Elyse Emily
This blog is intended for my friends and family to stay updated on my trip to South Africa to visit my boyfriend Dale and my semester abroad in New South Wales, Australia. In Australia I'm studying with the School of International Training doing a program focused on Sustainability and the Environment. toastnbananies
If you're anyone else, feel free to read. My name is Elyse I'm in my senior year of college and am majoring in Environmental Studies.
"All the world is a book and those who do not travel read but a page" -St. Augustine
Travel Blog Posts
October 8th 2007
For the last week we've been in Tasmania. We went to some pretty cool nature preserves, Cradle Mountain, Lake St. Clair. It's pretty cold here and has snowed a decent amount. We walked among the tallest hardwoods in the world. Eucalyptus Regnans at 92 meteres really make you feel small. We found and pet a wild wombat. We saw heaps of echnidas too. I'm trying to decided what to do during the month of November...I have a few options...going to Asia is one. I'd like to visit Christopher in Greece but can't seem to find any flights to there. Tommorow we head back to Byron Bay (ugh) for a few days and then to Fraser Island which is the world's largest sand island so that should be beautiful. I miss everyone at home and everyone should ... read more
September 15th 2007
Today is my first day of homestay in Lismore, New South Wales. We are truly in the country. Today we had to stop on the road to move a snake before we could drive. There are gorgeous green rolling hills all around. The family I'm staying with is a single mother, a 16 year old girl, 18 year old boy, a 10 year old boy, and an adorable loving fat labrador. We went to a soccer match and it started to rain. It sounded so loud on the country tin roofs then it began to hail! It was still sunny and no cooler than 60 degrees. It was so odd. I'm incredibly tired as for our last night in Byron a lot of us went out. I drank lots of wine and ended up sneaking into ... read more
September 11th 2007
Last night we went to this hippie bar where I danced barefoot and befriended a gypsy with a dog named Max and an old man with a long white beard. It was definitely a good night minus the noise compliant Angela, Garreth, Em, and I got later on back at the apartment. Today I went for a run to Cape Byron. The water is amazing I really need to bring my camera. We have two more days here then we are going to Lismore. I'm nervous about Lismore it's supposedly pretty rural. I bought two books from a book exchange today so I can read and chill out during my homestay. It will actually be nice to be away from the group and just read and be alone. Tommorow if the weather is good Carrie and ... read more
Seven Mile Beach and Intro to Aus
Published: September 15th 2007Oceania » Australia » New South Wales » Byron BaySeptember 8th 2007
Well I've been in Aus for just over a week. It's really hard to adjust to being here after being in South Africa. We've been at this orientation camp place just going over the program and I have hated it. We haven't experienced Australia at all. I am beginning to regret coming somewhere so developed. There are some dangerous funnel spiders and brown snakes but I'm worried being here won't be culturally shocking. We went to a Buddhist retreat in the middle of a forest. It was sort of cool but very cold and there were lots of little black leeches. One girl woke up with one on her face...creeeeepy. In a week we go to our homestay in Lismore then Tasmania and Fraser Island. I'm waiting for things to be different right now I'm not ... read more
August 22nd 2007
After Kayamundi, we finally went to Jonkershoek. It was a long uphill bike ride. There were pretty big dark trees creating nice shade that allowed for mossy green vegetation. We had a picnic and then went into the park. It was a nice sunny day and inside the preserve there was a great view of the mountains. We went to Eeverste Waterval (first waterfall) and sat for a bit. Then we decided we were too tired to go the remaining 6 km to the second (tweede?) waterfall. Our ride back through the park was downhill and really bumpy. It was like mountain biking...except we had the wrong kind of bikes and no helmets. We went to the Neil Ellis winery for a tasting on the way back. It was very pretty there was a beautiful lawn ... read more
August 21st 2007
This morning I went with Micha and Neele to Kayamundi a township not far from Stellenbosch. The town is all shacks made of random piece of sheet metal and plastic. As soon as we got there three children ran up to us and we gave them rides on our bikes. We went to a community center in the morning where the leader informed us that many of the local children had stomach viruses. There was a man I think was from the community, and the leader told him that he needed to tell the mothers to take their children to the clinic. He said that it was not his responsibility nor the community center's call, it should be up to the parent's. We went to different houses where children from ages 1-4 played on barren dirt ... read more
August 19th 2007
Today we had planned to climb Table Mountain in Cape Town but we were tired from our long weekend. Instead we went to a shiraz festival in Paarl. The theme was from Persia to Paarl so everything was like Arabian-nights sort of theme. I really liked the pinotage shiraz. Then we went to a lion reserve. This place rescued lions and kept the males and females separate to discourage breeding. They are vehemently against game reserves that breed lions in capitivity for tourists to play with or for tourists to shoot. ... read more
August 18th 2007
Today we fufilled my long-time wish of going shark cage diving with Great White sharks. We rustled out of bed around 4:30 A.M. I was in a total fog and couldn't think and barely managed to dress myself. I was not very helpful while driving. I'm horrible at reading maps and there was no light inside the rental car. The road was extremely dark and the car didn't have brights. It was a strange drive. A few minutes before 7 A.M. we arrived at the Great White Shark House. Inside they gave us coffee, breakfast, and a short briefing on shark ecology and conservation. Then we were off. The boat was extremely bumpy and I was grateful we had each taken two motion sickness pills (one the night before and one two hours before going out...I ... read more
Boulders and the Cape of Good Hope
Published: August 27th 2007Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » False Bay
August 17th 2007
We went to see the African Penguins at url=(http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Africa/South_Africa/ Province_of_the_Western_Cape/Cape_Town-2225504/Things_To_Do-Cape_Town-Penguins_Boulders_Beach-BR-1.html/Boulders between Simons Town and Cape Point. The penguins were adorable and the beaches charming. Afterward we went to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. This was incredible. Probably the most beautiful place I've ever seen. The water was sparkling blue. There was a beach in between the two capes. It was down beneath all the mountains and cliffs. The sand was very white and clean. The water was freezing, but we still put our feet in it and sat for awhile on some rocks looking out at the water. You could see seals surfing the waves. It was very peaceful and I was very happy to be there with Dale... On the drive back there were dozens of baboons in the streets. All the ... read more
August 14th 2007
Today we went wine tasting at Die Bergkelder one of the oldest wineries in Stellenbosch. It was beautiful, old and rustic. There was a huge underground cellar lit by candle light and intricately carved barrels. We tasted 10 wines. The speciality wines were called "Cape de Fur" meaning flower of the Cape. We had pinotage Pinotage which was first made by a professor at Stellenbosch University. After the tasting Dale went to a meeting and I went with the girls to the grocery store. At the flat we happily munched on cheese.... read more
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