Erin's Trip Down Under

We will be starting our trip bright and very early on July 9 we will arrive in Australia July 11

• We will start our trip with a 4 am drive to Erie Airport.
• Once there we will board a plane bound for Cleveland OH.
• In Cleveland we will board plane number two to LAX
• Once in LA we will encounter a 9 hour layover YAHOO
• We will then board our last flight to Melbourne Australia.
• We will arrive in Melbourne at about 8 am on July 11 (we will be crossing the international date line)

Once in Melbourne we will participate in the Days of the Diocese

• We will be staying in homes of Autralian families.
• While there we will learn about the culture and attend different festivals, visit shrines, and see speakers.
• We will stay in Melbourne until July 14 when we board a plane with our new friends to Sydney for World Youth Day!

SYDNEY

• We will arrive in Sydney around noon on July 14.
• Once we arrive we will go on a tour of the city and do the tourist thing LOTS of PICTURES!!!
• We will again be staying with local families.

• Tuesday 15 July 2008

  • Opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal George Pell: 4.30-6.30pm at Barangaroo
  • Youth Festival events : 2 - 10pm (except during Opening Mass) at Sydney CBD locations.

  Wednesday 16 - Friday 18 July 2008

  • Catechesis (teaching) sessions: 9.00am-12.00pm OR 10.00am-1.00pm at over 250 locations across Sydney
  • Youth Festival events : 2-10pm at Sydney CBD locations.

  Thursday 17 July 2008

  • Catechesis (teaching) sessions: 9.00am-12.00pm OR 10.00am-1.00pm at over 250 locations across Sydney
  • Papal Arrival via Boat-a-cade and welcome of the Pope on Sydney Harbour. Commences at 2.45pm on Sydney Harbour and at Barangaroo
  • Youth Festival events : 2 - 10pm (except during Papal Arrival) at Sydney CBD locations.

  Friday 18 July 2008

  • Catechesis (teaching) sessions: 9.00am-12.00pm OR 10.00am-1.00pm at over 250 locations across Sydney
  • Stations of the Cross : a re-enactment of the last moments of Jesus' life: 3-6pm at St Mary?s Cathedral, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Domain
  • Youth Festival events : 2 - 10pm (except during Stations of the Cross) at Sydney CBD locations.

  Saturday 19 July 2008

  • Pilgrimage walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Randwick Racecourse: 5.30am starting at Sydney Harbour Bridge through city to Southern Cross Precinct
  • Evening Vigil with the Pope and sleep out 'under the stars': 7.00pm-9.00pm at Randwick Racecourse

  Sunday 20 July 2008

  • Papal motorcade commencing in Centennial Park at 9am.
  • Final Mass celebrated by the Pope: 10am at Southern Cross Precinct, Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park
  • Announcement of next host city: 12.15pm
  • Youth Festival events : 12.30-5pm at Southern Cross Precinct, Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park.

We will head home leave Sydney July 21 and be home July 21!

• We will depart from the Sydney Airport and head to San Francisco. 
• Once in San Francisco we will then board anther plane to Cleveland.
• Then our final flight from Cleveland to Erie we will arrive there 8 hours after leaving Sydney (But really it will be two days travel! can you say JET LAG)
• Then the car ride back home to SLEEP!!!!