June 3rd

Hello blog followers! Here's a little bit about our time in Melbourne yesterday, June 3rd. Our day began with our normal 8am breakfast. We had a few hours to spair before needing to leave for the Australian rules football game so most of us walked down to the Queen Victoria Market, which is the largest market in the Southern Hemisphere. The market was filled with souvenirs, clothing, luggage, produce, food stands and much more. 

 

We met back at our hostel at 1pm to walk to the University of Melbourne. Upon arrival at the beautiful University campus we found the football field and sat under the pavilion as the reserves played their match. When the official football game started we met Rod, the director of sports development at the university, and he explained the rules of the game as we watched.

 

 Australian rules football is like a mix of American football and rugby. The field is in the shape of an oval and stretches 100 meters long, and each team has 18 players on the field at a time. When the offender has possession of the football he can only run 15 meters forward before he must either bounce it or get rid of it, passing it back to a teammate or punting it. When the player is tackled the play stops and restarts at that spot, like American football. The players do not wear any padding and the only two main rules for tackling are not hitting above the head and no tripping the player. The goal is to get the ball through the posts by running it through or kicking it. The game we watched was a competition between the University Blues and the Old Collegians, and the Old Collegians took the win at the end of the match. The Victoria Amateur Football League is a competitive league but the players are not paid to play, and even though the team is called the University Blues, not all the players are university students. At the end of the 3rd quarter we joined other fans out on the field and met the Melbourne University Football Club President, Andrew Donald, and chatted with him about our time in Australia so far.

 

Being at the game and talking to Rod about the similarities and differences of Australian universities and American universities made me excited to tour the campus and learn more in a couple of days. After the game part of the group went to a Japanese sushi restaurant and others went to the food court at QV square in the central business district of Melbourne for some great eats. Another fun day down, just four more to go! Time is flying! Stay posted and see what we're up to next! 

June 2nd

Our first full day in Melbourne was packed with lots of events! After our breakfast at the YHA of Melbourne, we all set out to meet our tour guide, Matthew, for a walking tour of Melbourne. We met him outside of the city's library and traveled by foot to the Old Melbourne jail where we learned about the story of Ned Kelly, a famous Australian convict. Then, we walked to the Royal Exhibition Garden and Parliament all while learning about Melbourne's history. 

 

As a group,we passed by the local Princess's Theatre where Matthew informed us that shows are frequently performed, the local favorite being The Book of Mormon, which typically sells out fast.  China town was our next stop and was exactly how you would imagine it: paper lanterns hung from the buildings, Chinese food everywhere you look, and vibrant colors of red and gold with Chinese styled buildings.  

 

After passing by the famous cafe lane named Center Place and Saint Paul's Cathedral, the group was introduced to Flinder's Street, which is most well known for its magnificent street art. According to our guide, the street is constantly changing from all of the artists that use the walls as their own personal canvas. In a months' time, the street could look completely unrecognizable from the art that we saw today. 

 

 

 

Finally, we ended our tour by passing through Federation Square, past the Performing arts center and museum, and ended along the Yarra River with a sweet view of the city skyline. 

 

 

After saying our "thank you's" to Matthew, we stopped for lunch at a nearby food court, then got ready to attend the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Center (MSAC) for a sports medicine discussion. When we got there, we were introduced to two experienced "sports trainers" who gave us some insight on their job. In Australia, they do not have athletic trainers, but instead have a wide range of professions that each do an American athletic trainer's job. For example, an Australian 'strapper' is in charge of taping athletes. An Australian 'Physio' is similar to a U.S. physical therapist, which focuses on rehabilitation. And finally, an Australian 'sports trainer' is a certification that specializes in first response and first aid and can be achieved in as little as ome 16 hour session. An American athletic trainer, on the other hand, encompasses all of these skills and responsibilities and requires an extensive, rigorous amount of schooling.  After our discussion at MSAC, we rushed back to the hostel to prepare for the National Rugby League match for the local team the Melbourne Storm. 

 

 

 

Two crowded tram rides later, we arrived at the lively AAMI stadium and got a quick bite to eat before finding our seats.  It has been exceptionally cold through out our last two stops in Australia and some of us took the opportunity to snuggle up under blankets, especially roommates Mike and Colby, the only two guys on the trip. 

 

During the rugby game we were reminded how little we know of this sport. For example, instead of a goal or a touchdown, when the players score it is called a 'try.' The final score was 40-12 with the Melbourne Storm coming out on top! 

 

Tomorrow we are headed to the University of Melbourne to watch an Australian Rules Football match- Stay tuned! 

Kylie xx

 

June 1st Mid-Day Review

Today we left the capitol city of Canberra and began our journey to Melbourne.  We woke up to another sunny, 28 degrees Fahrenheit morning.  Breakfast was pleasantly served by our personal chef from our hostel.  This morning he surprised us with baked beans, scrambled eggs and roasted tomatoes in addition to our cold cereal/ toast.  There was only one brave soul that tried the baked beans with their eggs.  

Before loading our bus for the airport a couple students visited a near by coffee shop and reported it being one of the best coffees they've had in Australia. 

Upon reflecting upon our visit in Canberra we noticed quite a few highlights based upon our Australian journey thus far.  I polled the students on our trip to the airport and received the following feedback.

• it's nice to have a hot breakfast and having peanut butter  included with our meal plan.  
• this was the best close encounters with wild kangaroos.

• It's a relief that there's no hills or stairs. 
• National Museum of Australia has the best museum lattes.  
• John was the best bus tour guide whom taught us a few Aussie slang words that we cannot repeat in case a "fuddy duddy" is reading our blog. 
• Seeing the Aussie prime minister in action at the House of Representatives in the Parliament building was surprising. 
• Canberra was short and sweet. 

 

We boarded the plane and landed in Melbourne at 12:15 pm.  


While at baggage claim a friendly Aussie allowed Kylie to hold his three month old baby.

Here's Emily at our hostel in Melbourne.



After our group reflection and debriefing session we had a fabulous Italian dinner.  

 

Colby and I found The Flash and Batman outside our dinner spot.  

 

Batman walked back for a quick selfie.  

Today's mid-day in review provided by LeAnna. 

I apologize in advance for the selfies.   

Missing pictures from 5/31

Sorry I am having some trouble uploading the pictures. Please look out for them in the next few days!

5/31

Hi everyone! Today we started the day with a 7:30 breakfast and then got on the road for a big day of touring all over Canberra. Our bus driver John, who is quite the character, picked us up and drove to our first stop: Mount Ainsisle. We were lucky that John happened to be a history buff so he acted as our tour guide for most of the day. As we drove to the top of the mountain, John gave us a brief history of Canberra. He explained that today was Anzac Day (Australian New Zealand army core), which honors all the Australian soldiers that gave their lives fighting in different wars most notably in    the Boer war in South Africa, Vietnam, and Korean wars and World Wars 1 &2.. As we drove through the ANZAC section of Canberra we could see different memorials and statues honoring the fallen solideirs of these different wars. Canberra was founded in 1913 but due to the first Workd War was really made the capital city in 1927. When we got to the top of Mount Ainsisle we had a beautiful view overlooking the whole city. Walter Griffin and Marion Mahoney were the two people that contributed to the design of the city and the lookout point on which we got to view the whole city was respectively named after them.  If you can see in the picture below Mount Ainsisle is entirely covered by eucalyptus trees. Also the mountains, that you can faintly see in the background are known as the snowy mountains. One might not expect this when thinking of Australia but, the snowy mountains accuamate more snow than even the Swiss mountains in s cold Canberraa winter season. The ski season there is set to open around sometime next week! The beautiful lake you can see in the picture is actually a pretty recent development with the dam only being built in 1962. Canberra is broken down into what is known as 5 satellite cities and from this view we can see almost all of the different cities. The hostel we stay at is in the city known as the city center. In the picture below, the white building towards the bottom of the mountain is known as the High Court which would be like our Supreme Court back in the US. Though we wouldn't think so today, in the summer Canberra can get quite hot reaching temperatures of 110 degrees Fahrenheit! Because of this and the flammable properties of the eucalyptus trees Canberra can be prone to a number of forest fires, or bush fires as their known in Australia. Most notably in 2003 there was such a severe fire that it almost completely wiped out the whole city of Canberra if it wasn't for a sea breeze that day that slightly changed the course of the fires. Luckily, after 1 month the eucalyptus trees can begin to regenerate after only 1 month. That is why today the remains of that fire are hardly noticeable.



Our next stop was the Australian national museum. As you approach the museum you struck by the building's unique architecture. John explains that this design is a tribute to the boating design that was used in sailing race that Australian had won in the Americas Cup. In the museum, were primarily on our own and split into groups of 3 or 4. Some of the highlights of the museum include seeing the the Paddle Steamer Enterprise, which is one of the world's oldest paddle steamers. After careful restoration it is the largest working exhibit at the museum. Another highlight of the museum is the Circa exhibit. Here, in a rotating theatre objects from the museums collection, along with images sound and music tell the story of Australia's history from the continents deep time to the present. One favorite exhibit of students, was the Eternity gallery, which brought to life the personal stories of over 50 both extraordinary and everyday Australians. My personal favorite, was the Old New Land gallery which examines Australia's diverse and unique species and environments by exploring how people have adapted to the land over time. Some other favorites were the Landmarks gallery and the The First Australians gallery. The Landmarks gallery explores Australian history since the time of European settlement through stories of different Australian places from across the continent. The First Australians gallery extends over 2 levels and traces the experiences of Aborginal and Torres Straight Islander people which highlights their spirituality, diversity, unique identity, and survival.



After such a busy morning, we then stopped at the Canberra food court for lunch. After fueling up on everything from salads, Chinese food, and gelato, we headed back to the bus for the next stop on our tour- The Parliment house.


The Australian Parliment is equivocal to the US senate. As we walk in John is quick to point out all the symbolism that surrounds both the inside and outside of the building. The outside of the building displays the Australian crest which has both an emu and kangaroo on its emblem. Though they are both native animals of Australia the true symbolism behind this is that because both these animal can only move forward it is symbolic of the Australians people belief that they cannot move back but can only move and progress forward. As you walk towards the entrance you can notice the curved architecture of the building which is supposed to represent the Australian people coming together. When you walk inside, there are big marble pillars located throughout which represent the trees seen around Australia. Also, the Parlimount house is specifically located so that if the doors to the senate house are opened the Prime Minister is directly looking at the Australian war memorial. This serves as remainder to the Prime Minsirer of those who gave their lives fighting for their country. After touring around the building we were fortunate to sit in on a actual senate meeting and could hear the current issues that the Prime minister spoke about. Of course we also got to hear all the arguing that took place! Lastly we went to the rooftop of the building enjoying another scenic view on this beautiful sunny day. We noticed there being special grass in onc section and John explained that when the house was first built on the hill it was not allowed for any government building to look down upon the people. So, to avoid this the house was built into the hill and the grass was then brought back to symbolize that the Australian people are above the government. John also pointed out and American memorial that can be seen off in the distance. This is especially important because of its impressive structure and also its location in a very prestigious area in Canberra. This shows the gratitude the Australians have to the US for their aid during  WWII and represents the strong relationship and allies that Australia and the United States are.


After our tour we were in for a treat because our trusted tour guide John knew we all wanted to see wild kangaroos(different than just seeing them in an animal sanctuary) and promised us he would find some for us and he did not dissappoint! We pulled up to a nearby park and saw a huge mob(pack) of kangaroos. There must have been at least over 50 kangaroos all scattered around this park. Though kangaroos are mostly scared and timid of humans usually running away if we may get too close  they also can be very dangerous if they feel threatened or to to protect their territory. As we  slowly got off the bus the alpha kangaroos, known as the big buck, got up and moved a few steps towards to show he was ready to defend his territory. Luckily, we all knew to keep a safe distance and didn't run into and problems with the mob! We were able get close enough for some great pictures though! We then drove to the Australian war memorial, passing all the different embassies on the way.

Our last stop of the day was the Australian war memorial. We began the tour by passing through the memorials of different wars that Australians had fought in: WWI, WWII, The Boer War, Korean War and a general memorial  for the Australian army. Though it had many memorial sites, it is also primarily a museum that displays different historical artifacts and provides relevant historical information. After looking around we all gathered to watch these great interactive videos that War memorial was showing. The 3 videos we watched were on the Lacsaster bombings during WWI, the military advancement of aerial attwck during WWI and lastly a video about the syndey harbour attacks, which were when 3 midget Japanese submarines came into the Sydney harbour and almost destroy Sydney harbour along with the the syndey bridge. Luckily, they were all able to destroyed with 2 being destroyed by American and Australian submarines and the other destroying itself and only 1 Australian submarine got destroyed in the process. Amazingly, today was actually the 75th aniversay of the attacks as they occurred on May 31, 1942. We ended the day here at the tomb of the unknown soldier where every day a wreath is placed to honor a soldier who died in battle. Because today was the 75th anniversary of the syndey harbour attaxks one of the Australians that was died in the destruction of the submarine was honored today. Also, dignitaries from Japan were also there to honor both Australians who have died but also there own countrymen who died fighting for their country.

Of course after such an eventful day, we were all ready to eat! We went to Outback Jacks ( a more authentic Australian Oitbaxk restaurant) . We all got big plates of ribs, steaks, and even crocodile! Today was also the first night of the  Game of Orgin Match. This is basically like the super bowl of rugby league between New South Wales and Queensland where the best players that were born the respective states face off against each other in 3 games and tonight was the first night! Even though NSW had lost the last few years this year they went into the match as the favorites and were able to come away with a win tonight with a score of 28-6. Go Blues!

This morning we woke up to very cold weather. Breakfast was at 7am. We were pleasantly surprised with a hot breakfast of bacon and eggs instead of the expected toast and cereal.

John our bus driver for the day picked us up to go to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). The development of the AIS was greatly due to Australia's poor performance in the 1976 Olympics. Australia wanted to create a space where their elite athletes could train and increase their performance for future competitions. Athletes at the AIS may be as young as 15-16 years of age. If athletes are school age, training programs are scheduled around attending the local high school. The AIS encourages all the athletes to do things outside of their sport whether it is a part time job or attending university. The AIS stresses the benefits of having a backup plan in case something happens where the athlete can no longer compete.

Our day at the AIS started with a tour of the facility led by one of their current athletes. The first stop on the tour was the Sportex exhibit. Sportex is a virtual and interactive room simulating specific sport skills.

The tour continued onto the AIS athletic facilities. Typically each sport at the AIC has their own training space.

The volleyball courts have a Taraflex flooring. The Taraflex flooring aides in injury prevention. The flooring absorbs forces and disperses them towards the outside of the court resulting in a decrease of forces being put on the athlete.

This pool is used by swimming, water polo, and synchronized swimming. What is unique about this pool is it has a viewing tunnel along the perimeter. Like an aquarium the swimmers can be seen from underwater. The pool is also equipped with about 50 cameras. The cameras are used to analyze movements of the athlete and to identify corrections needed to improve the performance of the athlete.

A weight room is available for all athletes. Strength and conditioning coaches create programs specific to each athlete and sport.

 

Next on the schedule for the day was a recovery session. The AIS has an entire building dedicated to the recovery of the athlete after a training session. The facility is equipped with a relaxation/meditation area, floatation tank, warm pool, cold pool, a river, a stretching and much more.

 

Students participated in a contrast bath treatment. Contrast baths consist of going from a warm pool to a cold pool, alternating for a specific period of time. It is important to finish in the cold pool. 

Students relaxing in the warm pool.

 

Students freezing in the cold pool.

 

 

Pictured below is students receiving treatment with the use of an intermittent compression device. The compression device helps reduce swelling. 



 

Lunch was eaten at the AIS dining hall. We had two lectures after lunch. The first lecture was taught by physiotherapist. The lecture was primarily on prevention and management of athletic injuries. The physiotherapist discussed specific techniques the AIS uses to prevent injury. One example is they require all of the basketball players to have both ankles taped during practice and games as a way to prevent ankle sprains.

 

The second lecture was on movement science.  The lecturer explained that there are three subcategories of movement science. They include biomechanics, performance analysis, and skill acquisition. The lecturer discussed how equipment can be used and analyzed to improve the performance of the athlete.

 

The lecturer then took us on a tour of the movement science department. One unique feature the AIS possesses is an indoor track with eight force plates in a row. Typically facilities will only have a handful of force plates. This feature allows the runners to run normally without worrying about their foot placement.

 

We also took a tour of the exercise physiology lab. Research is performed on the athletes at the AIS. Studies have been done on anthropometric measurements and altitude differences.Photos were not allowed in this facility. Dinner was done eaten at the AIS dining hall. 

Travel Day to Canberra

Hello blog followers,

We got up bright and early to get on the Murrays motor coach bus to travel from Sydney to Canberra.    We had one "comfort stop" which means we stopped for a bathroom break and snack.  We enjoyed some grub from "Macca's" which is the Aussie term for McDonalds.  Then we got back on the bus to finish our ride and a few of us were lucky enough to see some kangaroos in a field.  Everyone fell asleep on our bus ride except for Lisa and our thankfully our driver.

We arrived to our YHA hostel and we were able to check in early.  After dropping our bags in our new rooms we met up for lunch.  We walked to "Grill'd" which had a wide variety of burgers.  One of the biggest differences with Canberra is it's cooler than Sydney.   It looks like our sun bathing days have come to an end for now.  The group parted ways and got to walk around our new area.  During our afternoon break some of us shopped, watched tv and others took another nap.

We had a group  dinner at Guzman y Gomez which is a Mexican Taqueria.  After our meal everyone was eager to go back, get gelato and/ or go to bed.  Overall it was a successful travel day!