Analytical Review of Beef : Educate !

Our final assignment for our Australia trip is an analytical review of something we learned throughout the trip and to compare it to something in the Animal Industry in the United States. Throughout this trip we as students constantly found ourselves comparing what we have heard, learned, and saw throughout our college classes and just our knowledge on the Animal Industry here in the United States. Each and every stop we made there were several differences, but also very many similarities amongst our industry. The subject I have decided to talk about in my analytical review is the consumer demand for beef.

Grain-fed steak

As I stated in my last blog entry of day 3 and my blog titled “A Trip That Won’t Be Forgotten”, the high demand for beef in Australia is a very lean, grass-fed, and hormone free product. I was very surprised when many of the producers said that they have conformed to this way of producing their beef. The consumer demand for this beef product is comparable to our high marbled steaks here in America. When we were having dinner with some Hereford producers in Albury, they said that if they didn’t conform to the grass-fed, hormone free beef, they would no longer be in business. This was just a shock to me! One reason is that we as Americans try our best to promote our wonderful marbled beef products and educating as many consumers as possible. In Australia they have trouble getting the word out to the public; it is just a huge space and so little people to educate consumers on the quality of beef products.

Grass-fed Steak

There are many factors that are behind this demand for lean beef (personally that would be low-quality for me). The main factor behind this driving demand is the little if that disappearing of fat of the Australian beef product. In the minds of an Australian they will tend to gravitate towards a lean beef product compared to high quality beef product (very good in marbling).

When I talk about how important I believe in educating consumers about the animal industry I mean it. I think we need to educate those about the grain feeding, growth enhancements, or various scientific aspects effecting meat quality. If you prefer a leaner beef then that is okay. Many of us animal agriculturists just would like you not to select the lean beef for reasons that you are uneducated on. If you are from Australia and reading this there is a website put on my MLA, which is like our National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). Please take a look at these two websites! You can find MLA here and NCBA here. Are there differences in the two websites? Whoever you are please educate our consumers on the real reason to choose your beef product and not for the uneducated reason.

In the end it comes down to what the consumer will prefer and what is the most profitable for that reason. I don’t know about you but I like big thick and juicy steaks, there are plenty to go around. If the consumer wants it then they are willing to pay money for that beef product and they want to best quality. This is why we as Americans have such a tough job, that is making consumers happy an educated.

When it comes down to it our industry and some of the Australia industry needs to educate the consumers about the products we use on our cattle, or the feed that goes into the animal. In our world today it is scary to see what could happen if we do not educate the public about our animal industry, and especially the meat industry it will be hard to face the challenges as producers for what the world meat industry will want to conform to in the future.

What is in the future of the Meat Industry?

Hope you all enjoyed this !

-Kara

A Trip That Will Never Be Forgotten

Now that we have arrived back to the United States and many of us have gone our separate ways, whether it may be starting a new job, or internship we all have been able to reflect on our trip to Australia. As I began my first day of Quality Assurance Intern at Indiana Packers Corporation today, I realize how blessed I am to be back in Indiana where I come from. They were very welcoming today and I am sure I will learn an endless amount this summer.

As far as the Australia trip I was able to participate in, I learned very many things that I will be able to use throughout school and as I grow up. Until I got to Australia I did not realize how different of a culture they have. Most people don't think of it much of being a different culture, but until you actually experience it is a whole different story. As for the agricultural operations we got to tour, my classmates and I learned how differences in production and processing can effect the final outcome. For me it was very interesting to go through the abattoirs and see how their production compares to America. Today as I was walking through the production plant on my internship, I am able to relate the differences and similarities between our practices and the Aussies. I think an eye-opener for me and my classmates was the sheep plant. Many of us have not had the opportunity to see this in America, because sheep is not a high priority here in the states. Now as for Australia it is one of their main "crops." The plants were very efficient in how many sheep they were producing per day and their harvesting process worked. As we went through the plants many of us noticed a difference in their product verse ours. The Australia beef, and sheep are very lean compared to what we have in America. There was not much marbling to their product verse what we like here in America.

I also enjoyed visiting the cattle operations. I always like to compare operations and in Australia they are somewhat different then here in the states. I think the operation that had their head going in the right direction was Spry's Shorthorn operation. They have a bull that won the Sydney Royal and brought a decent amount of money. Their goals are in the right direction, and we might even see some of their product in America in the future. Another operation that stood out to me was Trigger Vale Genetics, this family operation proved that even through some hard times they all still work as a family and share the same goals. The Merino breed in Australia has proven to be one of the best wool types, and getting to feel it and see it up close, I can see why it is such as great wool product for the wool market.

Lastly, I would like to say that this trip will never be forgotten. I will always treasure the moments I got to share with Dr. Schaake and his family, and most importantly the fellow K-Staters, and the friendships that will last a long time. I know I will never forget the memories I shared with everyone while I was in Australia. I would like to thank the ASI Department, Mishelle, and the College of Agriculture for letting me be a part of this trip and a representative of Kansas State University on such a great opportunity.

Cheers !
-Kara Schwarzkopf

June 1 : Day 10

June 1, 2012 : Day 10: Cairns to America

Today our morning started out at 3:30 in the morning. We left our hotel and got our boxed breakfast for on our way back to the airport. The boxed breakfast wasnt that great so in the trash it went. Our first flight is Cairns to Brisbane then from Brisbane to L.A. I slept the whole way from Brisbane to L.A. I was pretty tired ! Our next flight is from Dallas to KC and then its on our way home !

-Kara

May 31 : Day 9

May 31, 2012: Day 9: Cairns

View from the boat 

Today was the day we have been waiting for. We were going to the Great Barrier Reef. When we woke up this morning it still was raining unfortunately. We were not going to let the rain stop us though. So we all walked to the dock to board on a boat to travel about fifty minutes to Green Island . At Green Island we can learn how to snorkel, and take lessons on scuba diving if we choose to do either when we get to the Great Barrier Reef. I decided to take lessons on scuba diving , because that was one of my goals of getting to do on this trip. Soon after taking lessons we boarded another boat that took us about fifty minutes to the Great Barrier Reef. Once we arrived to our destination our scuba diving group was assigned a time that we would be diving which was 2:30 p.m. This meant that our group had time to eat and snorkel to practice our breathing since when we would be scuba diving we would be under water for at least 30 minutes or more. I had never snorkeled before which is very interesting. Plus I got to swim over corals see the beautiful creatures that were in the sea. I saw some big fish, jellyfish, and much more. Acutally breathing through my mouth wasnt that hard either once I got the hang of it. Next up was scuba diving this meant we got to go down far into the Great Barrrier Reef and see up close to the many creatures that were below what I already had seen snorkeling. We got to touch coral, some fish, and we saw many other creatures of the sea that I had never seen before. Words cant describe how awesome scuba diving was! I had a great experience that I will never forget.

Kaycie Shearer and I getting ready to head far down in the Great Barrier Reef

Soon after scuba diving it was time to load up on the boat again and travel back to our hotel at Cairns. Once we got back we all packed and got ready for dinner. This was our last dinner in Australia. After supper we got to finish shopping if we wanted and also do whatever else we wanted we just had to be up by 3:00 in the morning to leave by 3:30 to board our plane for tomorrow.

-Kara

May 30 : Day 8

May 30, 2012 : Day 8 : Sydney to Cairns

Seven o'clock rolled around pretty early today. There was a big day ahead of us and we were ready to take it on, we were headed to Cairns. We had a good breakfast to start the morning off and then was off to the the airport to get on our way. Cairns is located in the tropical North Queensland.

After we arrived in Cairns we looked around the city and then went to the Tjapukai Cultural Centre. Here we explored the Aboriginal culture. The Tjapukai means " People of the Rainforest." We learned how they survived and still do in some parts of Australia. Then they taught us how to throw a boomerang and how to throw a spear. Needless to say it was very eventful. Some of our group members are pretty good at that. Also the Aboriginal culture has very colorful paintings and dances for certain meanings in their culture. They also put on a Didgeridoo demostration that was very entertaining to listen to.

We learned a bunch from their culture and then checked into our hotel for the last two nights of our time in Australia.

-Kara

P.S. It is raining here and hopefully does not rain when we go to the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow !

May 29 : Day 7

May 29, 2012: Day 7 : Wagga to Sydney

After a long and busy night we all were up and packed by 7:00 in the morning to leave for another destination in Australia. There were a group of us that toured Wagga Wagga late at night. We met with Dr. Peter J. Chenoweth for supper. He had taught at K-State for awhile before he came back to Australia. It was great meeting with him. He was very excited to see some fellow K-Staters!

Sheep supervisor showing us Merino wool

Soon after we loaded our luggage we were off to our first destination of the day. We spent the morning at CSU (Charles Sturt University). Peter and his fellow colleagues met with us and showed us around the university. It was very interesting to see how our university varies verus theirs. Their beef unit was fairly new . Peter explained how it was designed just how Temple Grandin would like. They have over 3000 head of sheep at their sheep unit. Our next visit was to their veterinary complex. It opened in 2008 and it was a very nice complex and what they do there. It was good to meet with Dr. Peter Chenoweth and get some great advice from him.

Surgery room at CSU in Australia

We were then off to Sydney after our visit to the university in the morning. To get to sydney it took five hours from Wagga Wagga. I did not think it was too bad a drive seeing as I slept pretty much all five hours. Thats pretty typical of me though !

Opera House at night in Sydney

Once we arrived to Sydney we checked into our hotel and headed out to shop! We only had a few hours with so much Sydney to see, so we did a power shopping trip. We all got some great stuff while also seeing the interesting shops along the way. Soon after we headed back to the hotel to get ready and go on a dinner cruise through Sydney. This was on a boat to we got to see Sydney at night time and it was absoutely beautiful! Just wait to you all see the pictures ! I wish we had some more time at Sydney looking at the sites but we are headed now to CAIRNS ! Were all ready for some beach time ! Hopefully its nice !

-Kara

May 28th : Day 6 : Wagga Wagga

May 28, 2012: Day 6: Wagga Wagga

Well today is day 6 ! Where has the time gone? We have been just cruising our way through Australia and it has been awesome! This morning we woke up around 6:00 , got ready, and went and had some breakfast. Our hotel once again has bunk beds, very interesting. I guess since there are like three of us in a room they think we all need our own beds. Also while we were at the hotel Katelyn, Elizabeth (my roomies) , and I all bagged up some laundry (jeans mainly) to be washed. The weather right where we have been has been chilly.

Our first stop for the day was to the Wagga Wagga Saleyards. We toured and talked to the manager about the differences between our saleyeards and Australia's. We sat on a live sale where the manager said they run about five hundred cattle through the sale in an hour or less. They have two pens where you can currently see what is being sold and also what is up next. It seems like it saves time.

Cattle in the saleyards

The second stop for the day was at the Cargill Beef abattoir. Here we suited up in our fun white outfits, hard hats, goggles, rubber boots, and we were off to tour the plant. Oh just to mention the boots I had to wear were like size 13 and reached up more than half my legs. Imagie that scene. In the plant they are basically on an American system, which is efficient and organized. The plant is clean and they have about thirty differnt nationalities that are employed. They export a bunch of tongue,and different parts of stomach compartments. Cargill strives for honesty, loyalty and success in their company. Much like Cargill in America. This was the first abattoir in Australia that we toured that had grain fed cattle that are harvested.

Auctioner running the sale at the saleyards

After Cargill we were off to lunch and the Jindalee Feedlot. We went to Terminus Hotel in Temora. I ordered cajun chicken and it was pretty good. Very spicy but very tasteful. They also serve french fries with everything which is getting old . I probably wont be eating much more french fries ! After lunch we visited Jindalee Feedlot which is a part of Cargill feedlots and send most of their beef to the Teys Cargill abattoir , which we visited earlier today. They have a capacity of 17,000 and currently have about 15,000 currently there right now. They feed a different feed ration unlike ours. It was very interesting.

Today we learned a bunch and tomorrow we are headed to SYDNEY !!! Cant wait!

So long mates !

-Kara

May 27th : Day 5 :Albury to Wagga Wagga

May 27, 2012: Day 5 : Albany to Wagga Wagga

This morning came bright and early ! I think we all have been having a good time touring Australia that were all starting to get tired. Last night we had dinner at a Soden's and it was AMAZING ! We had a choice of anything off the menu. I got a fillet mingon and steamed vegetables. I was kind of leary about getting it because it was grass fed beef, but actually it was good.

Holding Tom the baby lamb

We loaded up our luggage and ourselves on the bus at 8:00 in the morning from the Paddlesteamer Motel. Which was a lot better then our hotel the other night in Seymour. Oh did I mention that we are now in New South Wales. Our tour started this morning with Trigger Vale Genetics farm. They have White Suffolk, Merino studs, and crossbreds. They A.I about two hundred lambs in the summer. Trigger Vale is family operation where Andrew and Mandi Bouffler run there farm with their three children. We looked at the quality of wool they produce and differences there is between America. They run around 2,500 head of sheep total.

Owner of Trigger Vale Genetics

Our next stop was at the Emu farm this stop was a fun stop. The only other time I had seen an emu was at the zoo. This farm has about two hundred birds . They use the bird for their the emu oil, the second resource is the emu meat that they use. They said that the emu produces around 10 kilograms of oil ! Quite interesting. They served us a steak lunch which was good. I feel like all they do is eat around here. I can honestly say that I am stuffed right now.

Emu farm

Our last stop for the evening was at Spry familys shorthorn operation. We looked at some of their prize livestock. One of their bulls won the Sydeny Royal. They run about 350 cattle on their operation and has traveled to the states to look at the shorthorn cattle in the United States. After we finished talking for awhile the Spry family cooked us an amazing steak supper ! Although it was good I could not eat much because I was so full from lunch. I enjoyed talking to the Sprys and learning about their operation. Today was a busy day and was good.

One of the top bulls that did very well at the Sydney Royal

-Kara

May 26th : Day 4 : Seymour to Albany

May 26 , 2012 : Day 4 : Seymour to Albury

Well today started as very stressful. As we all got up to go to Mcdonalds there was wifi, but I think there was an overload of all blogging. So this is why Im uploading as many blogs as I can when the wifi is available. Sorry for the delay! I think as Americans we dont realize how different a country is until we are actually here.

Larry Lawson talking to us about Angus genetics

Our next stop for today was at Lawson Farms. Lawson farms is one of the largest seedstock operations of Australia. They sell over eight hundred bulls with many different autions and private treaty sells. The Lawsons have their herds spread across many parts of Victoria and Australia. Lawsons have a partnership with Gardiner Angus Ranch in Kansas. After talking about cattle we went to one of the Lawons favorite coffee, biscuit shops they like to enjoy on a rainy/cold day like today.

Some of the Lawson bulls

We soon stopped for lunch near Bonnie Doon, where we were rushed to eat our lunch and get on our way to our next stop. We had fish and chips (fries), chicken parmeson, or chicken schnitezil. We basically had this same meal last night also. A little different but it was alright. I am craving a big juicy steak right now !

Our last stop for the day was to visit a hereford operation. The managers name was Hamish McMillan. He not only had herefords but also dorest sheep. He more talked about sheep then the herefords. He runs around three hundred or more hereford commercial cow operation. He stressed a no-stress management. He has all hormone free cattle which falls under the cattle advantage (in Australia). He does not do any A.I. On the sheep side of things he sells the wool and also to market. What we thought that was interesting is that their are no black sheep over here, black sheep are not worth very much in Australia. He showed us his shearing barn and how they bag the wool. This stop was an interesting stop.

So long mates !
-Kara

One of Hamish McMillan's Hereford bulls

May 25th: Day 3

May 25, 2012 : Day 3 : Touring JBS and Webb Black Simmentals

Some of the sites out in the country of Australia

This morning we started our day off at 7:30. We packed our luggage up and were on our way to Seymour. Our first tour site was JBS Australia, which was an abattoir . I was excited to tour the plant because just like the United States there is very limited visitor access to the harvesting plants. As we went around the abattoir there were some differences in the processing. It was very interesting how they did some of their animal harvesting compared to ours in the United States. Unfortunely I do not want to go into detail because some people have certain opinions and just like America we have to be very careful what we put out to the public, and JBS in Australia has asked us to be selective on what we put in our blog. I absouetly loved this tour site. Recently JBS in Australia started seasoning some of their beef and lamb. The seasoning they started using was garlic butter, and rosemary seasonings. One other difference between America and Australia was that they vaccum seal with plastic plates . Where as we use styrofoam. JBS abattoir kills 5000 sheep and 1200 cattle a day. If you didnt know this is one of the largest meat works in the Southern Hemisphere.

Our last touring stop for the day was at Webb Simmentals. This operation is basically ran by three individuals. Two brothers started and then they hired on a stud manager. When talking with all the individuals the biggest issue they face is getting the Simmental breed out to Australia, for them the best way they can promote is through word of mouth. Webb Simmental usually had their sale in March. They calve in the fall (October) and spring. They also talked about how temperent was very important in their operation and if their bulls arent very nice then they get rid of them. They said that many farmers get killed by bad temperant bulls each year, and this is something that they dont want for their operation. We asked if they had some of a national promotion, they do which is called MLA. In Philip Webbs word, "we are jealous of what Americans can do with their promotion and see results." Their hope is one day to get their simmentals into American just as us Americans have gotten ours in Australia. Today was a great experience and cant wait to learn more !

Webb Black Simmentals

-Kara

May 24th : The Start of the Week

Dr. Tony Bennett talking about identification tags

Today started the day of more touring. We walked a few kilometers ,don't ask me how many because well I just know we walked for a long time. We were headed to our first destination which was huge business building. There we met with Dr. Tony Bennett where he talked to us about various points in their animal industry here in Victoria. Here they are big EID tags which we use some in America. Victoria is a major place where they were one of the first to start this system. They fed us lunch and well.. It was interesting. The sandwich we had was different. It tasted like turkey but not ? Heck I don't know. Anyways it had this berry sauce on it and was not so good either. Maybe I am not just used to this kind of bland food over here. Tonight I was hoping to have a better meal because it was a buffet and well it was a step up from lunch, that is all I will say. Soon after our session in the morning with Dr. Bennett we went and saw the sites of Melbourne and they were absolutely beautiful ! When we looked at the monuments, it reminded me of our Washington D.C. After touring the sites we visited Clarton Brewery and learned how they manufacture their beer, it was very similar to ours in the United States. Today was a very educational day and can't wait to to some more touring tomorrow!

Me and my roomies at the Carlton Brewery

Enjoying my time in Australia!

-Kara

May 21st

Katelyn and I waiting to get on our flight for Australia

May 21, 2012

 Hello everyone ! As you all know , today is the day we all leave for Australia ! We have so far gone through two security checkpoints, checked in our luggage, and have visited three different cities so far have survived them all. On our first flight Pake, one of our fellow passangers earned his "wings" this was his first time flying ever ! So congrats to him ! My ex perience on my flight from KCI to DFW involved an eight year old kid kicking, shaking, and punching my seat. Lets hope this isnt like this when it comes to the long 14-16 hour flight. Currently I am sitting with many other australian bound mates my age waiting to board our flight ! We all are excited ! We will be flying on a double decker plan, which is the biggest plan you can fly. This shall be a fun experience. Hope you all stay tuned in , and the next time I will be blogging is when I am actually in Australia. Later mates!
-Kara

Pake's wings he earned on American Airlines

May 23rd : Arrival To Melbourne

Well hello everyone ! Hope everything is going well in the U.S. Today we arrived to Melbourne at 8:10 in the morning. We never saw May 22, 2012. The plane ride surprisingly was very smooth and nice. We we got on the plane at night in LA, a few minutes upon boarding on the plane I fell asleep so I don't even remember taking off from L.A. I soon woke up to passengers eating a meal, but I just did not eat and went back to sleep. I think you can say I already had what they call "jet lag." On the plane ride there were some things that went down. Shane, who was sitting next to me was out like a rock, we shook his seat, pushed him an no response, I at least made sure he was breathing, and sure enough he was still alive! Kaycie who was to the right of me had some other guy sitting in front of her that kept putting his chair up and down. She was getting annoyed! Do ya blame her? Also our plane had digital tv's right in front of us so we were able to see our plane flying, the degrees up in the air, seat chat, games, and movies! Can you say we were entertained? I think so! It was awesome! I also experienced the bathrooms on the planes.. they were quite interesting. I have no clue what time it was at night but everyone was asleep and tho thought I was stuck in the bathroom! I pulled on like three different handles and still was not getting out of the bathroom. Finally I pushed on the door and well... IT OPENED! Thank the lord!

Kangaroo at the zoo

After we arrived to Melbourne, we went through customs which was easier than I thought it would be, then we met with our tour guide and were on our way . Oh did I mention that my luggage was at the baggage claim! It was like Christmas, I was so happy to see it! Anyways back to the tour, next stop was to Healesville Sanctuary. This was a zoo! e saw so many animals. We saw kangaroos, dingos (dog like creatures), and a variety of birds. It was a great experience and took many pictures! One last fact I learned from the ladies at the gift store was that Thomas Crapper invented the crapper! Fun fact huh? This stop that we made to the zoo is one stop that I will remember, and learned various facts to apply to other experiences on this trip!

Feeding a bird at the zoo

Well so long mates, we are about to check into our first hotel in Australia! Sorry for all the delays this blog is actually a day later than I wanted.

So long mates !
Kara

A few of the winerys in Australia

It's About That Time

Its almost here the time we all have been waiting for ! WE LEAVE FOR AUSTRALIA TOMORROW !! Here is a schedule of our flights and where we will be throughout the day. Our class will be blogging from day to day and letting you know what we all are up to ! Schedule for departing : Depart KC : 2:35 pm Arrive Dallas: 4:15 pm Depart Dallas: 6:15 pm Arrive LA: 7:35pm Depart LA:11:30 pm Arrive Melbourne 8:10am May 23 (never will see May 22,2012) Schedule for while in Australia: Depart Cains: 5:30 am Arrive Brisbane 7:35 am Depart Brisbane :10:35am Arrive LA 6:40 am (seeing June 1 for the second time ) Depart LA 10:40 am Arrive Dallas 3:40 pm Depart Dallas 5:15 pm Arrive KC 6:45 pm Well I better get back to packing ! See you later mates ! -Kara

Twenty Days Mate !

Wow, can you believe it is May already?! As of today there are twenty days left until we all head out to the Land Down Under! I don't know about anyone else but I am ready to get there ! It seemed like so long ago there was so much anticipation to get out of good ole' Kansas and head out to somewhere new for a few weeks. Over the semester the class split up into groups and did some presentation over various things in Australia that are currently happening or what made Australia the way it is now. Below you will see briefly some presentations and topics that were presented to the class.

Australia is different from the United States. Australia is made up of six states and two major territories. Australia is the 6th largest nation. Australia's largest state is Western Australia. Approximately 1/3 of of the country lies in the tropics.

Northern Queensland rainforests are also known as the "Wet Tropics." Rainfall near the coast reaches 4000mm, and near Western extremity it reaches 1200mm of rainfall. Northern Queensland Rainforest is said to be one of the most significant ecosystem regions in the world.

Lastly, I would like to talk to you all about the Australian livestock sales. The sales in Australia started in the 1840s. Auctions started in the 1850s, and pen selling started in the 1960s. The use of stock agents have some these following responsibilities:
-Reports to his client on market trends and prices
-Sorts stock into lines for sale
-Sorts prime animals for the freezing works
-Arranges penning and auction
-Arranges transport of stock to saleyards
Here is a link to view how they do sales at auctions/pen selling in Australia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPT7GUdNM7Y

I hope you enjoyed learning more about Australia, and I can wait to get on that plane to Australia and arrive safely. I am looking forward to seeing the difference in Agriculture between Australia and the United States. I think it will be interesting to see the difference in livestock also. I hope to blog before I get to Australia but if not, be sure to follow me in the next twenty days so you can see and hear about all the fun adventures us K-Stater's are having!

See ya later mates!
-Kara Schwarzkopf

Eastern Victoria : Full of Adventure

Throughout the next few weeks, I will be describing the different places we are going to in Australia and also I will try to put a few pictures up of the region or specific spot I am describing. I know that I certainly love to look at pictures. First and foremost I would like to go a little deeper and try to talk to you a little about Eastern Victoria. This region was assigned as one of my chapter assignments to read and blog about. So lets get started eh?

Eastern Victoria is a region of very different beautiful sites, much of which are attraction sites for many different visitors. As you travel within the Eastern Victoria region visitors that have visited have said that there are many historic 19th- century towns. Along with historic towns there are also many ski resorts and attractions along the Victoria alps. According to my Australia travel book , most of the mountains, ski resorts, and inland farm valleys are better accessed from the northeast state. To see these beautiful sites many visitors take bus tours, trains, or the best way of exploring in my opinion would be by car, but that's just my opinion which could change after being in Australia and exploring new adventures.

Another beautiful attraction in Eastern Victoria is the vineyards. There are beautiful valleys reaching in any different range. The mountains are near making it the perfect scenery for visitors. As I close I wish I could go on and on about the different features of Eastern Victoria but I can't because my blog would be very long! In that case everyone should book their plane tickets for Eastern Victoria in Australia. Although I will be traveling around this area, I am afraid I will not get to see all the beautiful sights. I know one thing for sure, and that is to book another flight to Australia to see more ! Hope everyone learned a little more about a different region of Australia.

See ya next time mates !

*Kara

The Beautiful Geography of Australia

Hello everyone !


As I have progressively gone to class every week. I learn more and more about wonderful Australia ! I can't believe that I will be going there in about 2 months ! I'm getting very excited as you can tell ! First off I would like to fill in everyone a little bit about the geography of Australia. I was assigned this chapter in my class to do a presentation, now I can't wait to fill you all in about what my partner and I presented in class. So here it goes !

Territories and States of Australia

To start things off, Australia has three island territories in the Pacific they are the Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, and Cocos Island. Did you know that Australia is the only nation to occupy an entire continent? I thought that was very interesting. Australia is the sixth largest nation ! Australia is the flattest and ( after Antarctica) driest of all continents. Many people tell me its exactly like Kansas very dry. I think I would have to disagree, but who knows once I get to Australia I might change my mind. Australia is not like the United States where we have 50 states, Australia has only 6 states, and 2 territories. Those six states are New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia. The two territories are the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory. You can see where each is located on the map of Australia above.

Beautiful Canberra

Most would think that the capital of Australia is Sydney, but think again, it is Canberra! Canberra is located in the Australian Capital Territory. My partner and I tried to look up why it was only located in that certain territory, but we could not find one straight answer! So if any of you know that would be awesome to figure out, if not I guess I will just save it for when we go to the land down under ! :) Look at the picture to the right, it is a picture of Canberra, Australia's Capital. This looks so beautiful !

Night sky of Sydney

Now that I have filled your brains with the geography of Australia, I hope you will be able to follow where our class is heading to and which states and territories we will be in. Whether it is out in the outback, or the city of Sydney , I know I will be able to follow a lot easier now that I have had the opportunity to learn about the wonderful geographical parts of beautiful Australia.


Have a good afternoon mates !
-Kara

This Is A Start

Hello Everybody !


How exciting this is my first ever blog ! So get excited you all are one of the very first people to read it ! To begin things off I really had no clue what I was getting into when we were required to set up a blog. I thought to myself what on earth is a freaking blog? It all started on February 28th 2012. It was a typical day at Weber Hall at Kansas State University, many students were going to and from classes, where there was one class that was meeting in the computer lab. I think we all know what they were doing? Can ya guess? Oh yea that's right that was me and 19 other students trying to understand how to set up a blog and run it. To start off the set up of the blog many students did not have a gmail account or already did . My issue was I could not remember my password to save my life. Well after about fifteen minutes of going through my mind and books of passwords, I figured it out ! YAY! Go me ! :) Step 2 was setting up a name for everyone to read, the problem is we only found one creative person to help us through this tough thinking process , and that was Mishelle ! Let me mention she has amazing creativity! She gave me the idea to put for my heading "Bleeding Purple In Australia" I like it, but who knows with my mind I could change it if I come up with some crazy idea. Step 3 was saving the part labeled , "About Me" this is where the class started having trouble ! I think by like the second time well third time for me everyone finally got their section saved on their blog. It was about time to leave the computer lab because well the class was done for the day and second of all both Elizabeth and my stomach was growling , that meant food time for us. I hope you all enjoyed listening to my process of setting up a blog, actually it is pretty easy. I hope you all continue to follow me with updates from our class that is going to Australia for our study abroad ! The blogs shall be fun and interesting ! 


So long mates, 
* Kara