March 31
Traveling back in time.
An early morning sunrise on the beach and a final team breakfast at our favorite spot by the water fueled us for some packing, shopping, and relaxing on the sand before heading to the airport.
Some last minute souvenir shopping and absorbing as many Australian rays as we could, we spent the afternoon appreciating our time at Coogee Beach and planning our next trip back. With only a few Australian dollars left in our pockets, we grabbed lunch and were off to the airport.
While most of us grabbed snacks for the plane ride ahead, the others documented our departure time (6:45 p.m. Sunday evening) to prove that time travel does exist.
Flying by, our 12 hour flight seemed timeless and before we knew it, we were back on campus ready to take on spring quarter and excited to continue our growing momentum into our spring season.
Although we couldn't achieve ?Back to the Future ?status, we managed to arrive back on campus around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon with our suitcases in hand ready to go back.
The Stanford Field Hockey team would like to thank all of our supporters for making this trip possible and for believing in our success. We look forward to using the experience and knowledge we gained on this trip as inspiration to dream big, work hard, and make our goals into a reality.
Signing off from our trip down under, thank you.
March 30
On cloud nine.
With a little rain in the forecast, we postponed our trip to Bondi Beach. Instead, we spent the morning together, at breakfast, thanking all of our supporters for believing in us and allowing us to experience the sport we love through a different culture.
A few hours to ourselves to do some shopping and swimming preceded our quick, scenic ride to Bondi Beach where we had a tasty lunch right across from the water. When our stomachs were stuffed with poke, seafood, and sweet potato fries, we were set free to explore the beach and surrounding Bondi town. A walk to the famous Bondi pool and a few beach shop purchases later, we were off to the great Darling Harbour in Sydney.
Once we arrived, we were again given some free time to explore the shops and cafes along the water. We were even up close with a great view of the main attraction and staple of the harbour, the ferris wheel, which lights up at night and can be seen blocks away.
A short while later, we all met up again for dinner and made the walk across the bridge and into the city. As we were walking across, we looked up to find the Westfield Sydney Tower, our destination for the evening. About 56 floors later (luckily there was an enjoyable elevator ride awaiting) we were in the clouds with a great view of the entire city. We filled our plates with a wide variety of cuisines and enjoyed the 360 degree rotating view as we ate. After dinner and dessert, having eaten every dish you can possibly imagine, we headed back to the hotel for our last evening in Australia.
A little packing done and an early night's sleep, we await what our last day has in store.
March 29
From the turf to the surf.
With a jam-packed day ahead of us, we gathered for breakfast by the beach before departing for Sydney. Upon arriving at the harbour, we found Wharf 3 and boarded the local ferry to nearby Manly Beach.
A half an hour ride, the ferry provided beautiful coastal views, team bonding, and time in the sun. Docking in Manly with beach towels and bathing suits in tow, we headed for the surfing station. Here, we were fitted with wetsuits and met by the three best surfing instructors.
After a quick briefing about the safest places to surf, the lesson began first in the sand where we learned the basics of how to carry, mount and stand up on the board as well as some common pitfalls. Having mastered these skills on land and with our excitement boiling over, we took to the sea.
Following a short surfing drill in which the instructors gave us assistance and a little push to catch the white water waves, we were set free. A mixture of epic crashes, impressive rides, and loads of fun, we spent an hour and a half as a team enjoying Manly's famous surf.
Exhausted but elated, we dragged our boards back to the hut and began exploring the coastal town. Many popped into local shops and cafes, purchasing souvenirs and sampling fresh smoothies, before taking the ferry back to Sydney.
Given a quick break at our hotel to regain some energy, an AFL game awaited us! A unique sport, Australian football features 18 players a side, a combination of rugby and American football, and a lively fan atmosphere. Although the Sydney Swans could not clinch the victory, we thoroughly enjoyed the competitive spirit and Australian pastime.
Nearing the end of our trip, we are excited for one last full day tomorrow of exploring the Australian culture and lifestyle.
March 28
Time to BOUNCE!
Given the opportunity to catch up on some sleep, we met as a team for breakfast around 9 a.m., and made sure we were fueling with hearty, substantial foods.
After breakfast, we were given some free time, to explore Coogee some more, swim in the ocean, and take a walk along the coastline.
As a team, we then traveled to Matraville Sports High School where we partnered with Charity Bounce, run by former Globetrotter, Tracey Williams, in order to inspire and connect with local Sydney athletes. We participated in and instructed their afterschool basketball session where they learned some basketball basics, but also about the importance of working hard, believing in yourself, and never giving up on a dream.
This opportunity we were given to interact with these students, but also with Tracey, was very rewarding and we learned a lot about ourselves and our capabilities as a team and what we can accomplish if we do not back down from a challenge.
Fun times on the basketball court with @StanfordFH women's team from @Stanford to inspire the athletes and promote the value of education to achieve.
— Charity Bounce (@charitybounce) March 28, 2019
Thanks to all the players for taking their skills from the field to the free throw line. #inspiringpositivechange pic.twitter.com/pTts3XLNGS
After departing the high school, we headed to lunch to grab a meal before heading to Sydney Olympic Park, where we played our second game against University of Technology, Sydney in the Hockey Centre. By trying new things, connecting as a team, and capitalizing on our given opportunities, we fought to a 4-1 win.
Ending the game day festivities, we had a tailgate and social with the team after before heading back to our hotel to recover and get some rest for our exciting surf day tomorrow.
March 27
OPERA(tion) GAME DAY!
With some time to ourselves before breakfast, most of the team enjoyed a morning swim in the ocean or a quick caffeine intake to prepare for the day ahead.
Our stomachs full with a nutritious breakfast to fuel, we quickly got ready for a trip to the city.
The ride to Sydney was a scenic and educational one. We drove through Coogee and Bondi Beach while learning about the history of each town.
Once we finally arrived, we started at Mrs. Macquarie's Chair--a sandstone rock carved into a chair, and walked along Sydney Harbour. With a beautiful view of the Sydney Opera House, we took a team picture and made our way past the Royal Botanic Gardens and into downtown Sydney, with an up-close and personal view of the opera house.
Splitting off, we were given about three hours to explore the city, go shopping, and grab some food before heading back to our hotel for a proper pregame meal.
We left for our first game against Sydney University for a 7 p.m. game start time.
After a hard-fought match, we finished the game 2-1 in favor of the Aussies, but we learned a lot and are preparing for our second and final game tomorrow.
March 26
Out with the old, in with the New (South Wales).
Prior to leaving Cairns, we spent our last morning getting our heart rates up in preparation for our two upcoming games in Sydney. We went for a short run on the boardwalk nearby and then finished with some sprints before heading back to the hotel for breakfast where we fueled up for our day ahead.
After breakfast, we all returned to our rooms to shower and pack before heading for the airport. A few of us finished early and had a chance to walk across the street to the Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome to hold and get a picture with a koala.
Once everyone was packed and ready to go, we loaded the bus and headed for the Cairns airport en route to stop number two of the trip: Sydney.
An easy and efficient day of travel, we made it to Sydney in less than 3 hours where we were met by our tour guide and taken to our hotel in Coogee. Right on the beach with beautiful weather, we eagerly got to our rooms, quickly changed, and headed directly into the ocean. Having a couple hours to ourselves before dinner, many of us swam in the ocean, took walks along the shore, or relaxed on the sand with a book in hand.
We gathered for dinner in the hotel lobby at ten to 7 then walked about 100 feet to the restaurant, La Spiaggia, where we were greeted almost immediately with salads and various types of pizzas and pastas.
Following dinner, we walked as a team back toward the hotel, but stopping for a quick team meeting on the beach. Our coaches made a miniature field in the sand in which we all placed ourselves positionally and went through some pregame tactics for our game against Sydney University tomorrow evening.
Ending on our usual "Stanford!" team cheer, we all dispersed for the evening, getting some time to walk around the town before settling down for a full night's sleep.
'Twas the night before game day.
March 25
Just Keep Swimming!
After an early morning wake up and a plentiful breakfast we made the short walk back down to the marina where we boarded a boat called Compass Cruises to take us out to the reef. We enjoyed the scenery and sun, and a few dolphin sightings, as we made the three-hour boat ride out to the Great Barrier Reef.
The first stop we made found us in the middle of the ocean surrounded by numerous species of fish. We were able to swim and snorkel around the reef and see the beautiful, vibrant colored fish that swam beside us. Some of us even spotted a sea turtle and a few sharks.
After about an hour or so of swimming and snorkeling, we were called back to the boat. Once back on, we were fed lunch, which the crew had grilled for us right on the boat!
Just a little further out toward another part of the reef, we got back in the water to snorkel, swim, and explore the reef some more. The team even got to go boom netting. This consisted of a giant net being hung from the back of the boat and then each of us would get into the water and hold onto the net as the boat would drive, pulling us at various speeds. The goal was to hold on as long as possible as the boat picked up speed and splashed more water in your face.
Boom Netting in the Great Barrier Reef! #GoStanford
A post shared by Stanford Field Hockey (@stanfordfieldhockey) on Mar 25, 2019 at 3:35pm PDT
Once everyone was back on the boat, we began to head back toward shore. The trip back was filled with a lot of relaxation, reading, and sleeping as we were pretty drained from the swimming we had done all day.
Arriving back to the hotel just before dinner, we quickly refreshed ourselves then headed out for our last dinner in Cairns. After a yummy dinner, we split off, some people going straight back to the hotel to catch up on some zzz's, while others walked around and explored the night market right around the corner.
Sydney awaits us.
March 24
Djirri nyurra! "Hello" from Cairns, Australia!
Our first day in Australia was a long one. After traveling for about 24 hours, our day in Cairns had just begun. Landing at the airport around 11:00 AM AEST, we got our luggage, refreshed ourselves, and were off on our first adventure of the day.
A 20-minute bus ride found us at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. We first enjoyed a short performance about the background and history of how the Tjapukai, an Aboriginal tribe, came to be in the land of Cairns. This was followed by a traditional Tjapukai dance and musical performance where afterwards we were able to get a picture and interact with some of the main performers.
Then we were taught how to throw spears and boomerangs, learned about the medicinal practices of the culture, and held some of the weapons the Tjapukai people used for hunting and punishment.
With a quick lunch break in between, we walked next door to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway where we took cable cars up a mountain range. We witnessed incredible views of the surrounding waters and mountains as we rode above the rainforest. Making two stops on the way down the opposite side of the mountain, we walked through the rainforest and learned about tree-kangaroos and then saw Barron Falls, a breathtaking waterfall on the mountain.
Once back down the mountain, we explored the surrounding town for awhile and played some team games as we waited for our bus to arrive to take us to our hotel.
Back at the hotel we were given our room assignments and some free time to shower, unpack, and get ready for dinner.
We made the short walk to dinner on the local marina and ate some authentic Australian cuisine (many of us even tried kangaroo!), then headed back to the hotel for an early and long night's rest.