By Josh Price

CCHS Teacher

Editor’s Note:  This is a first-hand account/ commentary written from the author’s point of view submitted to the HORIZON.

From June 1 through June 15, I took a group of students and adults on a tour of the South Pacific. We visited Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii. My name is Josh Price, and I teach at Clay County High School in Celina. The students that went were Molly Donaldson and Marshall Burch. The adults were Roger and Pat Roberts. We traveled with a group of about 50 students from schools in Utah, Mississippi, and North Dakota.

We left Nashville on June 1 and flew to LA then on to Nadi, Fiji. In Fiji, we had the opportunity to snorkel, kayak, and ride in a submersible in the pristine waters of our own private island.

We also visited the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, which sits at the foothills of the Nausori Highlands about 10 minutes drive north of Nadi. The attractive landscaped gardens specialize in Fiji’s native plants as well as housing an impressive collection of orchids. One of the highlights of the trip was visiting a traditional Fijian village. In addition to these activities, some students went skydiving.

From Fiji, we flew to Auckland, New Zealand, known as the city of sails because of the high number of sailboats found here. We spent four days in New Zealand, mostly in the geothermal area called Rotorua. Our hotel was on the shores of an ancient volcano that is filled in with water to form Lake Rotorua. People come from all over the world to visit the luxurious Polynesian spa located here. Set amidst a landscape of erupting geothermal activity, hot thermal springs and hot bubbling mud pools is the Living Maori village of Whakarewarewa situated in Rotorua. We spent a day here, observing local Maori people and participating in cultural activities.

The next day, we visited the kiwi conservation program at Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park. The Park is an award winning tourist attraction with great features including kiwi, trout, tuatara, pigs, sheep, native birds and trees and New Zealand’s only ‘open to view’ kiwi hatchery and rearing facility. We also took an amphibious “duck” tour of Rotoru in WWII era vehicles that drove us through the city then took us out into the Blue and Green Lakes of Rotorua.

The next day, we headed back to Auckland, making a stop in the town of Matamata, New Zealand. This area was made famous when it was used to film the blockbuster films Lord of the Rings. We made it to Auckland that night and spent the night out on the town.

The next day we got up early and flew to Sydney, Australia. We spent four days in this beautiful city. Highlights included taking a harbor cruise and climbing to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the largest single span arch bridge in the world, at 134 meters above sea level. The Sydney Harbor Bridge, along with the world-famous Sydney Opera House are enduring and recognizable features of the city. We spent a full on a walking tour through the historic Rocks area, where Australia’s first fleet of European settlers landed in 1788.

We also visited the observation deck of Sydney Tower. At 1,063 feet, it is the tallest building south of the equator. We also visited an opal factory. Opals are the national gemstone of Australia. We next visited The Gap, an ocean cliff that overlooks the point where Captain Arthur Phillip’s fleet first entered Port Jackson to establish the settlement that would become Australia. A highlight of Sydney was visiting Bondi Beach, a world famous volleyball and surfing beach. The next day, we drove out of Sydney to the village of Katoomba and then the Blue Mountains, so named for the haze given of from the evaporation of water out of Eucalyptus leaves.

On the way back to Sydney, we stopped at the Sydney Wildlife World, where we got to pet kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and snakes! On the last night in Australia, some students went to a play at the world famous Sydney Opera House.

The next morning we flew to Honolulu, Hawaii, where we spent three days. We stayed on world-famous Waikiki Beach. The highlight of Hawaii was the visit to the WWII Valor in the Pacific Park, which is where Pearl Harbor is located. We got to go out and see the USS Arizona Memorial.

We also got to visit the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as Punchbowl Cemetery. This cemetery for veterans sits high on a dormant volcano. The Punchbowl’s Hawaiian name, “Puowaina,” translates to “Hill of Sacrifice.” The next day we rented a Jeep and drove around Oahu. We first stopped at Hanauma Bay Park to do some snorkeling. We observed so many colorful fish, coral, and other marine life. From here, we drove around to the The Halona Blow Hole on the South Shore. We stopped for lunch at a roadside barbeque stand and ate the best chicken, rice, and corn we’ve ever had! Then we kept driving and saw the China Man’s hat, Rabbit Island, and the North Shore Beaches, famous for surfing. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Dole pineapple plantation for some amazing pineapple ice cream. This was our last night. We got up the next day and headed to the airport for a long flight home.

The tour company we traveled with is EF Tours, the largest educational tour company in the world. They specialize in educational tours for students and teachers. They offer hundreds of destinations all over the world. Next year, I am doing a tour called Rome, The Alps, and Paris. We will visit Switzerland, Italy, France, and Spain. Feel free to contact me if you are interested. My e-mail is [email protected].