Rotary US 5610 GSE Exchange to Australia 9790

April 13, 2009 – The Picture Blog – Part II

Here are the remaining pictures from the rest of our travels through Australia.  Well…at least a small sampling of them.  As we finished Part I, we had just met our new host families from the Appin Park Rotary club in Wangaratta.

   

Rural Wangaratta City officials greeted us in the morning and provided a tour and an overview of their operation.  The council actually governs the city as well as a rural area surrounding the city.  This was part of the forced amalgamation of all of the nation in the early nineties.  It would be same as if there were no county governments in South Dakota and the area or regional city council was the governing body.

       

   

Visiting the local TAFE (Technical and Future Education) branch of the Goulburn-Ovens TAFE, the team observed programs similar to those offered in the technical institutes in South Dakota and in technical colleges in other states.

   

  

 

   

After a day of vocational visits and tours, the team met at the farm of Masie Enders, a women who cares for animals in need of rehabilitation.  Whether sick or injured, she nurses them back to health.  From baby wombats, to cockatoos to kangaroos, the menagerie covers the gamut.

  

A ride uphill for the team and Rotarians from Everton Station to Butterworth ended at the local bakery and variety of sweets as well as the famous meat pies. This would be called an ‘intergenerational’ ride…..under thirty and over fifty and in some cases, over sixty.

   

The team at the Appin Park Rotary club meeting and Chris with his hosts, Wilma and John Emslie.(John is a competitive cyclist.   

   

Attending the sportsman banquet at the District Convention with the French Team.

   

Some of the displays by local Rotary Clubs touting their projects at the District Convention.

   

The view from high above Geelong.

   

   

Dinner with the Rosanna Rotary Club in Geelong.  District 5610 Rotarians will remember Tim Douglas, the policeman from Sunbury,Victoria in the picture in the upper left hand corner.

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Around the corner and over the next hill is the ocean………..

   

There it is!!!  Driving along the Great Ocean Road is a must for any visitor to Southern Australia

  

Here’s the man who made it all happen, GSE Coordinator, Don Hamilton and his wife, Ann. One more group photo with the ocean in the background.

   

On the road to Alexandra.  Charred trees, burned and mangled buildings.

   

  

Unable to do any white water rafting, the team opted for a round of golf followed by a picnic near the Gouburn River.  New GSE team rules.  No one scores more than eight on any hole.  The caddy obliged…..and then some.

  

The Alexandra Rotary Club entertained the team by singing “The Black Hills of Dakota.”  Most Rotarians knew the words to this song first sung by Doris Day in the movie “Calamity Jane.”  More than being asked about President Obama, the team was asked if they knew this song.

    

Hosts from Alexandra transported the team to the Healesville Sanctuary via fire-ravaged Marysville.

   

   

The Healesville Sanctuary, where hosts from the Diamond Creek Rotary Club met the team and transported them to their last host families for their last visit.

   

   

Arriving at Diamond Creek – a day at the mall.  Clothes, washers (not many dryers since everyone hangs their laundry on a clothes line to dry); and fresh produce.

Australians have a great sense of humor when it comes to naming their wines.

    

The team with the host families after the Diamond Creek Rotary Club meeting.  Chris with  Geoff and Glenda Swan.  This ! time the team sang “Black Hills of Dakota.”  District 5610 Rotarians should be prepared…..this song will resurrect itself at the District Convention.  So….start practicing!

 

   

En route to the southern most point of mainland Australia to see the Little Penguin Walk at Dusk.  Macy gets close to the kangaroos.  Ryan makes his initials out of chocolate at the Chocolate Factory.

  

A trip to the Nobbies by the ocean and never let it be said that this team wasn’t fashionable.

The Little Penguins intrigued the team and their hosts as they returned from their time at sea.

   

      

It’s  “Footy” day at the incredible Melbourne Cricket Grounds(MCG) – seating capacity, 100,000 fans!  The Collingwood Magpies (Pies for short) were the favorites.  Over a hundred minutes of continuous running, kicking, and tackling.

      

   

One last toast; one last dance; the last host family.

   

Farewell to Australia.  Host families, District 9790 GSE Coordinator, Don & Ann Hamilton and Mani Seneviratne, District 9790 Foundation gather at the Melbourne Airport for a mid-day departure.

   

Daddy’s home!!                                         Someone brought roses.

Back in the USA!  Hope you enjoyed the picture blog!.

April 13, 2009 – The Team Leader’s Picture Blog – Part I

This is an attempt to put into pictures thirty days of an unforgettable experience.  Some favorite pictures will be omitted and since they’re the team leaders pictures, he’s not in many of them, plus many of the pictures are of his host families.  But, hopefully, it’ll give everyone an idea of the depth and breadth of what the 5610 team experienced in Australia.

     

The “leaders of the pack” –  District 5610 GSE Coordinator,  Bert Olson and District 9790 GSE Coordinator, Don Hamilton.

Chris’s mentors, Team Leader Greg LaFollette, Brazil 08 & Team Leader Kate Campbell, Korea –07

March 7, 2009 Welcome to Melbourne!  Welcome to Australia!  The District 9790 Leadership Team greeted us.

Ivanhoe says hello and toasts our first hour in Australia! Chris’ hosts:  Noel Pearce and Robyn Francis.

   

The team gathers for a train trip into Melbourne to see the sites and celebrate Victoria’s Labour Day, March 8th

High above the city in the Rialto Tower looking down on the Etihad Stadium (formerly Telstra Dome), the harbor, and rest of the city of Melbourne.  Somewhere down there is the NAB, National Australia Bank, that Ryan visited

   

At St. Kilda Pier enjoying the beach, warm weather, and some ice cream.

   

The impressive Shrine of Remembrance and looking back on the city.

  

Victoria’s Parliament House and the nightly gathering of the Larakeets for their evening meal.

    

Lunch at Judy’s restaurant with host family Clive and Judy Mottram.

   

An evening with Ivanhoe Rotarians and their guests.  With President Robyn Francis at the 7:00AM breakfast meeting on Wednesday.

  

On to Shepparton with a stop at the Tahbilk Vineyards, Victoria’s oldest winery.  Soooooooooooooo big!!  Yes those are wine bottles behind Ryan.

   

Meeting with the South Shepparton Rotary Club and other clubs from the area.  One hundred and two attended the team’s second presentation of the day Wednesday evening. 

   

The next  day we lunched with the folks at City Hall and toured Tarcoola or Shepparton Villages as it is now called, for senior residents.  This was one of many health care facilities that occupational therapist, Kim Anderson visited and she was especially interested in how this facility worked with patients in areas of mobility.  This is an ongoing Rotary project that has grown over the years with two other sites in Shepparton and Maroopna including an Alzheimer’s Unit.

   

Aborigine art on display at the Shepparton regional gallery. 

  

Learning about the Murray-Goulburn Water Basin and the distribution of scarce water resources.  Listening to Peter Bourke, GSE 9790 alumni to 56l0, talk about the operation of the city of Shepparton.

   

Sampling some of the fruit at the Varapodios Orchard followed by a visit to a 450 head dairy herd near Kyabram.

   

A ride on the Murray River aboard the Emmy Lou; getting ready for an afternoon of water skiing; enjoying the trampoline at 2008 GSE Australia Team member, Lisa Hawkins’, farm; posing with new friends – GSE Alumni at the barbecue.

  

One of the many painted cows for which Shepparton is known.  Before the mall opened Saturday morning.  The ‘shiny stuff’ on the concrete is rain!!!  A rare but welcome site.

   

Retailing in downtown Shepparton.

  

Watching the Tatura Bulldogs and learning about rural Australian Rules Football first hand from the Tatura Club President.

It seems like every community has a Victoria Hotel.  It’s not actually a hotel but more likely a pub with some meals available.

    

Chris & his host family, Rae and Alan McLean with their grand daughter, Jasmine.  A final get together with host families from South Shepparton.

  

Saying farewell and meeting our new hosts from Corowa, New South Wales.

  

Shopping at the local grocery store in Corowa and getting a taste of favorite candy bar, a Tim Tam.   Macy Martinson was able to see a variety of store operations plus sit in on store meetings at various sites during our visit.

   

Meeting at Corowa Secondary School with the principal and art teacher and getting a snack at the canteen.  There is no hot lunch program.

   

The Corowa food preparation class was preparing meat pies for the local senior citizens center.  Need to know where the party will be this weekend?  Just check the party board!  The viticulture class made their own wine this year, Durif.  I don’t think South Dakota is ready for that.

Meeting with Corowa Rotarians for an evening meeting.  Gail Law in the forefront in the left picture, and John Law, standing next to Chris were Kim’s host family.

   

The famous Parker meat pies in Rutherglen.  We had vegetarian, prawn, emu, kangaroo, crocodile.  Interestingly enough, the Australian Coat of Arms has two animals on it, a kangaroo and an emu.  They share a common trait as neither can walk backwards, symbolic of a nation that only wants to move forward.

   

An afternoon at the vineyards and learning to distinguish between different Tokays at the Campbell Vineyard.

 

Ian & Fay Brooks, Chris’ hosts in Corowa.

   

     

A day in Canberra, the nation’s capital, with our hosts from Holbrook .  The monuments were many and the sites were phenomenal!  For this capital city that is young by world standards, it is coming of age in Australia

High above the city looking down on Parliament House.  You can walk over the top of Parliament House so that those in side know that the ‘people’ are always above them.

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Gathering with Holbrook Rotarians at the Returned Serviceman’s club for their meeting.  Almost every community has a RSC for veterans  This one also had a lawn bowling area for league  bowling.

   

Sheep shearing day at the farm.  We had lamb prepared about seven different ways during our 30 days in  Australia, but no complaints.

   

Tanks for water and reservoirs are a common site in rural New South Wales and Victoria.  This is near Holbrook, NSW.  Rain water is the source of water.  Desalination processes are being considered to remove water from the ocean.

   

The Holbrook Rotary club with their catering service: a compact trailer that holds all the pots, pans, and utensils plus a tent and a place for the grill.

  

Nearby residents and Chris with his host, Alister Furze.

  

Meeting our new hosts from Appin Park in Wangaratta, Victoria.

In Part II of the ‘picture blog’ I’ll tell you about what we experienced in Wangaratta and the remainder of our trip through Victoria

April 12, 2009 - Reflections from the Team Leader - Part I, The Narrative

I was going to do one final entry and then the more I got into writing this, the longer it got, plus I realized there weren't any pictures.  So...the next blog will just be pictures.   I thought that as team leader, I should at least offer some observations of the past month….the process, the team, and the time spent in Australia.  (A note to the reader:  I never been known for my brevity)

 

THE PROCESS

Future team leaders would be well advised that as thoroughly as you prepare for an adventure like this, you can never cover all bases.  Having said that, a management plan or at the very least, a long list of everything that you can conceivable think of should be recorded and checked.  And remember, there’s always a Murphy’s Law at work somewhere. 

 

Having the counsel of previous GSE team leaders like Greg LaFollette and Kate Campbell was invaluable: Greg for all of his technical expertise and Kate for her management and organization skills.  Future teams just have to remember that the experience of the teams of Greg and Kate won’t necessarily be the same as yours, but at least, you’ll have a pretty good idea of some of the possibilities.  We had the advantage of not having to learn another language, but I know that most teams spend an inordinate amount of time in learning the language.

 

District GSE Coordinators

Of course none of this comes about without the GSE Coordinators…..both in Rotary District 5610 and in Rotary District 9790.  District 5610 GSE Coordinator, Bert Olson, was with us from beginning to the end.  (Well he wasn’t actually at the airport until 2AM to see our plane arrive, but, since he didn’t have a clue when or if we would arrive, we’ll excuse him).  He got us started and during the preparation, he arranged for our weekly conference calls, he’d call with advice and suggestions, and we knew that we could depend on him at any time during the process if there was a problem.  While we were gone, he also contacted our loved ones.

In District 9790, Don Hamilton, their GSE Coordinator, is probably the epitome of being a GSE Coordinator.  Early on, the team received the itinerary complete with club and vocational visitations, daily schedules, host families names, addresses, and e-mails, and the names of the club GSE coordinators.  Bert tells us that we’ve never received any itinerary that was so thorough and was received so early.   

 

Don, along with the District Governor Peter Gilbert and his wife Barbara and other District officials greeted us at the Melbourne airport.  He checked in with us along the way.  And then he and Ann were there to say goodbye when we left.  He has high expectations of the clubs, the club coordinators and the host families and is the person that made it all happen for us.  I can’t heap enough praise on this man.

 

Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation

Following the rules of the Rotary Foundation during  the process is important.  Once a contact is established, calling that person and talking to him/her helps to pave the way for future conversations.  They are serious when they say, ‘submit your information on time.’  RI has its own travel service, Rotary International Travel Service (RITS) who works with regional travel agencies.  I expressed concern early on about connection times in certain airports plus the time being allowed for going through customs in Los Angeles.  They assured me that the time was ample.  In their words, “it was legal.”  They were right.  I was wrong.  Except for the ‘little weather’ in Chicago in the form of a blizzard, we had  no trouble with the flight schedule.  (Green eggs over the Pacific do not count as “trouble with the flight schedule.”)

 

 

The Team

Future team leaders should remember, that just because a team member looks good on paper and interviews well doesn’t necessarily mean that the same team member will be traveling with you.  This isn’t a Jekyll and Hyde phenomena, it just  points out that being together for thirty days allows for a much deeper understanding of team members.  I felt that my original assumption about team members was pretty accurate.  Having worked with younger populations all of my adult life, I was pretty confident that any issues that arose could be resolved.  Also remember, for most everyone, being gone from loved ones for thirty days isn’t easy and for many team members it is the first time it ever happened.  A phone call home the first week helps.  Bottom line:  it was more important to me for the team to get along with each other than for the team to get along with me, although the latter certainly makes life easier.

 

In the end, I was fortunate in that we all got along.  Of course there were some “under thirty-over-sixty” issues, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved.  Make no mistake, there are generational differences and as team leader, you need to decide how you’re going to deal with those.  I discovered that appealing to everyone’s sense of humor helped.   And I would be happy to go on another trip with these four.  Just maybe not as long ……say a weekend trip?

 

The Host Clubs and Host Families

It is quite a responsibility for a club to decide to become a host club and arrange for a team’s schedule for two to three days.  The clubs and communities that we visited were not unlike those the Australian Team visited when they visited District 5610 last September.  Every club struggles with what the team is going to do while they are in their charge.  The World’s Only Corn Palace is a great place to visit!.  It is a place cherished by the people of Mitchell and many others in South Dakota.  But how will a group of people from a foreign country view the Corn Palace, or the falls of Sioux Falls, or the Murdo Car Museum?  In the end, the club has to identify those things in the community and area that are unique and enjoyed by individuals outside of their community.  Also remember, the age group is 25-40.  These are individuals who like to keep busy, they like to be active, they have more access to the ‘rest of the world’ than older generations.

We were fortunate in that there were a variety of sites, events, and activities that occurred during our thirty days in Australia. 

 

We got excellent exposure to communities, how they functioned, what constituted their commerce, and who the people were.  Experiences like ‘Question Time’ at Parliament House in Canberra; canoeing down the Murray River (some did it while rotating in circles); The Great Ocean Road; a ‘footy’ game and barbecues, barbecues, barbecues!  The GSE 5610 team was, for the most part, an active team.  If they weren’t running, they wanted to bicycle, or swim or workout.  If there was any kind of ‘down’ time, that’s what they could be found doing.  I believe that we had an appropriate amount of ‘down  time.’  We traveled on Sundays and Wednesdays and had a total of seven host families.  We liked the two to three days with the host families because that gave each of time to get to know each other a little bit better.  I’m sure that some of the sites that we saw were more appealing than others, (depending on personal preferences) but  all in all, it was a well-rounded experience with something for everyone. 

 

If hosting a GSE team is a big responsibility for a club, it is equally a big responsibility for the host family.  They are allowing a complete stranger to be in their home for two to three days so there has be give and take on both sides.  The team was always mindful that we were guests in their house….in fact, we were guests in their state and nation and as team leader I reminded everyone of this.  The host families were welcoming, many went above the call of duty, and they possessed a genuine sense of responsibility about being a host family.  While the homes ranged from modest to lavish, the one constant was that they were Rotarians who believed in the GSE experience and the need to make it a positive experience for everyone.

 

Lasting Impressions

We were asked before we left about the high-light of our trip.  While the team may have different responses, my response is the same:  I don’t have highlights, I have two indelible memories.  One came later in the trip and even with all the reading and researching, I wasn’t totally prepared for the scenes of the fires.  In future months I may be able to put those thoughts into words.  For now, it is just this searing memory of piles of white ash, mangled buildings, and funeral or memorial service bulletins.  The other memory is the omnipresent drought.  I wrote about this earlier in the blog, but even now, back in the United States, I think about how we take natural resources like water for granted.  We don’t have all of our dish water, shower water, and bath water being cycled into our gardens or lawns.  We don’t take buckets in the shower to catch excess water.  We don’t wait until it rains to wash the windows or our cars.  We don’t have dust everywhere because of the lack of moisture.  And we don’t depend on the sky for our sole source of water.  It’s a sobering thought.  So the next time that a community in the US has water restrictions because of a water shortage, my reaction will be “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”  As an aside, the first article in the April issue of the National Geographic has an excellent article about the drought in the Murray-Darling Basin.  It’s worth reading.

 

Accolades and Kudos

The District 5610 GSE team now moves into the post-visit portion of this experience and that includes getting a presentation ready for the District conference in Vermillion in August and of course preparing for making individual presentations to the home clubs and others in the area.  I’ve written about my perspective of the experience.  The team will have its own assessment.  You’ll notice I didn’t evaluate myself.  I figure the team is best equipped to do that. 

 

The remaining post-visit reminders of Australia will happen when we least expect it: hearing from a host family in Australia; communicating with fellow team members or team members from other countries; making plans to see someone from Australia in a year or two; reading about a place in Australia that is familiar; knowing that the Geelong Cats beat the Collingwood Magpies (Sorry, Collingwood supporters….couldn’t resist).  The memories are life-time.

 

Thanks go out to the Rotary Foundation who makes this all possible and to Rotary International for their coordination; to the Rotary Districts who, worldwide, support GSE Teams; to the employers who allow an employee to be absent from work for such a long time;  to the tens of thousands of Rotarians who open their hearts and their homes to GSE Teams and finally, to the GSE teams themselves, who take thirty days away from their jobs, families, and loved ones.  Because of this experience, at least five more people in the world have a little better understanding of Rotary’s quest for world understanding and what that all means.

 

It was my pleasure to serve. 

 

Chris A. Paustian, Team Leader

Rotary District 5610 to Australia

April 5 & 6 – The Looooooooooooooong Road Home

With the host families from the Diamond Creek Rotary club plus District 9790 GSE Coordinator, Don Hamilton and his wife Ann along with District 9790 Foundation Chairman, Mani Seneviratne, in attendance, the District 5610 GSE team said their goodbyes to the Rotarians from District 9790. Our month long trip through southeastern Australia was ending and soon we would board the 747 to Sydney and then on to Los Angeles.  We had a South Dakota style good bye and said it at least three times and waved as we headed toward the gate.

   

   

Going through the final check point in Australia  we made our way to the gate where we had our first of many “waiting exercises.”  To say the flight to Los Angeles was long would be an understatement.  Watching three different movies and eating dinner and breakfast somewhere over the Pacific turned out to be the high points of the trip.  Breakfast consisted of either fruit or an egg dish.  Ryan and Chris opted for eggs because there were some fat-riddled potatoes with it.  As it turned out, the potatoes were the only edible part of the meal.  “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss had taken on life in the form of breakfast.  While the picture doesn’t do justice to the color of the eggs….they were actually a light pale green!  Since looking at them was at best, difficult, eating them was even worse.  So….a word to travelers over the Pacific flying the ‘friendly skies,’  skip the eggs for breakfast!  Of course, Jacqui Scoular had to emphasize (translate: rub it in) the fact that she had chosen the ‘healthy’ and more appetizing meal.

   

Getting through customs in Los Angeles was actually a breeze and then the team changed planes for the flight to Chicago.  Ahhh Chicago…..where there’s always a ‘little weather.’  (Translate – you might not be able to fly!)  The plane was late arriving, but guess what?  Our plane was late in departing to Sioux Falls.  Folks who fly regularly from Sioux Falls to Chicago on the ‘friendly skies’ airline know that the commuter and regional flights land at the gates on the ‘F'’  concourse.  Connections to larger cities are usually in either Terminal B or C……..a long way from ‘F.’  The plane from Los Angeles landed in Terminal C but since the Sioux Falls flight was delayed, the team was able to take its time in getting to the gate.  Chicago’s ‘little weather’ system was delaying inbound and outbound flights……a lot of them.  The plane was on the ground….the plane wasn’t on the ground…..the new crew hadn’t arrived…..the crew, but not the captain had arrived….a plane was being brought from another hanger….the plane would leave Peoria soon…there were mechanical issues and as Yul Bryner would say, “etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.  The litany continued throughout the evening.  Finally at 12:30AM we were relocated to another gate….(we were only ones left on the ‘F’ concourse)…..and we had a plane, a crew, and passengers…..the necessary ingredients for the plane to leave.  Around 1:00AM, three and half hours after the scheduled departure, the plane departed and at 2:30AM, touchdown occurred in Sioux Falls. 

There was no kissing of the ground, but that occurred to a few of us as we deplaned.  Our total time in the air and layovers since leaving Melbourne had now passed thirty-two hours.  The zombie-like look was apparent on everyone’s face. Hugs and kisses were shared by everyone but the biggest emotion felt by everyone was ‘relief.” 

The team will regroup in the next month or so to put together the report due to Rotary International plus start on the presentation that will be made at the District 5610 Rotary Convention in Vermillion in August.  But for now, sleep was calling, and the only thing between the team and a warm bed was the ride home.  Hasty goodbyes were exchanged and after a quick walk to the cars in the cold morning air, we headed home.

Next time……reflections of the trip.

 

It’s good to be home.

Ryan, Kim, Jacqui, Macy & Chris

2009 Rotary District 5610 GSE Team to Australia

April 4, 2009 – Footy and an evening with host families

The team rode the train from Diamond Creed into Melbourne to the Melbourne Cricket Ground…..seating capacity –100,000 fans!  Although the attendance on this day was far below the stadium’s normal crowd, there were enough Collingswood fans and Melbourne fans to make the venue seem as though there were that many people.

   

The team was fortunate enough to have had a view of rural Australian Rules Football early in our visit, so that we had somewhat of an idea of the contest that was ahead of us.  Melbourne were ‘extreme underdogs’ but certainly owned the first half and it wasn’t until the third quarter that the Collingswood Magpies actually lived up to everyone’s expectations and walked away with the game. 

   

   

Collingswood won the match and the black and white crowd made their way to their cars and to the trains for the trip home.  After the match, the team gathered at the home of host family, Geoff and Glenda Swan for  great food and great fellowship and of course, great fun.  The team had their final toast with their new found favorite wine, Pizzini Sangiovese, and then host Geoff cranked up the music and some transcontinental dancing ensued.  Who knew that he had been a ballroom dance instructor forty years ago and that his forty years in construction hadn’t dampened his enthusiasm for dancing?

   

   

The evening ended early as we all knew that an early trip to the airport was needed to make our 11:20 flight to Sydney, LA, Chicago and Sioux Falls.  Daylight savings time ends in Australia tomorrow, we’ll gain back the day we lost in the Pacific Ocean a month and ago, and our plans are to land in Sioux Falls about 9:30PM on Sunday night.

We started in Ivanhoe just a few miles south of here a month ago and now we find ourselves departing not far from that spot.  We’ve seen a great deal of Victoria, met some really great people, and made lifetime acquaintances and in many cases, very close friends.  Our ‘once in a life-time’ opportunity soon comes to an end and it is bitter sweet….anxious to see our friends and loved ones and sorry to leave these people that have been such an important part of our lives.

From a little north of Melbourne on our last night in Victoria Australia…..G’Day, and Good Night.

April 3, 2009 – Heading south, getting colder

Today, the team and some of their host families headed to Philip Island to see the Little Penguins and the famous ‘penguin parade.’  Two hours south of Diamond Creek we were at the southern most point of mainland Australia.  As we looked out across the ocean, Tasmania and some Australian territories on Antarctica were farther south.  We felt the presence of Antarctica as dropping temperatures and wind made their presence known. 

En route, some team members stopped at the famous ‘worm’ exhibition.  And you think the World’s Only Corn Palace is unique!!  In addition to the looooooooooooooong worms and a bit of information about them, the place also has kangaroos, koalas, and other animals that we’ve come to find fairly common in Australia.  It was a bit unnerving, however, to be surrounded by tame kangaroos waiting to be fed.

   

   

An unexpected stop for the team was the Chocolate Factory.  In addition to selling every imaginable kind of chocolate creation, this place also provided visitors with the process of making chocolate from the bean to the final product.  A chocolate train set, a ton of chocolate and making your own initials from chocolate were just some of the stops through the factory.

   

A trip to the “The Nobbies” resulted in some magnificent ocean views with waves crashing against the rocks, but unfortunately, no seals were basking in the sun….mainly because the sun was making infrequent appearances.

   

Some say this is our best side.

 

Then it was on the penguin parade. 

 

Since cameras of any kind are not allowed during the parade, friends and families will have to wait until we return on Sunday to see the pictures that we purchased while there.  In a nutshell, this parade has been viewed by visitors world wide for over eighty years.  The penguins, which are about 13 inches high and weigh little more than 2 pounds, spend their days searching for small fish such as red cod, barracouta, and anchovies.  Sometimes they spend days at seas.

In the late afternoon, the penguins that are returning to the island for the night, make their way back in groups called ‘rafts.’  Every night just after darkness sets in, you can hear the chatter (a huk, huk noise)  of the penguins in the waters of Bass Strait as they make their way to shore.  The sea gulls on shore appear to be preventing them from coming ashore as wave after wave bring them closer.  Huddled together, they walk across the sand, only to be swept back by another wave.  Hesitating for what seems like an eternity, they eventually make their way along the paths between the crowds of people.  Overhead, lights provide a view of the rafts up and down the shore.  Heading back on paths provided for the visitors, one can look down at their nesting places among the burrows.  A reunion of sorts occurs as the penguins call for their mates or chicks.  We saw numerous penguins who had obviously found their mates as they began caressing each other’s necks with their beaks. 

The event occurs every night like clock work and may involve up to a hundred penguins, although on some evenings, many more sightings are recorded.    This will truly be remembered as a highlight of the team’s visit to Australia as we move closer to our time of departure.

From Philip Island….in southern Victoria…waaaaaaaaaaay north of Antarctica…..G’Day.

April 2, 2009 – Retailing in Diamond Creek – the Final Presentation

The team spent part of the day shopping at a large mall in Diamond Creek, Westfield – Doncaster.  With more than enough shops and a corresponding variety to satisfy everyone’s shopping habits, the team managed to assist the Australian economy and hopefully not exceed the weight limits of the luggage for the trip to the US on Sunday. 

   

   

   

Spending the remainder of the day with host families, the team reunited at Ashton Manor for the evening meeting of the Diamond Creek.  The team was honored by the presence of District 9790 Governor Nominee, Allan Christensen and his wife, District 9790 GSE Coordinator Don Hamilton and Anne, and other Rotarians from the team’s first host club, Ivanhoe, Collin Hay and Katy Richmond and Clive and Judy Mottram.  With many pictures being recorded for the evening’s events, the team said farewell to a group  of Rotarians that have provided vocational, educational, and cultural experiences that have been most fulfilling and meaningful.  On Friday the team makes its long awaited trip to see the penguins march at dusk on Phillips Island and then on Saturday it’s footy time at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds.  Team member, Ryan Jensen, is ready with his Collingwood jersey.

The team members with their host families and Rotary President, Allen White.

From a tired team counting the days…..G’Day.

April 1, 2009 – Farewell to Alexandra; Marysville revisited; Seeing the Sanctuary at Hallsville; A first time in King Lake; and Hello, Diamond Creek

We met at 8:30AM at Rotary Park for the trip to Diamond Creek.  Saying farewell to new friends who have opened up their homes and hearts to you is never easy.  Saying goodbye to the folks in  Alexandra was difficult.  With these goodbyes we were leaving one of the hardest hit areas of Victoria due to the recent fires. 

   

We passed through Marysville, the  quaint community that could not be recognized by people who had regularly visited this place.  The random selection proved hard to comprehend, but the scenes told the tale.

   

We moved on to the Healesville Sanctuary.  The fire had moved from near here to Marysville, a distance of 10 kilometers in a matter of six minutes.  We also learned that fires move across a flat level at a fairly rapid pace, but they move down hill at half of the speed and up hill at twice the speed.  The contradictions of fires like these were ever present.  The eucalypt tree needs a fire to generate new growth and sprout new seeds.  The ‘fuel’ inside the tree in the form of oil and/or gas adds tremendous fuels and flames to any fire.  Eucalypt trees and fern trees were seen growing within two weeks of the fire.  There were always fires….there will be more.

The Sanctuary was exactly that.  A place to put aside, for a temporary period of time, the horror of what we had just seen.  From koala ,to kangaroo, to lace monitor (lizard) to platypus, to wombat, to Tasmanian Devil….the animals were as varied as they were interesting. 

    

   

Even the ‘pretend’ animals received attention from Ryan and Chris.

   

The raptor show proved most interesting with everyone in the audience ducking as the birds flew low over our heads. 

   

We moved onto King Lake with our new host families Diamond Creek.  As with Marysville, the damage was extensive and the loss of life, devastating. 

   

From there it was on to Diamond Creek, just beyond the suburbs of Melbourne.  On Thursday, we’ll go to a local mall and finish buying the sports items  for friends and family back in South Dakota.  Then, Thursday night will see our final presentation.  Again, there will be the surprise of the Black Hills of Dakota song being requested… 

On the northern outskirts of Melbourne…..the final different bed…….G’Day!

March 31, 2009 – Some golf, some relaxation, and learning about recovery

The Great Australian Bike Ride come to Alexandra this morning and local Rotarians were on hand to feed them breakfast at Rotary Park.  Beginning in Tasmania, the ride will take participants through every state and territory in Australia before they complete their seven and a half month journey.  Comprised mostly of ‘mature’ citizens, the team had a big appetite and filed up on sausage, bacon, eggs, fruit and coffee or tea prior to leaving about 9:00AM.  It is sponsored by Australia Rotary and is raising money for mental health.

     

   

     

The team posed for a picture with the mayor of Alexandra and then said farewell to the cyclists as they left for the next leg of their journey.

The team was disappointed to learn that  because of the lack of qualified personnel to safely guide us down the Goulburn River and through the white rapids, the trip had been scuttled for the day.  A local Rotarian came to our rescue and we were able to get an early tee time, so it was off to the golf course.  With non-golfer Chris acting as caddy and “advisor” the team made their way through nine holes of golf.  We weren’t the quietest team on the course and one could attribute it to the fact that we were five days away from going home and we were remembering some of the  more memorable moments of our trip.  Unfortunately, they’re all ‘inside team’ remarks and it was one of those, ‘you had to be there’ moments.   GSE team rules were that no one scored more than eight on any hole and lost balls didn’t incur a major penalty…..this would prove helpful to Ryan as he made his way around the course which was also surrounded by a ‘horse trotting’ track.  The trotting track became a popular location lost balls.

   

   

After a lunch by the Goulburn River, we headed to the Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment where we met with Senior Fire Management Officer, Steve Grant.  Experiencing the first quiet day in a long time, Steve spent time telling us about the recent Victoria fires and the organization that went into coordinating the efforts that brought it to a conclusion.  With managing over a hundred different pieces of equipment to spending $80,000(AU) a day on food to keeping track of 700 people at any one time, he was enjoying some quiet time.  Traveling through what could be described as the ‘war room’, walls and tables were covered with maps, critical contacts and telephone numbers were posted, and communications equipment of varying kinds was seen everywhere.  The difference today is that the focus is on recovery as they map out what will is needed to bring back the people, rebuild houses and infrastructure, and deal with the post traumatic stress that is bound to affect everyone.  It is seen as a minimum two-year process.

   

   

   

1. The team returned to their respective host families to rest prior to the beginning of the evening Rotary Meeting and their presentation.  The evening, which began at 6:30PM at the golf club, was attended by Alexandra Rotarians and their guests plus a trio from the Yea (yes it’s pronounced like it’s spelled) Rotary Club.  Chris’ host, Rob Chaffe, was Chair for the evening and the meeting. (Shown below, right) Every Rotary Club leaves a special impression upon the team and this club was no exception.  We should mention that the most asked question from every club we have visited and usually from most members  has been, “Do you know the song “Black Hills of Dakota?”  Since the team leader is not a South Dakota native and since the team members are all under the age of thirty, the response is usually, “No.”  It should be mentioned that Chris vaguely  remembers Doris Day singing the song in a movie, “Calamity Jane.”  It should also be noted that every Australian over the age of fifty knows the song AND the lyrics.  So tonight, as a special tribute for the South Dakota GSE team, a quartet of Alexandra Rotarians sang the song for us.  Most  everyone joined in.  By the third or fourth verse, most of the team was singing along.  What a good feeling and what a special gift that was!  Also, the club played the national anthem of the United States of America for us.

   

   

For all their special presentations, the club makes a cash donation to ‘Angel Flight’ along with a wooden angel which was presented to Chris.  Each team member received a hand carved wooden black duck.  The ducks were appropriately packaged in a Winchester rifle box of shells.  Additionally, we exchanged banners with Club President.

On Wednesday, these Rotarians will transport the team to the Healesville Sanctuary where raptor birds are kept and nursed back to health.  From there they will be picked up by the Diamond Creek Rotarians for the last four days in Victoria and in Australia. 

An hour and a half north of  Melbourne……one more presentation and five days until the we’re back on US soil….G’Day.

March 30, 2009 – Fun in the Sun and the Face of the Fire

A day of extremes.  The morning found everyone doing vocational visits with Chris & Ryan visiting the Murrindindi Council offices and members of the Economic Development, Tourism and Event team.  We were privileged to sit in on their weekly Monday meetings in which they compare calendars and brief each other on their schedules for the week.  Two are new to their positions and with the advent of the February fires, their workloads have increased tenfold plus the employees and council have been personally impacted by the fire either through lost of loved ones or friends plus the loss of their own homes.   It’s been a few weeks since the major fires and emotions are running high regarding responding to individual needs and the needs of the cities and rural areas.  Economic Development director, Bob Elkington, and his colleagues were kind enough to allow us to listen in to their conversation. 

    

After lunch, Chris & Ryan traveled with Cat and Grant to a meeting south of the city of Alexandra which would take them through one of the hardest hit communities of the fire, Marysville.  It’s interesting to note that they had just viewed a promotional video in the economic development office showing Marysville in its finest hour as a thriving tourism community where people lived, kids went to school, and people visited it regularly because of its quaintness and its appeal.

   

   

With thirty-four deaths, and the city literally in ashes, the city was beginning to say goodbye to its loved ones as the remains had finally been released.  Today, Pam Chaffe, wife of Chris’ host, Rob Chaffe attended the funeral of a couple, Kirstie and Isak Nilsson, a couple who had sent their children with their grandparents while they tried to save their home.  They perished in the fire and their three children, ages fourteen to nine survived them.  The service was held at the TarraWarra Museum of Art since the church had burned.  This service will be followed by many other funeral services and memorial services in the following weeks.  The road to recovery in human terms will take years.  The pictures of Kirstie and Isak on the funeral bulletin definitely put a face on this fire and their images will remain for a long time to come.

Jacquie, Kim and Macy visited schools, hospitals and grocery stores and then spent their afternoon water skiing on a local lake.  The pictures tell the story.

   

  

On Tuesday, white water rafting awaits the team after they gather with local Rotarians for breakfast at 7:30AM to greet cyclers who are part of The Great Australian Bike Ride, a fund raiser to promote Rotary health.

From site  and heart of the fires of Victoria, Australia……G’Day.