Come to Sydney!!

Here's a video all about Sydney, where each of the members of our group are currently living. Sydney is a popular tourist destination as well as an awesome place to live. In this video you will see all the exciting things to do in Sydney and what makes it so great! We show you in the video not only the natural beauties in Sydney, such as the harbour and the beaches but also the exciting things to see at night such as the Vivid Light Show, which is currently taking place in the city centre. So check out the video to find out all about this amazing city.

Sydney Beaches

Australia is famous for its easy going, surf lifestyle. Sydney is lucky enough to have some of the most famous and beautiful beaches across its coastline. Bondi must be the most heard of, especially with the television series Bondi Rescue, showing real life rescues and incidences surf lifeguards face on a daily basis. Summer can be a challenging times to keep the safety of all visitors. The surf is an enchanting place with the sea breeze and horizon that seems to go on forever, however it can be dangerous with the crashing waves, changing currents, rock beds and unexpected wildlife, if you are unfamiliar with the beach life. I love the peace that seems to come with the sea side. It is the perfect environment for the aspiring photographer. So many changes in weather over the course of time, even over a day, sunrise sunset. So here are a few more locations in Sydney to chase up. Palm Beach, where the tv series Home and Away is filmed, Clovelly is popular for snorkeling, Coogee, Maroubra, Manly, Curl Curl. Plenty to venture round. You could even do the Bondi coastal walk.

South Curl Curl

Bondi Coastal Walk

Bronte

Coogee

Clovelly

Blue Mountains

Just an hour and half drive from Sydney’s CBD is the Blue Mountains. It is a popular getaway for Sydney siders and for European site seers who enjoy the slightly cooler weather. Autumn is a stunning time of year in the mountains. Leura cascades have waterfalls that are wonderfully pronounced just after rainfall and are surrounded by scattered crimson leaves in the early parts of the year. Tomah is a great place to see that.

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 Echo point is home of the 3 sisters, a famous rock formation and tourist site in the mountains. You can grab a bite to eat or have a nice coffee at a near by café with a wonderful view. The scenic railway is the steepest railway in the world, it runs right down these mountains and gives a unique view if you don’t fall out of your chair! 

Thailand

 

Thailand is full of welcoming people; their generosity and care always make you feel welcome. Its boasts in stunning beaches, mountain villages, and markets filled with handmade crafts, Asian style food and much more. Phuket is known for lovely landscapes. From Patong you can catch a speedboat ride to Phi Phi Island and enjoy the landscapes for a day or stay overnight. The water is an amazing blue colour and has an array of friendly sea life. You can snorkel or just go for a refreshing swim and look at the rock formations that gently encompass the area and create a sense of home.

Israel

Israel is small in landmass in the Middle East but must be the most contested piece of land in history. I was able to visit and discover a little about the different cultures and religions that exist there and have a look at some of the most ancient architecture in the world. The Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall are in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. The Wailing Wall, also known as the Western is one of the holiest sites for Judaism.  

The Sea of Galilee is a place important to Christians and is a scenic place for a quick sail on a sunny day.

 

Canada

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Canada is a unique country that resounds beauty. Lake Louise in Canada is a gorgeous location. The waters a turquoise colour that can only be believed if you have been there yourself.  The still waters surrounded by snow covered mountains ads serenity like nowhere else. Mount Temple, Mount Whyte and Mount Nib lock create this subarctic climate.  Those who love the kayaking embrace the cold and enjoy the fresh air that accompanies mountainous beauty. It was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. It has become part of a well known national park to tourist, Banff National Park.

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Discovery Cove

Discovery Cove is a theme park in Orlando, Florida, owned and operated by SeaWorld.

At discovery cove I was able to interact with a variety of animals, spending most of my time there with the bottlenose dolphins. These animals were so intelligent and being so close and swimming with them was an amazing experience.

Inside the park there is an aviary, full of all different types of animals. There were hundreds of different kinds of birds, all different sizes and colours, which were confident enough to come and land on you so that you could actually go up to them and feed them.

In the fresh water oasis, we got to see the otters and marmosets play with one another.  After this I was lucky enough to try Seaventure for the first time. The large helmet allows you to breathe and walk on the bottom of seabed. Doing this I got to see all sorts of amazing see life and came face to face with sharks through a massive glass wall.

Finally we went and swam in the Grand Reef. Snorkelling with the huge stingrays was something I never thought I would be brave enough to do but they swim so close that you can touch them and it was actually an amazing experience. I cannot wait to go back to Discovery Cove and can’t recommend the trip enough.

Ancient wonders - Egypt

Egypt is  a country rich in ancient history and archaeological wonders. This heritage is still evident in peoples lives today as the pyramids still stand firm and tall in the Egyptian desert. At certain time of the year you are able to take a quick look inside some pyramids, if what was kept inside is of interest to you then the Egyptian museum is a must see. You are not allowed to take photos inside so you must see it for yourself! It has one entire level dedicated to King Tutankhamen, since his belongings was some of the few things that was not stolen from the pyramids.

The bazaar markets are perfect for haggling and catching that bargain price. There are plenty of souvenirs there and is an experience just being in that environment.

Another adventure for the hiker is Mount Sinai. It is has biblical significance but is also surrounded by a unique mountain range. You can start the hike at 1am to see the sunrise. Another option is to take a camel on the way up, perfect if you are not an early riser and would prefer to sit back and enjoy the view of the bright stars.

The Red Sea is also on the border of Egypt, a nice place to relax for a while and cool of from the heat.  

reconstruction of a small pyramid

busy street with a pyramid in the background

Sphinx

crossing  a bridge over local markets

Mount Sinai

The Red Sea

Mount Sinai

Pyramids of Giza

China- Day 2

Hong Kong, is an amazing city. Separate from mainland china, it is a completely different environment. Everyone speaks fluent English and there is much more variety in food whereas mainland China sells practically nothing but native dishes. We only explored a small section of the city as we had an early morning the next day but from what I saw it reminded me very much of any other first world city I have visited, especially in the way I was greeted by strangers. Individuals residing in Hong Kong were less fascinated in Australians as I found in mainland as well which was a bit of a let down.

So far been a pretty sick trip.

cambodia; then and now

Cambodia is a country that was riddled by the Khmer Rouge period. A mass genocide of the educated people or those who disagreed to the new dictator ship were executed in inhumane ways or tortured in prisons such as S21, until they died. This time period is not that long past. The 1970's still have effects on society today in their family life, their mindset and what resources are available to them. It is a respected but little talked about issue. The killing fields are an important place to visit if you wish to understand the Cambodian people in a more in depth way and see how and why culture and living situations might have changed.

Angkor Wat is a remarkable historical landmark. It attracts crowd from early in the morning to see the sunrise come over the temple and reflect onto the water in front.

 

 

 

The villages in Cambodia

wonders of the middle east - Jordan

Petra is an ancient historical and archaeological World Heritage site, also known as the red rose city. Its carvings are detailed and intricate and weave through narrow walkways. Unknown to the western world until 1812, it has become known as a major tourist attraction. People of all ages can spend all day of more discovering ancient artworks. If the intense heat and continuous walking becomes too strenuous, you have the option of riding a horse, or even a camel directed by one of the locals.

 

Wadi rum has become popular with mountaineers and trekkers alike. It is also known as The Valley of the Moon. Zalabia Bedouin call this pace home, many love to show the tourists around in their 4wheel drives, on their camels or horses. If you're after a short, easy climb you can tackle one of the sand dunes to get an amazing view of of one of the mountain ranges. Whats amazing besides the deep red sand and ancient engravings on the rocks is that it is actually a major water source. You only have to dig a little to reach wet sand in this desert! Some fig trees can be found scattered around Wadi Rum.

 

The Red Sea is know for its crystal clear waters. Scuba divers and snorkelers gather to see a variety of sea life and ancient wreck-ages.  Across the sea in some areas you can see the mountains of Saudi Arabia.

 

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The Dead Sea on the other hand is that high in salt that no living thing can survive. As you walk in sea formations of dried and you can feel the salt beneath your feet, that is until you can no longer touch the bottom. The high salinity means that the water is so dense that people actually float. Bring your newspaper or favourite book and put your feet up! Because you wont be able to put them down.

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Mount Heng

In Mount Heng, there are more than 200 temples; one of the most famous temples is Goddess of Mercy temple. In this temple, every people can make a vow. For example, wishing family keep safe forever, gaining more money in future life, and getting a high distinction in school…

(reference from: http://truth.cntv.cn/2014/01/02/ARTI1388629288774966.shtml)

Mount Heng one of Five Great Mountains in China of Hunan province. Mount Heng is a mountain range 150 kilometres long with 72 peaks, and Zhurong Peak is the highest at 1,300.2 metres.

(reference from: http://www.hunan.gov.cn/hnly/szmp/hys/zmjd/201212/t20121221_757585.html)

(reference from: http://www.nanyuehs.com/tour/show.asp?id=50)

In Mount Heng, martyr is another famous place where tourists can visit the only one largest anti-japanese martyr’s cemetery in China. 

Mount Heng has dissimilar views in different seasons. In spring, you can see a great number of various birds in the mountain, and the voice of birds is sweet. In summer, there are many noises of cicadas, but Mountain Heng is extremely a fantastic place for publics to avoid summer heat. In autumn, it is significant gorgeous to see all of the trees with red leaves. In winter, I have been to Mount Heng in one year ago with my friends. It is real a challenge for us to climb mountain, because it is intensely cold on the top of the mountain, and there is an exceedingly-thickness ice that cover trees’ branches. However, I thought the scenery of winter is best attractive for me.