Plymouth student returns from trip 'down under'

Ryan Benson holds a koala bear he encountered on a trip he took to Australia via the People to People Student Ambassador Program. Special to The Bristol Press.
PLYMOUTH - On his 11th birthday, resident Ryan Benson stood atop the Olympic gold winners' platform in Telestra Stadium in Sydney, Australia, where the top athletes in the world were honored in the 2000 Olympics.
Benson, who recently returned from a 14-day trip to the land down under through the People to People Student Ambassador Program, said he would never forget the marvelous sights on this new and different continent.
"Standing inside the Sydney Opera House was like being inside a gigantic claw," Benson said.
Among the remarkable sights Benson saw was a memorial display to the late Steve Irwin, "The Crocodile Hunter," at the Australia Zoo, which was founded by Irwin's father. Benson said upon the walls of and entire hallway hung hundreds of T-shirts signed by Irwin's fans.
Benson also saw and interacted with some of the continent's indigenous animals, including a wild kangaroo and a wombat, which he described as "a hairy pig with a mini-trunk like an elephants." Benson held a baby koala bear and fed an elephant - just the beginning of several astonishing experiences to follow.
Benson said snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in the South Pacific water surrounding Hamilton Island, even during the winter season when many fish swim north for warmer water, was a spectacular vision.
"There were many different kinds of fish. One of the divers was playing with a blue fish that had a hump like a dolphin's and petting it like a dog," Benson said. "I couldn't believe how fragile the coral reef is. If you just touch it, it will break."
Benson said he met the aborigines and they taaught him how to throw a boomerang into the wind. He said it came right back to him - and fast, but the aborigines wouldn't allow him to catch the speeding arch for his own safety. The aborigines told tall tales of ancient legends and their gods.
"They play the didgeridoo. It's like playing a trumpet but it copies animals' sounds. Many of their dances are based on the movements of animals, too," Benson said.
After touring the famous Capricorn Caves, riding a horse bareback through the outback, trekking to view the continent's great ancient rock faces and swimming in the Olympic Pool, Benson fell in love with the land down under.
Benson also said he learned one other valuable lesson about the famous Australian greeting, "Good day, mate." It is actually spelled "G'day mate."
"He [Ryan] said he wants to move there," said Benson's father, Gordon.
Benson's mother, Michele, said her son did a lot of fundraising to be able to go on the trip, and the Benson family would like to thank everyone who helped make this trip possible for Ryan with their donations and fundraising assistance.