Celtic Festival in Glen Innis

On the first weekend in May, cooler weather dampened our trip to the Australian Celtic Festival in Glen Innis.  I pulled out my winter clothing to brave the +3 degree weather.  Don't laugh, I know it was above zero, but when you have been basking in +20 degree weather and take a 20 degree plunge, things begin to feel really cold.  My teaching colleagues, Kim and Trish, came with me and we got to listen to the various pipe bands and see a quick glimpse of highland dancers.  We walked around to see some the sheep herding competitions and the musical talents they lined up for the day.  There was an open fire roasting a large chunk of meat which I bellied up to, to warm my hands:)  We indulged on baked potatoes but were disappointed to hear that the later part of the afternoon events were cancelled due to poor weather.
The Glen Innis Standing Stones were set up by the local Celtic Heritage Council.  All the stones were located within 50 km of Glen Innis and stand over 3.7 metres from ground level.  Every year the town hosts a celtic festival for all the celtic descendants and clans in the local area.  There were numerous musicians that were from Ireland and England that weekend.  It's a huge attraction for the town and was a great day despite the cold weather.

Easter Break

Term Break arrived and I decided to spend five days back in Coffs Harbour to enjoy the beach and get my car serviced at the Volkswagen dealer.  The pier pictured above is the original pier build just off the jetty in Coffs Harbour.  The weather was around 25 each day.  One of the days I ventured to a quaint little town called Sawtell to check out their beach and shops.   The following afternoon I walked along the creek path that runs through town and ended up at the Botanic Gardens.  I got an up close look at a naked gum tree!  Apparently some species of gum trees shed their bark.  It was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon wondering around their huge gardens. 

When I got home and went out the front door to check my mail, there was a dead kangaroo on my front lawn!  It was pretty smelly and was circled by flies!  Not sure how long he was there for, but I needed to deal with him immediately.  I phoned the police station and they were able to get me in touch with a fellow from the town shire who came and picked him up!  Apparently he had a broken leg and just happened to choose my lawn as his final resting place... only in Australia!

My colleague Kerry from school invited me to go with her husband and three kids to the Copeton Dam about 25 minutes from Inverell.  Her parents, sister and her children were down from Brisbane for the Easter holiday, and were heading to the dam for a little boating and frolicking in the waters edge.  This dam is enormous, holding 5 to 7 times the capacity of the Sydney harbour.  The water was down as we have gone through a drought and some water had been let out for all the cotton farms down stream from the dam.  In the middle of the water we came across these huge outcrops of massive bolders the size of Smart cars!  We paid $4 for our car load entry which included launching the boat!  I will be back!  It was a fantastic day with great company!  Thank you Moore family for including me in your adventure.  

Sydney and Coffs Harbour

Last week I was able to go to the "Future Schools" conference in Sydney.  We flew from a town called Moree, a short 75 minute flight into Sydney.  Our three bedroom apartment that we rented overlooked the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.  The conference was interesting as I got to hear from principals who have changed the way they deliver education to their students.  It's the wave of education coming down the pipeline to deliver a 21st century learning environment. 

On Friday I went to Armidale for a new teachers retreat.  It was hosted at a place called, "Saumarez Heritage Home".  This place was built in the 1850's by a family who immigrated from England.  It's a massive property that is maintained by volunteers in the community to preserve the local heritage.  Lots of history in this area! 

Since I was halfway there, I kept on my venture to Coffs Harbour.  It is a seaside location that sits midway between Sydney and Brisbane.  I'll admit that any location that has a beach has been a highlight for me.  The place I rented was only 300 metres from the beach.

Saturday morning I went to the Porpoise Pool to check out the dolphins, sea lions and penguins.  I couldn't help myself and joined the many people who lined up to have their picture taken with the dolphins and sea lions!  I included a picture of a little girl who brushed the teeth of a dolphin! 
On Sunday morning I went into Coffs Harbour to the Jetty and took in the farmers market.  Just a stones throw away  I parked myself on the beach and discovered I forgot to bring a dog!  A lady who's pup came to sniff me, informed me that I was at the leash free dog beach...there must have been over 100 dogs that ran and barked past me!  I regrettably departed on a bright and sunny day to head home to reality.  Only three more weeks until our two week break.  I'll be heading back to the beach for sure! 

Sunday Morning Kayaking

What an amazing way to spend a Sunday morning!  A fundraiser was being held for a fellow teacher named Stef who is taking an epic bike ride from Sydney to Uluru (Ayers Rock).  With all the money going to a children's charity who could pass that up?  We gathered down at Lake Inverell and headed out across the lake for an 8 km paddle.  Stef's dad, Heinrich Haussler, owns a local tour company called, "Joey Adventure Tours" and arranges these kayak tours.  About half way through the paddle you could smell the bacon cooking down the river.  We stopped to have an amazing breakfast put on by Stef's husband on the side of the river.  Bacon, eggs, French toast, muesli and yogurt .... yum! Heinrich is a photographer by trade and took the picture above of all the participants that morning.  If anyone comes to visit me, we will be heading out on Lake Inverell with Heinrich for this fantastic paddle and breakfast!    My support goes out to my new friend Stef on her bike journey!   

New Teacher Orientation

I was invited to the city of Armidale, which is where the Catholic School's Office is located.  They had a day for new teachers to the division and it happens to be located right beside this amazing church.  The city has a population of about 30,000 and host a university and a boarding school for boys and one for girls.  The gal I when to Armidale with, has a son who attends the local boarding school.  While we waited for him, she showed me the dining hall that they boys eat in.  I thought it reminded me a lot of the Hogwarts dining hall from Harry Potter! "The Armidale School", TAS as it is known, was built in 1898 and has beautiful grounds.  When you walk in the entryway it has all the honor roll painted on the walls from all the years past.  The boarding school concept is not a common one in Alberta so it was interesting to see the buildings and hear all about the long standing traditions that take place in that little city.  An amazing opportunity for students who get that chance. 

Yamba - A coastal town

Here is how I spent yesterday afternoon and most of today!  Sitting on the beach!  Yes, I did a little homework, lots of reading and watching the surfers.  Because we had the Swim Carnival until 9 pm on Thursday, we received a day in lieu on Friday.  Apparently the only 3 day long weekend ... I took advantage and booked myself a little road trip to a town called Yamba.  It's about 3.5 hours from where I live and easy to get too ... thank you GPS!  I arrived about 2 pm on Friday and headed straight to the beach.  The weather is still around +35 and I put on my sunscreen and parked myself in the sand.  I thought of all my friends and family back home fighting the wind chills and thanked my lucky stars for the sand and surf I was experiencing.  I think I found my home away from home:)

My Classroom and Swim Carnival

 Here is a shot of my classroom from the outside and inside.  Lots of light and air conditioning that work!  This is where the learning happens!

This shot was taken at dusk on the evening of our Swim Carnival.  Swim Carnival you ask?  Yes, all students were given the opportunity to swim in the various swimming races to earn points for the 'house'.  We arrived at the pool straight from school at 3pm and stayed until 8:45 when the relays wrapped up the evening.  It was well run and lots of families came to cheer on their children in the many races.  Many teachers asked what our swim carnival was like ...