Australian Summer Tour
August 06, 2007 11:39 AM | General
Home Sweet Home
Posted by Phil Caskey: August 20, 2007
I must admit that the WVU Coliseum has never looked any better than it did when our travel party finally arrived back at the facility late Friday (August 17) night from our trek halfway around the world.
The Longest Day Ever! – Just how long was Friday, August 17, for our travel party? Here’s a breakdown of the longest day most of us had ever encountered:
So how long was that trip? From the time we had wake-up call until the time we arrived at the Coliseum we completed a 31-hour day, all on Friday, August 17.
Final Trip Specs – Here are the final trip numbers tallied up for your reading pleasure:
Sleep Deprivation – Most of the travel party has felt the adverse effects of the 14-hour difference in time from Australia to the East Coast. As I write this, I’m struggling to stay awake and it’s late afternoon (afterall, it is early morning in Sydney).
Reverse Culture Shock – They warned of it in our pre-travel meetings. Now I see what they were talking about. The biggest thing for me to overcome was driving. While I didn’t operate a vehicle in Australia, I got more than accustomed to the Aussies driving on the opposite side of the street and looking right before left when crossing a street. Going out for some lunch on Saturday morning was certainly an experience.
Thank You! -- On behalf of everyone in the travel party, from the coaching staff, the student-athletes and the support, thank you for reading our blog. We had the trip of a lifetime and experienced some really cool things. We certainly hope to see you at some of the WVU women’s basketball games later this year, be they in Morgantown or on the road. Thanks again!
Heading Home
Posted by Phil Caskey: August 16, 2007
We’ve had an incredible experience these past two weeks in Australia. This was an eye- opening opportunity from the get-go for most of our travel party. We’ve experienced a new way of life and culture and learned a lot about how other people in the world live.
Here are some last few notes before we head home tomorrow morning. Once we arrive back in Morgantown we’ll have a final wrap up, getting opinions and thoughts from every player and have that to you hopefully by weekend’s end. Keep in mind we’ll still be on Australia time while we transition ourselves back to our lives on the East Coast.
As always, thanks for reading the blog. We hope that you’ve at least gotten a peak at some of the things we’ve witnessed first hand.
Tjapukai Dancers – Wednesday was our last full day in Cairns and for most of the day everyone did their own thing whether it was finishing up last-minute shopping, or catching some sun or getting some sleep. Our last real team function was seeing a native, local Aboriginal tribe called the Tjapukai (pronounced Jap-ooh-keye). They gave us an insight into their ancestors’ way of life. Senior forward Chakhia Cole was one of two audience volunteers to help the Tjapukai start a fire out of scratch. It was very cool to see. We also had a huge dinner buffet and all the girls seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.
Back in Sydney Briefly – We landed back in Sydney early Thursday morning and had the entire day to ourselves. As was the case with the final day in Cairns, most of the party either slept or finished some shopping. The weather finally turned sour Thursday. It was mid-50s with rain all day in Sydney.
Long Flight Home – We depart Sydney Friday morning at 9:45 a.m. local time and return to the West Coast at 6 a.m., all in the same day. That’s right, we’ll go back in time three hours after our projected 13 hours flight across the Pacific. Here’s to hoping that the weather in the Pacific and Atlantic cooperates with our travel plans.
Thanks once again for reading. We’ll wrap things up after some much-needed sleep over the weekend.
A Beautiful Place
Posted by Phil Caskey: August 14, 2007
Greetings once again from “Down Under.” I write this to you from beautiful Cairns, located in the northeast territory of Queensland, Australia.
Cairns – Right off the bat, this city is pronounced “Cans.” It is the complete opposite of Sydney. Here the laidback lifestyle is ever apparent. In my opinion it is true Australia. We are also in the tropics now, where the temperatures have ranged from the mid-60s to low 70s. Again, that’s not too shabby for it being wintertime here.
Cairns Part II -- Cairns has a population of about 100,000 which includes about 20,000 tourists at any given time. Tourism fuels the economy with sugar cane coming in second. It’s a very relaxing and slower pace than Sydney and I think everyone here is reaping the benefits of that. This is truly an amazing city.
First Up – We left early Saturday morning from Sydney aboard a Qantas domestic flight. Upon our arrival, we had the entire evening free to ourselves. Most of the team headed straight for the beach to work on their tans. Unfortunately, there is no beach in Cairns and what the team thought was the beach really was just mud that seemed to go as far as the eye could. It turned out it was low tide and the mud was really the ocean bottom being exposed.
John Denver’s Here, Too – Prior to our team meal on Saturday evening, we all gathered in our hotel lobby to leave as a group. A lounge singer was strumming her guitar and Coach Nichols asked if she new “Country Roads.” Sure enough she did and it sounded great. It was a nice reminder of home for a few minutes. We thanked her with a nice tip.
Shopping Saturday Night – Without the ability to get a tan, most of the team headed for the Cairns shops. Tourism drives the economy in this town and there are souvenir shops everywhere. There was a mid-size tent city set up no too far from our hotel selling mostly jewelry. From there most of the team hit the Night Markets that are open from 5-11 p.m. Good deals were found by all and they were much cheaper than the inflated prices we found in Sydney.
Snorkeling All Day Sunday – Sunday morning we were at the Cairns docks at 7:30 a.m., ready to start our all-day Great Barrier Reef snorkeling experience. After a two and half hour voyage, we finally reached our first destination: Hastings Reef. There most everyone got into the water to snorkel, minus Coach Carey, Coach Nichols and Coach Dagostino, and take in one of nature’s most beautiful attractions. Meg Bulger put it best mentioning that it felt like we were on the Discovery Channel. The coral reefs and fish were as vibrant, colorful and beautiful as anything in nature that I’ve seen. We saw parrot fish grinding on coral and all sorts of sea animals swimming around the coral. I can’t put into words how vibrant the colors were.
Our second stop of the day, after a festive tropical lunch on the boat, took us to Breaking Patches Reef where we all got the pleasure of swimming with four friendly sea turtles. There, I also saw a reef shark, maybe a five-to-six footer, but they are very timid and he scurried away. Swimming with the turtles was certainly one of the highlights of my life so far. I can’t explain how cool that was!
History Ties to Cairns – For those history buffs that are interested, Cairns has some significant World War II history ties. Not too far off the coast between Australia and the Solomon Islands, the Japanese and American/Australian fleets met in May of 1942 in what is now known at the Battle of the Coral Sea. History tells us this battle became the first in which aircraft carriers engaged each other. It was ruled a strategic victory for the Allies and a tactical victory for the Japanese. It also set the scene for the Battle of Midway just one month later.
Also during the war, Gen. Douglas MacArthur had his headquarters here at one point. And because the area in the summer is so brutally hot and humid, Allied troops were stationed here to get acclimated to the climate first before shipping them to help out in the Allied Pacific Island hopping campaign.
A Special Thanks to Some Aussie Friends – After returning from our snorkeling adventure, we had the chance to catch up with friends of the family who just happen to live in Cairns. My father and I met Gerry and Carolyn Webb at a hobby convention several years ago in Lancaster, Pa. We met up with the Webbs for dinner at their place which included some delicious lamb and kangaroo and it was topped off with some excellent Pavlova cake. My wife Leslie, athletic trainer Meredith Dotson and I can’t thank the Webbs enough for their hospitality! It’s pretty cool to think you have friends halfway around the world and by chance one of the two cities in which our tour brought us to just happened to have friends in them. It truly is a small world!
Cairns Tropical Zoo – Yesterday we went to the Cairns Tropical Zoo for a few hours prior to our game with the Cairns Dolphins. It was a very hands-on experience which included a crocodile show/feeding, petting and holding Koalas and petting and holding very friendly kangaroos. I think most of the girls enjoyed their experience!
Next up – We conclude the basketball portion of our trip tonight at 4 p.m. local time with another game against Cairns. After that we have the evening and another full day here before heading back to Sydney early Thursday morning. We depart for the U.S. early Friday morning and return late that evening.
Around the World in 80 Days
Posted by Olayinka Sanni: August 13, 2007
Hello all from Cairns, Australia! Here’s my blog:
It’s hit me that I’ve been on three continents in four weeks. It’s unbelievable to think I’m here in Australia. Just a few weeks ago I was in Africa playing with the Nigerian National team. My body has gone through so many transitions in time it’s crazy to think I’ve been almost around the world in about a month.
Yesterday, we went snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. It was one of the best experiences of my life. It was amazing! Ashley (Powell) and I went to the reef and saw all types of colors and different types of fish. We got to touch some parts of the reef and I accidentally hit one of the seas turtles that were around us because I was scared for a bit. But it was an unbelievable experience to swim with the turtles even though I was a bit afraid of them. I also swam with the fishes as teammates and coaches threw bread at us and it caused a lot of fish to come swim around my teammates and I.
Being in Australia, the culture is easy to adapt to. I did a lot of shopping here in Cairns. I’ve bought a lot of cool things here. I plan on getting another Koala bear, not the real thing, just a stuffed animal. Cairns is a more relaxing place than Sydney. Sydney is more of a large city atmosphere and you have to keep up with the pace. Cairns is relaxing and very laid back. Sydney is like New York. Night time is when things get active here in Cairns with the markets though, whereas with Sydney all the shopping is during the day.
We’re all still having fun with the games and enjoying it even though it’s not our season. This is more fun and relaxing just to go play with my teammates. We’re playing hard but we’re still a bit tired from the jet lag. When we’re playing it’s not forced. We’re here having a mini-vacation but when the game comes it’s time to play hard. After the game we realize we’re back on our mini-vacation.
Thanks for reading my blog. Let’s Go Moutaineers!
Cheers
Posted by Phil Caskey: August 11, 2007
Greetings once again from Sydney, Australia.
Our trip is going great and a lot of us are really getting to experience a completely different mindset and culture. It is truly eye opening. Here are few more tidbits I’ve mustered up for your viewing pleasure …
Cheers From the Scorer’s Table, Literally! - Prior to our trip we were informed about certain cultural differences that we could encounter at our games. Those ranged from having no locker rooms to playing with basketballs that might not be completely round. No one, however, could have prepared us for what we encountered in our third game of our tour Friday evening against ABA Select.
Halfway through the contest the official scorers broke out a bottle of wine and enjoyed some social drinking during our third and fourth quarters. I know we were up big, but was it that bad for the home team that it forced their official scorers to start to drink? While it didn’t affect the outcome, there were a few times calls got missed or were marked incorrectly. At one point the possession arrow was pointing straight up towards the gym ceiling. We wondered in amazement which team was going to get the next jump ball possession! If any of our WVU scorer’s home game table crew is reading this, don’t get any bright ideas for you already know the answer: no! We all had a good laugh at it, though!
American Pride – Our contest with ABA Select featured the first music system the ladies had during pre-game warm-ups. That explained our energy. But it was really cool to utilize that sound system to play both the U.S. and Australian National Anthems prior to tip off. At that point it hit some of us that we weren’t just representing West Virginia University, but we were also representing the United States of America. That was sort of a surreal moment indeed. But it all gave us a sense of pride. Oh, and a special thanks goes out to the Pride of West Virginia for supplying us with our national anthem.
Currency Part II – As mentioned previously, we got $1.10 Australian for every American $1.00 we exchanged. In Australia there are no pennies like in the United States, so prices are rounded to the nearest fifth cent. Coins and bills of Australian currency that I’ve come across have been nickels, dimes, 20-cent pieces (no quarters), 50-cent pieces, one dollar coins and two dollar coins. Bills I have are fives, 10s, 20s and 50s. It’s a much simpler system than in America. And if there’s tax here, which I’m not sure about yet, it’s built into the price already.
Currency Part III – We got our exchange rate at just the right time. The U.S. stock market decline during the last few days has made its impact felt here in Sydney. Just three days ago one American dollar equaled $1.10 in Australian currency. Today, the going rate was $0.85 Aussie currency for every American dollar, or a quarter decline in just three days.
We’ve Seen That Already – Some of my friends called them two of the best summer movies of the year. The Aussies couldn’t make that assumption until at least yesterday. Die Hard 4 starring Bruce Willis and the Bourne Ultimatum starring Matt Damon both opened in Australia this weekend, almost a full month after their U.S. releases.
Off to Cairns – We depart Saturday morning for Cairns, located in the territory of Queensland in the northeastern part of the continent. The temperatures are expected to range from the high 70s to low 80s for the winter - not too bad for being winter here, huh? I’d hate to see what the summers are like.
We’ll check back in with you all once we get to Cairns. Thanks again for reading the blog!
Chakhia's Blog
Posted by Chakhia Cole: August 10, 2007
Hello from Sydney, Australia!
I’ve been to Australia before and visited Sydney for a day and had been to Cairns for two days. But I hadn’t seen the Opera House and all the places that we’ve experienced since we arrived. This trip has met my expectations for the most part. The prices are outrageous for some things, though. I was also expecting to see more Australians but there seem to be too many Asians and Indians. Where are all the Australian men? I want to hear their accents.
The ferry ride to Manly Beach yesterday was great. I thought Manly was a lot better than Sydney since Sydney seems too busy and the people didn’t seem as friendly as they did in Manly. Manly was such a slower pace. I liked the shops and it all seemed cozy.
The AMP Tower tour today was also amazing because it really let you see Sydney from above. You could see the life, and the bridges are beautiful in Sydney, including Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Crossing the streets is a big feat of mine. I’ve got the hang of it down for the most part. Look right then left whereas at home we look left then right always.
Not to bash Australians, I’m not one for their cuisine. It’s just something I’m not used to including their soda. I’m used to my greasy American food. I feel like I’ve lost 20 lbs. since getting off the airplane since I’m famished. I’m hoping the food will be better in Cairns.
I can’t wait to go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef and hopefully see some hot guys with nice deep accents - even though I’m already taken! It’s just fun to look. I can’t wait to get into the water in Cairns.
Thanks for reading our blog and catching a glimpse of the great time we are experiencing.
Bulger's Blog
Posted by Meg Bulger: August 9, 2007
Sydney is beautiful. The ferry ride today in Sydney Harbor has been my favorite activity up to this point. It’s such a beautiful environment but there is a city in the middle of it. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Sleeping is still difficult to get used to. I’m still not completely on Australian time but I’m getting there.
Coach Carey said we didn’t play well yesterday (against NSWIS) but you could see we were tired. The flight had taken its toll but we gutted it out and still won. Tonight we play against Manly and I think the extra day my teammates have had to get used to the time change will only help us. We’re not so tired like we were just two days ago.
The Australian etiquette is something we’re getting used to. We’re not sure on the barriers that the Australians have regarding their culture. We’re learning it but we’re not sure if what we say and do offends them. Getting used to looking right first instead of left before crossing a street is also crazy. Instead of looking for signs that say exit they say “way out.” Yield signs don’t say yield, they say “give way.” Little things like that we are adapting to.
I can’t wait to get to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef. It’s what you see on Discovery Channel all the time and you think you’ll never get a chance to go there. But now we have that opportunity to see the Reef, snorkel and of course get some sun.
Thanks for checking the blog. Other teammates will be letting you know about our experiences in the coming days.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
Greetings from Sydney
Posted by Chester Nichols: August 8, 2007
Greetings Mountaineers from Sydney, Australia! This is assistant coach Chester Nichols. It’s been a pretty interesting two days. I got off to a rough start to say the least. Phil mentioned in his timeline about my backpack full of snacks. Here’s the rest of the story.
I was going to a different culture and was unaware of the different snacks that they have over here. Simply put, I knew I was going to have night-time cravings. So I packed a bag full of Pringles, Slim Jims, Little Debbies, Kudos and what seemed like every other snack known to mankind. I really didn’t eat that much of it like Phil makes it sound, but don’t get me wrong, I did have my share of it.
Well we landed in Sydney and I was going to baggage claim and the next thing I knew a beagle was jumping on my back. The more I slapped to try to get away from the dog, the more it kept jumping up on me. The beagles’ handler kept saying “Please don’t slap at the dog.” I said, “Please calm the dog down” so I could get my backpack off.
They eagerly opened up my “survival kit” in earnest and they proceeded to confiscate my Slim Jims since beef was not allowed to be brought into the country. Unlike what Phil said, I wasn’t warned. I was fined. I won’t go into the price I have to pay but it’s substantial. That’s all I have to say about that.
Moving on, today a bunch of us went to the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife Park. Let’s start with the reptiles. To spend a few hours with Coach Mike Carey at the reptile exhibit was a lot of fun! He has some snake phobias to say the least. To watch him sprint through the snake section was hilarious. We saw all the Australian animals that everyone hears about: kangaroos, koalas, duckbilled platypus and crocodiles.
Now I’m getting ready for tonight’s game as we just finished up our pre-game meal and tip in three hours. Keep checking bag on this blog to learn more from the players and staff about the awesome experiences we are encountering here on the other side of the world.
Let’s Go Mountaineers!
Random Musings
Posted by Phil Caskey: August 8, 2007
After posting my last blog yesterday afternoon (August 7) here are a few random musings I’ve noticed in the last day. Sydney is a truly remarkable city. I can easily see why this city hosted the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. There is so much to do.
World Wide Web – Just like the name says it truly is the World Wide Web. I had no problems connecting to the Internet in my hotel room. As advertised prior to our arrival, Internet cafes are all over the place, including our hotel lobby.
Temperature – Temperature listings in Australia are all in Celsius. In Fahrenheit, it has been in the mid-to-high 50s and low 60s in Sydney. Remember this is their winter. Luckily the Internet works and weather.com is readily accessible.
Grams – A few of my food encounters has brought my attention to the fact that measurement is in grams, not ounces - yet another interesting conversion.
City Size – Sydney doesn’t seem like a city that boasts a population of more than four million. Sure there are spots that look like downtown Manhattan with some constant bustling and moving about. Being winter here might have something to do with that as well. There are a lot of Asian and Indian tourists as well.
Currency – Most of us converted our money from U.S. to Australian and yesterday’s going rate was $1.10 Australian for every American dollar. You certainly can’t argue making more money. Now I just have to make sure I spend it all before we leave. As a side note, Sydney is a very expensive city. Graduate Assistant coach Donnie Johnson mentioned that the prices for shoes are a bit inflated. The same pair of New Balance shoes he bought for $30 a few weeks ago stateside go for about $150 in Sydney.
Streets – Australians drive on the left side of the road. We’ve been told numerous times to always use crosswalks because pedestrians are at the mercy of the traffic. Now we just have to remember to look right first before left. I’m trying to look right and left three times before crossing a street.
Cars – Just like the roadways, automobiles in Sydney have the driver’s side in the exact opposite location of cars in the United States. That’s right -- the steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle.
Sydney Harbor – Last night the entire travel party walked just a few blocks from our hotel to Sydney Harbor. Even with the cooler temperatures outside, the harbor was bustling with activity. Many, including myself, felt like the area reminded us the most of Inner Harbor in Baltimore. It was very beautiful.
Kangaroo – In my first real taste of Australian cuisine, I, assistant coach Dave Dagostino and athletic trainer Meredith Dotson ordered Kangaroo as at least part of our dinner meal in a nice Mediterranean-style restaurant we all found to eat in. It was delicious. I had it served medium-rare and it was very reminiscent of combination of filet mignon and venison. Most of the team ordered chicken and ribs. Next up for my personal eating pleasure is tracking down some crocodile.
Toilets – Don’t ask for the bathroom or restroom in Australia without expecting a weird look. Here it’s bluntly the toilet and the logic goes “We don’t go to the toilet to take a bath or a rest.” Depends on who you talk to on the latter but it certainly seems a bit taboo for us Americans to ask for the toilet. Some friends from back home have asked me about the reverse flush since we are in the Southern Hemisphere. To that I respond with, “I don’t know yet.” We have two flush buttons on our hotel toilet. They remind me of the three shells in the movie Demolition Man. And so far the flush hasn’t spiraled. I’ll keep you posted on that.
Sleep – By the time I got in from dinner at 8 p.m. local time, fatigue had set in and I crashed for 10 hours. I awoke this morning at 6 a.m. local time or 4:52 p.m. back in Morgantown.
We tip against the New South Wales Institute of Sport later tonight and some of us in the travel party are going to go sightseeing for a few hours before pre-game.
Talk to you soon!
Time Line
Posted by Phil Caskey: August 7, 2007
Sunday, August 5
11:50 a.m. (EST) - We depart the WVU Coliseum for Pittsburgh International Airport with a travel party of 20 (10 players, four coaches and support staff). Everyone is in great spirits and ready to begin their journey to other side of the world "Down Under." Assistant Coach Chester Nichols, worried about not getting enough food on our three flights to Sydney, has a book bag filled to the brim with every snack possible including Pringles and Slim Jims. He does mention he's a bit worried about clearing customs in Sydney, but that's hours away and not that big of a concern at the moment.
1:04 p.m. (EST) - We arrive at Pittsburgh International Airport and most of the team gets a good meal at TGI Fridays.
4:32 p.m. (EST) - We depart Pittsburgh for Salt Lake City. Spider Man 3 is the in-flight movie. Half of the team goes right to sleep. Senior forward Chakhia Cole begins playing a classic on her PSP - Sonic the Hedgehog. Coach Nichols begins tearing into his bag full of goodies.
8:38 p.m. (EST)- 6:38 p.m. (MWT) - We land in Salt Lake City and grab a quick bite to eat before boarding our next flight - the second leg of our trip to Sydney.
10:10 p.m. (EST)- 8:10 p.m. (MST) - We depart for San Francisco.
11:55 p.m. (EST) - We begin circling the skies over the San Francisco Bay Area for what seems like four or five circlings. We begin to worry about not making our connection to Sydney. Coach Nichols doesn't seem to mind as he looks for his next snack. After all, he did pop so he can't stop.
8:55 p.m. (WST)- 8:59 p.m. (WST) - Much ado about nothing. We begin our decent into San Francisco and are right on time for our 1:40 a.m. (EST) departure for Sydney.
Monday, August 6
2:06 a.m. (EST) - We taxi back aboard what will certainly the biggest plane most of our travel party has ever been on - a 747-400 Jumbo Jet. Much to our delight we are flying Qantas, a major Australian airline. Most might be distressed over flying in economy class (coach) for such a long flight, but international flights are much nicer than we are accustomed to on US domestic flights. The coach seats are wider, recline farther back and have much more leg room. In the back of each seat's headrest there is a Qantas Entertainment unit complete with over 60 movies, 120 CDs, video games and TV Shows. The captain informs us we have a flying time of 13½ hours before reaching Sydney. Half of our party goes right to sleep; the other half begins to reap the benefits of the Qantas Entertainment system. Coach Nichols continues to reap the benefits of his backpack!
2:37 a.m. (EST) - Wired and not wanting to get to sleep, I start watching the movie 300.
8 a.m. (EST) - Somewhere over the Pacific ... Some of our party is up moving about. Some are still perusing through their entertainment console. Others, like senior guard Meg Bulger haven't moved since we pulled away from the gate in San Francisco.
Tuesday, August 7
11:15 a.m. (EST) - We cross the international dateline and officially lose a day. It is now Tuesday, August 7. Bulger still hasn't moved.
2:15 p.m. (EST) - Our party begins to fill out Australia passenger declaration forms that we need to submit to pass through Customs. Bulger is finally seen awake after what she says had a combined 10 hours of sleep.
4:16 p.m. (EST)- 6:16 a.m. (Australian Time) - We touch down in Sydney after a safe and smooth flight.
7:01 a.m. (Aus) - We have all made it through customs and the subsequent security checks —- all that is except for Coach Nichols. Apparently he didn't finish all of his snacks and contraband, sniffing beagle picks up the scent of Slim Jims in his backpack. Since no food is allowed into the country, this is a big no-no. They seize all of his beef products and he's written
