Day 4
06-10-96
Sydney - Scone - Tamworth
Another day, but we were all still psyched about the whole thing. Next on
our agenda was something that we weren't expecting a lot from, but it turned
out quite well. We spent a good part of the day traveling. We ate lunch at
a small restaurant in Scone, and then stopped at nearby Baima Stud Farm,
where they breed horses. We didn't pay much attention to anything but the
electric fence surrounding the horses. We had fun with that. After all
that, we traveled some more until we got to Tamworth. Apparently, Tamworth
is like Australia's version Nashville, the country music capitol. We took
pictures in front of a huge gold guitar and then ate across the street at
McDonald's. At last we reached the farm where we would be staying for the
next two nights.
The cabins were really neat and quite comfortable. The walls carried sound
quite well so we could talk to other people in other rooms if we didn't
care for who we had been assigned rooms with. After we got settled in, we
went to the farmhouse for dinner and had some really tasty pumpkin soup.
Later we went out on the bus and were supposed to go kangaroo spotlighting,
but instead we ended up watching stars. Back at the cabins, we stayed up
until all hours (I fell asleep before anyone else) bugging the girls in
the room behind us.
Day 5
06-11-96
Tamworth
We awoke with the sun. No, actually, we awoke when Jodi started yelling
at us to get up. We ate breakfast out in a dinner hall by the cabins.
Our first activity for the day was horseback riding. I got a helmet thingie that
was two sizes too small for my head and had some old farmer hold onto my
horse the whole time even though I told him I could ride it myself. So that
wasn't a lot of fun for me. But that's just me. The others seemed to have
fun. After riding we went back to the farmhouse where we went around and
saw all the animals. They were all cute, but the funniest one was the pig
that acted like it was rabid and tried to eat everything in site, including Lacey's
leg. Quite scary indeed, but hours on end of amusement.
We went to a small park in front of a beautiful lake for lunch. According
to the leaders, the adjoining boat ramp was the longest in Australia. You
can imagine our awe. Then it started raining and bugs attacked, so we left.
While it rained, we went to see cows being milked. It was just like any
mass-cow-milking machine in the US, but we had some nifty milk that came
in assorted flavors. Back at the cabins, we watched a farmer shear a sheep
in a nearby barn. After dinner, we went back to the barn for a dance. It was
quite interesting indeed; the farmer and his wife were playing guitar and
singing along with a karaoke machine. Stirring version of "Surfing U.S.A.",
of course. Later the nice lady let me play a song on the guitar. After quite
a satisfying evening (and gallons of this drink that tasted like liquid
lime Jell-O) we went home and did the same thing we had done the previous
night, which was irritate the girls in the adjacent cabin. How mature we
are.
Day 6
06-12-96
Tamworth - Woolumbin
We traveled pretty much all day on the bus. In the late afternoon we reached
the town in which we were to have our first homestays (two Student
Ambassadors stay in a family's home.) I am disappointed in myself for not
remembering the names of my family, but maybe Brian knows. He was the other
S.A. staying with me. Hear that, Brian Burger? Email me.
The family was very hospitable to us. They had a beautiful home and an
awe-inspiring backyard that was nestled in a valley outside of town. We
stayed with a family with a young daughter and two older boys, one our
age and one in college. The college one was away while we were there, so
we kind of followed the other one around. It was quite awkward at first,
but the atmosphere lightened. He took us to his big brother's "apartment"
above their garage, where I played guitar and Brian and him played ping
pong. Later we played Doom 2 on their computer. Reminded me of home. Kids
in all countries enjoy killing demons, I guess. We ate a tasty homecooked
supper and then went to sleep.
Day 7
06-13-96
Woolumbin
We woke up and finally got to have something different for breakfast.
Crumpets! They rule! They taste quite a bit like Eggo Waffles. And they're
around the same size. After breakfast, we went to school. Part in honor
of the American guests and part just for fun, the school held an athletics
contest that day...I guess we were happy, but I was kind of looking forward
to seeing their schools in action. Anyway, the day consisted of many events
such as javelin, shot-put, races, etc. just like any field day. But there
were also nonsense events, like this one really fun game where a team got
together and tossed a huge inflated ball up in the air and then had to
catch it and throw it back up without it touching the ground. Once it hit
the ground, the number of times it got hit into the air was added up, and
then another team went. The team that got it in the air the most won.
At the end of the day they tallied up the points. There were five teams:
the Americans and the four "teams" that they're school was divided into.
Our points were doubled because we didn't have as many people as the other
teams. We still came in dead last. Then we left with our families and went
on to do our own things. The evening was uneventful for me and Brian. We
spent the best part of the afternoon going around town on errands, and then
we went home, ate dinner, and then watched TV. "The X-Files" was on. Neat.
After that, we were pretty tired, so of course we went to bed.
Day 8
06-14-96
Woolumbin - Bundaberg
We woke up in the morning (crumpets again! yeah!) and we all met at the
school. All the students gathered and we got to bid them a little farewell.
I got picked to give a little speech, and I guess I didn't do too bad. They
all started giggling when I used the word "y'all", though. They gave us
each one of those felt-banner things you get at football games that had the
name of their school on it. After that we left and spent the remainder of
the day traveling to Bundaberg, the sugar capitol of Australia. Woohoo!
We arrived in Bundaberg to a pleasant surprise...a "resort" instead of a
hotel! Each room was actually a little cabin. I got the queen sized bed!
I kind of feel bad about that, though. Everyone else had to sleep on the
couch or on cots. We had dinner at the Sizzler and then returned to our
cabins for a little R&R.
This page was created by Nick Huinker with lots of help from Lacey Tauber. Main People To People graphic courtesy (much thanks!) to the People To People Student Ambassadors Website.
I would also like to thank Mr. Sam Montgomery, Mrs. Jo Beth Oestreich, and Ms. Debra Davis, our fearless leaders, as well as everyone else whom I shared this experience with.