the Scenic
Railway, which is a passenger train that goes down the side of the mountain at
a 52°angle to the valley below. A major point of laughter for the group came
from the ride playing the Indiana Jones theme song all the way down the hill.
From there, the group got to walk around on the Scenic Walkway, where the group
got to see temperate rainforest, and an example of early Australian mining. The
group also had the opportunity to ride on the Scenic Cableway, which was a
giant gondola that could carry up to 84 people from either the Scenic Walkway
or from the Scenic World visitor center. The last option everyone got to
experience was the Scenic Skyway, which spans 270 meters spanning two different
cliffs that rise out of the Jamison Valley. From there, students could get to
hike on different paths to see different sights of the valley and waterfalls.
Our final stop of the day
was at the Featherdale Wildlife Park. This place had tons of different types of
animals, like golden pheasants, bats, koalas, kangaroos, and even penguins!
Some of us got some photos with the koalas that we have been looking forward to
for the entire trip. A lot of the animals they allowed us to pet and feed
treats to included some farm animals that made us feel back at home again!
Having a small kangaroo next to you eating out of your hand was lots of fun!
They also had a variety of birds- both exotic and common. The Australian
pelican looks very similar to the crane in America. Finally, we got to see some
more crocodiles, since we saw some at the crocodile farm towards the middle of
our trip. It was interesting seeing all the different types of animals they
have at the park and seeing and holding them up close.
Wallaby at the Featherdale Wildlife Park
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We then made our way back
to the hotel to clean up for our farewell dinner at Nick’s Seafood. It was nice
to sit down with our classmates and reminisce on the trip for our final night.
After supper, some of us went into the Sydney Harbor to see the first night of
the Vivid Light Festival in Sydney! Our group flies back to South Dakota
tomorrow afternoon!
Sarah Eggert and Kathryn
Haeska