G'Day Mate Volume Two: Blogs And Photos From Down Under

Aug. 9, 2007

SYDNEY, Australia –

Junior Ivana Catic Blogs From Down Under: Getting up at 6 a.m. wasn’t what I was looking forward to at all, however, the bridge climb was something I couldn’t wait to do. We were there really early, at 7:30 a.m., going through the safety instructions. I wanted to skip all that and just climb that bridge! I was never afraid of heights before and I love adventure, so I knew we would have a blast. Once we started climbing, I couldn’t believe how beautiful Sydney looked. We could see everything, and it felt like we were on top of the world. We spent some time on the top of the bridge which is about 400 feet high. It was scary in a way, but I loved it. My “team” was Taylor, Danielle, Bonnie, Marija, Shelby and Barbara. They were all great. We were singing and joking, and it felt like a great bonding experience.

When we got down, some of us went on a jog and it was beautiful too, as we ran by the Botanic Gardens, the Opera House and of course the ocean. A four-mile run never felt better!

I was getting really tired by the time we finished running, but the next place to go was Manley Beach. The boat ride was 30 minutes long and totally messed up my hair! Manley Beach was very pretty and I did some serious shopping. I also ate baby octopus and that was….well different.

Later on, LaChelda, Danielle, Sade and I sat in the hot tub on the roof top of our hotel and we felt like a million bucks. It was a great day. I went to bed at 8:30 p.m. and we are getting ready to leave Sydney for Brisbane today. So long Sydney! #3 Ivana Catic

Senior Jamie Boyd Blogs From Down Under:The day started off with us getting up early, eating breakfast at the hotel and then walking to the bridge climb. The bridge we were climbing was called the Harbour Bridge. When we arrived, we went through an assembly line to prepare ourselves for our journey. First, we put on a jumpsuit, then our safety belts, then hooked on hats and gloves. It was quite the process. Then it was time we stepped out onto what was called the `catwalk.’ It was the scariest part of the whole climb because you could see straight down underneath you, but the climb was quite an exhilarating rush that almost everyone enjoyed!

Next, some of us went on a jog around the harbor. It was nice and the scenery was a lot more interesting than our normal campus runs. Then we returned to the hotel for a short nap and a shower. After a little rest we were headed to Manley Beach. Katie Smith and I had our first experience with the ferry. The beach was beautiful and you could see the opening to the Pacific Ocean. We shopped and then called it a day.

Today we are flying…again! Just a short (one hour and twenty minutes) flight to Brisbane. I can’t wait to see what this Australian city has to offer! Until next time…..#10 Jamie Boyd