World Youth Day

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Heres a link for anyone watching now

 

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/trafficreports/innersydcameras/harbourbridge.html

 

live traffic cam from the closed Harbour Bridge,

also click on Anzac Parade to see them arriving at Randwick.

 

 

[mochuck]

Thanks for the link kiwi. The Harbour Bridge is empty now and Anzac Parade full. I don't think as many as they though walked all the way from North Sydney and across the bridge.

 

Our 2 visitors (who are lovely girls from Toronto) have had a very full week with lots of walking every day. Their group elected to just walk from Central Station which is 4.5km (1 hr walk) as opposed to 9.5km from North Sydney. I know which one I'd choose

[janetz]

We got up at 4:30 am this morning to watch the night vigil at Radwick. Andrea finally called last night (8pm our time) and said they were getting ready to make thier pilgrimage to the race course where they were sleeping overnight. She said they went to the zoo and also saw an opera at the Sydney opera house. On Monday am they will be heading up to the Blue mountains for a few days and leaving for home on Friday...:) .

[burnsie]

I am on the boards all the time can't believe I didn't think to check out the Australian board sooner.

 

My baby girl (19) is with you for WYD. I have spent the entire week search the news media and every blog looking for someone from our group.

 

They are having the time of their life and are loving Sydney!! I wish I were there. Thank you for taking such good care of our Pilgrims and being so warm and gracious to them.

 

Tori (our daughter) was supposed to stay in a parish center on the floor and when they arrived they were put with host families. From the tidbits of info they have emailed it sounds like they are being taken care of very well.

 

Is there a web cam for randwick? That could possible be the only improvement they could have done was put in some web cams for us left behind:(

 

God Bless!

[janetz]

I am on the boards all the time can't believe I didn't think to check out the Australian board sooner.

 

My baby girl (19) is with you for WYD. I have spent the entire week search the news media and every blog looking for someone from our group.

 

They are having the time of their life and are loving Sydney!! I wish I were there. Thank you for taking such good care of our Pilgrims and being so warm and gracious to them.

 

Tori (our daughter) was supposed to stay in a parish center on the floor and when they arrived they were put with host families. From the tidbits of info they have emailed it sounds like they are being taken care of very well.

 

Is there a web cam for randwick? That could possible be the only improvement they could have done was put in some web cams for us left behind:(

 

God Bless!

 

 

In the US WYD events have been on TV..Although in the middle of the night here, as I stated before we have been taping. Tonight on channel 70 (EWTN) at 7pm, eastern time, they will have the Holy Fathers' final mass at the speedway. It is live. It will be 9 or 10am there I believe. Hope you see this before 7.....:) Jan

[Aussieflyer]

It has been an exciting time here with WYD - although I am not there, I have students and the children of friends who are and from all accounts they are having a wonderful time meeting all the pilgrims from around the world.

The Mass will be huge today -the only correction janetz is that Randwick is not a speedway, it is a horse racing course, but an easy mistake. (The racing board has had to be paid millions to make up for the lost revenue from the horse racing that would have been occurring if the course was not being used for WYD - caused a bit of a stir in some quarters)

Hope you get good coverage of the final activities of WYD.

[janetz]

It has been an exciting time here with WYD - although I am not there, I have students and the children of friends who are and from all accounts they are having a wonderful time meeting all the pilgrims from around the world.

The Mass will be huge today -the only correction janetz is that Randwick is not a speedway, it is a horse racing course, but an easy mistake. (The racing board has had to be paid millions to make up for the lost revenue from the horse racing that would have been occurring if the course was not being used for WYD - caused a bit of a stir in some quarters)

Hope you get good coverage of the final activities of WYD.

 

 

Ahhh, no wonder the "race track" looks odd. :D My DH watches Nascar every weekend and I am use to seeing a different type track. Watching the final mass now....

[janetz]

Thanks everyone for all your input. This was a fun thread. :D

 

Thank you to the mod's for letting this "non cruise" thread survive!

 

Happy Sails Everyone! :D

[mochuck]

Hi Jan,

We'd love to hear about your daughter's experiences.

Maureen

[janetz]

Hi Jan,

We'd love to hear about your daughter's experiences.

Maureen

\

She had the best time. She really fell in love with NZ. Her host family was wonderful. During each day they did alot of touring with different church groups.The lodging they had in Sydney was at an Islamic school. She was able to join a few others to see an opera at the Sydney Operra house and was just thrilled to have been able to do that. She wore her "I love pasta tee shirt". The kids did not bring "opera" attire.:D She went to the zoo. She was able to get fairly close to the Pope when he first arrived. She had a cold that went to her chest and the overnight vigil did her in. She said it was really cold that night. She had to visit the medic tent the morning before the last mass.

After they left Sydney they stayed at a farm in the Blue Mountains which was less then desirable. Then on to a youth hostle which was very comfy. Did alot of hiking, caving, etc. Then the longgggg journey home. She would love to go back to NZ...:)

[mochuck]

There was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the pilgrims staying in the Islamic school:

POPE Benedict XVI may have raised the ire of the Muslim world almost two years ago when he invoked a harsh medieval description of Islam during a speech in Germany, but for almost 300 Catholic pilgrims, an Islamic school will be home during World Youth Day.

"Pope Benedict clarified his comments on Islam," said Pinad Elahmed, a teacher in charge of inter-religious activities at Malek Fahd school in Greenacre. "Anyway, no one here even thought of it when we decided to offer hospitality to the pilgrims.

 

"We are Muslims but we are also very committed Australians and that means living in a multicultural, multi-faith country. We want to be a role model of generosity for all Muslims.

 

"This is not unusual. After all, the prophet himself opened his house to Christians."

 

The 281 pilgrims will bunk down in the gymnasium and several classrooms. "They will basically have the run of the place," Ms Elahmed said.

 

They needn't worry about opera attire. Sydneysiders are very casual and most would've realised they were pilgrims. Yes a lot of pilrims were cold at the overnight vigil. I think when they were planning and packing they were looking at the maximum temperatures but it gets quite cold at night (it IS winter here). Fortunately, I gave our pilgrims some extra layers to put in their sleeping bags but the ones staying in the schools just had to make do with what they had.

[janetz]

There was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the pilgrims staying in the Islamic school:

POPE Benedict XVI may have raised the ire of the Muslim world almost two years ago when he invoked a harsh medieval description of Islam during a speech in Germany, but for almost 300 Catholic pilgrims, an Islamic school will be home during World Youth Day.

"Pope Benedict clarified his comments on Islam," said Pinad Elahmed, a teacher in charge of inter-religious activities at Malek Fahd school in Greenacre. "Anyway, no one here even thought of it when we decided to offer hospitality to the pilgrims.

 

"We are Muslims but we are also very committed Australians and that means living in a multicultural, multi-faith country. We want to be a role model of generosity for all Muslims.

 

"This is not unusual. After all, the prophet himself opened his house to Christians."

 

The 281 pilgrims will bunk down in the gymnasium and several classrooms. "They will basically have the run of the place," Ms Elahmed said.

 

They needn't worry about opera attire. Sydneysiders are very casual and most would've realised they were pilgrims. Yes a lot of pilrims were cold at the overnight vigil. I think when they were planning and packing they were looking at the maximum temperatures but it gets quite cold at night (it IS winter here). Fortunately, I gave our pilgrims some extra layers to put in their sleeping bags but the ones staying in the schools just had to make do with what they had.

 

 

She had a grand time. Still trying to catch up on her sleeping! :)