Our Australia Adventure

Will Cooper
Squalicum High School 2008
Bellingham, WA

Thanks to NSHSS, Australia--a vast and particularly intriguing continent across the Pacific Ocean and in the southern hemisphere--was my next destination. It’s not every day I get to travel to paradise, but I have been there, or quite close, a few times. Before June 14, 2008, I had traveled to 16 countries, including the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica and Brazil and the stunning landscapes of Switzerland, as well as experienced the adventure of riding camels in India. However, I am still reveling in the richness of the experience of visiting Australia. I’d wholeheartedly say it was truly an amazing, and wonderfully unique adventure. The way it was organized, the people who led it, and simply the vibe I got from this trip made it truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip. As a tight-knit group with an awesome leader, we got the chance to learn about and explore an amazing country via well-selected activities and speakers. Additionally, through the group of NSHSS students I traveled with, I also developed new friendships that are sincere and still remain strong.

Each day in Australia was packed; we were always seeing or doing something, and it never got dull. Touring Sydney harbour in the evening, visiting the Blue Mountains, walking through rainforest habitats, snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, visiting the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, and feeding kangaroos at the Featherdale Wildlife Park were but some of the well chosen experiences NSHSS provided that gave a great introduction to this vast and diverse country.

In the past I have been on plenty of the “standard” tours, going to key museums, seeing the biggest buildings, etc.--interesting in their own ways but not always particularly captivating. The tours we went on in Australia were . . . different. Instead of seeing a museum in Cairns, we went to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, where they performed for us, taught us about their medicines, ways of life, and their cultural history. Instead of only looking at their artwork (which was amazing), we also practiced throwing boomerangs and spears. After having seen the aquarium in Sydney, we got to go out and see the real Great Barrier Reef, snorkeling or diving with the fish. Also, beyond the official agenda, we had innumerable impromptu activities-- swims in beautiful rivers, and the like.

For each experience we shared, the related talk and background information was truly informative, pertinent, and interesting. The places we went to and the things we did were awesome, but what really made the trip special to me was how our group clicked; by the second day there (the first day we were too tired to talk after traveling for so long!) it felt as though we were traveling with good, well known friends. Everyone was fun and easy to get along with, and our leader was great. This, along with the terrific tours we got to go on, made for one awesome trip.

I have always loved the philosophy of Eternal Recurrence; that one should live his or her life so that if they were forced to repeat any moment of their life for eternity, they should be happy. All I can say is that if I were to be stuck in a “Recurrence” from any point of the trip, you would find me with one big smile on my face!

"The trip with NSHSS was TREMENDOUS!!!! When I've shown the itinerary to acquaintances who have traveled in Australia, they loved what NSHSS chose to include. Truly, you did a superb job." — Lydia Cooper, NSHSS Parent