In the middle of the night, the winds got really strong due to the Cyclone happening just North of us. Because we don't have air conditioning in the cabins, our windows are always open and we have fans in our windows. During the night however the wind got so strong that the fan was blow in side and everything on the nightstand got thrown across the room. It was so loud that Abby and I both jumped and were shaking from the loud crash. After a half hour we both settled back to sleep. It also was very cold this morning and actually for once use a comforter. I even put a sweatshirt on in the morning to stay warm---good thing I brought one just in case!
The weather is quite crummy today---raining and windy--not a good mix for our first field trip.
It started in the classroom up by the lake. Lyn Lockery who is a retired professor of Southern Cross (University here) and teaches Australian Life and Culture. He shared an outline of what his class will cover and all the field trips we we will go on. He let us listen to the Australian National Anthem song, talked about the cyclones and fires that are going on, and also some interesting facts about the unique animals like :
Of the 268 species of mammals, 80% are unique to Australia.
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth.
Today almost 1 in 4 of Australia's population of more then 21 million was born overseas.
Then we went to the Environmental Education Center and learned about the plants and geography of the Australia. Then we were served lunch---on the menu was kangaroo, crocodile, pasta salad, salad, all types of breads and jams, macadamians,and then for dessert a macadamian and apricot bar which was delicious!
The crocodile was a bit like chicken and fish however was a bit harder to cut and chew. The kangaroo was in meatballs and a lot like beef meatballs with onions and carrots in it. The dark berry jam was the best, but I tried a plum one and a wildberry one too. After lunch we got to throw a boomerang around and then went to a waterfall. This place was amazing. We had to hike about 10 minutes to get there and cross the top of the waterfall, over a rock path, but it was great bonding/teamwork time. Once we got to the bottom we could jump into the water and climb up and down the waterfall. I finally talked myself into going to the very top cliff and jumping off. It was such a rush! The water below was about 18 ft deep so I felt safe but it was definitely frightening.
Then we all had to climb the waterfall to leave and we headed back to Lennox Head. While doing so we traveled through Lismore and a couple more small towns to see other areas. We saw a couple Koala crossings and even stopped at a rest stop to see hundreds of bats sitting in a tree. They were everywhere! What a great first adventure.
After returning to the cabins, it was superbowl party night---Dr. Avila had the superbowl recorded and we grilled hotdogs, had mac and cheese, baked beans, fruit, grilled veggies, yogurt bars and chocolate ice cream bars. We all watched the Packers Win the superbowl and then went back to our cabins. Everyone was very tired but we played a few games of catchphrase and then called it a night!
I want to wish my sister a Happy Happy Birthday from Down Under !!! I hope you are have a great tomorrow!!!
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