Discussion

October It is spring! The birds are singing and the flowers are blooming. We went to Sydney and Uluru for our last school holiday. Australia has so many amazing places to visit!

August We are now hoping for the end of winter! We have not seen the sun very often, and look forward to some warmer days. I have seen some beautiful parts of Australia over the past couple of months.


 * [[image:DSCN2971.JPG width="281" height="226" caption="DSCN2971.JPG"]] ||
 * I fed an elephant! ||


 * [[image:canadaaustraliaconnection/DSCN3001.JPG width="299" height="229" caption="DSCN3001.JPG"]] ||
 * I love the koalas! ||


 * [[image:DSCN3708.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN3708.JPG"]] ||
 * I was very excited for my mom to visit! ||

May It is starting to get colder here! I am biking to work a few times a week and I am needing my gloves now! We are still filling our weekends with as many things as we can and are enjoying getting to know Australia!
 * [[image:DSCN2375.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN2375.JPG"]] ||
 * We went to a "footy" game. The fans were all very excited! Aaron has caught onto the footy fever - I am still learning the rules. ||


 * [[image:DSCN2347.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN2347.JPG"]] ||
 * We had a tour of the MCG before the game. It was an impressive stadium! ||


 * [[image:DSCN2409.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN2409.JPG"]] ||
 * A walk around a lake in Daylesford ||

April We went to The Gold Coast and the Grampians for our 2 week vacation in April. It was amazing! The Gold Coast
 * [[image:DSCN1809.JPG width="160" height="209" caption="DSCN1809.JPG"]] ||
 * Trees in the rainforest. ||
 * [[image:DSCN1869.JPG width="318" height="211" caption="DSCN1869.JPG"]] ||
 * "Natural Bridge." This place was so beautiful! ||


 * [[image:DSCN1702.JPG width="275" height="192" caption="DSCN1702.JPG"]] ||
 * We went in a hot air balloon! ||


 * [[image:DSCN1878.JPG width="287" height="215" caption="DSCN1878.JPG"]] ||
 * Inside the cave behind the waterfall. ||

The Grampians
 * [[image:DSCN2229.JPG width="186" height="269" caption="DSCN2229.JPG"]] ||
 * We went rock climbing! I was very scared at this point, but of course I felt proud afterwards. We also saw lots of kangaroos in this National Park. ||

Geelong
 * [[image:DSCN2307.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN2307.JPG"]] ||
 * This is just past Geelong. The beaches are all so beautiful! ||

March

March 1, __2012__ I have been making the most of the weekends here in Melbourne! Aaron and I are trying to experience as much as we can. The weather is lovely, and has given us the chance to see and do many wonderful things so far. I do miss everyone at home and at South Devon and think about you all the __time__! I have a lovely group of __students__ - check out the Class Photos page to see the class! They are excited to read messages, see pictures, and add to the story from the Canadian kids. In many ways, the two groups of __students__ are very similar! Both are wonderful! I hope everyone at South Devon had a great "winter carnival" week and has a fantastic week off for March Break!


 * [[image:DSCN1150.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN1150.JPG"]] ||
 * We went to the Melbourne Zoo and saw some amazing animals! ||


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 * Melbourne Zoo ||


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 * Aaron and the elephant were waving at each other! ||


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 * This was in Inverloch. It was beautiful! ||


 * [[image:DSCN1352.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN1352.JPG"]] ||
 * We went to a koala conservation centre. We were quite close! They stayed very still because it was hot! ||


 * [[image:DSCN1403.JPG width="319" height="239" caption="DSCN1403.JPG"]] ||
 * The beaches are beautiful. A long way from the Canadian snow! ||


 * [[image:DSCN1327.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN1327.JPG"]] ||
 * We walked on a boardwalk along the water. These little penguins found some shade underneath! ||


 * [[image:DSCN1120.JPG width="320" height="240" caption="DSCN1120.JPG"]] ||
 * We also went to the art gallery. I saw two paintings by Monet and one by Kandinsky. It was exctiting to see something that the artists had actually painted! It reminded me of the field trip I took with the Canadian class to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. ||

Feb.1, __2012__ Hello Grade 2! I am so excited to talk to you! I miss you so much! I think about you all every day, and I wonder how you are doing. I have had a busy month in Australia and New Zealand and I am learning many new things. I had some adventures in New Zealand. I went “zorbing” (rolling down a hill in a huge ball) and I went inside a cave with glow worms hanging from the ceiling. New Zealand was a very beautiful __country__ with lots of hills and mountains. We went to a place where it is so hot under the ground that the volcanic steam comes up out of the earth. Miss Temple’s city, Melbourne, is a great place, like Fredericton! It is much bigger than Fredericton, and I have had to learn how to use trains and trams to get places. I have also done much more walking because it is so much larger than Fredericton. Today on my walk home I saw a bird that reminded me of Mr Bauer's parrot, Rosie! It was pink and grey, and didn't mind me getting close to it and taking a picture! I have posted the picture below, so maybe you could show Mr. Bauer later. I __start__ teaching my new students on Friday. I will have Grade 2, Grade 1, and Kindergarten! I am a bit nervous (like when I started with you in September), but I am sure things will go well, just like they did with you! I have set up my new classroom with many of the same things as are in your classroom. I have a word wall and a million dollar word wall, classroom helper __jobs__, and a smart board. I am finding out many things that are different too. The students here will eat their lunch outside! I think it might be too cold for that at South Devon! Instead of calling me Mrs. McAllister, they will call me Kristy! I have many things I want to know about all of you! I am wondering how all of your sports are going, and what you are reading and writing about. I am wondering about your families and your friends. I also want to know all about what you have been doing with Miss Temple! I can’t wait until our two classes can write to each other. I miss you all! Say hi to all the adults and other students for me! Love, Mrs. McAllister


 * [[image:DSCN0520.JPG width="400" height="300" caption="DSCN0520.JPG"]] ||
 * New Zealand is actually two big islands. We traveled on a boat between the two. I took this picture from the boat. ||


 * [[image:DSCN0671.JPG width="400" height="300" align="right" caption="DSCN0671.JPG"]] ||
 * Here is a picture of the volcanic steam! ||


 * [[image:DSCN0737.JPG width="400" height="300" align="left" caption="DSCN0737.JPG"]] ||
 * New Zealand has lots of sheep! ||


 * [[image:DSCN0683.JPG width="480" height="311" align="right" caption="DSCN0683.JPG"]] ||
 * This is called zorbing. We did this! ||


 * [[image:2012-01-31_16.32.29.jpg width="320" height="286" align="left" caption="2012-01-31_16.32.29.jpg"]] ||
 * This bird reminded me of Mr. Bauer's pet, Rosie! ||