On March 25th about 45 of us went to the Royal National Park in order to go hiking. Founded in the 1879 it ist the second oldest national park in the world (after the Yellowstone National Park in the USA) and one of the most fascinating National Parks in Australia (for sure!!). After the around one hour bus ride Ian has split the group into four quarters so everybody in each group had the chance to talk to everybody. The small number of group members was a really good decision because, in my opinion, it is more relaxed and you get the chance to create a familiar atmosphere. In my group Chris was our instructor and she got supported by her two kids Max and Taylor (sorry Taylor I don´t have a picture of you, but you can be happy that you did NOT look like this on the trip!).
After we introduced ourselves, everybody should know the names of each group member and where he or she comes from. In my group there were just girls (almost everybody from the US or Canada) and my friend Timo from Munich as well.
We have been walking for about two hours and then we had lunch at a really nice beach where we also met the other groups. Some guys were just hanging out on the beach and having lunch, some students were joking and playing games and I went to the sand dunes with Max, Timo and some girls from the US. From this point we had a great view over the beach and some parts of the National Park. After that we continued walking with our instructor Chris and she told us interesting stories about life in Australia, the Royal National Park and about her experiences with student groups like we are. At a very nice cliff she asked the group to stop and everybody should just sit down on a different spot with closed eyes and think about his or her feelings and if we feel different after the walk. I was lucky because I found an amazing spot right next to a huge cliff with an breathtaking view over the ocean. The 15 minutes went by way too fast so we had to get up again and continue our walk along the alley. At the end of the trip we stopped at a very nice waterfall where all the students met again and some uf us had a shower there (including Max, of course). On the way home I felt tired on the one hand because of the long walk in the sun but on the other side I was really happy because this experience is not very often in 21st century life. People usually don´t take their time for moments like this...
Here is another picture of the spectacular cliffs. Isn´t that amazing?!?
At the beginning of the trip I was not sure what will happen – for the last half year I haven´t been “bushwalking“ in the nature so this was really new for me. But from time to time I felt more comfortable and I got used to this. Walking on the cliffs with this amazing view over the ocean makes you feel satisfied. On the one hand you do an workout for your body and on the other hand you also “cleans your inner feelings“ - you can think about your life and reflect the last four weeks here in Australia on a completely new way. To be honest this cliff-walk was my first debriefing of what I did in the past one and a half months and what I want to achieve in my life. I learned two things about myself: First of all I don´t take my time for resting anymore. My whole life is just about career seeking and always stressful. No relaxing moments, no reflection, almost no outdoor activities anymore. Secondly I realised the power of the nature and how important these moments in nature are for human beings. So why don´t take young people time for a brake to relax? Why don´t I go out to meet some friends or go for a walk on the beach? Why do I not sit down once in a day and just reflect the day?
Just think about yourself.....are you really doing all that things?!? I guess no! So maybe this is a chance for you to change your mind as well! Try it.
To be continued....
