Rutherglen and Surrounds

 The Beechworth Bakery.

 Dead foxes which are an invasive pest.

 The Rutherglen Hotel.

 Good PR

The All Saints Estate.

Sunday, July 31^st

As predicted, we were up early again thanks to the boys. While I waited for Graham and Tess to get everything packed and organized I went for another walk around town, as I had to get some money to pay them my share of the cottage. Once we were organized we drove to another town called Rutherglen. This is another small, colonial, mining town. We walked around a bit and then stopped at the local bakery for another pie. This one has won dozens of prizes for the best pies in the state.

Later we drove to a local winery, the All Saints Estate. The building looked like an old castle and they had a cheese factory on site too. We had a tasting session of both wine and cheese. Then we split up as they wanted to get the boys home at a reasonable time and I wanted to go for another scenic drive before I headed home. The drive was through the country passed farms, pasture and bush. As I was driving I spotted the foxes hanging on the fence. Fox were introduced here by the British for hunting, but quickly adapted to their new home and bred... well like rabbits. Australia doesn't have many predators and the fox have taken to eating a lot of the local wildlife, driving to some to extinction or near extinction. They have decimated ground nesting birds and have a taste for lambs. The farmers hunt them and kill as many as possible. I'm not sure why this farmer or hunter decided to hang them on the fence though.

The drive home was pleasant enough and I arrived in Melbourne with enough time to go grocery shopping for the week.

Here are a couple of links to go with this weekend. Enjoy.
Ned Kelly article
Dead fox article

Beechworth

Findlay... who has learned to walk since the last time I saw him.

Edward.

The original jail from the early days, that once held Ned Kelly.

The High Street.

The main intersection, High Street and Sydney Road.

The Spring Creek Falls.

Woolshed Falls.

Part of the trail around the aboriginal site.

Saturday, July30th

Driving through Melbourne on Friday night to get to the highway was a nightmare and I got lost a couple of times on the highways through town and missed turnoffs. Eventually I found my way and drove three hours in the dark to Beechworth. The Hume Freeway was great and took me almost to Beechworth. Then I drove on a smaller road the last 40 kms to town, arriving about 9:30. From what I could see in the dark, it was a small colonial town with two intersecting main roads with shops. I found our weekend cottage and Graham and Tess, who drove up earlier in the day. Edward and Findlay were asleep. We caught up and had a glass of wine before retiring for the night.

The original plan that Graham and Tess had was to stay in Beechworth and use it as a base to explore some of the mountains in the area hoping to show their boys some snow. However, when we got there the weather was iffy and they had decided that they would see snow on their Tasmania trip in August. So we just stay in the area and did local stuff.

On Saturday morning I went for a walk around town while they got the kids organized. Then we all had a walk around this very pretty, touristy town. Right across the street from our cottage is the old historic part of the original town. Gold was discovered in the area in August 1852 and by September there wre 45 people panning, by November there were 1500 and by January 1853 there were 8000. Eventually 30 000 people arrived. This quick boomtown growth created opportunities for businesses and entrepeneurs and problems for policing and servicing. There was a large building here that housed the police and a telegraph station that claims to this day to be the busiest morse code telegraph station in the world (largely because of tourists sending notes to friends and family for $2). There is also an old postal station, a hotel and a jail. We walked around the historical section of the town and checked out the displays. Beechworth has a few claims to fame. This is where Ned Kelly, the infamous Australian outlaw bushranger was arrested and jailed. There is a very small brick building with two cells where he was apparently locked up with his mother. There is also a large jail here where he was housed with his gang before his execution. Beechworth is also known throughout Victoria and New South Wales for both its bakery and its honey. For these reasons Beechworth is a local tourist destination and the town has developed a tourist industry with restaurants, a local micro brewery and shops selling clothing and other things.

We stopped for brunch at the local bakery and had a meat pie and drink before going for a couple of short drives to local scenic spots. The first was a 7 km one way road along the Spring Creek gorge to a waterfall. Then we took another drive to Woolshed Falls which were in a pretty deep gorge and were very pretty. Then we took a third drive to a spot where we could hike around an aboriginal cultural spot where there were rock paintings dating back thousands of years. However, they were very hard to see as they were very faded and impossible to photograph. But the hike was nice and through a series of passages through large rocks. Edward loved the walk and Findlay enjoyed the ride on his dad's back.

After, that we returned to the town and Tess took the boys for a nap and Graham and I went to the local boutique brewery, Bridge Road Brewers. I had a full bodied ale called Victoria's Secret (named after the state you naughty thinkers), which I really enjoyed. For dinner Tess cooked us all a pasta meal and we spent the evening chatting before retiring early as we knew the boys would wake us.

WeekThree Term Three

Making pictures...

Finally a fraction problem...

Mel and the tower building activity.

The parachute... how many times can the team throw it up and catch it?

Guiding a blind person through a maze of dots.

A team game of concentration.

Prep princesses on 100 Day.

Monday, July 25^th to Friday, July 29^th

Although it feels strange to be working in the summer, I can't believe how fast July has passed. This was another busy week at school. As usual we had our two one hour professional learning meetings on Monday and Tuesday after school. The Monday one is being led by an instructional leader who is taking us through a Second Steps program for reading across the grades. The Tuesday meeting changes weekly but this week each grade team had to prepare a spreadsheet of all the grades we had assigned students on the reports divided into subject areas and by gender. Then the team leader had to present and interpret the data to the whole staff.

I wanted to teach fractions to the group and I am never quite sure what they know and where the gaps are, so I gave each table group a set of fraction pieces and waited to see what they would do. Obviously I was hoping for fraction work, but most of the kids happily made patterns or pictures or spelled their name with the pieces. It took a while but eventually Alexander created the circle above. I took photos of all their work and through the computer displayed them on the overhead. They loved to see their pictures this way and when I got to the circle we could talk about how there is three different coloured pieces making up the whole circle, what are they and how can you add them mathematically to make one whole circle.

We had another incursion, this time around team building. This is apropos as the grade 3/4 team is getting organized for our outdoor education trip in September. The instructor was a British woman named Mel and she lead the children through five activities that all focused on having the whole team complete the activity together in order to be successful. The activities were: building a tower, traveling across the floor on a series of blocks and not leaving anyone behind, tossing a ball as many times as possible on a parachute, leading a blindfolded person through a maze of dots using only verbal commands and a version of concentration. The kids loved it and by enlarge worked together in a friendly, competitive way.

This day also coincided with the Prep's (kindergarten) 100 day. This is the celebration that all schools mark on the 100^th day of the school year. They dressed up in costumes, had a parade, played games, ate lunch with their grade five buddies and had a great day. Always fun to watch this age level, but I can't imagine teaching them!

Getting Things Done

 Where we saw the match last night.

 Bev and Carol's funky Air B&B.

On the walk back to their B&B.

The Aquanation Swimming Complex.

A beautiful rainbow lorikeet in a tree by the school yard. 

Saturday, July 23 to Sunday July 24^th.

Another quiet weekend as the weather is quite cool, with highs in single digits and rain off an on. So I decided to stay in town and relax for a bit. I had a few errands to run so I bought myself some white board erasers and cleaning fluid for school, got a new Woolworth's discount card as I have misplaced my other one, did groceries, laundry and fun stuff like that.

I decided to go swimming again, so on Sunday I went back to the Aquanation Pool and swam twenty lengths of the 50 metre pool. This time I was able to swim the whole thing without stopping. I also went grocery shopping and bought the ingredients for chili and for the first time I cooked a big pot of chili which will last me a few weeks. I spent the evenings reading a book that one of my students brought in for me. It's a book of explorers, from Magellan and Cook who were the first to circumnavigate the world (and both died during their journeys, killed by natives), the race to the south pole by Admunsen and Scott, the incredible exploits of Shackelton and his misadventures in Antarctica, up to the first men on the moon. 

Week Two Term Three

The encore presentation of the First Fleet producion

 The students trying to make the shape fro the instructions written by the other student.

My first Australian Rules Football match at the Etihad Stadium.

Georga Carol Bev Adam and Mary.

 Monday July 18 to Friday July 22^nd

Another week of school passed by quite quickly. I had fun teaching the students about fractions and proceedural writing. I had them create a pattern out of the six different pattern blocks and then write the steps on how to create it. Then I gave different students the instructions and they had to see if they could recreate the shape. Most were not successful as the instructions weren't clear enough or detailed enough. Good lesson. I also decided to read them the novel by Eric Walters, called Run, which is based around the story of Terry Fox. I am hoping to organize a Terry Fox Run at the school in September. We had several rehearsals this week for our encore presentation of the First Fleet play that Carol wrote. The kids didn't seem as into it as last time but they pulled it off for their parents on Friday afternoon. The weather this week has been milder than normal with highs in the upper teens by the afternoon, but Friday was really windy, rainy and quite cool again, but cleared in the late morning so that we could have our two hours of outdoor gym. Again we were focusing on track and field and Anne-Cecil and I were in charge of the hurdles.

After school I drove down town to the Air B&B that Bev and Carol were renting so that Carol's sister could have their small condo for the time she is visiting in Melbourne. There I met Georga (Carol's sister), and Mary and Adam, a couple of Australians who were on exchange to Richmond Hill two years ago. Mary is the teacher and is the president of ITA and her husband Adam is a bus driver. All of us went to the Australian Rules Football match between North Melbourne and the hated Collingwood Magpies at the Etihad Centre. Cassie left me a Collingwood hat when I arrived in Melbourne and every time I wear it someone insult it or tells me to take it off or that I have too many teeth to support that team. Although it is called Aussie Rules Football, it looks more like No Rules. It is a very fast paced game and most of the time it looks like they are playing 'hot potato' as they either kick it or hand pass (sort of a punch pass more than a throw) it to their team mates. I asked a person beside me to explain a few things to me and then it made more sense. The North Melbourne Kangaroos ran away with the game, although Collingwood made a late comeback to make it interesting before Melbourne scored a couple more goals to end it. They get 6 points for kicking it through the large uprights, or one point if they miss and it goes through the smaller uprights to the right or left of the big ones. The final score was 124 to 90 something. The game was interesting to watch and we had a good time. After the match we walked back to Bev's place for a date square dessert. Good night. 

Relaxing Weekend In Melbourne

The Aquanation Aquatics Centre with a beautiful 50' metre pool inside...

and another one outside with lots of seating.

The Wave Rider I would like to try this when the weather outside warms up as it is outdoors.

Saturday July 16 to Sunday July 17^th.

This was a quiet weekend in Melbourne as I had to take care of some business. I found a little garage that can replace my radiator. For $500 he gave me a new radiator and an oil change and I'm good to go. I found a beautiful swimming pool complex to use. It is a bit far away but I felt like swimming. So for $8 I went for a good swim. I am out of shape though and had to take a short rest after every two lengths, but I did persevere and swam 20 lengths of the 50 metre pool to make a full kilometre. Felt great to be back in the water. They also have a wave rider there that I would like to try at some point as it really looks like fun.

Week One Term Three

The history of the Olympics production.

The chaos of the two classes changing rooms from Claire to I and vice versa.

Monday July 11 to Friday July 15^th

Back from holidays tired but ready to go. The outside assembly on Monday was very cool and windy and felt much colder than Queensland. Funny to hear all the Australian teachers complain about how 'freezing' it is.

We had an incursion at school this week. That is what they call an event that happens in the school rather than a field trip out of the school, which is an excursion. It was a play put on by two energetic young women about the history of the Olympics. All the grade 3-4 classes are going to be studying the Olympics this term as out focus or theme. The play was great and focused on the first two Australian gold medalists, one male and the other female. Both girls played numerous roles and the kids really enjoyed it.

On Wednesday on the way to work I had to stop at a service station to put water in the radiator as I was overheating. That's the second time in a few weeks. On Thursday evening I checked the rad again when I got home. I put some water in and I could see it leaking out on the ground. So obviously I have to get it fixed.

I also went to Good Guys and bought myself a new keyboard, because the three keys: m , . still don't work. So now I have a USB keyboard that allows me to type correctly but is more cumbersome to carry around. But at least I no longer have to cut and paste those three keys after I type my entries, as I have been doing for the whole holidays.

For sport this week and the next few weeks we are focusing on Track and Field events There are two instructors coming from outside the school who are helping with the instructions for the running events. The rest of the teachers are taking different positions in shotput, high jump, running long jump and hurdles. Anne-Cecile and I are running the hurdle event and the students are rotated through all the different events.

Other than that not too much going on. Just back to routines at school.

Whitsundays Scenic Flight

The 9 seater Air Van.

The Whitsundays from the air.

Whitehaven Beach.

Solway Lass out on the next trip.

Part of the Great Barrier Reef.

The heart shaped reef seen at low tide and probably about a metre underwater.

Co-pilot Joe

Returning to Airlie Beach dead ahead.

Sunday, July 10^th

Got a message from Betty that John's surgery went well!

I woke up early and listened to music for a while before some of the others in my 8 person room woke up. Then I went down to the storage locker and organized my stuff and repacking the carry on bag and backpack. Then I left it all locked up there, checked out and walked to Xpackers to catch the van to the airport for my morning scenic flight. There was a small accident with the van and a tourist van so we were delayed but I eventually got there.

I boarded the nine seat plane for a flight over the Whitsunday Islands. (The islands, by the way, got their name because James Cook discovered then on the British holiday of Whitsunday. Same thing happened for Christmas Island and Easter Island.) I had requested the co-pilot seat and got it. The flight was an hour long and flew out over the gorgeous sand swirls of Whitehaven Beach and several of the 74 Whitsunday Islands. The beach is rated as one of the best beaches in the world. The only way to get to it is by boat and the whole beach is untouched, no stores, kiosks or hotels, just the natural beauty. Apart from the gorgeous white sand, from a high vantage point you can see the effects the tide has on the sands as it ebbs and flows into the narrows of the island. The swirls of white sand and turquoise water make it spectacular. The sand is so white and pure that it reflects most of the suns rays and remains cool to the feet even on the hottest days.

Then we continued out over the Coral Sea to the outer Great Barrier Reef. It was low tide and we had excellent views of the coral formations beneath us. One is particular is world famous and was even mentioned in David Attenborough's Blue Planet. It is heart shaped. We took two passes over Whitehaven and the heart shaped reef so that both sides of the plane could see them. Then we flew back to Airlie. We had a spectacular view of the town and the harbour as we came in for our landing. Then I was shuttled back to town.

I only had three hours left before my shuttle to the airport for the my flight home. I wandered around town checking out a few shops then picked up my luggage and found a restaurant for a lunch/dinner of calamari and a beer. Then I walked to catch the airport shuttle. The airport at Proserpine is very small and we boarded our flight quickly. I had to change planes at Brisbane for my flight back to Melbourne. Thus ends another great two week school holiday.