Spartans in the South Pacific
On July 13, over 60 Southern Lehigh students along with nine chaperones made their way to the Newark Airport to embark on their journey to Sydney, Australia. Their adventure in the sky went on for over 20 hours, but the memories will last a lifetime.
Chaperones included psychology teacher Mr. Matthew Cooper, technology education teacher Mr. Robert Gaugler, resource officer Mr. Brian McLaughlin, English teacher Mr. Michael Fay, French teacher Mrs. Kaytlyn Byers, principal Mrs. Christine Siegfried, school nurse Mrs. Merrilyn Pysher, Spanish teacher Ms. Jessica Swartz, and instructional assistant Ms. Lindsay Horvath.
Upon landing, two tour guides named Tiggy and Luke met with the Spartan swarm and began their responsibility of providing the group with culture and an experience like no other. Though the Pennsylvanians were tired, the guides kept them busy.
The adventure started with a quick trip to Bondi Beach where the group enjoyed lunch by the ocean. Next, the tour buses stopped for a quick peek at the Sydney Opera House, which the group would explore later. Students were then taken to Darling Harbour where they were given time to explore the area.
On day two, the students visited The National Opal Collection where “Nessie,” a pliosaur that lived in the ocean over 100 million years ago, is displayed. Nessie is an opalized skeleton that is longer than 6.5 feet. After looking around the opal museum, the group ventured up the Sydney Tower, which stands over 1000 feet, thus making the building Sydney’s tallest structure.
Next up was Wildlife World, a wildlife park within Darling Harbour. Luckily, it was feeding time for the kangaroos when the students were making their way around the zoo, which meant that students had the opportunity to pet them! Later that evening, the travelers cheered on the Rabbitohs at a rugby game.
The third day included a tour of the Sydney Opera House and an educational experience at the Taronga Zoo. The group learned about the instrument, the didgeridoo, and even experienced an up close encounter of some of Australia’s native animals, such as the echidna.
On the fourth and final day in Sydney, the group was given the options to go surfing, hang out on the beach, or go for a hike in the morning. After the morning excursions, the students had time to visit the aquarium at Darling Harbour.
The next day the travelers flew to Auckland, New Zealand, and then transferred to Rotorua by bus.
“New Zealand was my favorite country because I liked being out of the city for a while, being able to do some more adventurous and culturally interactive activities,” Mr. Cooper said. “I thought the landscape was incredible.”
Day six consisted of many educational opportunities. The group visited a jade museum where students learned about the symbolic meanings of various jade figures. Next, they toured the living Maori village, Whakarewarewa, where students and chaperones were able to learn more about the Maori people and their culture.
After exploring the village, a sheep show at the Agrodome was next on the schedule. The Agrodome presented 19 breeds of sheep and even had a nursery where people were able to pet goats.
Next, the group had the choice of going to a spa or an amusement park. HellsGate is a Geothermal Park where the group was able to experience a mud bath, and then rinse off in sulphurous spas. Those who did not attend HellsGate took the more adventurous route: OGO ball and an amusement park.
“Basically an OGO ball is a big inflatable ball that [is held] at the top of the hill, and they fill it with hot water because it was about 50 degrees in New Zealand at the time,” senior Justine Groeber said. “You go inside the ball with one of your friends, and then they open a gate and let you roll down a hill in the ball, and then you get out and sit in hot tubs.”
The groups then went to the Tamaki Village for a Hangi feast, which is a method of cooking food such as chicken, fish, and vegetables in an underground pit.
The seventh day included a Duck Tour which, believe it or not, did not include very many ducks. The term “duck” actually refers to the type of vehicle that the group traveled on, which can navigate land and water. After the Duck Tour, the travelers made their way to Matamata where the Hobbiton movie set is located. They learned a lot about the set and how the movies were filmed.
The next day, the group traveled to their last stop, the Cook Islands. After a quick tour of the resort, the students met up for dinner on the beach, and later played volleyball, searched for sea cucumbers, and ate tons of food before they had some free time to indulge in relaxation.
“The Cook Islands reminded me of a father Caribbean Island with a more unique culture, similar to New Zealand culture, but a little more complex,” sophomore Taylor Stehlik said.
The next morning, Southern Lehigh students and faculty visited an elementary school in Rarotonga and left plenty of gifts for the young learners. The elementary schoolers welcomed the travelers by performing traditional dances.
Afterward, the group boarded the boats and went snorkeling before arriving at Muri Lagoon. Once there, they saw demonstrations on how to crack open a coconut, how to pick a coconut from the coconut trees, and even how to tie sarongs. Upon arriving back at the resort, the group had lots of free time, which many used to relax on the beach.
The last day at the Cook Islands included a sightseeing tour of the island. Though it certainly was a trip of a lifetime, students were excited to return home to see their families.
“If somebody is thinking about going on the next EF trip, I would definitely suggest it,” Groeber said, “because you get to be emerged in different cultures and it is really interesting to see how other places do things differently.”
Nicole Schroy graduates as a four-year staff member of The Spotlight. In her sophomore year, she was the Arts and Entertainment editor, and she switched...