May 25, 2001
May 26, 2001
(Note: Arizona State men's basketball player Brad Nahra has been with the Sun Devils for the past three years. He has played a big role with the team the past three seasons, especially last year when Tanner Shell and Justin Allen were out for the season. Brad came to ASU to follow Rob Evans and his staff, as a friend of the Nahra family was a manager for Evans' Ole Miss teams in the mid-1990s. A high school star, Nahra is a solid player who will be one of three seniors on next year's team, along with Chad Prewitt and Awvee Storey. Brad will share some things from the Australian trip every couple of days. Brad also has had the benefit of some great travel since coming to ASU. In addition to the usual Pac-10 jaunts, he has been to Maui, Puerto Rico, Texas, Utah and North Carolina three times in his three years previous to the Australia trip.) Homeward Bound...
Our first full day in Cairns included a trip to the Great Barrier Reef. A two-hour boat ride took us out to the waters that were as clear as a swimming pool and shallow enough to see the ocean floor. For most of the day we snorkelled, swam with the big fish and explored the reef in glass-bottomed boats. It was relaxing to spend the day soaking up the sun and swimming with fish that most people only see in Aquariums. Snorkelling with some of the most beautiful things in the ocean is one of many lasting memories that I will have from this trip.
Friday, our last day, we visited the Wildlife Park where we saw kangaroos, crocodiles and koala bears along with some big snakes and some other local animals. I was surprised to see the kangaroos roaming around interacting with visitors. They would eat out of your hand like trained animals. Unlike the kangaroos, the crocs were in pens, however feeding time was by far the highlight of our tour. We watched as a guide handfed the 700-pound crocodile and listened to Kyle Dodd do his Crocodile Hunter impersonation. The rest of the day was spent at the pool before our game with the Cairns, which was a great game.
So here I sit in the airport on Saturday morning reflecting on the past 10 days. It is amazing how much we have grown on this trip. Everyone has bonded and the team looks like it is finally gelling. Being in a foreign country along will bring you closer, but I have feeling we have experienced this more than others. Everyone feels as though this trip has prepared us for the upcoming season and gives us the mental toughness that is needed to compete in the Pac-10. So as we prepare to board the plane back to Arizona, our trip has come to an end, but our experiences are everlasting. We have all enjoyed the tour and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. See you next year...G'day and no worries!!!
Brad