The document summarizes the author's trip to Australia with Oprah Winfrey and 301 other "Ultimate Viewers" winners. They spent time in Sydney, Byron Bay, and at Olivia Newton-John's retreat, where they experienced Aboriginal culture, went snorkeling, visited a crystal castle, and attended performances. The author notes interacting with Oprah and other guests, enjoying private accommodations, and feeling a sense of freedom and bliss during the well-organized trip.
The document contains stories from several children about their experiences on Halloween night. Common themes included going trick-or-treating, seeing spooky things like spiders, ghosts and monsters, wearing costumes, and having fun with family and friends.
The document describes the planning and first day of a group's hike along the West Highland Way trail in Scotland. Four friends decide to hike the 105-mile trail over five days in April. They spend weeks preparing gear and do practice hikes. On the first morning, they drive to the trailheads, take photos, and begin the day's 23-mile hike. After some walking and breaks, they continue on towards their first night's destination in Cashel.
The document describes two mice - a house mouse and a field mouse. The house mouse invites the field mouse over for dinner, where there is plenty of food. However, a noise suddenly interrupts their meal, frightening the field mouse. When it is quiet again, the house mouse invites the field mouse back to dinner, but the field mouse declines, saying he prefers a quiet life with simple meals over fine food that is constantly threatened by fear. The field mouse then returns home to the field.
This document contains summaries of several creative writing submissions for a competition in 2013. It includes stories about a 100-year-old giraffe, a spy on a recycling mission to save the world, children stranded on an island after a boating trip goes wrong, finding a mysterious envelope containing a map, helping a whale by finding a special plant, and being replaced on Earth by an uninvited visitor.
This document summarizes a multi-state road trip taken by Gary Burgess from September 17th to October 4th. Some key details:
- The 8,240 mile trip covered 24 states and included visits to 120 places, 10 state capitals (for a total of 49), and 9 manufacturing plants (for a total of 745). National parks and sites visited included Death Valley, Zion, and Great Basin.
- Highlights included seeing the 48th and 49th state capitals, spending time with friends and family, and beautiful scenery. Challenges included extreme heat in Death Valley and icy conditions at Great Basin.
- Stops along the way provided experiences like touring Vicksburg National Military Park, museums
1) The document describes a cross-country road trip taken by the author, his wife Sarah, and his sister-in-law Katie to drive Katie's newly purchased car from Seattle to New York.
2) Their first stop was Yellowstone National Park, where they stayed in a cheap, run-down studio that had disturbing plumbing issues.
3) Later destinations included the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Mount Rushmore, and Chicago before completing the long drive to New York City, with some navigation mistakes along the way.
The document describes a family vacation to Tampa, Florida when the author was 7 years old. Some key memories included visiting Universal Studios where they saw the Blue Man Group and rode the Jurassic Park ride. The author also recalls taking a photo with a dinosaur statue that didn't turn out well. Overall, the author describes the Tampa vacation as one of the most special and an experience that nothing can top.
The document contains stories from several children about their experiences on Halloween night. Common themes included going trick-or-treating, seeing spooky things like spiders, ghosts and monsters, wearing costumes, and having fun with family and friends.
The document describes the planning and first day of a group's hike along the West Highland Way trail in Scotland. Four friends decide to hike the 105-mile trail over five days in April. They spend weeks preparing gear and do practice hikes. On the first morning, they drive to the trailheads, take photos, and begin the day's 23-mile hike. After some walking and breaks, they continue on towards their first night's destination in Cashel.
The document describes two mice - a house mouse and a field mouse. The house mouse invites the field mouse over for dinner, where there is plenty of food. However, a noise suddenly interrupts their meal, frightening the field mouse. When it is quiet again, the house mouse invites the field mouse back to dinner, but the field mouse declines, saying he prefers a quiet life with simple meals over fine food that is constantly threatened by fear. The field mouse then returns home to the field.
This document contains summaries of several creative writing submissions for a competition in 2013. It includes stories about a 100-year-old giraffe, a spy on a recycling mission to save the world, children stranded on an island after a boating trip goes wrong, finding a mysterious envelope containing a map, helping a whale by finding a special plant, and being replaced on Earth by an uninvited visitor.
This document summarizes a multi-state road trip taken by Gary Burgess from September 17th to October 4th. Some key details:
- The 8,240 mile trip covered 24 states and included visits to 120 places, 10 state capitals (for a total of 49), and 9 manufacturing plants (for a total of 745). National parks and sites visited included Death Valley, Zion, and Great Basin.
- Highlights included seeing the 48th and 49th state capitals, spending time with friends and family, and beautiful scenery. Challenges included extreme heat in Death Valley and icy conditions at Great Basin.
- Stops along the way provided experiences like touring Vicksburg National Military Park, museums
1) The document describes a cross-country road trip taken by the author, his wife Sarah, and his sister-in-law Katie to drive Katie's newly purchased car from Seattle to New York.
2) Their first stop was Yellowstone National Park, where they stayed in a cheap, run-down studio that had disturbing plumbing issues.
3) Later destinations included the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Mount Rushmore, and Chicago before completing the long drive to New York City, with some navigation mistakes along the way.
The document describes a family vacation to Tampa, Florida when the author was 7 years old. Some key memories included visiting Universal Studios where they saw the Blue Man Group and rode the Jurassic Park ride. The author also recalls taking a photo with a dinosaur statue that didn't turn out well. Overall, the author describes the Tampa vacation as one of the most special and an experience that nothing can top.
Editable australia power point map with capital and flag templates slides out...SlideTeam.net
This document provides instructions for customizing an Australia map PowerPoint template. The template includes an editable map of Australia with its states. Users can change the color of individual states, resize the map, and insert text boxes to add state names or other labels. The template allows users to create a customized, interactive Australia map for presentations.
This presentation describes the history of public transit, automobile, and pedestrian/cycling transport in Canberra, Australia's capital, over the past 100 years with some thoughts about what the past implies about the future trends in Canberra and in other cities around the world like it. This presentation was made as part of a conference celebrating Canberra's Centenary in 2013.
This document appears to be a structural analysis lab report from a group of 3 students - Kevin Fortune, Matthew Perkins, and Breanna Rohrman. The document lists and provides brief information about various structures from around the world, including buildings, bridges, and stadiums that the group analyzed for the lab.
Australia has a population of 21.5 million people with a growth rate of 1.1%. The climate varies depending on location, from mild in the south to tropical in the north. Culturally, Australia has been influenced by American pop culture and has a strong arts scene. Geographically, mountain ranges run north to south along the east coast and much of the interior is desert. Coal, iron ore, gold, and beef are among Australia's main exports, while vehicles, electronics, and medicines are among its main imports. Tourism is also a large part of the economy. Child care is supported through direct payments to families and a national quality assurance program. Formal care involves a legal change in responsibility while informal care is a private
Australia is an island continent located in Oceania between the Indian and South Pacific oceans. Its capital is Canberra, though its most populous city is Sydney. Australia has a population of around 22 million people and its official language is Australian English. Key facts about Australia include that it is the world's sixth largest country by area and home to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world. Australia is also known for its unique wildlife such as kangaroos and koalas.
The document discusses Australian accents and asks three questions. It asks what types of Australian accents exist, what the main particularity of Australian intonation is compared to American intonation, and what is special about the Australian tongue compared to the American tongue.
Australia is an island continent located in the Southern Hemisphere, so its seasons are opposite of those in Europe. It is composed of 7 territories and has a population of around 22 million people. The capital is Canberra, and the largest city is Sydney. Aboriginal Australians have lived in Australia for over 40,000 years, but now only represent 1% of the population. Some iconic Australian symbols include Uluru, kangaroos, and the Sydney Opera House.
The document summarizes a field trip taken by ESL students to the Fruit & Berry Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. It describes stopping at the seasonal Fruit & Berry Farm where students spent 30 minutes picking fruits and looking at pumpkin fields. It then details the trip to Shaker Village, where students slept overnight and had meals. The following day included a visit to the Kentucky Horse Park where students rode horses and learned about different horse breeds.
The document summarizes activities after climbing in Kibosho, Tanzania. It describes a visit to the Kibosho library, a one day safari in Ngorongoro Crater where wildlife was seen, and then traveling to Zanzabar to relax at the beach and attend a four day music festival called Sauti Za Busara featuring various African artists.
47 a picnic party (short and long essays) the college studyMary Smith
1) The document describes a picnic party that took place near a canal. The party involved telling jokes, a bicycle race, playing cards, and climbing trees.
2) After activities, the group had food and rested before returning home. The document emphasizes that a picnic allows one to get away from worries and enjoy different activities.
3) A second passage provides more details about the picnic, including swimming in a river and having a meal outside under trees by the water. The picnic allowed the group relaxation and recreation in nature.
An adventure to the center of the earthElliemarie123
A group of scuba divers discovered a hidden underwater cave that led to the center of the Earth. They brought supplies and explored each layer, encountering strange phenomena like hot cupcakes, lava bunnies, and blueberries. They interviewed with a news station about their adventure and showed rocks and photos from the journey. However, people stopped believing their story when another child claimed to discover the fountain of youth.
The E-learning team took a field trip to the Maritime Museum and Journey to the Deep exhibit. They split into groups and explored the museum, seeing artifacts like a pirate ship. Then they had lunch and some classes went to Journey to the Deep, where they learned about sea creatures from a turtle, crab, and musical performance. They saw pollution in the ocean and beautiful starfish. At the end they met Henimoana, the god of the sea, and were reminded to care for the ocean.
The E-learning team took a field trip to the Maritime Museum and Journey to the Deep exhibit. They split into groups and explored the museum, seeing artifacts like a pirate ship. Then they had lunch and some classes went to Journey to the Deep, where they learned about sea creatures from a turtle, crab, and musical presentation. They saw pollution in the ocean and beautiful starfish. At the end they met Henimoana, the god of the sea, and were reminded to care for the ocean.
The document is a poem describing a disastrous tour group experience in India. The tour is run by a fake company called "Timeless Horizons" and is secretly being orchestrated by the writers of a TV show to create drama and disasters for entertainment purposes. Throughout the tour, the group encounters many problems including pickpocketing, illness, intrusive new members, and cultural discomfort until their tour is abruptly ended when the coach hits a cow. In the epilogue, it is revealed that the entire tour experience was staged for a TV show about tour disasters.
Visiting the Elephant Coast - Spinal Injury magazine, Feb 2010Scott Rains
The document summarizes a wheelchair user's 11-day accessible tourism trip through South Africa, arranged by Access 2 Africa Safaris. Some key points covered include: visiting game reserves like Hluluwe and Bonamanzi, seeing many wildlife including "big guys" and colorful birds, enjoying accessible accommodations, and going on cultural excursions. The trip showed the writer that accessible tourism for people with disabilities is possible and an "under-explored tourist gem" in South Africa's Elephant Coast region.
The document describes the author's last family holiday in October 2013 in Melgar Piscilago, Colombia. They visited the zoo and attractions at Piscilago, going on rides like a rollercoaster and drop tower. In the afternoon, they went to an area with an inflatable figure eight pool. The next day, they had breakfast at their lodging and spent time in the pool until the author's brother broke his foot. They returned home by bus later that day after lunch, concluding a memorable family weekend trip.
On a sunny day in July 2000, the narrator and their family went to the beach in the Bahamas and enjoyed various activities like sunbathing, scuba diving, and surfing. Suddenly, the sky darkened and people started shouting and running away. The narrator saw what their brother described as a monster, which turned out to be the Loch Ness Monster, who was very tall with big black eyes and a long tail but was friendly. Later, the narrator's family also met the monster and became friends. At the end, the narrator briefly saw a nymph named Aphrodite who protected the Loch Ness monster and had come to the beach for a holiday.
1) Two field courses from Penryn Campus flew over 8 hours to Nairobi, Kenya and then took a bus to their first camp in Kitengala, where they spotted zebra and impala within 2 hours of arriving.
2) At the camp, they had discussions with local tribespeople about human-wildlife conflict, particularly related to lion predation of livestock. Responses varied between wanting compensation and illegally killing lions.
3) That evening, they went on a night drive and saw Thomson's gazelles, wildebeest, spring hares, and their first lion. The next day included a dawn walk where they saw many birds and baboons.
Daniel Lattimore: A Visit Where Men are MenLattyDaddy
My Trip To Ayers Rock and New South Wales
This document summarizes a trip to Ayers Rock (Uluru) and New South Wales, Australia. It includes photos and descriptions of exploring Ayers Rock, learning about Aboriginal legends, seeing rock drawings in Hunters' Cave. In New South Wales, the author visits Sydney, sees the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and discusses plans to search for 42 Wallaby Way from Finding Nemo, but finding it is located hours away in Queensland instead. The trip overview concludes with hopes to return to Australia again in the future.
Editable australia power point map with capital and flag templates slides out...SlideTeam.net
This document provides instructions for customizing an Australia map PowerPoint template. The template includes an editable map of Australia with its states. Users can change the color of individual states, resize the map, and insert text boxes to add state names or other labels. The template allows users to create a customized, interactive Australia map for presentations.
This presentation describes the history of public transit, automobile, and pedestrian/cycling transport in Canberra, Australia's capital, over the past 100 years with some thoughts about what the past implies about the future trends in Canberra and in other cities around the world like it. This presentation was made as part of a conference celebrating Canberra's Centenary in 2013.
This document appears to be a structural analysis lab report from a group of 3 students - Kevin Fortune, Matthew Perkins, and Breanna Rohrman. The document lists and provides brief information about various structures from around the world, including buildings, bridges, and stadiums that the group analyzed for the lab.
Australia has a population of 21.5 million people with a growth rate of 1.1%. The climate varies depending on location, from mild in the south to tropical in the north. Culturally, Australia has been influenced by American pop culture and has a strong arts scene. Geographically, mountain ranges run north to south along the east coast and much of the interior is desert. Coal, iron ore, gold, and beef are among Australia's main exports, while vehicles, electronics, and medicines are among its main imports. Tourism is also a large part of the economy. Child care is supported through direct payments to families and a national quality assurance program. Formal care involves a legal change in responsibility while informal care is a private
Australia is an island continent located in Oceania between the Indian and South Pacific oceans. Its capital is Canberra, though its most populous city is Sydney. Australia has a population of around 22 million people and its official language is Australian English. Key facts about Australia include that it is the world's sixth largest country by area and home to the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef system in the world. Australia is also known for its unique wildlife such as kangaroos and koalas.
The document discusses Australian accents and asks three questions. It asks what types of Australian accents exist, what the main particularity of Australian intonation is compared to American intonation, and what is special about the Australian tongue compared to the American tongue.
Australia is an island continent located in the Southern Hemisphere, so its seasons are opposite of those in Europe. It is composed of 7 territories and has a population of around 22 million people. The capital is Canberra, and the largest city is Sydney. Aboriginal Australians have lived in Australia for over 40,000 years, but now only represent 1% of the population. Some iconic Australian symbols include Uluru, kangaroos, and the Sydney Opera House.
The document summarizes a field trip taken by ESL students to the Fruit & Berry Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. It describes stopping at the seasonal Fruit & Berry Farm where students spent 30 minutes picking fruits and looking at pumpkin fields. It then details the trip to Shaker Village, where students slept overnight and had meals. The following day included a visit to the Kentucky Horse Park where students rode horses and learned about different horse breeds.
The document summarizes activities after climbing in Kibosho, Tanzania. It describes a visit to the Kibosho library, a one day safari in Ngorongoro Crater where wildlife was seen, and then traveling to Zanzabar to relax at the beach and attend a four day music festival called Sauti Za Busara featuring various African artists.
47 a picnic party (short and long essays) the college studyMary Smith
1) The document describes a picnic party that took place near a canal. The party involved telling jokes, a bicycle race, playing cards, and climbing trees.
2) After activities, the group had food and rested before returning home. The document emphasizes that a picnic allows one to get away from worries and enjoy different activities.
3) A second passage provides more details about the picnic, including swimming in a river and having a meal outside under trees by the water. The picnic allowed the group relaxation and recreation in nature.
An adventure to the center of the earthElliemarie123
A group of scuba divers discovered a hidden underwater cave that led to the center of the Earth. They brought supplies and explored each layer, encountering strange phenomena like hot cupcakes, lava bunnies, and blueberries. They interviewed with a news station about their adventure and showed rocks and photos from the journey. However, people stopped believing their story when another child claimed to discover the fountain of youth.
The E-learning team took a field trip to the Maritime Museum and Journey to the Deep exhibit. They split into groups and explored the museum, seeing artifacts like a pirate ship. Then they had lunch and some classes went to Journey to the Deep, where they learned about sea creatures from a turtle, crab, and musical performance. They saw pollution in the ocean and beautiful starfish. At the end they met Henimoana, the god of the sea, and were reminded to care for the ocean.
The E-learning team took a field trip to the Maritime Museum and Journey to the Deep exhibit. They split into groups and explored the museum, seeing artifacts like a pirate ship. Then they had lunch and some classes went to Journey to the Deep, where they learned about sea creatures from a turtle, crab, and musical presentation. They saw pollution in the ocean and beautiful starfish. At the end they met Henimoana, the god of the sea, and were reminded to care for the ocean.
The document is a poem describing a disastrous tour group experience in India. The tour is run by a fake company called "Timeless Horizons" and is secretly being orchestrated by the writers of a TV show to create drama and disasters for entertainment purposes. Throughout the tour, the group encounters many problems including pickpocketing, illness, intrusive new members, and cultural discomfort until their tour is abruptly ended when the coach hits a cow. In the epilogue, it is revealed that the entire tour experience was staged for a TV show about tour disasters.
Visiting the Elephant Coast - Spinal Injury magazine, Feb 2010Scott Rains
The document summarizes a wheelchair user's 11-day accessible tourism trip through South Africa, arranged by Access 2 Africa Safaris. Some key points covered include: visiting game reserves like Hluluwe and Bonamanzi, seeing many wildlife including "big guys" and colorful birds, enjoying accessible accommodations, and going on cultural excursions. The trip showed the writer that accessible tourism for people with disabilities is possible and an "under-explored tourist gem" in South Africa's Elephant Coast region.
The document describes the author's last family holiday in October 2013 in Melgar Piscilago, Colombia. They visited the zoo and attractions at Piscilago, going on rides like a rollercoaster and drop tower. In the afternoon, they went to an area with an inflatable figure eight pool. The next day, they had breakfast at their lodging and spent time in the pool until the author's brother broke his foot. They returned home by bus later that day after lunch, concluding a memorable family weekend trip.
On a sunny day in July 2000, the narrator and their family went to the beach in the Bahamas and enjoyed various activities like sunbathing, scuba diving, and surfing. Suddenly, the sky darkened and people started shouting and running away. The narrator saw what their brother described as a monster, which turned out to be the Loch Ness Monster, who was very tall with big black eyes and a long tail but was friendly. Later, the narrator's family also met the monster and became friends. At the end, the narrator briefly saw a nymph named Aphrodite who protected the Loch Ness monster and had come to the beach for a holiday.
1) Two field courses from Penryn Campus flew over 8 hours to Nairobi, Kenya and then took a bus to their first camp in Kitengala, where they spotted zebra and impala within 2 hours of arriving.
2) At the camp, they had discussions with local tribespeople about human-wildlife conflict, particularly related to lion predation of livestock. Responses varied between wanting compensation and illegally killing lions.
3) That evening, they went on a night drive and saw Thomson's gazelles, wildebeest, spring hares, and their first lion. The next day included a dawn walk where they saw many birds and baboons.
Daniel Lattimore: A Visit Where Men are MenLattyDaddy
My Trip To Ayers Rock and New South Wales
This document summarizes a trip to Ayers Rock (Uluru) and New South Wales, Australia. It includes photos and descriptions of exploring Ayers Rock, learning about Aboriginal legends, seeing rock drawings in Hunters' Cave. In New South Wales, the author visits Sydney, sees the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and discusses plans to search for 42 Wallaby Way from Finding Nemo, but finding it is located hours away in Queensland instead. The trip overview concludes with hopes to return to Australia again in the future.
Similar to Australia Power Point Presentation (13)
1. My Trip to Australia with Oprah!December 5th – 15th, 2010(Set to Aboriginal Didgeridoo music)
2. Sometime in 2009 I made a Vision Board with a picture of Oprah and I on it. I have wanted to meet her for a very long time and tell her how much she has made a difference in my life. I always knew I would meet her someday, but I never thought we would go on vacation to the other side of the world together. (Please note that the following photo was the subject of much ridicule from friends and family.)
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4. In July 2010 , Oprah’s website was asking for people to write in and say why they were an Ultimate Viewer. I sent the picture from my vision board and talked about how I have admired Oprah for a very long time. I told them how I had been trying to get tickets to a show forever, and how I even wrote in and begged and pleaded for tickets before I left Milwaukee to move to Phoenix. I knew once I moved here it would be much harder for me to get to a taping if I were even lucky enough to get tickets. I also talked about how she is an inspiration to me and to the world, and that she is living proof that if you put your mind to something, you can make it happen. I also talked about how authentic and genuine of a person I believe she is.
5. In late August I received a phone call from a producer who asked me several questions about my life and why I think I’m an Ultimate Viewer. I was so nervous talking with her on the phone . Before we got off the phone, she said that I might get a call at some point during the year and to please not tell anyone that she had spoken with me.The next day I received a phone call asking if I could be at a taping in Chicago on September 9th.I almost didn’t go. I was just starting a new job and was worried about asking for the time off. But after talking to my friend Allison, I knew that I had to go. I called my mom and asked her to go with me, and then booked a ticket to Milwaukee for a quick 24 hour trip in and out. On September 9th, we took the train to Chicago early in the morning. We had no idea what we were about to experience. I was so excited to just finally go to a taping of the Oprah show. That alone was a dream come true for me.
6. My mom and I in line for the show, having no idea what was about to transpire!
7. “We are going to Australia!”Here is the link to the announcement:http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprahs-Surprise-for-Her-Ultimate-Viewers-Video
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9. December 5th, 2010 Sydney-bound! But first, a party at LAX airport for all 302 of us Ultimate Viewers. Time to get to know each other! We were given Qantas pajamas, books about Australia, and our own Motorola phones to use in Australia that were free for our trip to call home, take pictures and videos!
22. All 302 of us were broken up into smaller groups that would be travelling to different areas of the country. They put us into the groups based on our personalities and travel preferences. Our group was called the Platypus group, and there were 42 of us. We were headed to Byron Bay, an hour’s flight north of Sydney on the easternmost point of Australia. In the middle of a rainforest, it is a beachy coastal town with a world-famous lighthouse and a hippie cultural vibe. We would be doing yoga on the beach, snorkeling or surfing, and basically just chilling out for 3 days. They had me at hippie...
23. After touching down at the Gold Coast Airport and a beautiful 45-minute bus ride, we pulled into the Byron at Byron, a gorgeous oceanside resort in the heart of the rainforest.After a very lavish welcoming lunch, we were guided to our bungalows. We each had our own – my mom and I were next door to each other. Each one was completely screened in and inside it looked like a modern loft-style apartment. The sounds of the rainforest were at times deafening.It was heaven.
36. That night, we were treated to a performance by the local aboriginal tribe. They introduced us to their elder, and they taught us dances for the women and the men. The male tribe members played the didgeridoo. It is very intricate instrument to learn how to play – you must be able to inhale and exhale at the same time in order for the sound and vibration to be right.
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40. That night, we were treated to a lavish dinner and learned more about aboriginal culture. They get all of their food from the rainforest, and only take what they need. They only kill an animal if they absolutely have to, and they will use every part of its body for some purpose. They use a lot of the plants and fruits from the forest as food, and once again, they only take what they need. We learned about the medicinal properties of all of the plants and life in the rainforest.
42. We met for breakfast and had the choice of going surfing, snorkeling, kayaking with the dolphins or travelling to a place called the Crystal Castle. We were going to go snorkeling, but the waters were choppy and we decided to go to the Crystal Castle instead. Best decision ever – it was a magical place! It is a beautiful garden/retreat center filled with crystals and statues of various deities from numerous religions and worldly viewpoints. We were also very fortunate to be there at a time when there were Tibetan Monks visiting.
50. The Tibetan Monks came down by us and blessed us all while putting scarves around our necks. We then did a blessing to the statue of Buddha and threw rice.
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52. Later that day, we went to the famous Lighthouse at Byron Bay – one of the most powerful lighthouses in the world.
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57. After our time at the Lighthouse, our bus took us to downtown Byron Bay. We were surprised and thrilled to find out that the entire city was there waiting for us and celebrating us being there. There were acrobats, fire-eaters, jugglers, drum circles and the like all performing for us as we got off the bus.
60. These were our group leaders – we called them the “Blue Shirts”. They guided our every move. Some work for an event company in Chicago, others work for Tourism Australia. They were wonderful and fun people!
65. After yoga, we were off to Gaia, which is Olivia Newton-John’s retreat and spa.
66. At the entrance to the main building, my friend Renee meeting ONJ herself. She personally greeted each and every one of us.
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69. We were given a presentation on nutrition and then were given the option of doing either yoga or tai chi. Afterwards, we each got to plant our own rainforest tree on the grounds of Gaia!
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71. After planting the trees, we were led to an area that had towels, yoga mats and little pillows laid on the ground. We had a 30-minute sound meditation with an aboriginal tribe walking around burning sage and playing the didgeridoo up and down our bodies.
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73. After this, we headed over to a tent where we had a barbecue.
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76. During dinner, an Indian woman came to the front of the tent and it looked as though she was going to say a prayer or blessing or maybe sing a song. Turns out she was a foul-mouthed comedian who came in second place for Australia’s Got Talent. She was bitter that she lost “to a little girl who sang ‘Somewhere Over the F-ing Rainbow”. She was completely deadpan and took us all by surprise. We were crying with laughter over the things coming out of her mouth! I wish I had it on tape to share. She was so funny. Sandy Gandhi – www.sandygandhi.com.
77. After Sandy’s performance, Olivia made her way around the tent chatting with all of us. She was so sweet and so gracious!
78. This woman looked like she was going to say a blessing or some sort of prayer before we started our meal. We were so surprised when she started talking and we found out she was a foul-mouthed comedian. Turns out she came in 2nd place in Australia’s Got Talent. (something she was very comically bitter about)…
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80. We started to hear drum beats out in the distance. Down the hill aways, a bright red marching band was making their way towards us. The energy we could feel as the sounds got closer was truly amazing. We all gathered outside the tent, watching them arrive. Once they got close to us, they stopped for a brief moment before starting to beat and bang away. They were like a high-energy travelling gypsy band – Olivia grabbed a cowbell and started dancing with them. Then the cowbell started getting passed around the group and whoever was holding it had to go out and dance. I like to describe the feeling as absolute freedom and a completely out-of-the-box, soul-stirring, crazy-fun sense of bliss.
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86. Afterwards, we had a performance from Olivia where she sang a song from her new album Grace and Gratitude. She then started singing Xanadu, which was one of my favorite songs when I was a kid – I used to rollerskate in my basement to it! Here is me singing with her.
87. Video of us at Gaia: http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Ultimate-Viewers-Spend-a-Day-at-Gaia-Spa-Video Video of Byron Bay:http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Ultimate-Viewers-Get-Rejuvenated-in-Byron-Bay-Video
97. That evening we were told that our most special event would be happening. Many times we did not know what the plans would be, we would only be told what kind of clothes to wear. Tonight would be our dressiest event.
98. As we gathered in the hotel lobby that evening, one of the Blue Shirts came up to my mom and I and said that when everyone else got on the bus, we should stay behind because we would be going seperately. We weren’t told why we were being seperated, but we knew it was something big. I was so nervous – would we be getting picked up in a limo with Oprah in it? Would we be sitting at a dinner table with her? What was going on? There were two other couples that were held back as well. One of the couples was Samuel and Mary, two friends from California. Samuel was highlighted on the Oprah show because he learned how to swim before he took this vacation. He was shown snorkeling during our time in Byron Bay.We ended up getting on a bus all by ourselves. Wracked with nerves, we could barely talk to each other on the drive to wherever it was we were going.
99. Turns out we were going to a cocktail reception at the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney for Oprah’s official introduction to the city. We were pulled aside and told we would be walking the red carpet with Oprah herself. About a minute later Oprah started walking towards us.I was able to shake her hand and say hello. I couldn’t even get the words ‘My name is Julie’ out of my mouth. It was surreal. We then followed her down the red carpet as she stopped to talk to several different TV stations lined up to interview her. Here are a few links to some news videos:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-zNjK0Uimwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f70jmSc895o
104. Nearly all 302 of us climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge.I would rather have been at the dentist.But if Oprah can do this, so can I.
105. With my friend Denise – we stuck together because neither of our moms went for the climb. It was hilarious – from down below, people thought she was Oprah and were screaming for her.
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107. That night we were treated to dinner in the “Rocks” section of Sydney. We all were able to get back together with our Platypus family and enjoy dinner and a party afterwards in a historic part of Sydney.
115. “The Oprah Regatta”We had our choice of being on a regular sailboat, a medium-sized yacht, or a large pirate ship. We chose the pirate ship. We even got a chance to sail the boat ourselves!
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119. After sailing, we all met for lunch at Bungalow 8 on the harbor. Oprah even ate with some of us. After lunch she gave a 15-minute speech. She talked about how when she was growing up that she could never find those cute little nameplates with Oprah on it. And how she knew that she would never be a ‘normal’ child because she didn’t have a ‘normal’ name. Then she said that today, while sailing, seeing her name on a whole regatta made up for not having a little keychain or license plate with her name on it when she was a child. And then she talked about how we can have a whole regatta with our names on it too, in our own ways. And that we are all unique and special and have so many gifts to offer the world, and that we need to realize that and know that we deserve it. There was not a dry eye in the house.
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121. That night we got on a bus having no idea where we were going. On the bus there was a video, and Oprah was on it, and told us that we were going to the U2 concert at Olympic Stadium. Jay-Z opened for them. Oprah even came and sat with us for the show – she was in the row right in front of me.
127. Our last full day in Australia.The Oprah Show is taping two shows at the Sydney “Oprah” House. The 302 of us had VIP seats right in front of the stage.We were joined by 6000 Australians who won tickets via a lottery system to attend one of the two tapings.
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129. There were two tapings that day. Guests included Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Bono from U2, Bon Jovi, Olivia Newton-John and others. We had the front 300 center seats and once again, were treated so well. We were the first ones in, and the first to leave. The shows were so much fun to attend and at the first taping all 6000 audience members were given an Australian pearl necklace with an “O” engraved with “Oprah: The Farewell Season”, and at the second taping were given an authentic Australian pink argyle diamond necklace, the rarest diamonds in the world.
130. Aerial shot of the Platypus family standing up and screaming for ONJ when she came on stage.
131. With Liz and her mom Nabonye – new lifelong friends!
132. A video from the finale of the second show. There was a huge Australian flag that went over the audience. It was so much fun!http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Australian-Celebrities-Perform-I-Still-Call-Australia-Home-Video
133. After the shows, we gathered in the Opera House for a cocktail party and to say goodbye to all of our new friends. It was bittersweet.
134. Liz, Tamika and I in the Sydney Opera House in front of the O on the bridge.,
138. Today it was off to the airport and time to go home. We were surprised one last time by Oprah – she came to say goodbye to us at the airport. There were lots of smiles and lots of tears.
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140. I have to say that this was the mostexhilarating experience of my life. I met new friends from all walks of life. I met my mentor and the person I respect so greatly who has done so much to change the world. I was given a new perspective on life and my eyes were opened in so many ways. I found love, I found peace, I found confidence, I found life. Oprah’s influence has made me strive to be the very best person I can possibly be. And although I left a piece of my heart in Australia, peace of my heart came back with me to the states.
141. Oh, and one last thing…a picture from my new vision board. This time I’m on the couch with Oprah!