Thursday, June 23, 2011

Catching Up

It's been awhile, apologies for that but we've been busy!

Here are a few of the highlights...


You Can - Mobile Phone Challenge
http://www.youcan.org.au/

You Can is derived from "Youth Cancer" removing the last letters; it is a fundrasier  and over one week in June myself and one of the teachers at the boys school organized a Challenge for the kids to collect 1445 used mobile phones (this would have given them an interactive whiteboard) - they blew that goal out of the water and have collected over 2200!  The program is sponsored by Sony and will give the school about $8k worth of new electronic equipment.  More importantly it recycles old phones and raises money for youth cancer centers here in Australia.

Our school collected more phones than any other school in our state of New South Wales and we may be featured in a TV documentary! 

It was the most rewarding week of the exchange for our family.

If this program runs in Canada, i encourage any of you to get invoilved - you can be sure we will be doing it next year!


You can barely see Scottie in the back but these were the top collectors in the school - Jackson should be here too!

Mrs Greene on the left (organizer and Scottie's teacher) and Miss Dixon's class (top class in the school - 626!) with about 1/3 of our 2200+ phones plus the other top collectors

June 17-19 Mudgee exchange weekend


Cruisin at Dunn's Bog - It is far more interesting than the name suggest, it is ancient





Everyone here are exchange families who took part in the weekend - the boys are with their buddy Ian



These are poor shots but it gives you an idea of what they did to the opera house during the Vivid light show, go here for soem very cool info.  http://vividsydney.com/



June 11-13 Blue Mtns. with the Fay's
This is us with Phil and Mackalay. other friends from Kegworth at Govett's Leap - Blue Mtns.

Govett's Leap, we had just watched game 5 of the Cup Finals - Jack is all hockeyed up!

Can you see the people at the viewing platform up and to the left of Bridal Vail Falls?


May 20-22 - Greenwell Point and Mogo Zoo with the Kenny's...





The gorgeous White Lions at Mogo Zoo


Scott, Saskia, Jack and Griffin











May 14/15 - Watsons Bay and Palm Beach...

This is the mouth of Sydney Harbour around the corner from Watsons Bay - Manly is across the water
Family is standing on the stairs


Watson's Bay looking back towards the city

Sunset onWatsons Bay

Sunset in their eyes at Palm Beach


Looking for a late day wave at Palm Beach

Found one!

Mom's visit - Month of May

Mom came out for the month of May and my 40th birthday with her friend Jim - they spent 4 days in Sydney then visited the Great Ocean Rd. - Uluru - took the Ghan to Darwin - visited Brisbane - then cruised the Whitsundays.  I don't have any photos of their trips, but here are a few of a visit to Bondi...