Exploring the Pilbara

No wonder some of you think I'm always on holidays~ it's all I ever write about! Last term was a busy term for me, and I spent a lot of time in front of the computer preparing reports for the end of semester one. I also tried to meet with as many of my students' parents as possible before reports were sent home, so there would be no surprises. I simply didn't have the time or the motivation to write anything for the blog. We'll see if things slow down a bit in Term 3, which is ten weeks long.

The first two weeks have passed rather quickly. We had two days of professional development to start, with some sessions on the new Australian Curriculum for English and Maths (Each state in Australia used to have its own curriculum, however they are currently transitioning to a country-wide curriculum, which means I am teaching AC English, Maths and History (Social Studies), but Western Australian Syllabus Art, Technology & Enterprise and Health). We also had the opportunity to check out the new Leisureplex, a $63.7 million dollar recreation facility that boasts a 25m pool, a 50m pool, a splash park, a variety of different indoor and outdoor sport courts (we played badminton and beach volleyball), glow in the dark mini golf, a fitness centre and a cafe. I had gone to the open house at the end of June and it really is quite spectacular, especially for a town the size of Karratha (population ~20 000). It is similar to the Terwillegar Rec Centre, although a bit smaller and the pools are outdoors. They also held an outdoor concert during opening weekend featuring Pete Murray, a well known Australian singer songwriter. It was a unique concert experience as we sat in plastic lawn chairs on the outdoor basketball court- can't say I've done that before! The remaining three days with the kids went by fast. I got my first birthday gift from a student (it's the first time my birthday was (almost) during the term- it was on the Saturday after term 2 was over), which was very sweet. It felt a bit odd to be teaching in July, but then it felt odd to be teaching in February when it was 40 degrees Celsius outside too.

Source

The beginning of July meant my parents were making the long haul flight to come visit me in Australia. They left Edmonton on June 29 on the first of five flights to Karratha. After flying through Calgary, Los Angeles, Sydney and Perth, where they had two days to walk around and see the sights, they finally made it the evening of July 3. Still a little jet-lagged, we had a good catch up over dinner, although Mom fell asleep looking at my photographs of New Zealand on my laptop! The following day I had to work, so they explored Karratha on foot until I arrived home just after 3pm. We set off for Deep Gorge to check out the Indigenous rock art found there. I had been the week before on my own and had spotted maybe a dozen or so petroglyphs, but with Mom and Dad we found way more. Dad was like a mountain goat, climbing up on the rocks to get better photographs and he seemed to enjoy it much more that I had thought he would. There were a couple of Grey Nomads (Australia's equivalent to Canada's Snowbirds) there as well, and everybody was pointing out what they saw to the others.

 Handprints

 Reminds me of a scarecrow

 A boomerang

 A turtle

Leaving the Gorge, we saw some euros (defined as a stocky kangaroo by the Karratha Visitor Centre), which were the first native animals my parents had seen since arriving in Australia. Very exciting, but they were very quick~ Dad might have caught a picture, but I certainly didn't (didn't help that I was driving)! We continued down the road to the shelly beach at Hearson's Cove, which Mom really loved. It was already dusk and we didn't stay long. Driving back past Deep Gorge, I spotted something moving across the road~ it was an echidna! Echidnas are egg laying mammals of the monotreme order, as are platypuses. I had seen them before, in Tasmania and Victoria, but several Australians have told me they've never seen one, so that made it even more special. It kept burrowing its head, but if we were still it would pop its head out and progress a little further. Very cute!

Our echidna!

The next day we headed off to Point Samson, 50 kilometres east of Karratha. We had Honeymoon Cove all to ourselves, quite a change from the last time I had been there in March when it was packed. Someone had left what looked like a petrified fish on one of the wooden fence posts. It was leathery and a bit square shaped. The picture doesn't do it justice.

We also went to Point Samson Beach where Dad dipped his feet wet in the Indian Ocean for the first time. Afterwards we headed to Tata's for lunch~ chicken fajitas for Mom and I and fish fajitas for Dad. Sorry, Danielle Sasaki, no food pictures, although they looked amazing and tasted delicious!

We checked out Cossack, an historical town with many restored buildings dating from the late 19th century. The Pilbara gold rush brought thousands of fortune seekers here, and pearling used to be a big industry before it moved further north to Broome. My students had come here on an all-day field trip in year 3 to learn about the history of the area. It reminds me a bit of Fort Edmonton, but only because the buildings have all been restored~ there aren't any interpreters (I don't think, maybe they do something with school programs that I haven't heard about).

We then drove past Karratha and headed to Dampier which, according to last year's census data, is the richest town in Australia with 22% of households earning $4000 or more per week (Karratha, by the way, is second with 19% of households earning $4000 or more per week). It is the world's second largest bulk export port, exporting iron ore, salt and liquified natural gas, among other things. It is also home to the famous Red Dog, a Kelpie cross famous for hitching rides and travelling all over the Pilbara (the region on North West Australia where Karratha and Dampier are found). Nicole had taken me to see the Red Dog statue in Dampier in March, but I still hadn't seen the 2011 movie (remedied the following night, thanks to Leesa). We stopped at the statue, took the requisite photo, made a loop around town and ended up at the palms.

Back in March, with temps close to 40, Red Dog was HOT!

The palms~ hard to see in this photo, but there's a lovely patch of grass underneath, great for sun baking, reading a good book, hanging out with friends...

We drove out to Milstream Chichester National Park on Saturday. I hadn't yet been, but had heard good things about Python Pool, so off we went. Two hours later (and after stopping to take pictures of termite mounds), we found ourselves at Mount Herbert, a must climb for my father, whose name is Herbert. Thankfully for my Dad, Australian mountains are very short and we summited in less than 15 minutes (oh, how I miss hiking in the Rockies!). Great views from the top though, I do love the contrasting colours of the Pilbara. Python Pool was our lunch stop. It was a tranquil spot that we had all to ourselves, at least until the five Grey Nomads arrived. Driving back we stopped at Miaree Pool for a quick look (I can see why kids would love it during the hot summer months), and then parked at the Leisureplex so we could climb the hill behind for a sunset view of Karratha. 

Standing in front of a termite mound

Herbert about to summit his namesake

View from the top

Python Pool

Karratha~ My house is somewhere in the centre

We returned home and settled in to watch Red Dog. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, might even have to buy it as my souvenir of the Pilbara. If you're looking for a good Australian film, I definitely recommend it. It's actually available at the Edmonton Public Library, Jay Shack and Ray Tubbs! Check it out, you'll be able to see the region where I've been living the last six months!

In the morning, after packing, we were invited to my friend Robyn's house for morning tea. Robyn is an amazing quilter and I thought Mom would like to see some of her work (I wish I had a photo to show you, they are works of art). Robyn's husband Gary and my Dad talked on one end of the table while the women chatted about travel, family, quilts and fabric. Seeing Robyn's sewing room with the variety of fabrics, as well as her finished quilts (especially the one she made after travelling through the Kimberley) inspired Mom to pick up some Indigenous art fabric from a store in Alice Springs, something she's never done before. I'm looking forward to seeing what she creates with it. Thanks Robyn and Gary for the lovely visit!

The first part of our four part holiday was over. We had a 1:30 flight out of Karratha to Brisbane, via Perth of course. We had a three day sailing trip in the beautiful Whitsundays booked for Tuesday and I, for one, couldn't wait to set sail. Thanks, Jenny, for getting us to the airport in time and for picking me up at the end of my holiday as well. It was over much too quickly!

April School Holidays, Part I

One of the big differences between schooling in Alberta and schooling in Western Australia is the school year itself. In most schools in Alberta, we start school in late August/early September, we teach until Christmas break, which is two weeks long, then we teach again until the end of March, when we get one week off for Spring Break. Three more months of teaching follow, with school ending the last week of June, and then we get almost two months of holidays before beginning another school year. In WA, the school year starts at the beginning of February, we teach for 11 weeks, then we get a two week holiday in April. That's followed by a 9 week term and another two week holiday in July. Term 3 lasts until the end of September with another two week break, and the final term goes until Christmas, or December 20th this year. This is why I was able to enjoy four weeks in New Zealand before starting Term 1 and why I just returned from holidays prior to starting Term 2 last week. At this stage, I'm enjoying Australia's school year better, but ask me in August, when I'll be teaching and all of my Canadian colleagues will be on holiday and I might have a different opinion!

For April school holidays, I knew before I arrived in Karratha that I wanted to visit Cape Leveque, which is 200km north of Broome. When I was in WA before, I participated in an Australian Conservation Volunteers program in the Bungle Bungles. Our program leader had led a volunteer group in Cape Leveque and had shared photos with us of the experience. Its stunning beauty really stuck in my head and when I knew I would be living in Karratha, I couldn't not go. Once that was organized, I decided to spend the time before and after the tour in Broome and the week prior to the tour in Perth. Check out the map to find Karratha, Broome, Cape Leveque and Perth.

Source

I flew out of Karratha Friday night and arrived in Perth around 9:30pm. I took a taxi from the domestic airport to Claremont, where Emma's parents, Georgi and Simon, live. I would be staying with them for my week in Perth. Emma is my exchange partner. She is living in my condo in Edmonton and teaching my former grade 4 students at Esther Starkman School. I had met Emma's parents when I had arrived from Auckland and had one night with them before departing for Karratha. They were very kind and welcoming and I was excited to see them again. I knew I would have a fantastic week in Perth. 

My first day with Georgi and Simon was very educational~ I learned all about AFL, or the Australian Football League. Georgi cheers for the Fremantle Dockers and Simon cheers for the West Coast Eagles, and there was a double header that day, so we watched both games. It's a very fast moving game, with lots of action. While I'm still unsure of all the rules, I did enjoy watching the games (the men aren't bad to look at either!) and I hope I get the opportunity to watch one live at some point this year. Check out this Youtube clip for highlights from a Dockers and Eagles game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogOeSWcaijQ

On Sunday, after a lovely breakfast with Georgi and Simon's friends, Rob and Sheryl, I took the train to Fremantle. South of Perth, Freo is an artsy, heritage district with some of WA's oldest buildings. I had been before, but it was good to go again and I was looking forward to visiting the markets. After lunch at Gino's, I walked to the Round House, the oldest surviving building in WA. Built in 1831, the 12 sided stone prison was the site of the colony's first hangings. I also went to the Maritime Museum, where I saw the Australia II, the yacht that won the America's Cup in 1983 (a huge deal because it broke America's 132 year winning streak), and Megamouth, a species of shark with a very big mouth (hence the name!) of which only five have been found. 

The next day I took the train into Perth's CBD and walked up to Northbridge to visit the Art Gallery of Western Australia. They had an exhibit from the Museum of Modern Art in New York titled Picturing New York. It was a collection of black and white photographs by artists like Walker Evans, Alfred Stieglitz and Weegee, and it was excellent. The Year 12 Perspectives was also worthwhile with some very interesting pieces. Following lunch, I took a walk through the CBD to the Esplanade and then walked to Kings Park, one of my favourite places in Perth. Walking around the city brought back memories of when I housesat and worked in Subiaco. I remembered how much I loved Perth, how beautiful the parks, rivers and ocean are. I couldn't help thinking what my exchange experience would be like if I were placed in Perth, where the majority of the other exchange teachers in WA are. It would have been different, that's for sure, for lots of different reasons.

The view of Perth from Kings Park

Tuesday I met up with Sandy, a teacher who had done an exchange to Edmonton in 2011 to my old high school, Harry Ainlay, of all places. She had offered surfing lessons to the current group of exchange teachers in WA back in March, but because I'm up in Karratha I couldn't join them. I contacted her and explained my situation and she very kindly offered to teach me when I came down to Perth over April school holidays. We drove to Trigg Beach, put on wetsuits (the water is much cooler down south than it is up around Karratha) and jumped in. Two hours later, I still hadn't stood up, but I had a ton of fun. Paddling, riding the waves in, getting to my knees~ it was all part of the experience. I came close and maybe next time I try it I'll be successful. Sandy was a great teacher and had lots of pointers, I just wasn't coordinated enough to put it all together. Afterwards, we went for lunch and then drove to Hillarys Boat Harbour. We talked about our exchanges and how tough it can be to settle in to our new lives while on exchange. In so many ways you feel like a first year teacher again. There's a steep learning curve at the beginning and while it does get easier, it's still an uphill battle. It was reassuring to hear that her experience was similar to mine, that I wasn't the only one who feels a bit lost at times. It was awesome to talk to someone who had been through an exchange before, it really helped me put things into perspective.

Rottnest Island is 18km from Perth and I had not been before, so on Wednesday I took the 7:15 ferry and hired a bicycle to ride the 24km around the island. There are 63 beaches and 20 bays on Rottnest, which makes it a great getaway from the city, especially on a beautiful day like I had. I started in Thomson Bay, where the ferry arrived just after 8am, had a little walk around the settlement and hired my bike. I stopped at the Kingstown Barracks, then make my way to Parker Point and Little Salmon Bay. Both are known for their snorkelling, but I hadn't brought my gear with me as I thought the water might be too cold (it was, after all, autumn). I continued riding, heading to Cape Vlamingh, the western most point of the island. It was gorgeous! After taking some photos, I hopped back on my bike and went on to Ricey Beach, where I stopped to have a rest, a read and soak up the atmosphere. There were only two other families on the beach, so it was almost like having your own private place to relax. I was getting hungry so I rode on to Geordie Bay, the other settlement on the island. After a delicious lunch at the cafe, I backtracked to Parakeet Bay, where I braved the cold water and went for a swim. It was very refreshing! I make one last stop at Pinky Beach and the Bathurst Lighthouse before biking back to Thomson Bay to drop off my bike. I missed going into the museum, which explains Rottnest's history as a prison for Aboriginal boys and men in the 1800's, and as an internment camp for German, Austrian and Italian men during World War I and World War II. Walking around Rottnest is a treat. There are no cars, just a bus that makes its way around the island for those who don't like to cycle. All the buildings, including the cottages, are historic and you feel like you stepped back in time when you debark the ferry. I can understand why many Perth families escape to Rotto for the weekend.

 A map of the island

One of the beautiful bays

A quokka, a small marsupial found on Rottnest 

(hard to tell from the photo, but they're about the size of a cat)

My last day in Perth was ANZAC Day. ANZAC is the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps and every year on April 25th, Australians and New Zealanders remember those that fought and died in war. April 25th is the day the ANZAC soldiers landed in Gallipoli, in present day Turkey, and met with fierce resistance from the Ottoman Empire. Thousands died in the eight month campaign and and every year since there has been in ANZAC dawn service to commemorate the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island soldiers who died in battle. ANZAC Day seems to hold more importance then Remembrance Day, although I found the two holidays very similar. We had a service at school and the students made wreaths with poppies, just like we do for Remembrance Day in Canada. There was a service at Kings Park in Perth that was very well attended, but I had a lazy morning and slept in, so I didn't make it. I had been to the war memorial there on Monday, it was beautiful.

source

In the afternoon, I visited the Millpoint Caffe Bookshop (http://www.millpointbookcaffe.com.au/millpointcafe/Home.htm) in South Perth, managed by Adam, Rob and Sheryl's son. It was a cozy place with a really good vibe and I was quite happy to browse the shelves for a long while. Adam shared a couple of publisher copies of books so that I would have something to read on Cable Beach, which was very kind of him. They were both entertaining reads and well worth the space they took up in my backpack. At Georgi and Simon's that evening we had another delicious meal~ Simon really knows how to cook and had impressed me each night with something different and delicious. My dad could take lessons, especially now that he is retired! I'm going to miss his cooking; I haven't eaten that well since leaving home in December.

I left Perth the next morning for Broome, but those adventures are for another entry. Back in Karratha now and there's definitely been a weather change. Today it rained all day and the temperature was actually below 20 degrees Celsius (I didn't think it got that cold up here, but apparently it does). All the kids were wearing jumpers (hoodies) and complaining about the cold. I couldn't help but laugh as the kids back home would shed their jackets at the same temperature. I'm enjoying the cooler weather though, my run this morning was awesome! I don't think it's going to stick around long, but it's nice to have a change for awhile.