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Dear Mrs Rogers’ and Miss Miles’ classes,

We are Grandma and Grandpa to David and Reuben and we are going to Australia to meet our other two grandchildren, Henry is 9 and Rosie is just over 1 and toddling now. They live outside Melbourne but we are not going to stay with them there. We are camping with them during their winter school break. The seasons are opposite to ours. What season is it in Australia when it is winter here? Is Christmas hot or cold in Australia?

We are flying from Newcastle Airport, stopping first in Dubai, then Singapore and finally arriving in Sydney, Australia. There are two very large structures situated at Sydney harbour. Look at this photograph and you can see them both. One looks like a sailing ship with sails but it is a building. Can you sing? You might be able to perform there on stage. What is it called?

Where are Australia, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra (the capital city of Australia)? Here are some maps. Maybe you have a globe in your classroom to look at.

On this map, look in the South East corner of Australia near to the coast and find Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

We land in Sydney on Saturday at 5.30am local time. Is it day or night in England then? Later that morning we will collect a campervan from a company called Britz. It will be quite small, but big enough for us to travel and sleep in. There is a card showing the type of campervan with your teacher and also a cool tattoo transfer for each of you that shows a lizard. Our “Aussie” grandchildren have a blue tongued lizard which lives in their garden under a water tank. These lizards are not poisonous and they do not bite but they do run very quickly!
We will drive towards the west and arrive in Canberra that evening at a camping place. We will be very tired indeed because it takes more than a day to reach Sydney by air from Newcastle and then we drive for about three hours to reach Canberra. Look at Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney on the map. Is it a longer drive from Melbourne to Canberra than from Sydney to Canberra? Compare the two distances.

Our grandchildren (Henry and Rosie) will come with their Mum and Dad and their trailer to meet us on Sunday at the same camping place we are. We will do sightseeing in the capital for a couple of days. Henry has decided some places he would like to go with us and we’ll tell you about them when we write to you next week.
Maybe we will see some of these Australian animals as we drive from Sydney to Canberra. Do you recognise any of them? Can you say “platypus”?

G’Day from David and Reuben’s Grandma and Grandpa



Dear Mrs Rogers’ and Miss Miles’ classes,

This is David and Reuben’s Grandma and Grandpa sending another letter from Australia. We landed safely at Sydney Airport on Saturday morning (Friday evening your time in Norton). We took a taxi on a short drive to pick up the campervan from Britz that we were to use to live and travel in for the next 2 weeks.

We were met by very pleasant staff and were eventually introduced to our campervan. It is a model called Hi-Top because it has a high top to provide room for us to stand up in. You can see it in this photograph. It was new in fact and we also noticed the unusual registration number it had - 1HI 8US. It is a real registration number but it can be read as “one high bus”.



This is a photograph of our campervan which we have nicknamed Bertie. You will see him in quite a few photographs as we visit places. The smiling face is the girl from reception who explained everything – but we had to listen carefully like you must to your teachers! Read the number plate .

We drove from Sydney to Canberra, which took us about 4 hours since we stopped for lunch at a café. We eventually reached the camping ground and stopped at the reception office to check in and realised that immediately in front of us was the trailer belonging to Henry and Rosie’s Mum and Dad. Henry and Rosie are the cousins of Reuben and David and they see and talk with them on Skype quite often from Norton.

Henry is wearing the new cardigan that his Grandma knitted for him. Rosie has a new “Grandma” jumper too, but she is not wearing it in this picture.

Henry says “Hi” to you all.

On Sunday we visited the National Exhibition Centre in Canberra (the capital city of Australia) and learned how “somewhere in nowhere” was chosen to be the site if the new capital city and not a place that was already built. Exhibitions are interesting places where you learn by looking but also doing.

We visited the Royal Mint of Australia next. It is not something you can suck (!!) but it is where the Australian coins are made. You can see it happen and there are robots helping to lift and move big steel containers full of coins. There is a Royal Mint in the London too, of course.



Many things in Australia are just like in England, and they have the same Queen Elizabeth. Many other countries like New Zealand, India and Canada are members of the Commonwealth – it is like a family of countries.



Early on Monday morning Henry was standing near the front wheels of Bertie close to some puddles because there had been heavy rain that night. Suddenly he noticed something by the wheel – it was a leather wallet completely wet through. It was Grandpa’s and it must have fallen from his pocket as he climbed out of the driver’s seat. Henry might be getting a few ice creams as a reward!! In the photograph, Henry is holding the wallet with water dripping out. Henry was still in his pyjamas!

On Monday morning we visited the National Science Museum which was full of great fun things to do. Here is Bertaie parked outside in front of a FUNDIAL – a sundial but not like any sundial we have seen before. Unfortunately, the sun was not shining. Inside the museum was a robot that looked like a spider. A huge spider as you can see! But it wasn’t real we are glad to say.

We also listened and watched two talks on science in a large room like a cinema. One was about the story of water. A teacher did many exciting experiments that made loud bangs. We had to put our hands over our ears!

BANG!



This was great fun for Henry, Henry’s Dad and Henry’s Grandpa!

We got to put silk handkerchiefs into large curly tubes with air blowing through them that carried the handkerchiefs along to come out at different places high in the ceiling of the museum rather like parachutes.



In the afternoon we visited the Australian Parliament building. It is set on a hill overlooking a lake. There are Members of Parliament just like ours, and Senators who are like the people in our House of Lords.

We saw the crest of Australia which has a kangaroo and an emu on it. You can see the crest in the photograph, with Rosie and Henry in front. Bertie is not in this picture because he was parked in the underground car park. We learnt that kangaroos and emus cannot walk backwards as we can. They can only walk forwards. This represents the idea of Australia always wishing to progress and move forward. Australians are proud of their crest and of their flag which is at the top of the front page

We were very tired and slept well on Monday night. Today is Tuesday and we have driven across to the coast to a seaside place where we are at a camp site where Henry and Rosie can play on the beach. We will tell you more about this next time we write to you.

Goodbye for now from David and Reuben’s Grandma and Grandpa

These birds are Rosellas. There were many where we were camping.



Henry and Rosie liked coming in to Bertie in the morning to snuggle up with Grandma whilst Grandpa was showering. Rosie would look through the back window to watch the birds.

Here is Bertie in his camp place and the building is our own "en suite" bathroom. We had one in Canberra too. Henry and Rosie were camping next door.





Dear Mrs Morgan’s and Miss Whittaker’s classes,

This is David and Reuben’s Grandma and Grandpa’s third letter from Australia. We are travelling with Rosie and Henry, our youngest and oldest grandchildren and their Mum and Dad. They have a truck and a camping trailer. We have Bertie our campervan in which we sleep and can cook.


On Tuesday we left Canberra (Australia’s Capital City) which is inland and headed to the coast below Sydney called Kiama. Our campsite was set in trees on land jutting out into the sea. There was a good play area for H & R with views over the sandy bay. People were using surf boards to ride the waves



Whoosh!!!!

At Kiama there are two blow holes to visit on the cliffs. Blow holes are holes downwards through the rock to the sea itself. The pressure of the waves forces water up through the hole as a jet. They make quite a booming noise too.

Whales spout water like this! We are to go whale watching on Sunday because at this time of year whales make their way up the coast to where the sea is warmer near Brisbane. There is also a lighthouse nearby. What does a lighthouse do? Does anyone live there? Why are they round and not square? We spent two nights at Kiama near the beach and we had fish and chips too! Which town in North Yorkshire is famous for Captain James Cook and fish and chips? WHITBY!!

We left Kiama on Thursday morning going to Booderee national park at Jervis Bay. On the way we stopped at a place where we looked for fossils in the rocks (just like we have done at Whitby). We saw the impressions in the rocks of fossil shells and plants but mainly we collected modern day shells!! It was great fun.

We arrived at Booderee national park and stopped at the information centre to find out where our camping spot was. It was 9 Green Place. It was in amongst all the trees, animals and birds, and on the edge of a bay with a beautiful golden beach. Here are some of the photographs, including Bertie in with his “off road” cousin. Australians often camp in the wild and along VERY rough tracks with huge dips and bumps. That is why Bertie’s cousin is so strong, with very big wheels and strong springs. But we were not anywhere like that! Nevertheless, to us from the UK it looked wild enough.

Henty, Rosie and Grandpa took a short walk soon after the camp was set up. We saw two wallabies. They are smaller than kangaroos but they look very similar. Look at the leg and foot of the wallaby in the second photograph. What big letter in the alphabet is it like? What about an “L”!

In the evening it was very dark and we heard many frogs croaking. During the night, the forest was very quiet. In the morning though the cries of the birds woke us up. We then saw some droppings (poo!) on a metal box which showed we had been visited by a possum in the night. We also saw a kookaburra in a tree. Can you see it in the last picture?

there is more to come, but for now goodbye from David and Reuben’s Grandma, Grandpa, Rosie and Henry

Dear Mrs Rogers’ and Miss Miles’ classes,

This is David and Reuben’s Grandma and Grandpa’s final letter from Australia. We have been travelling with Rosie and Henry, our other two grandchildren, and their Mum and Dad but two days ago we parted for them to return to their home outside Melbourne and us to go back to Sydney to hand our campervan Bertie back and to stay for 4 days in Sydney at a hotel near Sydney Harbour Bridge.

We found it difficult to locate our hotel whilst trying to follow the satnav and avoid bus lanes and detours. There is a lot of new building and renovation happening and that leads to complications with traffic. But we made it, unloaded our bags and then took Bertie to his “home”. We came back to Sydney city centre by bus and then train. The trains are double decker as you can see in the photograph.

After a wash and brush up at the hotel and a Skype conversation to Henry and Rosie who had arrived home, Grandpa walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunset to meet a friend John who lives in a tall apartment building overlooking the Bridge and the famous Luna Park with its Big Wheel. Here is a

photograph taken of the Bridge that night. Can you see the Big Wheel under the Bridge? Some people do the “Bridge Climb” over the top of the arch. It is safe with a guide but very expensive!! Across the harbour is the Sydney Opera House which looks like a ship with sails. There are some photos later.

John and Grandpa enjoyed talking together about some of the work they had done together over the years. John is an architect and Grandpa was an engineer. Meeting old friends is always good. In school you meet lots of friends every day! Yay!!!!

Next day we walked to Darling Harbour where there are many cafes and restaurants. It is the Australian winter but Grandma and Grandpa found it as warm as our summers at home! Australians have a winter Yule festival. Christmas is in their summer and they have barbecues instead of roast turkey! Yule marks their winter. There activities like ice skating and an artificial white forest. Take a look.

Does Grandpa look cold in this picture? He seems to be holding a packet of crisps (or chips as they are called in Australia)!

We also visited the Chinese Garden, a lovely peaceful place with ponds, pagodas and rocks

We sat in the garden under trees to protect us from the sun. Australians carefully protect themselves from too much sun because sun rays can be dangerous to skin.

We went into a big Chinese Market called Paddy’s where we bought David and Reuben some presents from Rosie and Henry’s parents. Maybe they will bring them to school for you to see but you must not throw them! What do you think they might be?

The next day was Sunday and we went on another double deck train out of Sydney to the Blue Mountains region. They are called the Blue Mountains because of the haze from eucalyptus trees in the distance. In this photograph there are 3 rock pillars – they are called the Three Sisters! Maybe it is because they belong together

Grandma and Grandpa visited the Scenic Park which is the site of old mining works at the bottom of the cliffs. To get there now you can ride on the world’s steepest railway or use the cable car. Fabulous!

On Monday we visited the Opera House and went on a ferry to Manly. The Opera House is wonderful with shell roofs that look like sails puffed out by the wind! From the Manly Ferry you can see both the Opera House and Bridge in one view.

It was a little overcast that day but it was still good weather. The sweet stall at Manly brightened the scene! Grandpa had an ice cream but not any sweets. Grandma had neither!

It is Tuesday now and nearly 1pm (you will be asleep in bed though zzzz . . .) and I am finishing this letter in the hotel lobby. We are soon to collect our bags and head by train to Sydney airport and a flight direct to Dubai and then on to Newcastle and home.

We have had a wonderful time and enjoyed being with Henry and Rosie (and Bertie too).

Goodbye, and thank you for reading or listening to this being read. Do thank your teachers for helping in this. We enjoyed writing these letters which are like the holiday projects you sometimes do at school. G’Day Mates.

David and Reuben’s Grandma and Grandpa

Dear Discovery, Britz and Grandparents who may read this!

The holiday has been a wonderful experience for us. Two weeks in a compact campervan (our friend Bertie 1HI 8US!) followed by 4 days in Sydney. We were in the company of our two grandkids and Mum & Dad. On previous occasions we stayed with the Aussie branch of our family near Melbourne. We saw granddaughter Rosie at 7 months and watched her emerge from wriggling to crawling and standing during our stay. How fortunate was that and how great to have those memories to sustain us for 6 months.

Obviously, we could not wait to be back and we did but decided with the family that the “winter” school break would be a good time to see them again and they suggested we consider hiring a campervan and travelling with them and their rig. They wanted our eldest grandson Henry, born in UK, to visit Canberra (part of his Australianisation, along with his speech!). Thus we booked flights and began to look at a campervan.

That is where Discovery Campervans came into the picture. No pressure from them, just sound advice to differentiate options. I asked our contact Lori if they had any giveaway goodies they could send for children in the two classes that my UK grandsons David and Reuben attend because I had offered to blog our adventure to the teachers. Unfortunately not, but they contacted Britz who kindly sent arm tattoos of the Britz emblem – 60 of them. We have on our return to UK today seen these on the upper arms of David and Reuben. I am told these have been there for some time despite the boys having regular baths! A case of messages sticking maybe?

Thus our journey, reunion, blog and fun began and has now ended as this letter to Discovery Campervans is started on a Qantas flight to Dubai, then on to Newcastle with Emirates to return home. Where is home? Near Whitby, on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors where we meet Aussies walking the Coast to Coast path, and many other nationalities. Whitby is important. A young sailor James Cook served an apprenticeship there and went on to discover for Europeans what Aboriginals already knew and which we now call Australia

We recommend a campervan (even a titch like Bertie) as a great way to enjoy family.

Best wishes,

Graham and Joan Storer

"Time and tide waits for no man" - not even the Endeavour, and just before 2pm on Monday 19 May 1997 the swing bridge across Whitby's narrow harbour opened to release the town's most prized visitor for 200 years or more. As high tide approached, the ship backed out of her mooring at Endeavour Wharf and threaded her way down the harbour to the distant piers and the open sea. The grey cold mist lifted high enough to clear the cliffs and revealed St Mary's Church flying the Australian flag from the top of her tower, whilst down its side hung a large sign bidding the ship "God Speed". [From a Captain Cook Society account of Whitby to Edinburgh sailing of the Endeavour replica].

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