Grafton

Byron Bay was the place of exchange.  We all decided that Byron Bay was a fantastic town and we enjoyed a wonderful meal by the sea with our new friends to be.  Once again it was time to leave behind new friends.  Lunch was a fascinating mix of conversation and laughs.  We are never short on laughs, usually at the expense of at least one of us. 

Judy (another friendly face) with Jenn and Larry

After lunch it was time to gather in another van and head to the next destination.  We had moments to change and prepare for our Grafton presentation.  The Grafton Midday and Grafton clubs combined for a meeting, which allowed us to enjoy meeting members from both clubs.  Exchange students, fines, pineapples, and great conversation made for a wonderful evening.  Our presentation was right on and was followed by questions from the members.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the exchange of ideas.

Waters are finally down after the flood

Tuesday, March 15^th was a day of interesting learning opportunities as we each ventured out on vocational visits.  Again, we each have our own stories to share regarding the specific experiences and we can say that we are not short on new experiences.  Jennifer had the opportunity to see a variety of classes, including several Japanese.  Students across the world share many commonalities, and it was interesting to discover that good teaching looks the same no matter where you are.

Our evening consisted of time with our lovely host families.  Laughter and good conversation was shared, as well as a chance to see how people of Grafton really spend their evenings.  It is such a wonderful opportunity to actually be in the homes of Australians, and to experience daily life.  This is part of GSE that truly makes it unique and allows us to really understand the similarities and differences that we share.



Jennifer with Richard, Jane, and Friends



Team time is also an important part of this experience, allowing us to exchange stories and to ensure that we are staying on track with our presentations.  We had a few moments Wednesday morning to regroup and then to do a little sightseeing and shopping in the local mall. 

Lunch meant another opportunity for us to share our story with Grafton Midday at their meeting.  We discussed a variety of experiences and as always enjoyed the company of the Rotarians.  After lunch, we did a very quick photo shoot and then took a lovely afternoon walk over the bridge.

Walking through the fig trees to Judy’s house was one of those moments that you remember.  Pictures truly cannot capture the beauty that surrounded us.  An afternoon on the water was before us and we could not wait to take the kayaks for a turn.  And with our group, you just never know what will happen.  Water fights, chasing each other and stolen paddles completed our afternoon on the water.  We then prepared ourselves for another goodbye gathering.

Prawns, laughter (have we mentioned that we exceed our daily dose of laughter everyday?!), guitar music and beautiful memories lasted into the darkness.  As another evening passed, we hugged our goodbyes and sent well wishes to those that would not join us the next morning.  

The morning began with a group gathering to load luggage and to say another round of goodbyes.  Richard and Jane then took us for a peaceful drive toward our next destination.  We took moments to see several sights along the way before finally meeting our next group of hosts at Washpool National Park.  We were given a guided tour through the trees, took time to climb around in a stream, and to allow extra time for Kristen to meet a leech.  These little guys seem to find us wherever we go (count is Kristen=1, Larry=1 ½).

Next stop…Glenn Innes.