Hosteling: Blue Mountains and Sydney Harbor

The past week I've been at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO) learning some new laboratory methods for cleaning and separating pure quartz from sediment samples. We have a method at the University of Vermont that works well, but it's pretty harsh and isn't really helpful for maximum sample retention. Because it's a government national laboratory, I am not allow to take photos inside the facilities, but let me just say that they are nice and I've gotten a lot of work done this week.

My hosts at ANSTO are putting me up in a little motel that is right next to the lab facilities and it's very nice. Quiet, away from the city, but excellent food for an out-of-the-way motel! They bring me dinner every night right at 6pm, right to my room! It's awesome! The rolls they serve are just like the ones my Grandma Portenga used to make for family dinners. Whoop...there go the kookaburra! And yes. They are laughing in the gum trees.

So I was planning on working at ANSTO through next Tuesday, but we finished what we set out to do already. So now I have four days off to do whatever I want (basically) before I have to be at MacQuarie University to give a talk on my research to their Geology Department.

Looking into things I want to do, can afford to do, and can get to was fun? I really want to go on an Australian wildlife safari, but the one that looks the most promising costs $300 for one day! I am going to put that off until next Monday or Tuesday, but since I'm no longer going to be working at ANSTO, I booked a hostel for three nights west of Sydney in the Blue Mountains! The photos look gorgeous, so I hope I can have a relaxing weekend out there. I'll also get to ride the New South Wales rail transportation, which I always love doing! Then, I booked a hostel right in downtown Sydney with rooftop views of the Opera House. The hostel is right on The Rocks, or the oldest part of Sydney. So if I don't see enough wildlife in the mountains, I'll either check out the Sydney Zoo or book the wildlife tour. It'll probably be cheaper to go to the Zoo (and maybe leave me some cash to do the Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb?), but we'll see how this weekend turns out!