Canberra

I arrived in Canberra last friday (12th) August. The journey was a 4 and a half hour train ride from Sydney, through  bush-land. I am staying with another cousin who goes to University here, so I'm currently staying in her small uni room. There are many tourist attractions here in Canberra which I have visited; such as the war memorial and the new Parliament house, which unknown to me, Alice and her brother George; the day we decided to explore the grounds there was a huge dramatic protest against the proposed law out here of carbon tax. I kept my mouth shut whilst we were there, as some protesters approached us complaining about some of the poms out here! It was my first experience of a protest and it was good to see that people can peacfully protest, unlike what is going on back home at the moment! Tomorrow night I am going out with the uni on a pub golf night, which should be interesting as I don't drink! and then I am heading back to Sydney friday morning, to begin work in a school the following monday.

Lots of love xxxxx

I made sure we had a photo of funny faces!! Being 20 years old now..... I like to think I can still be immature! :)

THE BIG TWENTEEN BIRTHDAY!!!

I woke up to a lovely breakfast with Peter and Betty. With the two local parrots looking in through the window, I opened my cards sent from my wonderful family back in the UK. I then spent the day browsing the local shops and treated myself to some new earings. The rest of the family arrived around 5pm and were being very secretive about something! Then at 6pm I had a phonecall from mum and dad and I was told to look at the computer, to find they were on skype at the same time! So, along with the Hancock family, I had "Happy Birthday" sung to me at the same time in two different countries! It was lovely and really good to see my favourite three on my big day, despite it being a bit emotional when I first saw them! Whilst on skype Betty handed me the present from the Hancock family, which was a ticket to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge! I am still in complete shock and am so thankful for such an amazing present! I hope to do the climb during my last week in Sydney.
It was a unforgettable birthday and a great start to my 20's!!! I'm off to Canberra this friday to stay with Alice at her uni and to also visit a friend of hers, which is also a cousin of mine!

Lots of love to everyone and thankyou for all the birthday wishes you sent/emailed me, it was awesome and I am so lucky to have such a lovely bunch of friends and family both here and back home.
xxxxxxxxxxx

Sydney continued.....

Having been in and around Sydney for over a month now and im still loving it! Since my last update I have been staying in a place called Janalli, with a cousin called Liz. Waiting for my working with children certificate to be approved for a different state, I spent my first week exploring the city and seeing all the different sites! This included meeting up with toms dad and his wife for a nice lunch in the city and a coffee, followed by a walk around the botanical gardens next to the Sydney opera house. Iv also experienced a night out in Sydney with Lizs' son Tim and some of his mates. This included a nice meal at the Hardrock cafe located in Darling Harbor and seeing the opera house and the Sydney harbor bridge at night, which was beautiful! Iv also visited the famous Bondi beach via a trip through the city on the train. The weather out here has been gorgeous and im happy to say the tan is coming along swimingly! Iv also been doing some coaching out here with disability athletes, including athletes that have been a part of the paralympics. I have also helped out at a after schools care group for primary school kids, which is really fun, as it is the best excuse ever to just play! The kids are adorable and keep trying to put on a posh english accent when they see me.

I am now back with Peter and Betty and have just returned from watching Brittany play a basketball match. Tomorrow as you know is my birthday!! Not sure what the plan is yet, as it is all being kept a suprise! So I shall update once I have officially become twenty at last!

Lots of love xxxxxxx

More sydney photos

Update of my adventure.......

15^th July – Today I spent the day helping Peter and Betty setting up their church market. With the help of Tom and Samuel on a make-shift tractor Peter has built, we brought all the items that were sale up from the back sheds and into the church. Getting home around 4 ish, we all enjoyed a nice slice of cake and good old cuppa! I then received a nice phone call from my favorite three, which was was extra special; as  it was Dads birthday!! It was lovely speaking to mum, dad and luke and having a nice big catch up! Especially when Dad told me 30 years ago that day, he was arriving in Sydney as a teenager himself!

16^th July – Today, I, Peter and Betty set off around 7am to the church to do the finishing touches at the market and then I spent the day helping out with selling little items and in particular the bbq food with Peter. After a long day of selling little bits and bobs and some big things like a washing machine and a dining room table and chairs set; a grand total of $1350 was announced, which will be used towards the maintenance of church.

Tomorrow I plan to go to the local shops and then for the rest of the week I would like to do some exploring of this forest and hill filled suburb located 40 miles from Sydney, before I head into the city to do some disability coaching near the end of next week.

Sydney first week....

Arrived in Sydney on Saturday to be met by Peter and Brittany at the domestic airport. First day we went for a walk along the headline close to Kim and Andrews house and then in the evening alongside Peter and Betty and their friend Ken ( a lovely, talkative and very elderly man) and we went down to their local clubhouse and enjoyed a nice meal together.. Monday; I, Peter and Brittany went down to a place called Norah Head where we did some whale watching, but unfortunately they were too far out at sea to get any decent photos! I and Brittany were then dropped off at the local shopping arcade (which is huge!) and did some shopping together, before she had to leave for work. Today Andrew and Kim, as well as the boys called in to see us all briefly. It was lovely seeing them and especially seeing how much the boys have grown up since our last trip out here! I then went for a nice run down to the beach and watched the HUGE waves the beaches seem to have over here at the moment. It is so lovely being able to just jog less than 10mins down the road and being at the beach. Tomorrow Betty has suggested me and her go down to where James works and  try a "Coldrock" icecream and then Thursday I have been invited by Kim to join her and the boys at a popular theme park located by the Sydney  harbor. I shall try get some photos up soon!! Lots of love xxxxx

Goodbye Perth.. but not forever!!

Iv now come to the end of my time in Perth, before I head east over to NSW (aka Sydney side). I have loved my time in Perth; especially as I have been exploring a place that I have never been to before. Some of the many highlights during my time east were working in two very contrasting schools, cycling to the beach whenever I fancied it & exploring Fremantle and Mandurah. Especially seeeing some kangaroos and wild dolphins! The Proudloves have been so lovely to me and I am going to miss my adopted younger sister Rosie-may and all our colouring and hairdressing times! I really do love Perth and the way people live out here, that I am certain this is not the last time I shall visit here! Shall keep you updated once settled in Sydney! Lots of love xxxxxxx ps: iv added a few pics for you all to get jealous over! :D

Quick update....

I have now completed a week at Newman College. The PE lessons have both similarities and differences to my previous experience at Christ Church Grammar. A few examples of some of the lessons I attended was mountain biking in the surrounding countryside of the school. Going to a “fitness first” gym and attending a combat session; free of charge to the school. This amazed me, as fitness first is one of the most expensive gym memberships both out here and back home. This is a WA government initiative out here to encourage young people to maintain their health and fitness. The PE lessons at Newman strongly involve outdoor education; which is what these kids need to learn; as nature is their biggest playground out here. The PE staff are so friendly and welcoming, from my first day with them I felt a part of the team.

There has been a change of plan with my time spent at Newman; as unfortunately I could not get the WA crb clearance for the school. However I'm trying to embrace the ozzy relaxed manor about sticky situations and am saying “no worries”; as this change of plan has allowed me to do some more exploring on my own, with my borrowed bike! Today (friday 1^st July) I cycled down to Hillarys, which is a harbor shopping centre. The cycle route was a 20min dash along the coast and I decided since I'm not planning on swimming in the sea out here; I would go to the local aquarium and see a shark behind glass!!, aswell as some other scary looking creatures taken from “Shark Bay” (just down the coast from where I am staying).

Tomorrow we all plan to go to a local nature reserve park, where we can feed some kangaroos and hold some koalas. Then, on sunday we are planning to go to the Fremantle markets and then attend a music concert held by Christ Church Grammar during the evening.

Before I go......HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!! I hope you have a lovely day & my two other favourites from home spoil you rotten on your big day!

Miss you and love you lots xxxxxxxxxxx

Last day at Christ Church and my long weekend plans so far...

I am currently on a free period; so a quick update - Iv been helping out in a variety of lessons ranging from boys in pre-primary to year 12. I am gradually understanding the rules of AFL and hope to watch a game when I visit sydney. I chose to have two days off this week, as I want to explore Perth more. Tomorrow (Thurs) I plan to cycle down to the local train station (approx 20mins away) and travel into Perth central to explore the city in more depth by myself. Friday, I plan to use the train again and travel down to Fremantle - which is a big victorian harbor city, that has many tourist spots within it. One I have been told to visit is the jailhouse, where you can have tours of the different chambers and look up your surname to see if you are related to the many men that were transported to the swan river colony between 1850-1868. I am also looking into catching a ferry ride to Rottnest island which used to be attached to the mainland and has strong heritage links to the aboriginal, european, colonial, maritime and military history of WA. I am sure Millie will get be out and about saturday and sunday with the kids, so i shall update you all soon!! Monday next week I begin my two weeks teaching at Newman college. lots of love xxxxx

Weekend exploring Perth city

Friday night; me, Millie and Rosie-may had a girls night in. Getting food in and watching some tv, whilst Samuel and David attended a footie event through Samuels club where some players from the West Coast Eagles were rumoured to attend. Saturday; me and Millie went and looked around the local Karrinyup shops. Im being very good at saving my money and did not buy anything; as clothes prices here are very expensive in-comparison to back home! Samuel and Rosie-may had a sleepover with two friends this night, so us adults settled down for the eve and watched a kings speech. Sunday was spent exploring Perth city. Unfortunately the weather clouded over by the time we arrived in the city, so I plan to visit the city again to see it properly. We briefly visited the bell tower which bells were given to the "people of Western Australia as part of the national Bicentennial celebrations in 1988. Among its many attributes the Bell Tower includes the twelve bells of St Martin-in-the-Fields. The bells were again recast between 1725 and 1770 by three generations of the Rudhall family of bell founders from Gloucester in England, under the order of the Prince of Wales who was later crowned as King George II. They are one of the few sets of royal bells and are the only ones known to have left England." 


 http://www.ringmybells.com.au/


We also visited Kings Park, which is a national park on the outskirts of the city and features a state war memorial, as well as a large glass walkway between eucalyptus trees. This was amazing!! and had great views of the city. As we walked around the memorial; two huge rainbows stretched across our view of the city. It was a true photo moment and I shall upload the pictures soon. I am currently waiting for first lesson to start in my second and last week at Christ Church Grammar School, before I move onto Newman next week.


Lots of love xxxxxx

Playtime with Rosie- may

Some pics of me and my adopted younger sister Rosie- may playing doctors and dentists.

        

                                                             

Welcoming arrival at Perth airport

Here are few pics of the lovely Proudloves who were waiting for me at Perth airport.

Christ Church first week continued....

Having now been in WA for nearly a week, I have assisted in a variety of lessons. These include water polo and rowing - both sports I had no previous knowledge of rules or positions prior to coming out here. Christ Church does not seem to follow national curriculum aims or standards; as PE lessons are whatever the teacher decides to base the lesson on. Lessons are only 50mins long each, therefore many of the sport lessons consist of a mini skill drill, followed by a big game. The school is situated right next to a enclosed river - which I walk down to and I spend my lunch breaks in the sun, watching the mini jelly fish swim by beneath the jetty. The population surrounding the school is very wealthy and houses often have a river front view and porsche out on the driveway. Also alike to stuff you see on the tv; the women (known as the "claremont housewives") spend most of their days shopping in the expensive shopping arcade just down the road from the school and exercising to become as slim as possible. Exercise in WA is so important to everyone out here, you cant walk down the street without 3/4 cyclists in full lycra kit cycling past you. Today I had a go at playing auzzie rules footie with some year 12 boys, which was fun, but extremely hot in the sun! I actually cant understand how people out here play sport in their summer!! Tonight Im helping at year 10 hockey training and then tomorrow and saturday I shall be helping out at year 9 and 10 fixtures against another local private school called Hayle. Planning to explore Perth and other local suburbs this weekend; will hopefully upload some pictures then.

Christ Church Grammar School (Day 1)

13th june - An early 6am wake up and 710am leave; me and david made the commute down south towards the school. Arriving early I had a quick tour of the school facilities; which incomparison to even the private schools of cheltenham is no match!! The sport facilities they have here are incredible; ranging from  two huge sports halls both indoors and out, a two-story gym facility (including all the pieces of machinery you could think of), a large outdoor heated swimming pool, large oval pitches (for footie, rugby and soccer it seems).

Today I mainly had the role of assistant coaching and helping out with any lessons that required me. This included managing some very excitable year 4's (8/9 years old) in a mini soccer game. I met a guy called Neil who has strong links to olympic and national hockey coaching/play who suggested i should work with both the year 9 and 10 "A" (firsts teams) with both training and fixtures; which involve both tuesday and wednesday for training and friday and saturdays for fixtures. The PE staff here are very friendly and just from walking around the school with Tom; sport is a big part in the schools agenda - as he was constantly stopped and asked about last weekends fixtures. The boys that attend the school each have to do sport lessons throughout their school career. For example year 7s (11 year olds) have a 2 week rota of four lessons of praticals and 1 lesson on health. The teaching system here in Australia is very different; there are no mid exams or gcses etc, it is simply an exam at the end of year 11.

I am looking forward to the week ahead and starting some hockey coaching. Rosie-may has adopted me as her older sister and I even received one of her books for me to read whilst I am staying with her, wrapped up in green paper (as she wanted to wrap it in my favourite colour). Plans for the week are mainly coaching in the school and Tom has invited me to the local pub this friday with the rest of the PE staff. This coming weekend i hope to do some exploring around Perth and hopefully shall get some pictures up here for you to all get jealous over!! Having a great time and missing everyone back home. lots of love xxxxx

first and second day in perth

11th June - Arriving at perth airport I was greeted by the lovely Proudloves and a painted banner reading "welcome hannah" on it. To try and avoid any jet lag; Milie and David had planned a quick trip to the coast and Heathcoate park where we ate some huge muffins and chips and Samuel tried to teach me AFL (Australian Footie League) rules; which I failed miserably at, but i am still determined to understand the rules by the time i leave! We then met up with some other "poms" who have also moved to the east coast and  we ordered pizzas for a night in together. Unfortunately by 630pm my jetlag had finally sunk in, so we called it a very early night and I thoroughly enjoyed my 12 hour sleep!! (which as you all know is record in my books!)
12th June -  Today me and millie went grocery shopping in a local suburb close to their home. Food prices here are astonishing!! 11 dollars for bananas is pretty cheap! This afternoon me, Samuel and Rosie-May went down to their local park and enjoyed playing in the play area and I had another go at playing footie in the gorgeous sunny weather. The weather is lovely; sunny and around 20+ degrees, however Millie insists it is freezing and they have their heaters on in the house and car, whilst I wear a t shirt. Having a great time and missing you all. lots of love xxxxxx

Heathrow - Goodbye UK

All checked in and ready to go!

Less than a week to go!

I'll be arriving in Perth at 1415 hrs local time (7 hours ahead of the UK) this Saturday the 11th June.