Week 2 Rumblings From Down Under

Our journey shifted to Melbourne and we arrived as more horse racing was in full swing. It has been a revelation to see how the sport of kings captivates this country for a week. From the high fashion to the crowds in every eating (and drinking) establishment, the country is preoccupied. As I thought about the first day we arrived in Sydney and the scene we saw, the only similar experience I could think of was the Olympic Gold Medal game between Canada and the USA at the 2010 games in Vancouver. Just as then, the crowd here was glued to their televisions as the Melbourne Cup race was underway. You could hear the roar as the race concluded, and just as Sidney Crosby became an icon for all Canadians from that moment forward, so too has Michelle Payne become an inspiration for future jockeys.

We also arrived to Melbourne as another big event was occurring - Sexpo! The Health, Sexuality and Lifestyle Exhibition is the world’s largest adult exhibition and is designed to provide a fun and vibrant atmosphere for all adults. According to their ads, Sexpo is not just about sex, it’s about fun and the celebration of all lifestyles and sexualities. While the horse races provided all kinds of examples of fashionable head accessories, this event was rife with all kinds of interesting characters entering and exiting the event.

This was also the week where my work began and it started with a two day workshop in Fingal on the Mornington Peninsula. It was great to see how the message connects with colleagues here, and how the successes and challenges facing schools are comparable. We also saw our first kangaroo while touring at the end of the day and visiting Arthur's Seat (yup, you read that right!). We also saw penguins when we went back to Melbourne (at St. Kilda's pier) and that began many more cool animal sightings over the rest of the week.

The second two day workshop took place in Pokolbin and we stayed at the Cypress Lakes golf resort or, as we came to know it, kangaroo central! We also saw wallabies and kookaburras. The wacky weather also followed us as we had brilliant sunshine, torrential downpours, and hail. The area of the country, Hunter Valley, is also home to over 600 estate wineries and it was important to help keep the local economy afloat by sampling a few of them. Early reviews indicate that they do a fine job with the wines here!

The next week will begin with the third of four workshops, in Ballarat (home of the aforementioned Michelle Payne) and end with the last workshop, in Yamba. It's been great to explore lots of Australia and share some of it with you. Thanks for reading!