Submitted by Hannah Scheck the 2024 Spring program in Sydney, Australia…
End of finals, start of spring break! Finished my finals and moved out to a hostel! My two friends studying in Auckland came to visit for the weekend! I was able to take them all around. We went to an Irish restaurant and got meat pies. We watched the sunset by the opera house. We visited the Blue Mountains! Absolutely stunning views and nature. Took them to Bondi to catch some
waves, watch the sunset, and eat some fish and chips. Their weekend ended with a trip to Paddy’s Market for some souvenirs, a quick lunch for dumplings, and a walk around Taronga Zoo! We went to Manly for dinner at sunset. Woke up, got on the train, and got on a plane to Auckland! My first day there, we just walked around and I saw their campus. We had some delicious pizza for dinner. The next day, we got noodles and dumplings, and walked around the Silo park, Albert Park, and the Auckland Domain. We tried a tiramisu croissant and shaved ice. Hopped on a ferry and rode over to Waiheke! Enjoyed the beaches and stunning views from the walking paths. I ended my trip there with an excursion to the black sand beaches of Piha. We went through a hike and found the most beautiful waterfall, which was the perfect spot for some swimming. Ended my last day with a beautiful skyline view of the city from Mount Eden. Got on the plane back to Australia: this stop is Cairns. Arrived, got some sushi, walked around the botanical gardens and rainforest walk! Enjoyed some reef fish tacos before hopping on a ferris wheel! Woke up early to catch a boat. Today we go to the Great Barrier Reef! The boat tour included breakfast, lunch, snacks, and two spots to explore. At our first stop, I did some snorkeling and scuba diving! I was a little nervous at first, but the views were incredible. The coral was so bright and colorful. I have never been that close to aquatic animals in my life. The second stop was a guided tour by a marine biologist. She showed us some of the different sea creatures and explained some cool facts about them. Throughout that trip, I saw a lot of fish, a puffer fish, sea cucumbers, three sharks, and an octopus! To end my break, I went to the Rainforest Cableway Skyrail! It was a beautiful scenic cable taking us through the rainforest. There were a couple stops to get off and walk around. We saw some beautiful trees, a huge waterfall, and a couple very scary spiders. At the end of the line was a very cute little town for shopping and lunch. We took the Skyrail back and got a ride to the airport. A very eventful week filled with lots of adventure and fun! (Submitted on March 17, 2024)