Denmark, WA

I'm back from our short trip down south. It most certainly was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. We were not camping, just bushwalking for a few hours one day. Bushwalking is Aussie talk for hiking. We stayed in a beautiful log cabin deep in the forests of Denmark, Western Australia. On the way, we stopped at the south ocean and had a swim in the freezing water. I sliced the bottom of one of my toes open really deep, but I will live. The only problem I had was when we were hiking. Next stop was pentland, where you can pet and feed a wide variety of animals from kolas to bunnies. I also was able in interact one on one with a kangaroo. It was adorable the way they held your hand while eating feed. The farm has award-winning alpacas who were very shy. I recommend you check out their website at pentlandalpacafarm.com.au to see some cute pictures. Another thing to look up on google is the valley of the giants in Western Australia. This national park is home to the last of the red tingle trees. They are hundreds of feet tall, and are done no justice by the photos. To walk amongst the giants on steel bridges took my breath away. It is great feats of nature like this that remind me how insignificant some of our daily troubles are. Another great reminder of this fact was visiting the Gap in Albany, WA. This is the spot where Antarctica broke off from Australia millions of years ago. It is as far south as you can get, the edge of the world. The ocean roared beneath the staggering cliffs, showing no mercy to anything that may fall into it. I looked to the horizon, breathing in the ocean air and appreciating the gift of this journey. These hidden pockets of nature's finest are the reason I urge everyone to keep up the fight to save the planet. Australia is hit the hardest by the environmental changes, and they aren't doing most of the damage. Please remember that the extra effort you put into your day by recycling does make a difference. Returning to campus, we will spend the next few days sitting through lectures about what it is to be a MU student. It is very boring compared to where I have been.