The long goodbye

On Friday we all said goodbye to our host families, packed our now heavy bags and made our way to Melbourne. Jenna had one final PD day with a major digital signage company in Melbourne while the rest of us took a more relaxing drive to the city with Charlie. We all met up for lunch and then set off on foot to find the Victoria Market. We had a good look around and most of the group managed to inject some more money into the Aussie economy. Then we walked back through the city to Flinders and King street so we could all experience the Melbourne Aquarium which was amazing. Around 5:30 we caught a tram to Latrobte Steet and walked to Lygon street to look for a place to have dinner.

Lygon street has over 100 restaurants on it so we took our time selecting the right restaurant for our "last supper" together as a team. Eventually we selected Santinos and enjoyed an excellant Italian meal and wine with Charlie and Jan who were such an important part of our few days in Tralraglon. Around 10pm we drove to our accomodation which was the Holiday Inn at the airport as the girls had an 8am flight the next morning.

We had a wonderful final night together which included a Tim Tam tasting competition, several rounds of our "Music Trivia contest" and all getting an Aussie Tattoo!

5:30am came around much too soon and we all met up and took the shuttle to the airport and got the girls checked in and eventually to the gate for the flight to Sydney for Carolyn and Toronto for Shelley and Jenna.

Several of our good Australian friends showed up at the departure gate to see our GSE trip officially end (and perhaps ensure "The golden girls" got on the plane!) including Rotarians David and Tony.

The flight was called and the three girls got on the plane and began the final leg of their amazing adventure.

Diverse Activities

We wrapped up our week in Traralgon with vocational visits and a dinner with the Mirboo North Rotary Club at the Grand Ridge Brewery. This is an active club of about 14 members. They have been very busy with bush fire recovery.
At Morwell Park Primary school I participated in the English as a Second Language program for Sudanese students. I also learnt a great deal from Robyn Cox. She works with aboriginal students and is a curriculum leader.
Jenna was able to meet with the folks at Image Direct to discuss marketing and media technology.



Dolf ended his Victoria parks tour with Tara Bulga National Park. There they put him to work and leaches drew blood!
Shelley accompanied students from the La Trobe Special Developmental School on a field trip to the mall’s food court. She was also exposed to different approaches to occupational therapy at Noah’s Ark Inc in Morwell.

We have had an amazing journey!
A big thank you goes out to everyone involved in this exchange. It has been tremendous.





































Throughout our trip people have shared their experiences with Black Saturday and the terrible bush fires. This week we actually went with a Rotarian and his wife to the burnt remains of their home. Everyone was moved by this couple’s desire to rebuild and move forward.

























We visited Loy Yang Power’s brown coal mining facilities. It has been operating for over 25 years and expects to mine the brown coal for many more years. Shelley and Jenna enjoyed trading their thongs for communal safety boots for this visit.





















Pru, a former GSE team member to Kansas, gave us a tour of Gippsland Aeronautics, which manufactures Air Van airplanes worldwide. The planes are used to transporting goods into remotes areas.










While the team had a visit to Monash University and the educational precinct, Carolyn had an opportunity to visit the Gippsland Multicultural Services Centre in Morwell. This is the only rural multicultural centre in Australia and it is in very capable hands. Lisa, the director of the centre, was inspiring and had a refreshingly realistic perspective on immigration issues in this area.

Our District Farewell Dinner was well attended and it was fantastic to see our friends and hosts again. Many people traveled considerable distances to join us for this farewell dinner. We presented our last Canadian presentation and shared our Australian reflections. It was moving to hear how the trip has affected each team member. We have certainly gelled as a group and although we said good-bye to many friends last night, we are grateful that we still have a few more days together here in Australia.

Wednesday we toured Walhalla and took a vintage train that is run by volunteers. Here we also toured a gold mine that opened in 1865. We joined a Grade 9 communication technology class for this gold mine tour and enjoyed their interesting questions.

Traralgon

Monday morning we attended a civic reception at the Latrobe City offices. Dolf responded eloquently to the mayor's welcoming speech. My host, Chris, squeezed a visit to the Immigration Park for me on our way over to the Gippsland Rotary Centenary House.

This house is conveniently located behind the hospital, so that families have a comfortable place to stay while their loved ones receive cancer treatment. This rotary project is A+!

Alive and Well.... just too busy to update this blog:)

Okay, so our blog followers have been suggesting that I have been slacking off this week. We've been jumping in and out of Rotarian automobiles day and night since we left Orbust. We're still having an amazing experience here in Victoria and I'm squeezing in a blog update before heading out for a bbq.

We did venture across the state line last weekend for the District Conference in Albury, New South Wales. The speakers were outstanding and the evening entertainment won't soon be forgotten. Sunday morning the Aussie GSE team presented their Canadian reflections and we gave our "short" presentation. Chris presented the cheque from our district to the Victorian Fire Relief Fund.

We jumped back into cars for the 6 hour road trip to the Traralgon.

Crossing the Great Divide

Carolyn was given a fantastic opportunity to be taken up in a 2 seater plane, here are some shots from the plane. She got to fly the plane as well!!
















Shelley was taught by her host family to throw a Boomerang and yes it does come back!!


We traveled to Albury for the District Conference. A 5 hour car ride up and over the Great Dividing Range. Here are some pictures from the drive.

Vocational Day

We all have had vocational day experiences in and around the Bairnsdale area. With Jenna visiting a local newspaper (East Gippsland Newspaper), Chris at a local radio station (REGFM), Carolyn spending the day at Nagle College visiting with the Director of Educational Services and Dolf having a field day with a manager of Parks Victoria.

I (Shelley) was lucky enough to spend the morning at the Bairnsdale Regional Health Services hospital with a few different Occupational Therapists. Both Lorelle and Jane provided me with lots of information about the occupational therapy department and services and how they facilitate a patients return to home.

My afternoon was spent on a tour of the East Gippsland Specialist School. Coming from Canada where there is an integrated approach for students with disabilities I have found it very interesting to learn about Victoria's Specialist and Special Developmental Schools. These are schools where students with certain disabilities are able to attend and receive an alternative schooling and education with their peers.

Cape Conran Coastal Park and the Curlip

After a morning of touring Orbost the group headed to the Cape Conran Coastal Park. Once again we had fantastic weather and experienced beautiful beaches.

We were able to enjoy a walk on the beach and coastal board walk. We had a bbq in the park and then headed off to Marlo.

It was a great day for an icecream at the local convenience store owned by Rotarian Brian Shelley. Thank you for the icecream!!

We then enjoyed a ride on the steamer "Curlip." The P. S. Curlip was rebuilt by the community and only recently opened for tours in December 2008. We took a tour down the Snowy and Brodribb rivers right to its entrance to the ocean. We had great views of the local peligans and other animals.

We attended a joint Rotary meeting of all the surrounding Rotary Clubs. The flowers and food were excellent. It was a bittersweet meeting having to say goodbye to our Orbost host families but hello to our Mitchell River host families.

360 kms = 11 hours of driving and sightseeing

Our new Orbost Rotary friends took us on a driving tour of Errinudra National Park, Snowy River National Park and the Buchan Caves.

At Errinudra National Park we went for a Rainforest Walk, the weather did not disappoint as it rained. Here we are standing in front of one of the spectacular trees.

We had a great time stopping for lunch at one of the most remote schools in Australia. Tubbut School has only 4 students!! We joined in their St.Patricks day celebration with green coloured fruit cake!! They have a great school with lots of resources and the kids were very excited to show us all the work they had done!!

It was a good thing we didn't meet too many cars along the way because they really don't have anywhere to go!! The road is only really made for one and the cliff is close!

MacKillop Bridge was our next stop. The road portion is made of wood and I must say I think some of them need replacing!!!! You can see the water through the wood planks from the Snowy River rushing below. The water rises to only about 20 feet below the road at different times of the year.

Little River Gorge is the deepest gorge in Victoria; being 4 km long and over 500 feet deep.

We finished up the day the Buchan Caves with a tour around the facilities; seeing lots of Kangaroos.

Journey to Orbost

After a fun day of rest; learning we all like movies and that Chris is a great pool player we headed off to Sale where Carolyn and Jenna made their first radio appearance with Gerard from ABC networks. We have video proof!!
On our journey to Orbost we passed through Lakes Entrance which is a beautiful town over looking the ocean and linked to Ninety Mile Beach.
We ended the night with another fantastic Rotary dinner; a spit roast. Once again the food was amazing and our hosts very welcoming. Another great day!!!!

Daily Cows and boat trips!

Today we were in Foster and the surrounding area. We started the day with a tour of a local daily farm and saw an operation which produces 4 million liters of milk per year! From there we were off to the Yanakie Hut where we saw a rebuilt historical building and were treated to a lesson in local history from Michael our guide. After a quick tea we headed to a Park Sandy point, where we snuck in a quick dip and had lunch. We wrapped the day by taking a fantastic boat ride around Wilson's Prom to see the fire damage in the wilderness area. While on the boat we were treated to Spoonbills, a sea eagle and some other great water birds. Some images from the day:


The Dairy operation, the cows get on this rotating platform where 50 are held and milked simultaneously.

Shelly sporting some sweet boots!

Carolyn with Robert as he explains the milking machine

Michael gave us an interesting talk on the local history

The Foster Rotary club prepared us a great picnic lunch

The team on the beach of Snake Island where we saw a Tiger snake.

The burned area in Wilson's Prom as seen from the water.

Welcome to Foster!

Today we woke up and had a great final morning on the island- we went for a hike around the Nobbies and then went to Oswin Roberts reserve. At the reserve we saw wallabies and several different bird species.

We then returned to our homes, gathered our gear and travelled from Phillip Island to Foster. We were greeting with a great lunch and then headed out with our new families.





A shot of a Little Penguin under the boardwalk at the Nobbies









The team and our hosts John and Phil at the Nobbies














The GSE team being welcomed by the Foster Rotary Club.

Vocational Days- Dolf feeds the Penguins!

Today we all went our seperate ways to participate in our voacational days. We ended up in Melbourne, Warragul and on Phillip Island. We all learned a great deal from our Australian hosts and had a wonderful time.

Today I (Dolf) was at Phillip Island Nature Park for my vocational day. It was a great time, with several of the staff showing me several different aspects of park management. The site is self funded and managed by staff and a CAO who report to a board. They face significant challenges balancing native species (key ones including little penguins and shearwaters) with 500,000 park visitors, some local homes in the park boundary and a long list of invasive species. I could have posted dozens of shots from today, but settled for the following:

Ranger "Veg" took me on an tour of their seed collection, propagation and greenhouse areas.

Marg the wildlife rehabber working with a juvenile bushy tailed possum

Force feeding a Little Penguin as they will not eat on their own in rehab.

Lifeguards + Farm Animals + Koala's + beach = a great day!

There are times in life where a person may wonder, does it get much better than this?? Today was another one of those days!!

We met up in the morning and headed over to Woolamai Beach for a tour of the life saving facilities. It was a gorgeous morning and a great tour where they shared with us how these folks operate to keep people safe. After our ritual morning tea, we headed over to Churchill Island Nature park for a walk around the facilities and observed how Australians manage their historical sites. It was great fun as we wandered through the gardens, farmyard and historical buildings. We paused for afternoon tea and then Headed to the Phillip Island Koala Conservation Park. Ranger Ashley took us for a guided hike through the site and introduced us to the many of the 35 Koala's and other wildlife which call the sanctuary home.

The day was busy, but we could not resist the call of the ocean and managed to squeeze in a dip and some boogie-boarding!! We all basked in the sun for a few free, unstructured hours- it was a great opportunity to reflect on all we have experienced in the week that has passed and to look forward to the adventures which lay ahead!


A few shots from our day below:

The team at the life saving station.

What trip would be complete without trying on some hats... They tell us the locals wear these, but we are not so sure...

One of the Koala's at the park.

Dolf, Carolyn, Shelley, Jenna and Chris enjoying an afternoon at the beach!

We have had a great time with our vocational visits and other activities, but one of our key responsibilities is to deliver presentations on Canada and our professions to our Australians hosts. Tonight we delivered our show for a second time to the Rotary clubs of Phillip Island, San Remo and Warragul. These are the folks who have organized our amazing schedule and host families this week. Our presentation was well received and the clubs generously gave us hats, books and flags from the region.

Phillip Island, a seal colony and the march of the penguins

For the second time since our arrival we packed up and headed out, all having enjoying our host families but excited for the new experiences which lay ahead. We met up at Chris' host families place and headed off to Phillip Island, home to one of Australia's famous race tracks. A picture is worth a thousand words, so please see some images from our day below:


Entering the track we were greeted by a pair of Cape Barren Geese- trust us, this is a good bird!




We had lunch at the track and then went for a tour of the facility- it was breathtaking with hairpin turns and long straightaways overlooking the Ocean.



Here is a trust exercise- go for a ride blind folded and hope the feel, and your friends voices keep you on track! For some reason they stopped having this event...



From the track we raced to the dock where we went for a boat tour of seal rocks. The team posed for this shot on the way out.






Seal Rocks was a remarkable place, with thousands of animals basking, swimming and playing!





The captain joined us for a picture on the way back

We had an amazing lamb dinner overlooking the Ocean- does life get better than this??!!

We finished our day by watching the penguin parade- these cute little guys would stage in groups at the waters edge and then make a break for the hills they burrow in. An amazing sight!

Off to Warragul

After packing up our belongings, which seem to be ever-growing in size, we met up with our new Warragul host families while saying goodbye to our Mornington hosts. The hour and a bit drive was beautiful as we travelled along long winding roads with rolling landscapes and farm fields and....the sun even came out this afternoon to pay us a long-overdue visit. As we meandered our way though the country hillside and did enter areas that were destroyed by the bushfires. Spot fires and massive areas of extensive, if not total devastation, of trees and brush, fences and some smaller buildings. It was incredible to see how the winds of the brush fires from Black Saturday affected vast areas, while leaving other nearby areas completely unscathed. No rhyme or reason behind it. Hard to wrap your head around the devastation. Many people in this area have stories of friends and families that were touched in some way by the destruction of the fire. It was humbling for us to see as a group.
However, the day certainly took on a lighter note as we met for lunch and got a chance to know each other a little better. After lunch we split up into our Vocational visits. Which took us to the Warragul Special School, Flavourite Hydroponic Tomatoes, Spec and the Warragul Art Gallery. Very interesting afternoon for all of us as yet again, we took away new lessons, ideas and valuable information to return home with.
From there we had a leisurely night with our host families...that was until an earthquake tremor rumbled through our homes around 9:00 p.m. at night. Apparently the epicenter was in Traralagon about 45 km away (and a place we'll be visiting later in our travels). Certainly something our group is not accustomed to. Let's hope that is the end of the earthquake rumblings for the next while.

Kangaroos, Koalas and...Skandia?

Today was definitely a day we were all looking forward to and it DEFINITELY didn't disappoint! The team was once again led by Geoff & John out to the town of Healesville where we stopped for a morning tea and some treats of meat pie and pasties (yes before 10:00 a.m.) The rain slowed down and we departed for the Healesville Sanctuary. Dolf was almost out of his skin by the time we pulled in, he was so excited. We were all thrilled at the prospect of seeing all these native species and none of them disappointed. We were able to see kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, dingos, poisonous snakes, a birds of prey demonstration and so much more. There was an incredible animal hospital on-site that was interactive and extremely accessible in that the operating rooms were visible to visitors who could watch through a pane of glass. We even witnessed a live operation on a wombat. We had the opportunity to pet a large native snake and wallabies (small kangaroos). We coincidental ran into another Rotary group who also had Canadians staying with them as part of friendly exchange. We could have easily spent the entire day at the Sanctuary - but we got the good news phone call that we'd be racing on the Skandia after all tonight - so we had to get back to Mornington.
Our morning was tough to top - but as we set sail on the Skandia (2nd fastest sail boat in Australia) it was quickly apparent that this was going to be a trip high light. Sailing as part of the Twilight Yacht Race, at out top speed we were going 20 knots/hr. We were moving! With a full crew of people on board it was a bit of a mad race to get from one side of the boat to the other as the sail changed directions. But we had a blast. Especially since no one ended up in the ocean or lost their lunch in the ocean! We were in the race for a little over an hour and it felt like 10 minutes had passed by. What a rush!!! We arrived back to the Mornington Yacht Club - rosey cheeked and matty hair and we couldn't have been happier. From there we headed out with our host families to La Porchetta pizza and pasta for our farewell dinner. It was bitter sweet saying goodbye to our first host families and Mornington. We had an unbelievable time there and made memories we'll remember for a lifetime. However, we know that there is so much more in store for us as we head to neighbouring Warragul. We're looking forward to seeing what is in store next...

Welcome Dinner and Reunion

Back at it bright and early, the team was headed to the Rose Gardens in Mornington which have been an ongoing project by local Rotary members looking for a way to add some colour to the city. We learned about the obstacles and achievements that they faced over the years with getting this worthy project off the ground to were it is today. The roses were stunning - like colours from a children's paint box, every rich colour combination could be found here. Stunning crimson reds with soft buttercup yellow, dark burgundy and crisp solid white roses. Despite the drought, the colours were still brilliant.
From there we headed out to Cranbourne Botanical Gardens where we saw beautifully landscaped gardens displaying native plants to the area. We took some fun pictures and saw (what we think) were controlled burned areas inside the park and got out just before the dark clouds rolled in.
Our group then returned to Mornington for lunch of award-winning meat pies and milkshakes (some people doubled up on the meat pies!). We then had the opportunity to reunite with a few of the GSE Australian team members that had visited Canada back in October. We met for a few drinks and some shopping in Mornington.
Finally, we had time to get home and get cleaned up for our District Rotary Welcome Dinner. There was a great turnout and we had the opportunity to meet with the rest of the GSE Aussie team, some of our future host families and some of our new friends. It was a great opportunity for our team to give our first official presentation on Aussie soil and to answer questions about Canada. We had some great feedback on the presentation which was great to hear seeing this was our first crack at it. Looking forward to our last official day in Mornington. We're keeping our fingers crossed that the wind slows down so we can still go sailing...xxx

Melbourne Tour

Although the tour of Melbourne was big news today - the bigger story is the fact that it finally rained in Mornington! The first real rain the city has experienced in the past 3 months. With high winds and dried out vegetation, fire fighters were worried that today could be very dangerous in terms fires spreading - but the wet weather greatly helped, and for such a good cause - we don't mind getting a little wet ourselves. Especially when it's 32 degrees here and -27 at home.

Our team, let by our now familiar fearless leaders, Geoff Gilsenan & John Renowden, loaded into our bus and headed for the beautiful city of Melbourne. Our first stop was the impressive Shrine of Remembrance, where Australian and New Zealand soldiers lost in WWI & WWII were remembered. We also witnessed a short memorial service where a symbolic light passes over the grave stone of the unmarked solider.
From there we meandered around town to the Melbourne Art Gallery, Federation Square and then stopped in for a morning tea. From there we went all the way to the top of the Rialto Tower where we stood out on the observation deck and felt the 100+ km/hr winds at their full strength. Incredible 360 degree aerial view of downtown Melbourne. When it comes to architecture in downtown Melbourne, it is an interesting mix of new and old, modern meets contemporary. It is a truly beautiful city with a river running through the central core, large shopping districts, art galleries, museums, Cricket and Tennis stadiums, botanical gardens and endless cafes and restaurants. The city is impeccably clean and the people are extremely friendly.
We enjoyed lunch in the 'happening' South Bank area. And then the team split up and the girls did some frantic shopping and the guys did a little looking around themselves and found their way to a local pub for some drinks. (Apparently milkshakes and juice...or so the story goes)
From there we gathered up again and made the trek back into Mornington. We all met at Peter Lawrence's home (incredible home I should add!!) and the team reviewed our GSE presentation that we'll be presenting tomorrow night at the Mornington Rotary Club.

1st Vocational Day in Mornington

Back to 'work' today as our team was spread out across the neighbouring cities of Mornington to participate in our scheduled vocational visits.

Chris Byrnes spent the day at a local radio station, Gold 104.3 Mix-FM where he had the opportunity to reunite with an old work acquaintance, Steve Rowe.
Dolf Dejong visited The Briars Park in the morning and Port Nepean National Park later in the day.
Carolyn Hurd had several stops during her busy day - Noble Park Language School, followed by Frankston High School and Ballam Park PS.
Jenna Vaicius travelled to Notting Hill where she caught up with B&H Australia and Monash University to learn about the school's digital signage communication system on their campus. And Shelley Walker visited Frankston Special Development School this morning, followed by Biala in the afternoon.

Fabulous weather day today in Mornington. Lots of sunshine and balmy temps. Tomorrow is forecasting troubling weather for the unstable bush fire condition. With temperatures above 30 degrees and winds over 100 km/hr, it could potentially be a tough battle for firefighters battling with the current fires. Good news is rain is in the forecast for the next few days. Hopefully enough will fall to help out the situation.

Tour of Mornington Peninsula

Our first official day in Mornington started off with the group of us heading out for a tour of Mornington Peninsula from Port Phillip Bay to Westernport Bay - yes, all in one day! With John Renowden and Geoff Gilsenan as our trusty leaders, navigating us in the Shire bus, we set off for our tour. Travelling south-east, we journeyed along the coastline, stopping at a few memorable lookout points like Murray's Lookout (picture below) to capture the view and take the first of many photos of our journey.




View from Murray's lookout into the Mornington Peninsula. Yes, it is raining at this point and a wee chilly. But no snow - so we aren't complaining!





We then travelled into Sorrento, where we explored the town and settled in for morning tea and an Australian pastry delicacy - Vanilla Slice. Which really is incredible, but it might fill you for the entire day. The picture below says it all.






From there we travelled south towards Cape Schanck where we worked off a bit of the Vanilla Slice by walking the magnificent boardwalk which guides you along the rugged rocky mountainous terrain which eventually leads you down towards a black stoned beach where we came face to face with the Pacific Ocean. We threw stones into the water to stake our claim.
Incredible views here - a must visit.





Picture of the lighthouse and the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the shore. WOW.






From there we were whisked back to Shoreham where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Shoreham Cafe - which was a recently renovated eclectic cafe/restaurant that is quite obviously quickly becoming a hot spot for tourists and locals alike. Great atmosphere. Great food. Company wasn't so bad either!

Believe it or not, there was one final stop on the tour - the Tanglewood Winery. A 50 acre vineyard supplying first-class Chardonnay and Cabernet for over 30 years and is one of the original few wineries in the area. Our group had a personal tour of the property and had the chance to see where the wine was created and stored and even sampled a few of their best reserves.

We then headed home for a break and then headed to Mt Martha where our group and our host families enjoyed a wonderful BBQ dinner at John and Maree Renowden. Fantastic evening and a chance for us to mingle with the other host families. Of course, it was also more amazing food and spirits for our group. We may need to start working on an exercise regime while we're here with all the food and drink we seem to be indulging in.

We've finally arrived!

We've arrived!!!
After several months of planning and preparation and much anticipation, our team finally touched down on Australian soil. We arrived in our final destination - Melbourne, just after 4:00 p.m. local time after 20+ hours in the air and three separate flights. We were greeted immediately upon our arrival by our new Rotary friends. Geoff Gilsenan, John Renowden & Peter Lawrence along with a few other family and friends, were all smiles as they gave us a warm Aussie welcome.






Fresh off the plane, (feeling not so fresh ourselves) these photos captured our first few moments with our new friends.





We then broke up into groups and departed for the town of Mornington, which will be our home for the next several days with our host families. Dolf and I travelled with Geoff (in his wife's lovely car) and took the scenic tour home which followed the coastline, where we marvelled at the beautiful homes and ocean views while trying to accustom ourselves with the sun and warmth and general 'greenness' around us.

With very little sleep on the plane from the night before, we weren't all sure how we'd hold up for our first evening with our host families, but the adrenaline kicked in and we all found ourselves not only keeping awake, but enjoying wonderful dinners and a few bevies which left us feeling quite merry before we sailed off to sleep for the night.

So far, so very good.

Janaury 21st Meeting a Shelley's


Tonight's meeting highlight was a visit from the 2008 GSE team who traveled to South Africa!


We did some work on our presentation prior to their arrival and after exchanging pleasantries, shared some great stories of their trip and consuming some pizza, we began the first run through of our show with an audience. They provided us some great feedback as we work to trim down our show to the essentials to ensure a solid product for our upcoming meetings with local clubs.


Chris, Jenna and Carolyn begin culling some slides in the presentation

Shelley's living room, slightly modified to accomodate the group

Our guests, the 2008 GSE team who travelled to South Africa