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| Aboriginal Program |
I took a night train to Sydney and got in at 6 am. I bought a Discovery card which was “suppose”
give me unlimited trains rides for a month. It
was the premiere card so I was excited about using it. But like all things, it
was not quite what it was suppose to be or advertised. My hostel in Melbourne helped me reserve a
place but you can’t do it online like it advertised (you can only buy the
card and pay for it online). And not having a local phone it
is pretty difficult to reserve. So I was
very happy that the hostel helped and called for me. It took some time as they had to find me in
their system and whew they did. I got 1st
class and was happy but realized that 1st is not a sleeper, if I
want a sleeper it is an additional $88, but I did get a reclining seat but it
was still uncomfortable, oh well, it was the experience right? Arriving early, the directions that were given to me by the hostel were very easy
to follow and I was there in 15 minutes. Yea and the hostel was so good that they let
me check in early and they even gave me a lower bunk that I requested. I put my stuff away but didn't take a nap (I
would have not woken up until late and then not sleep at night), so I took a
free city tour which was interesting and gave me my bearings. I am in the center of Sydney and walking to
most places is within 30 minutes. It
is still very cold and off and on it rained.
The tour was about 2 ½ hours long and I walked a lot, but I saw a lot and took pictures, so now I
will go back and see the art museum, library and the “the rocks” on another day.
Today I took the Blue Mountain tour as the hostel said it would not rain today
but is predicted to rain the rest of the week (oh joy). The ride to Blue Mountains was about 1 ½ hours and there was a
cable car and vertical tram that you could take inside the park. The
mountains were beautiful and I hike down to the bottom where they had a rain
forest. Optional was an Aboriginal program which I attended and it was extremely
interesting. The Blue Mountains is the
home to six different Aboriginals groups: the Darkinung, Darug, Gundungarra,
Dharawal, Wiradjuri and Wonarua clans.
There are 250 clans and languages that make up the Aboriginals of
Australia with different culture and customs but one thing they have in common
is the love and respect of the land.
They have not changed in over 20,000 years. This is not a primitive society; there is no
slavery, no armies, prisons, empires or kings.
There is no homelessness and no distinction between rich and poor. People owned what they could carry and had
rights to the resources provided by the clan country they were born into. When
the English arrived 200 years ago, the country was still in pristine condition,
wildlife abound, the bush intact, and the water running their natural course.
Captain Cook describes these people as the happiest people he had ever met.
Here are my pictures of the city tour and Blue Mountain:
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| St Augustine Church |
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| Kangaroo and Emu are Australia State Symbols |
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| Ibis at the park |
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| Opera house |
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| Sydney's Harbor Bridge |
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| Harbor and another view of the Opera House |
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| A stop going to Blue Mountain |
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| Blue Mountain |
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| Another view Absolutely Beautiful |
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| Three Sisters Rock |
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| In the Mountain to the Rain Forest |
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| The tram is the steepest tram in Australia |
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| In the Rain Forest |
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| 2000 Olympic Center |
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| Cable car to the Blue Mtn. Park |
Life Challenge: Things are beautiful if you love them... Jean Anouilh
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