Looking back

So much to share, so little time... I've been saying this all along but today I hope to catch up on what I've been up to Down Under.

July 22nd we boarded the plane in Cairns to head to Surfer's Paradise via Brisbane.  When we finally arrived, many of us were feeling the wear and tear of a whirlwind tour so we decided to just walk about and get a feel for the city, stop for dinner, and look through a few shops.

July 23rd we were off to see two public schools in Brisbane.  They were certainly different from the schools we visited in NSW, both of which were private Catholic schools.  It's hard to know whether the differences were due to being in a different state, or due to private vs. public funding.  The first school was a far cry from what we'd hoped a school should and could be.  The haves and have nots were very evident, not in dress (as uniforms are worn everywhere here), diet or language; instead children were admitted to special programs based on their 'giftedness'.  Those who were deemed gifted received the extras, others did not (i.e. extra gym, instrumentals). 

The second school we visited was leaps and bounds better.  The administrator had some very forward-thinking initiatives he was undertaking, such as solar water heaters, 2 hrs./wk. of team-meeting and planning for each teacher (outside of normal prep time), special programming for most.all students, such as knitting, robotics and more during school hours, a new gymnasium (rare finds in Aus.) with excellent drama and music programming (instrumentals for all who wish) and more!   The administrator has also decided to stop purchasing non-fiction books for the school library and is choosing to spend that funding on Kindles and tablets for children to use as books and research tools.

All together another informative day!

July 24th we were due to go whale watching (I was planning to stay back - haven't found my sea legs) but the winds were too strong and it was cancelled - yeah!  Instead a group of us headed to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and it was amazing!  Spent about 4 hours there and still didn't see all the animals.  Would help of next time I didn't spend an hour + on just koalas...
Fed kangaroos and emus, held a koala and saw at least 30 others.  Also saw crocs, a cassowary, tree kangaroos, wallabies, lizards, snakes, tree frogs, a platypus, parrots, kookaburras, and we fed the lorikeets!

For my nephews

My nephew Jacob requested that I hold a Koala, so Jacob - here's the proof!

Nephew William's request (at age 4) was that I not drink too much beer.... umm....  not sure how to prove that one!

Love you both!!!!!

Australia, Day 7

It's been a few days and of course, but here's a quick review of Day 7!

As I last posted, we visited Kuranda on July 21st; here are a few pictures.

Army Duck ride through rainforest

Indigenous Dance performance

Napping Dingo

Cassowary

The trip to Kuranda began with a scenic train rid up steep mountainsides - with views of gorges and waterfalls - and then ended with a high-flying ride above the rainforest canopy in a four-seater cable car; what a view!!!

While in Kuranda we saw a dance performance, were taught how to play a didgeridoo and through a boomerang (I still can't do either), visited with a few animals, rode army ducks through the rainforest, had a great lunch, and shopped the local markets.

FINALLY!!!

I have been waiting for days to update this blog!  The internet is quite expensive here ($10/ hour) and sometimes non-existent.  In some ways the Aussie's are more progressive than us Canadians (especially with regards to sustainability) but this is not the case with technology.

Have had many busy days since arriving.  It feels like we never stop! 

Here's a brief recap...

Tuesday, July 17th, Sydney - visited the Blue Mountains today.   We were blessed withg spectacular weather and the views were stunning.  Saw the Three Sisters from Echo Point, rode the world's steepest railway partway down the mountain and walked the boardwalks through the rainforest.  Returned to the mountaintop by cable car and then rode the skyway trasm across a gorge to see Katumbas Falls and trek through a portion of the rainforest that just recently had suffered a forest fire.  Hiked down to see the Cliffs Lookout falls and tehn returned to the bus and back to Sydney for a night of seafood and entertainment at Circular Quay (I think... it's becoming a blur and too much has happened for me to remember clearly, it seems).

Wednesday, July 18th, Sydney - Visited two schools in the suburbs of Dulwich Hills and Campsie.  Both were private Catholic schools and amazing!  Won't bore mo you non-teachers with details, but for those who teach, we have a looooong way to go before we're truly embracing multi-age and inquiry.
In the evening we ate dinner harbourside at the Opera House cafe and then we attended the opening night performance of the comtporary dance "Terrain".  Was very interesting, futuristic, ummmm.... liked it enough, but not my thing.  Still, get to say I saw a performance at the Opera House!!

Thursday, July 19th, Flight to Cairns, walked about, hung out with my fellow travellers.  Relaxing.  The flora and fauna here is beyond words...

Friday, July 20th, Cairns - Visited the Great Barrier Reef!  Took a catamaran to Fitzroy Island, then on to a pontoon moored in the Moore Reef.  Rode a semi-submersible boat, watched a fish-feed and snorkeled for over two hours!  By the time I got out of the water I could no longer feel my fingertips and resembled a prune.  The lunch provided was fabulous, as all the food has been so far. Today's lunch included the largest prawns I've ever eaten  - delicious!  Didn't get sea-sick but had sea legs for the remainder of the day / night... pretty woozy.  Went shopping in the Cairns night markets and bought a didgeridoo; now I can tick that off my list of things I wanted to get here.

Saturday, July 21st, Cairns - went to Kuranda today.  Rode army ducks through the rainforest, rode the Kuranda railway and the rainforest skyrail (cable cars suspended above the canopy), watched aboriginal dance performance and spear-throwing, then didgeridoo and boomerang demo's and tried throwing a boomie - failed miserably.  We had dinner poolside and now, here I sit, trying to get caught up.

[pictures to follow...]

p.s.  trying to write this quickly, before interenet access ends, so please excuse spelling & grammar errors  :-)

Arrived!

Made it!

We arrived in Sydney early yesterday morning and it has been a busy 2 days.
After arriving we were whisked away on a bus tour of the city including stops at Bondi beach, Watson's Bay, The Gap, Darling Harbour.  Dipped my toes in the ocean, climbed historical rocks, and watched dozens of sailboats.   I have the pictures to prove it, but unfortunately I can't load them onto the blog at this time; hopefully soon!

Today was day 2 in Sydney which began with a tour of the Sydney Opera House, then on for a short walk through the Botanical Gardens, followed by lunch in Circular Quay.  The afternoon included a harbour cruise, a visit to the Sydney Aquarium and then a dinner and a walk around Darling Harbour at night. 

We've had great weather both days - can't believe this is called winter here!  Our bus driver arrived today with a thick scarf around his neck, while we were in t-shirts, capri pants and sandals. 

Already having the time of my life!

Travel-time

Here we sit, awaiting the final leg of our long journey to the other side of the world. Along with me are 9 other Manitobans and I think there are 24 Americans. 

Now that we're half way there, my anxiety is slowly changing to excitement; trying to decide what to do first when we arrive, and hoping to sleep through most of this overseas flight.   Will arrive in Sydney at 6:30 am, so don't want to waste the day!!

48 hours...

Less than 48 hours remain before I take off, and my husband gets called away for a tour!  We are excited, as he loves his job, but it means a last minute dash to get things organized - dog, bird, house, cars, etc.  But now, all is done, he is gone, and the packing begins!

At the moment, the idea of being is Australia within days seems surreal.  Hopefully it will sink in soon and excitement will trump anxiety...

And so it begins...

Days away from a trip abroad, I wonder how best to share my adventures with family and friends.  As I view a friend's blog I think, "Why not me?"
So this is where I find myself, floundering through blog creation with hopefulness. Maybe I'll learn how to do this by just jumping in?  Maybe someone will find this, view it, and possibly leave a comment?

Though sharing my summer travels was the impetus for this blog, it will likely evolve into a place to share pictures and ideas from my classroom.  View what you wish, share if you wish, comments are always welcome. 

For practice, I'm adding a picture of Airlie - our little pride and joy.

And a few oldies from the classroom (so I can practice captions).

Wonder Wall for our study of Vikings

Dragons!  Handmade, kid-designed, part of "How to train a Dragon" / Viking Unit

Using fractions to create our own Viking shields

Thanks for visiting, and soon, it's off to Australia!