Saturday was a day full of classic Australian fun. We began the day with a harbor cruise under gray skies and with blustery winds. Despite the weather, the harbor was beautiful and the cruise calm. Sailing under the harbor bridge, past the opera house and out along the beautiful harbor coastline reminiscent of a cross between Seattle and San Francisco, we enjoyed a spot of tea and carrot cake. We then had time to wander and eat lunch around Darling Harbor, a revitalized inner harbor area with numerous cafes, shops, and attractions similar to the inner harbor of Baltimore. After lunch we enjoyed a stupendous didgiridoo concert by Jeremy at the Outback Center, a young man who discovered his indigenous roots as a teen. He gave us a wonderful explanation of the elegant simplicity and inherent spirituality behind his amazing virtuosity. It was fun to try to mimic the sounds and techniques after the concert and I saw at least one didgiridoo find its way out of the shop with a new inspired owner.
As the drizzly afternoon continued we headed out to the suburbs by bus to Gledswood Homestead. After a bit of billy tea and damper we all tried our hand at boomerang throwing and stockman whip cracking. Everyone enjoyed encouraging each other in their attempts. Next we watched Meg, the sheep dog round up a herd of sheep and keep them in line. I overheard a discussion on the similarities between Meg's performance and that of a drum major's responsibility. Hmmm. We then were amazed by the dexterity and speed of the sheep shearing and the ability to keep the sheep somewhat catatonic during the whole process. A few lucky band members got to try their hand at shearing, a much more difficult task than it first appeared. We finished off the evening with a great BBQ dinner in the dining hall accompanied by some classic Australian and US cowboy songs some by one of the stockmen, with a bit of a sing along for several numbers. We closed with a bit of 'bush dancing,' which is the Australian version of square dancing as the host families came to collect the students. All in all it was a fantastically fun day full of wonderful memories.
Today was 'Family Day' for the students with a variety of plans from shopping, tourist sites, and rugby matches all on the list of things that were planned with different families. Wishing all the Dad's a very Happy Father's Day.
Lancer Mate
