Classes for 2011

… and so begins the school year for 2011.

This year I am teaching Physics in Years 10 through 12 (well, the Physics unit of Science in year 10), Maths A in Years 11 and 12, and Christian Foundations in Year 12. This is a lovely mix, to which I would only for preference have added Year 10 Maths, but that's on at the same time as Year 12 Physics, so I can't (and besides, then I'd be teaching far too much!).

I have rewritten the Year 10 Physics unit because the new timetable allocates more time to Science in Year 10 than last year, and also every student in Year 10 will this year have a laptop with access to the school network. This is a good thing, because it means (a) I can set up a “virtual classroom” with all the planning, notes, worksheets and other resources the students need, and (b) I can run more interesting software-based interactive activities during lessons. But of course, the students won't actually receive their laptops until week 4! So now I've had to make copies of a whole lot of things for them for the next few weeks. Sigh.

The new timetable has only 60 and 90 minute lessons for Years 9-12, where last year it was a mix of 40, 45 and 90. Longer lessons for the older students is a really good thing!

My Year 12 classes are lovely—because they're the same classes I had in Year 11 last year. My Year 11 Maths A class is too big. Poor things, they're seeing my strict and grumpy side. I have little choice, given the number of students. Ah well, learning a little self-discipline now will only help them in the future.

And let me just say (along, I think, with most school teachers in Australia) how much I appreciated having the Australia Day holiday in the middle of the first week.

Year 12 Graduations

Well it was a busy week for me.

Monday evening was awards night—at the same place (Garden City Church, now known as Hillsong) as my own school awards nights were held so many years ago.

Tuesday evening was the year 12 formal dinner at Sirromet. My trepidation about their catering (triggered in part by a phone call from them on Monday querying what I actually could eat) turned out to be entirely unnecessary: they fed me very well. I had a yummy pasta and asparagus main, and a berry sorbet for dessert. (A pleasant change from the usual fruit salad.)

But the night wasn't really about my food, of course. The year 12s looked fabulous, and it was good to be there to see them having fun at the end of their schooling years. Not too many speeches, just excitement and joy and a good time with music and dancing.

And then on Thursday evening was the year 12 graduation dinner for my former students in Mackay. So I flew there on Thursday afternoon for that, staying the night with friends (thanks Phil & Janine!) and flying back on Friday. It was so worthwhile. Such fun to walk in as the year 12s were standing up for a group photo, and get excited shouts and waves as they saw me. (Some of them knew I was coming, but most didn't.) So interesting to hear their stories from the last year and their plans for the next. So good to see them looking so fine and to be able to celebrate with them.

And again, my meal was delicious: a lovely curry, spicy but not too hot, and white cake for dessert. Turns out this particular meal was in fact cooked by one of my past students! Julie, thank you again for a fabulous meal, one of the best I've had at a formal function.

Then back to Brisbane on Friday. After school was the year 12 valedictory service: a few speeches, presentations, a tearful procession, and then afternoon tea.

Perth

Rather worn out after our trip to Rottnest Island, we returned to the Golden Tandoori for dinner, then caught a train back to our hotel at Bayswater.

And then on Tuesday 28th, after so many nights spent there but travelling in and out each day, we finally had a day to spend looking around Perth itself.

First off we went to the Perth mint, via a train ride and then a short walk through the Royal Perth Hospital and the church on Victoria Square. We were amazed by the way pedestrians were invited to use the hospital as a thoroughfare over a couple of busy city streets; we couldn't imagine a hospital in Queensland being so welcoming to the general riff-raff off the streets. The catholic church was beautiful, if a bit of an eclectic mix of architectural styles.

At the mint we read about some history of coinage in Australia. They have an interesting machine that weighs you, but instead of kilograms it tells you what your weight in gold would be worth—at current prices, quite a bit!

Next stop, the new Bell Tower at the Barrack St Jetty. The bells ringing out the hours from there can be heard in the city, but for a small fee you can climb the tower and see them being struck! The view from the top of the tower is quite good. They also have a set of eighteen bells and an active bell-ringing community. We were fortunate enough to be there on a day when the bell-ringers were due to play, so we got to watch! It reminded us of our time in Portishead, where the bells in the Anglican church were used for practice once a week, and then every evening in the lead-up to a competition.

After a picnic lunch on the grass outside the Bell Tower, we caught a bus to Kings Park, which is up on the hill to the west of the city. Walking through the park took us to the Botanic Gardens, where they had wildflowers on display en masse.

We walked through the gardens to the Glass Bridge, part of an elevated walkway. The Botanic Gardens are at the top of a steep cliff down to the Swan River, so the view is quite spectacular.

By now we were rather footsore, but we really wanted to get out to Fremantle as well, so we walked wearily back up the hill and then tried to find Cliff Street which has a stairway called (of course) Jacob's Ladder. The bus stop we wanted was at the bottom of the hill.

At Jacob's Ladder we were amazed to find a veritable army of health fanatics running up and down the stairs. Now you have to realise that the forty-three metre climb (just under 300 steps) is so steep that the stairway actually zig-zags sideways. These crazy people were running up and down the hill. Again. And again. And again. Mad, I tell you.

Anyhow, eventually we managed to get down, and then caught a bus into town. From there we caught a train out to Fremantle.

By now it was quite late. But a short walk from the station along Market Street took us into the business centre where we found quite a number of restaurants. We chose an Italian place called Portorosa, and were delighted with the food!

After dinner, a short stroll around the block, and then back to the station.

We caught a train back to Perth and then our hotel at Bayswater. The stretch between the showgrounds and the city was rather packed, as it was getting near closing time for the show. We had wondered (before we left Brisbane) why we'd had so much trouble booking a hotel in Perth for this last three-night stay. When we found out that the Perth show had just started, it suddenly made more sense.

And then finally on Wednesday morning we took a taxi to the airport for our flight to Adelaide, where we spent the afternoon with old friends Jason and Debbie, and then all four of us flew to Brisbane that night, arriving shortly before midnight. Quite a coincidence there: On discovering that it would be cheapest to fly back home to Brisbane via Adelaide, we thought to ourselves, who do we know who lives in Adelaide? Calling Jason and Debbie, we discovered that they were due to fly to Brisbane that very night—on the same flight! More delightful serendipity. God is good.

Rottnest Island

Monday 27 September was a public holiday in Western Australia. so rather than try to go shopping in Perth, we organised a day trip to Rottnest Island. The ferry took about an hour to get to Fremantle due to speed restrictions on the river, then only another twenty minutes or so to get to the island.

Perth CBD from the ferry

Rottnest Island

First up when we got there, we took a coach tour clockwise around the island. Leaving the harbour on the eastern side, the driver gave us a fascinating commentary about the history of the island, and stopped at a few scenic places for photographs. The first stop where we got out to have a look was Parker Point. Notice the coral reef—apparently the Leeuwin current arriving here at the island is warm enough for tropical coral to grow!

A friendly quokka checks out the tourists

Sorry about the quality of some of the photos that follow, they were taken through the tinted coach windows.

Passing some more scenic coral beaches and a lighthouse, we came to the south-west point of the island. The strong currents colliding here are reputed to cause trouble with shipping (and there are certainly plenty of shipwrecks).

Then around back to the harbour via the northern coastline. Along the way the driver pointed out a few osprey nests.

Then it was time for lunch. We decided to walk down to Garden Lake, a salt lake near the main township. Apparently there was a friendly quokka family there. Sure enough, not long after sitting down to eat, a handful came to investigate. Very curious creatures, but easily startled. A small marsupial related to kangaroos and wallabies, the Dutch explorer William de Vlamingh named the island after them because he thought they were a kind of giant rat.

After lunch we went for a couple of short walks, including out to another lighthouse north of the harbour.

These Melaleuca (tea trees) native to the island are called "broccoli trees".

Finally it was time to catch the ferry back to Perth.

Geraldton

On Friday 24th, we took a TransWA coach to Geraldton. It's a reasonably long trip, with stops in several small towns along the way.

When we got to Geraldton, we were met at the bus station by Laetitia's friend Kym and her daughter—and also, as it turned out, by two of my fellow teaching graduates from CHC. You see, as I had discovered just a few weeks earlier, one of my CHC friends who lives in Geraldton was, most serendipitously, to be married just when we were going to be there! Anyway, at the bus station, two of her bridesmaids were waiting as well (not actually for me, of course).

Kym took us to the caravan park where we had booked a cabin for our two-night stay, and then went off to collect her son from school. She actually lives just a short walk from the caravan park. Meanwhile, we took a stroll to see the Indian Ocean (which wasn't far, the caravan park is right on the beach).

Apparently kite-surfing is a popular hobby in Geraldton

When Kym came back, she took us around to see the sights of Geraldton, including the memorial at the top of the hill.

After watching the sun set beautifully over the water, we went to Kym's place for dinner (cooked by me) and a good chat. At the end of the evening, it was quite cold, so we drove back to our cabin in the car Kym generously lent us so we could attend the wedding the next morning.

So early on Saturday morning (like, the wedding was at 7am on the Geraldton foreshore) we went off to see my friend Anna get married. It was a wonderful wedding. Anna was so excited—after the vows and rings were exchanged, and the pronouncement, her whole face lit up, and she exclaimed “I'm married!” I was so glad I had the opportunity to be there.

After the wedding, Kym and her two children took us to Kalbarri National Park. Kalbarri is on the coast north of Geraldton, a drive of about an hour and a half. It was a very hot day, and the flies were unbelievable! But the scenery was certainly spectacular.

We had lunch in Kalbarri. While we were there, the (first, although we didn't know at the time that there'd be another) AFL grand final was on; we could hear the cheering from the pub across the road.

We drove back to Geraldton via the coastal road. Once again the scenery was magnificent, although we were feeling a bit sleepy at the end of a long, warm day.

Along the way we passed Hutt Lagoon. This salt lake appears pink because of some algae that grow there. Apparently the algae produce a commercially useful quantity of beta carotene, which is being harvested in part of the lake.

Arriving in Geraldton just before dusk, Kym took us up to a lookout above the town, to watch the sun set over the town and ocean. Afterwards I took my camera down to the beach for some low-light photography.

Dinner was leftovers in our cabin, and then an early night. Sunday was my birthday, much of which I spent on a coach travelling back to Perth. Before we left, though, we went to have a look at the lighthouse. This one (at 28°46'S) is almost exactly opposite the one in Byron Bay (at 28°39'S).