Today was my last day outside of the United States.  Wow.  I cannot believe how fast this summer has gone by, it seems only yesterday that I left.  At any rate, I certainly wasn’t going to sit around all day crying about it, I had to get out and do something! We drove up the …

This morning we woke up, drove a few miles, and realized that we had somehow ended up in California.  All around us were California Redwood trees, towering over us.  As it turned out, these trees had been brought from California in 1901 and planted here, probably for harvesting.  Since then, the area has been turned …

Today we had a plan.  Last night we had set down after dinner and figured out the few things we wanted to do, and this morning we were up and ready to go.  Our first stop was Mt Tauhara, a small mountain outside of Taupo.  We didn’t really know what the hike entailed, we just …

This morning we awoke to find ourselves in a cold, central New Zealand.  It was quite cold outside, but we had hot showers and a heater, so we were good.  We had camped at the base of one of biggest mountains in New Zealand.  There is a ski slope up the road from where we …

Everything went very smoothly in Sydney this morning.  We got up, got to the airport without trouble, got through check in, customs, and security very quickly, and after an hour taking brekky in the lounge, we were in the air.  Once again, the flight went well and quickly.  I watched some Top Gear and slept …

Today I went hiking, but it was a bit different than my previous hikes had been, as this one went through the city.  I would be hiking from the hotel, across the Harbor Bridge, and along the foreshore, into coves, and finally ending up at Taronga Zoo, where I could take the ferry back to …

Oh no!  In one week I will be back in the US!  I think I may just have to delay my schooling and just fly across Antarctica and explore Patagonia, Machu Pichu, and the rest of South America.  On the plus side, I will get to see my grandparents again! Greg had meetings today, so …

This morning, all of us grabbed a ferry ride across the harbor and headed to Taronga Zoo.  The zoo sits on a hill on the opposite shore of the harbor from the main city.  The animals there are said to have the best views in the world, for throughout the zoo, you can look out …

Note: To see Greg’s comments on the climb up Uluru from yesterday, click here. This morning Greg and I awoke bright and early once more.  We got up even earlier than yesterday in an attempt to be at the viewing area before the sky started glowing.  We would also go to the sunset viewing area, …

Today was a very full day.  We started the day bright and early, or should I say, dark and early.  We were to go see the sunrise at Uluru, so we got up while the stars were still out.  We got out of the door and headed towards Uluru.  As we drove, the sky began …