Hello world and all who inhabit it! This is Abbie, and I still can't believe that out of thousands of entries for the Hands-On Explorer Challenge, mine was one of the lucky few picked!!
I had the most surreal experience in Australia and I'm still soaking it in. I wanted to talk about my favorite experience in the land of Oz.
The Great Barrier Reef: Low Isles are a small group of islands in the Great Barrier Reef that we're all happy the ocean created. They may be the closest thing to paradise only accessible in your wildest fantasies. We not only got to go on the island, but we got to snorkel the reef! It had rained earlier so the water was a little murky, but the experience was still magical. To top it all off, I even ran into a group of three green sea turtles!!! They are beautiful and majestic, but they can be a little daunting...mostly due to their HUMONGO sizes! One sneaked up on me and almost gave me a heart attack! HAHA!
I had the most surreal experience in Australia and I'm still soaking it in. I wanted to talk about my favorite experience in the land of Oz.
The Great Barrier Reef: Low Isles are a small group of islands in the Great Barrier Reef that we're all happy the ocean created. They may be the closest thing to paradise only accessible in your wildest fantasies. We not only got to go on the island, but we got to snorkel the reef! It had rained earlier so the water was a little murky, but the experience was still magical. To top it all off, I even ran into a group of three green sea turtles!!! They are beautiful and majestic, but they can be a little daunting...mostly due to their HUMONGO sizes! One sneaked up on me and almost gave me a heart attack! HAHA!
We even got to try octopus! Okay so that doesn't sound so weird, but the catch is that the octopus still looked like an octopus! That's right, tiny little purple octopi, dead of course, but possibly one of the most interesting meals ever!
Enough talk of life on Earth, let's talk of the life we had in the sky. I had about 60 hours flying time in total from the whole trip! Luckily we had flight attendants that fed us and supplied us with the essentials for life in the air. We even had personal TV screens on the back of the seat in front of us! Of course we had our new friends for company as well! Going to Australia took 13 hours and 13 minutes, but it was exciting so that made it go by faster. If we slept that took a few more hours away.
Going back home wasn't as exciting. :( We knew it was the end of the journey, and that we wouldn't wake up to five-star meals and the bright shining faces of our friends. I didn't shed a tear until I got home, because I knew that for spring break, all 15 of us and our parents would be meeting up with our Nat Geo friends for a reunion.
Here are some pictures from the trip that either my mom or I took!
A Tasmanian devil at the Bonorong Wildlife Conservation Centre
A kangaroo at the Bonorong Wildlife Conservation Centre
Abbie and friends at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
Australian saltwater crocodile at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
Abbie and Mom with a koala at Kurana Koala Gardens
Enough talk of life on Earth, let's talk of the life we had in the sky. I had about 60 hours flying time in total from the whole trip! Luckily we had flight attendants that fed us and supplied us with the essentials for life in the air. We even had personal TV screens on the back of the seat in front of us! Of course we had our new friends for company as well! Going to Australia took 13 hours and 13 minutes, but it was exciting so that made it go by faster. If we slept that took a few more hours away.
Going back home wasn't as exciting. :( We knew it was the end of the journey, and that we wouldn't wake up to five-star meals and the bright shining faces of our friends. I didn't shed a tear until I got home, because I knew that for spring break, all 15 of us and our parents would be meeting up with our Nat Geo friends for a reunion.
Here are some pictures from the trip that either my mom or I took!
A Tasmanian devil at the Bonorong Wildlife Conservation Centre
A kangaroo at the Bonorong Wildlife Conservation Centre
Abbie and friends at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park
Australian saltwater crocodile at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
Abbie and Mom with a koala at Kurana Koala Gardens
Dear Abbie,
Thank you so much for posting an entry. I loved all of your pictures! How did the octopus taste? Was is slimy? lol
Wow! 60 hours on a plane is a long time! But with all your new friends (and a personal TV screen!) I'm sure it was lots of fun!
I just wanted to say thank you and I loved your pictures! (I especially liked the kangaroo lying in the shade under a tree!)
~kklabrador
Hi Abbie!
I LOVE the picture of the kangaroo and the crocodile. Really cool. How was the octopus? I would never be brave enough to try it. I always wanted to go to Australia but the long journey put me off. But if you get your own tv I just might . Hope you had a great trip.
Hey guys it's Abbie! Thanks for commenting my entry! Yeah the octopus was pretty slimy! Missy actually threw a piece to the sharks! lol
Hey Abbie,
Do you know if any of the other Expedition Team members will sign on and post more entires?
I hope they do! I liked seeing your pictures and I think it would be cool to hear from some other kids that you went with to Australia!
~kklabrador
So did like the octopus? Did you really like the octopus? Did you like to travel a lot?D id you like the animals a lot?
Hi,
Are any other expedition team members going to sign on and post more blogs? I would love to learn more about your trip and see more pictures!
HI Abbie,
How are you doing with those animals?
Hey Abbie you are a amazing person with
the animals.
Hi Abbie can you give us a koala? They are cool and cute! Do little koalas weigh a lot? Have you ever been bitten by a crocodile before? Did you find interesting people there? Was the big sea turtle pretty or ugly? Was the kangaroo asleep? Hey Abbie we would like to be you!
Dear Abbie, we love your pictures and the koala. The one your mom was holding. lol
Hey it's Abbie!
Thanks for all the stuff you guys sent me. The animals were pretty sweet, but I don't own a koala or a crocodile!! lol
Hey Abbie I think it's cool that you found the turtle when you were in the water! Did you touch it? Well any ways Sea Turtles I think are like really terrific with there beautiful magical sweet eyes. When you were on your trip was it good and did you like it? So that's all the thoughts I have for you and questions bye.
Aryelle Wednesday,OCT. 29 2008 4:15pm
I have really enjoyed reading all the blog posts and it seems like I have visited these places.
keep writing.
Hello Abbie. What was it like to hold a panda? Did their claws hurt?
Hi Abbie.
I think you're very lucky!
lol.....
Delilah
Hi Abbie,
I am going to try to win the trip to Peru next year.
hey abbie!
ive been on a plane ride to north africa before, but it was only 10 hours. we flew on the airline airfrance, so the food was great. what kind of food was on your flight?
your lucky you got to go to austrailia, but im hoping to be lucky in going to peru!!!
hey abbie!
i know what it feels like to have to leave your friends, cuz when i went to arizona for a week i was with these few kids almost 24/7. flying back was terrible because i was leaving and they were still there. i almost met up with one of them in ohio!!!
Abbie,
You were so lucky to get asked on this trip. I entered but didn't get picked. It seems Australia was tons of fun for you.
*jackie
so did u like the little dance u had do i front of the crowd? it actually looked kinda fun if u know what i mean.... well either way it sounded completely AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG! It was awesome!! I loved dancing in front of the crowd, even though I looked like a complete bozo! I really hope you guys get picked for Peru! I'm not sure if I should enter again or not, because somehow I know I probably won't get picked again!
p.s. When we were in Tasmania, we stayed at this haunted hotel, where savanna, alex, kat, and I went ghost busting at midnight. we got in trouble for disturbing the peace and were sent to our rooms. my mom was so mad!! good times, good times.
Abbie
It's so nice of you to keep writing to us!
Although you got in trouble for "ghost busting" was fun, and did you catch any glimpses of any ghosts. and if you did was it scary?
~~~~JON~~~~
(luckstomper)
No ghosts... but the fact that it was old and stuff made it kinda creepy!
are you gonna enter?
Abbie
Hi Abbie!
This is my first time entering the HOEC but I'm really pumped about it. I've read and seen EVERY article, video, and photos of your trip. It all sound sooooooo fun. I really want to win the Peru trip sooooo bad. Or if I don't win this one, next years, or if I'm still within the age limit, next next years. I'm also really excited because in school I did a fundraiser for this organization called Heifer. Through Heifer, we sent 7 lamas and 5 alpacas all over western South America to villages living in or near the Andes Mts (including villages in Peru!). It'd be really cool if I could see a lama or alpaca in Peru. I could then imaging that maybe I helped those people by giving them one. LOL!
Ya I'm gonna enter, actually I already did. I really hope I win this thing because it would just prove to me that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. And if i don't win that's fine 'cause i have two more years. Also there are lots of other kids who really want to win so they deserve it too.
Abbie one question, How come your still gonna enter if you know you probably won't get pucked again?
Well hope to hear from you soon!
~~~~JON~~~~
(luckstomper)
I think it's cool that you sent llamas and alpacas to south america. i'm entering again because it's fun, and my friends from NatGeo might be glad to hear from me.
Abbie
Abbie what was your most fav part of your trip to Australia and please don't say everything say something specific you did there. Also what was your least fav part of your trip? Again don't say nothing. Also "Stashasteph" what was the point of sending llamas and alpacas to South America? Well anyway hope to hear from you guys soon!!!!
~~~~JON~~~~
(luckstomper)
OMG!!!!
Today in school in this class we have called guidence and on the table out of all countries there was a book all about AUSTRALIA!!!! How funny in all with your trip to Australia right. Well I thought that was coincidental and I just had to say this!
~~~~JON~~~~
(luckstomper)
The reason for sending the llamas and alpacas to villages in South America was because there are many rural villages that are poor in South America. Sending llamas and alpacas will help the people of the villages a lot. The people can use the animals to get wool for clothes, milk, and can use them to carry goods to markets in cities. Also, surprisingly, llamas and alpacas are better guards than dogs against wolves, foxes, coyotes, etc. so herding livestock will be better. Also, the Heifer organization makes the people that get the animals promise to give the offspring to other families so that the other families will benefit too. Giving the llamas and alpacas completely benefits the people of South America.
Stashasteph that's soooo nice for your school to do that! My school does funraisers just not ones that great. I'll see if I can get my school to do that but the odds of my principal saying yes would be like 0 out of 100, but I will still try. I can't wait any longer, I know I have to be patient but it just seems ages away until they announce the winners. Well any way good luck in the contest.
~~~~JON~~~~(\/)
luckstomper('.')
-------->(")_(") isn't this awesome
Hi Abbie! (My name's still not showing up but this is Harleycat) It's sooooooo cool that you got picked to visit the land down under! You must of been tired the next morning after ghost busting at midnight! (with your busy schedule and all) I'm so glad you won! you sound like such a great person! I am going to enter too, this is my last year!
Good luck to everyone!
~J.C.
p.s. thanks so much for keeping up with the blogs it means a lot!
I know this question is random, but based on where Nat Geo has picked for the HOEC trips where do you think the next one will be? I hope i win I hope all of us bloggers win but that's not likely to happen. Well all the luck to everyone who enters. That deadline just 10 DAYS AWAY!!!! OMG I never noticed it's right there! That's all for now, PEACE!
~~~~JON~~~~
(luckstomper)
Hi Abbie and everyone,
The deadline for it to be postmarked is just around the corner and I still haven't COMPLETELY finished my application! I'm stressed out a lot right now! It's so hard because you want to make the application your best work, but you don't know if you are! Oh hope no one's going through what I'm going through! I hope you all are entering the contest at ease. Good luck with the contest everyone! I have a feeling we might all be going on this trip. Just a little voice in my head sayin' that. Well, good luck!
Keep wishing I and the others luck that we will win this trip to Peru Abbie! I really want to win this trip of a lifetime to Peru and meet you other bloggers/explorers!
kool
Keep hoping everyone! I REALLY WANT TO WIN THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 2009 HANDS-ON EXPLORER CHALLENGE TO PERU!!!!!
KOALA POWER!!!