Day 9: Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia

Day 9   7/14/06    Auckland, New Zealand to Sydney, Australia

We did not have to get up early today. We had to leave for the airport at 1:00 p.m. The group spent their time shopping downtown Auckland and eating lunch. I walked down to Victoria Market. It is a collection of "off beat" stores in the decor of a brick warehouse.

We got rid of our New Zealand dollars and headed for the airport. On the flight, we saw the movie 16 Blocks with Bruce Willis. We arrived, making great time. The time change was 2 hours earlier, so now we were 14 hours ahead of Michigan time.

We got through customs and managed to get all our luggage on the bus. The exchange rate was $100 U.S. giving $126 Australian. I used the instant cash ATM machine. The students got a rate of $123 Australian and also had to pay $8 Australian commission. Bummer!!

We got to our hotel, the Ibis, by World Market Square. It's on the edge of Sydney's China town. We got our affairs settled. Alex and Sam went with Danna for a tour of Darling Harbor by foot from the hotel. Tim, Chelsea, Kayla, Stephanie, and I went out at 7:30 local time and had supper at a fast food place around the corner from the hotel.

Sam and Alex at Darling Harbor

 

 

Afterwards, we shopped at some of the souvenir places and found the local grocery store and bought some stuff. We got up into our rooms and I turned on the Friday night rugby game. I think that it was Sydney vs. Brisbane. The bulldogs won 22-16. Not knowing the rules, it was interesting trying to figure them out. What I could figure out:

• It's just like football. You have 5 downs to get from one end of the field to the other using backward laterals to advance the ball.
• If a touchdown is scored, you get 4 points. You kick an extra point (2 points, actually) from the spot you scored (brought back to the kicking line)
• There are two halves of 40 minutes each.
• If you kick the ball forward and your teammate catches it, you can continue forward.

There were still quite a few rules I didn't get, but it was entertaining.