Well the rollercoaster ride that was '30 Days has September' is now finished...I beat my target of $500 and ended up with the grand total of $645 for Ted Noffs!!!
http://www.30dayshasseptember.com/nicki__willoughby
Big thanks to everyone who sponsored me. Overall '30 days' raised over $11k!
What have I learnt on the journey? I've learnt that the 'all the single ladies' dance is a lot harder than it looks. and women trying to do the Haka pisses a lot of Kiwi's off! I've learnt how to fish, how to abseil, how to do a back flip off a trapeze, I've learnt that not all sharks are dangerous and how to do skid turns in a rally car. I've learnt eating dinner in silence can be fun and that Australians do play football. I've got well into this blogging lark and I'm starting regular guitar lessons next week!
Get involved next year 30 days fans!!
Peace out
Willers
The adventures of Nicki, Thomas, Emily & Annette during the month of September 2010
DAY 30: WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS
Ever wondered what it feels like to fly? Or have you ever wanted to experience the rush and adrenaline of swinging eight metres above the ground and being caught mid-air?
Well we experienced just that at the Sydney Trapeze School, the one and only Indoor Flying Trapeze School in the heart of St Peters. Well ok I didn't quite manage the getting caught mid-air part, but it was pretty cool anyway...
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| Just hanging around |
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| You'd think I'd have got over the fear of heights after the abseiling... erm, no. |
DAY 29: SKY BLUES AND FURY
I wasn't expecting the highest of standards, mainly because Sydney FC haven't won a game in the last seven matches... and North Queensland Fury have only won one (but that was against Sydney FC!..)
That's a bit rich coming from a Bradford City supporter you might say. Well City have won 3 out of their last 11 games I'll have you know.
Anyway, three pints and a one-all draw later, we realised 'soccer' in Australia is pretty much the same as soccer in England... complete with chants (OH WHEN SYDNEY GOES MARCHING IN....), blind referees and torrential rain.
You can only get a chicken tikka pie at Valley Parade though.
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| COME ON YOU BLUES!!! |
Yes, I have been to a football (aka 'soccer' for the aussies) match before.. however I have never been to an AUSTRALIAN football match, and I have never supported anyone other than BRADFORD CITY... (don't worry Dad, it's only temporary, I'm City till I die).
New experience number 29... Sydney FC vs North Queensland Fury
I wasn't expecting the highest of standards, mainly because Sydney FC haven't won a game in the last seven matches... and North Queensland Fury have only won one (but that was against Sydney FC!..)
That's a bit rich coming from a Bradford City supporter you might say. Well City have won 3 out of their last 11 games I'll have you know.
Anyway, three pints and a one-all draw later, we realised 'soccer' in Australia is pretty much the same as soccer in England... complete with chants (OH WHEN SYDNEY GOES MARCHING IN....), blind referees and torrential rain.
You can only get a chicken tikka pie at Valley Parade though.
DAY 28: IT'S NOT YOU
Day 28 was planned as a breakdancing lesson... however that plan changed when this little beauty made it's way across my desk...
So my 28th new experience was attending the live TV finale of Australia's Next top Model @ Luna Park in North Sydney, and what a finale it was.
Pretty impressive set - very glam... and great catwalks by the contestants, complete with trapeze artist, the Stafford brothers (aussie DJ duo) and dancers!
I have to admit... I haven't been watching the show, mainly because I've not been in the house to watch TV for a month with all these experiences! But my Austereo neighbour Sarah filled me in on all the gossip as we waited for the show to start, thanks Sarah!
I changed my mind about who I wanted to win four times during the show! Initially on first impression, I thought Amanada should win... she was the first one to be interviewed and is stunning in real-life. Then after watching a lot of the footage and seeing a lot of the photos from the different shoots I changed my mind to Kelsey- she just seems like a bigger personality and her photos looked great. But she is smaller, and the judges were right, she might struggle internationally when competing with other models - also in real life she doesn't look as impressive as the other girls...
Then when they all came out at the end, I changed my mind again - Sophie looked amazing in that white dress shown in the photo above!! Definitely the best dress out of the three...
I ended up back at Amanda!
I initially thought this was a PR stunt but from the reactions afterwards I now don't think it was!!
Epic final FAIL!!!
Check out the press going crazy the day after...
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/amanda-wins-australias-next-top-model--eventually-20100928-15vz0.html
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/8082287/murdoch-denies-top-model-publicity-stunt-claims
http://www.throng.com.au/australias-next-top-model
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/australias-next-top-model-finale-bungle/story-e6frf96f-1225931238475
http://www.watoday.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/epic-fail-for-australias-next-top-model-20100928-15vzw.html
She didn't do too bad out of it as it turns out - she got a prize anyway to make up for the mistake!
day 28's new experience ... witnessing the most awkward moment in Australian TV history :)
Let's hope I don't need those breakdancing skills anytime soon though...
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| Woo hooo! Australia's Next top Model final... here I come! |
Pretty impressive set - very glam... and great catwalks by the contestants, complete with trapeze artist, the Stafford brothers (aussie DJ duo) and dancers!
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| The sexy set |
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| If any Foxtel people are reading this and are wondering what to do with those lights now the show has finished, they would look good in our living room, we'd be happy to help you out and take them off your hands... let me know |
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| Bit of a dance routine with some fit dancers |
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| Sarah Murdoch the presenter & the back of one of the judges (fashion photographer Jez Smith) |
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| Amazing trapeze artist making it look easy (I'll be finding out how easy it is tonight at circus school!...) |
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| Hot catwalk outfits |
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| All of the contestants |
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| The final three; Kelsey, Amanda & Sophie |
I changed my mind about who I wanted to win four times during the show! Initially on first impression, I thought Amanada should win... she was the first one to be interviewed and is stunning in real-life. Then after watching a lot of the footage and seeing a lot of the photos from the different shoots I changed my mind to Kelsey- she just seems like a bigger personality and her photos looked great. But she is smaller, and the judges were right, she might struggle internationally when competing with other models - also in real life she doesn't look as impressive as the other girls...
Then when they all came out at the end, I changed my mind again - Sophie looked amazing in that white dress shown in the photo above!! Definitely the best dress out of the three...
I ended up back at Amanda!
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| Final result about to be announced... building up the tension.....who will it be?... |
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| AND THE WINNER IS... KELSEY!!!!! |
Then in a crazy twist... it turns out the presenter Sarah Murdoch had announced the wrong winner!
Check out the footage...
Check out the footage...
I initially thought this was a PR stunt but from the reactions afterwards I now don't think it was!!
Epic final FAIL!!!
Check out the press going crazy the day after...
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/amanda-wins-australias-next-top-model--eventually-20100928-15vz0.html
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/8082287/murdoch-denies-top-model-publicity-stunt-claims
http://www.throng.com.au/australias-next-top-model
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/australias-next-top-model-finale-bungle/story-e6frf96f-1225931238475
http://www.watoday.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/epic-fail-for-australias-next-top-model-20100928-15vzw.html
She didn't do too bad out of it as it turns out - she got a prize anyway to make up for the mistake!
day 28's new experience ... witnessing the most awkward moment in Australian TV history :)
Let's hope I don't need those breakdancing skills anytime soon though...
DAY 26: JAWS
Despite a fearsome appearance and strong swimming abilities, Grey Nurse sharks are relatively placid and slow moving animals. They are considered not aggressive unless provoked. They are the most widely kept shark in public aquariums around the world (according to Wikipedia), due to their fairly large size, higher adaptability to captivity than other large sharks and crooked, fierce-looking teeth.
OCEAN WORLD SHARK DIVE XTREME it is then!
I asked our diving instructor Dicky why Grey Nurse sharks were less dangerous to swim with than other sharks (they look pretty mean to me) but he explained it has to do with their teeth, which are sharp but smooth (where as a Great White has serated teeth). He compared it to cutting a steak with two forks, or cutting a steak with a steak knife.
There was a serious side to the experience though, sadly due to the promotion of all sharks as evil and dangerous through films like Jaws (which I have just totally added to with this blog post - but here comes the bit about shark conservation to make up for shameful use of shark photos for dramatic effect) and through fishing for fins, Grey Nurse sharks are endangered, which is tragic because they are stunning to see close up.
Our instructor told us about a fantastic film on the subject of shark conservation, which I would urge you to watch...
http://www.sharkwater.com/
...turns out sharks are not man-eating monsters, and need our help.
After watching this, I was horrified to find out about the shark-finning practises where their fins are cut off and the carcass thrown back into the sea, where they sink to the bottom and are eaten alive by other fish. I felt terrible about Day 6's eating shark fin soup experience!!!
However, on further investigation I found out that Australia has a Shark Advisory Group and Action Plan, recommending that sharks not be killed for their fins alone and that where sharks are fished, that they be utilised for their entire carcass, not just their fins. In accordance with these recommendations, finning bans have been imposed in nearly all state and territory longline fisherieswith the exception of the Northern Territory . In these states landing requirements dictate that when sharks are caught, either as target species or bycatch, their carcasses must be retained with their fins to ensure full usage of the shark.
This made me feel slightly better, but I definitely wont be ordering the shark fin soup ever again!
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| Just hanging out with the sting rays... |
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| ...forgetting that there is a creature alive today that has survived millions of years of evolution... |
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| ...it lives to kill.... |
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| ...it will attack and devour anything... |
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| ...it is as if god created the devil... |
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| ...and gave him JAWS |
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OK so the deceptive among you would have realised that we are actually in Manly Aquarium... and we were swimming with Grey Nurse sharks, which aren't actually dangerous.
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| Practising the universal sign for, SHIT!!!THERE'S A SHARK BEHIND YOU |
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| All quiet in Manly... no fins yet |
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| No turning back... |
I asked our diving instructor Dicky why Grey Nurse sharks were less dangerous to swim with than other sharks (they look pretty mean to me) but he explained it has to do with their teeth, which are sharp but smooth (where as a Great White has serated teeth). He compared it to cutting a steak with two forks, or cutting a steak with a steak knife.
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| 'GET OUT OF THE WATER!!! FOR GODS SAKE, SAVE YOURSELVES!!!' |
There was a serious side to the experience though, sadly due to the promotion of all sharks as evil and dangerous through films like Jaws (which I have just totally added to with this blog post - but here comes the bit about shark conservation to make up for shameful use of shark photos for dramatic effect) and through fishing for fins, Grey Nurse sharks are endangered, which is tragic because they are stunning to see close up.
Our instructor told us about a fantastic film on the subject of shark conservation, which I would urge you to watch...
http://www.sharkwater.com/
...turns out sharks are not man-eating monsters, and need our help.
After watching this, I was horrified to find out about the shark-finning practises where their fins are cut off and the carcass thrown back into the sea, where they sink to the bottom and are eaten alive by other fish. I felt terrible about Day 6's eating shark fin soup experience!!!
However, on further investigation I found out that Australia has a Shark Advisory Group and Action Plan, recommending that sharks not be killed for their fins alone and that where sharks are fished, that they be utilised for their entire carcass, not just their fins. In accordance with these recommendations, finning bans have been imposed in nearly all state and territory longline fisheries
This made me feel slightly better, but I definitely wont be ordering the shark fin soup ever again!
DAY 27: LEARN HOW TO SAY '30 DAYS HAS SEPTEMBER' IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE
Needed a little help from my friends on this one.
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| Woundsy is clearly the man for the job, he's even studying Chinese from rocks over there in Shanghai |
LANGUAGE NO.1 -SKYPE LESSON IN MANDARIN CHINESE FROM JONATHAN
30天的九月
Gio yue you san shi tian
(9 month has 3 ten days)
LANGUAGE NO.2 - INDONESIAN FROM K-DOG
LANGUAGE NO.3 - JAPANESE FROM MARK
BIG UP TO MY PERSONAL LANGUAGE TUTORS!!!
DAY 25: NO SUCH THING AS BOLD & OLD CLIMBERS
Feeling pretty shady from a few too many 'silent' wines, a 4.30am alarm for the two hour trip to the Blue Mountains was about as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit.
But, being a rock hard Northerner, I managed to battle through it and get my arse to Katoomba for a day of throwing ourselves off cliffs and jumping into ice cold water.
Katoomba, (see map) the biggest town in the area, is known as 'the capital of the Blue Mountains' . The Aboriginal meaning of Katoomba is ' Shiny Falling Waters' and there are many waterfalls in the area.
An egg and bacon roll and a wetsuit fitting later, we were ready for a morning of abseiling practise before the adventure of doom into the canyon in the afternoon. I've actually done abseiling once before when I was about 11 years old (the new experience part today is canyoning - i.e. jump, swim and wade your way through a canyon, finishing with a 30 metre abseil down a pumping waterfall, which I've definitely never done!). With the rosy filter of youthful fearlessness last time, I had forgotten quite how terrifying it is.
I found the abseiling very challenging (!) and while the others were jumping down the rope doing '360' turns on the way down, I was shaking like an Ikea wardrobe. One of our guides, Nathan, tried to make me feel better about this, saying that fear was good as it keeps you safe.
Our other guide Paul had a great saying; 'There are old climbers and bold climbers, but there are no old, bold climbers'. (As in they are all dead!)
We were the first canyoning group that the guys from http://www.rdmh.com.au/ had taken out this season, probably due to the fact the water was about 4 degrees. Which is probably the temperature of Scarborough's water in summer, and so I remembered my roots and got a grip and got stuck in.
But, being a rock hard Northerner, I managed to battle through it and get my arse to Katoomba for a day of throwing ourselves off cliffs and jumping into ice cold water.
Katoomba, (see map) the biggest town in the area, is known as 'the capital of the Blue Mountains' . The Aboriginal meaning of Katoomba is ' Shiny Falling Waters' and there are many waterfalls in the area.
An egg and bacon roll and a wetsuit fitting later, we were ready for a morning of abseiling practise before the adventure of doom into the canyon in the afternoon. I've actually done abseiling once before when I was about 11 years old (the new experience part today is canyoning - i.e. jump, swim and wade your way through a canyon, finishing with a 30 metre abseil down a pumping waterfall, which I've definitely never done!). With the rosy filter of youthful fearlessness last time, I had forgotten quite how terrifying it is.
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| Bru on a practise run - 5, 10 and 30 metre cliff abseiling |
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| I'm not going to lie- I was bricking it here |
Our other guide Paul had a great saying; 'There are old climbers and bold climbers, but there are no old, bold climbers'. (As in they are all dead!)
We were the first canyoning group that the guys from http://www.rdmh.com.au/ had taken out this season, probably due to the fact the water was about 4 degrees. Which is probably the temperature of Scarborough's water in summer, and so I remembered my roots and got a grip and got stuck in.
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| Looks deceptively warm until you are swimming around in it |
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| A big icy mountain washing machine |
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| We had to jump off the rocks backwards into the water |
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| Final made it to the waterfall of doom. When you looked over this edge it was a 40 meter drop |
DAY 24: SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!
All these experiences were starting to get a bit loud, and with a massive hang over & banging headache courtesy of the MFA's, what better way to spend a Friday night than in SILENCE?
We found the perfect opportunity, at this year's Sydney Fringe Festival...
...and we decided to book our places at a SILENT DINNER PARTY.
After about 2 hours, one of the group broke, and a deluge of conversation ensued... fascinating to speak to everyone afterwards and see if those preconceptions were wrong! Most people had come along as a personal challenge or just to experience something different, and it was interesting to learn from Honi that some groups actually leave in silence and don't even speak at the end which would have been even weirder!
Check out the silent film:
We found the perfect opportunity, at this year's Sydney Fringe Festival...
...and we decided to book our places at a SILENT DINNER PARTY.
All we knew about the event before we got there was what we had seen on the site: http://thesydneyfringe.com.au/shows/silent-dinner-parties
We were a bit nervous that it might actually be a cover for some sort of serial killer/terrorist group/cult, needing an excuse to lure defenseless victims into their trap, so devised a cunning sign between the four of us which would be signal to leave should it all get a bit weird (e.g we turn up and the hosts are dressed in head to toe leather with whips and four gimp outfits laid out...)
As it turned out, we didn't need the signal- who knew dinner parties in silence could be eye opening fun!
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| Speachless Supper |
We arrived and were welcomed (in gestures!) by our gracious hostesses, including Honi, the organiser and inspiration behind the silent dinners. It felt very weird to be waltzing into a strangers house, and not being able to introduce ourselves to those present as they busily finished preparing the dinner.
There was a fair bit of giggling as we got to grips with our hastily invented sign language, as the remaining guests arrived, with waves and nods.
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| The Quiet Crew |
We tucked into a delicious three course vegetarian meal, and I was surprised at how quickly I got used to the silence and signing being the only means of communciation! We figured out who was with who on the table, and I managed to share a joke with another guest as we waited for the toilet to become vacant using the universal power of sign and toilet humour.
There was something quite refreshing in having dinner with people without knowing their names, what they do for a living, how they 'sound' and the associated stereotypes that go with accents and information. A certain level of stereotyping was unavoidable though, with the girls sat next to us guessing we were English (could have been to do with the fact that we were knocking back the wine the fastest).
Funniest moments were definitely Maxwell & Nettbags demonstrating the new moves they had learnt the night before in Day 23's strip club experience for the group, Bru making a new friend in the garden who tried to guess where he was from through a series of improvisations like bull fighting for Spanish etc.. (Bru attempted to demonstrate 'French' using a mop as a baguette).
After about 2 hours, one of the group broke, and a deluge of conversation ensued... fascinating to speak to everyone afterwards and see if those preconceptions were wrong! Most people had come along as a personal challenge or just to experience something different, and it was interesting to learn from Honi that some groups actually leave in silence and don't even speak at the end which would have been even weirder!
Check out the silent film:
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