The Rocks District Sydney/Final Takeaways

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After our climb over the Harbor Bridge we visited The Rocks District which is where Sydney’s history and modern energy come together. It is one of the oldest areas in the city and is full of history dating back to its enactment as a convict settlement. While much of the older architecture still stands it has been modernized in some ways. It gave a very European vibe to many of us as we were walking around. Packed with little shops and restaurants it was a very unique part of the city. The cobblestone streets and historic sandstone buildings tell the story of Sydney’s beginnings, with tourist attractions such as the Susannah Place Museum which shows how life was back when the city was first settled. While the architecture and design still carries much of the past it feels very modern walking around with name brand stores, cafes, and vibrant street life. What’s especially interesting about The Rocks is how it balances preserving its history with the pressures of tourism and development. I think one of the most important things about our trip to this area and its relation to ecotourism was it shows how the old landscape and building scan be used in a modern way. Instead of demolishing buildings and rebuilding we can use what used to be there to build an amazing area. Ecotourism highlights leaving less of a trace on the environment and The Rocks District was a great example of how less modernizing and less development can still create an amazing area without the need to cause the emissions of redoing and rebuilding.

As our trip concludes its hard to put into words the full experience of the past few weeks. I think all of us were left speechless in the best ways by what we experienced while travelling one of the most unique and beautiful countries on earth. We have learned how to travel sustainably from leaving no trace in the woods even if that meant carrying your own toilet paper back with you to making sure all the lights are off when we leave the hotel room which is apparently much harder to remember then it should b. We were initiated into the Aboriginal       culture, leanring all about their unique lifestyle and dedication to their culture even through hundreds of years of struggle. While getting to and from Australia is no easy task it’s a place everyone should take time to visit because from the rain forests in Cairns to the cliffs of The Great Ocean Road all the way to peaks


of mountains in Tasmania we have been changed for the better by this experience.

 

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