China – landed
Dear friends and families of the China group,
They have landed and are home! They are about to enter customs so we expect their arrival back at school to be more like 12pm.
See you there to welcome them home.
Luisa Ingram
URBAN DOMAIN 2024
China- homeward bound
Dear Parents and Families of our China travellers,
Not long now! Flight MU737 is scheduled to land on time. We expect to see the group back at the school gates around 11am.
Looking forward to their safe arrival home.
Luisa Ingram.
Temples day 16
As Big Experience comes to an end, we are all experiencing mixed emotions. We have grown to love the culture of both Laos and Cambodia, but can’t wait to get home and see our loved ones.
Today we embarked on our final adventure through the ancient town of Luang Prabang. In the morning we received a surprise itinerary, with checkpoints located throughout the city. We began at the wet market, and made our way through the hectic maze of goods. We were confronted with the local delicacies, including pig feet, pigs blood and buffalo skin. We then continued on our Tuk-tuks through the town’s stadium, a spectacular lily pond sanctuary, all the way to Mount Phousy, where we were faced with the treacherous white railed stairs. We finished our journey at a magnificent temple, where we raced in our vans to the finishing point. Our hard work was rewarded with a lovely meal.
Our final activity to conclude our amazing journey, was a heart-warming visit to a local secondary school. We were greeted by a long line of joyful students along the school entrance. After hearing about the school and its history, we were taken for a tour of the school’s classrooms. We were astounded to discover that some classes held 75 students. We exchanged songs, including our school hymn. We then mingled with the bubbly students, and were amazed to discover how many of them spoke English, when we could not speak a word of Laotian. We then donated a range of school supplies and equipment that was greatly appreciated by the staff.
We were all touched by how much our small donation could improve the lives of the students so greatly. Whilst they received a major benefit, we were also filled with a sense of pride and fulfilment. We realised how lucky we are to live in such a privileged society, and how much these simple gifts could go such a long way. It was the perfect way to conclude our adventurous journey filled with community service and new friendships. On our final stretch, we are looking forward to our families and our homes.
Alistair Fothergill, Olivia Glavis and Emily Dare
Vietnam Orange Day 16
Strange Things Happen When You’re Going ‘Round The Twist’
Have you ever felt like this? When your foreign journey is coming to an end, and the bittersweet nostalgia of Paul Jenning’s novels are tormenting you with a sweet reminder of home. In many ways our last full day has been an amalgamation of the trip; referencing our past adventures in Hue, Ho Chi Minh, Mekong Delta, and Hoi An.
We started the day relaxedly by going to the Temple of Literature, the first university to be founded in Vietnam. It was originally constructed for the royals by the royals and was picturesque and ornate and had a long history like Hue. We hurried off to the Hoa Lo Prison, nicknamed the ‘Hanoi Hilton’ by the prisoners there. Entering the Australian Embassy was a taste of home and excited us all for our return journey as well as being an insight into Australia’s Foreign presence. For dinner we dressed up in our Monday finest which reminded us of our times in Hoi An and foreshadowed our return to Australia and our newfound maturity.
In all, this trip has been a truly rewading experience with valuable lessons learnt. Tonight we had some time to reflect on this…
Thiago Claus: I’ve learnt how independent I can be and how I can easily do things by myself without the assistance of others.
Matt Newman: I’ve learnt that I adapt to new cultures quickly and I am able to gather a good understanding of the country I am in. I have also learnt that Vietnamese food tastes better in Vietnam :).
Bailey Allen: I’ve learnt that even with a language barrier between Australians and the Vietnamese we can still build such an amazing thing for people that have so little. I have also learnt how to manage my money properly and to look at every shop for the lowest price instead of just buying the first thing I see.
Amy Lyon: I’ve learnt that when Miss Southey and Mr Hyde ask me “do you have your backpack / camera / fan / hotel key / water?” it means that I probably don’t have my backpack / camera / fan / hotel key / water. I’ve also learnt that I have become a significantly more independent person.
Rhys Siebert: I’ve learnt that I can try new things and that I can push my boundaries; I have eaten new foods and tried new activities that I never thought I could do like abseiling.
Nick Adshead: I’ve learnt that placing myself above people does not make me better than them.
Jay Mautone: I’ve learnt that I was not the most grateful person back in Melbourne and that this trip has changed me.
Aaron Herlinger: I’ve learnt to be more independent with my decisions over the course of the trip.
Jack Keenan: I’ve learnt that I truly value the geographical, cultural and economic position I have in Melbourne and I now clearly recognise the privilege that I have been bestowed with since my birth.
Meg Cairns: I’ve learnt that even if you don’t speak the same language as someone you can make a great connection with them and still have a great friendship.
Max Bruten: I’ve learnt that I can build relationships regardless of prior prejudice, values and languages.
Imogen O’Leary Quereshi: I’ve learnt that I sometimes overthink things and don’t do a certain activity because I think too much about it. This trip I have learnt to just jump into things with two feet forward and enjoy the feeling of achievement.
Jessi Esplan: I’ve learnt being away from family this long is harder than I expected and to keep positive I need to hang around people who are giving out positive energy.
Grace Viglione: I’ve learnt that when you’re in a different country, it’s really good to take in every chance you have to try new things even if you’re not completely comfortable doing it.
Duncan McKenzie: I’ve learnt that despite the circumstances, patience is always pivotal. Even when things aren’t going your way, complaining and trying to fix it will never prevail.
Noah Jaffrey: I’ve learnt despite the fact that you may not understand the language of the people around you, it is still possible to enjoy your time and build good relationships with others.
Ry’annah Hack: I’ve learnt that your independence is much harder to control whilst in a foreign country.
Elise Kervin: I’ve learnt that my tastes have changed since previous years and trying new foods benefited me. I also tried abseiling again and I learnt that it is a great thrill.
Rose Jowett Smith: I’ve learnt that I can face my fears which I think is something this trip has given me. A fear of heights has put me in many difficult situations but when I found myself at the top of a cliff with nothing but a rope and a harness I decided that I had to just do the terrifying thing and lean backwards over the abyss. Although I wouldn’t say it has eliminated my phobia or that I would even do it again, I think it has shown me that I can do anything if I trust myself.
We are all disappointed that it’s coming to a close, but the image of our eagerly awaiting parents in our minds couldn’t make us happier.
Nick, Max, Jack.
Vietnam Yellow: Day 16 – Ho Chi Minh City
Today started off with An Amazing Race through the streets of Saigon. Four teams competed against each other to answer questions about the history and culture of the city, whilst navigating their way from the hotel to the post office, the market and the Saigon Sky Deck. The lucky winners were treated to a special lunch of delicious burgers.
After lunch we visited the War Remants Museum, an interesting and sometimes confronting history of the Vietnam War. 
In the evening we set off for our final dinner together in Vietnam, where many of us cooked our meals on barbecue plates in the middle of the table. Everyone is sad that the trip is nearly over but looking forward to being home very soon. 
LC Pagodas – Day 15
The day began groggily as some of us sipped on coffee to wake us up for the adventurous day ahead. Upon arriving at the elephant reserve, half of us unsteadily sat on the elephants as the other half fed them their morning snacks. According to the manager of the reserve, elephants eat for up to 20 hours a day! After parading around on the elephants and providing them with lots of attention, we headed off to get something to eat.
Following lunch, we headed up a small hill to discover the ABPC (Asian Bear Protection Centre) and the breath-taking three tiered waterfalls. Unfortunately we could not swim in the glistening water; nevertheless we stood on the bridge where the large waterfall sprayed water droplets across our faces.
Our next destination was the Mong Hill Tribe village, here we learnt about how they lived and about their personal lives. After speaking to two women, we learnt that one got married at the age of 15 and had her first child at the age of 16, which is her age currently. The next woman explained how she got married to her husband whom she met at school and they currently just had their 3rd child. She is 25 years old and her husband is 35. Amongst the village, there seemed to be less elderly and more youth. It has been proven that Laotian men live up the age of 64 and women live up to the age of 67.
Once again we visited the Laos night market and explored the isles of colourful shops lined up in front of the Royal Palace where we had previously visited. The night ended with hype about the great race that will be taking place tomorrow, going to sleep now to prepare for our last day in Laos. See you all soon…
Written by ACDC (Anita Condello & Daniel Choi)
