How to Bring Diversity to the Classroom.

As we approach Australia Day, a day where we celebrate all things fabulous about being Australian. It is also a time to reflect on our beginnings. Where have we all come from? Over the years we have grown into a melting pot of so many wonderful cultures from across the globe that we truly are a multicultural society. I remember back in my university days some 30 odd years ago how the importance of multiculturalism in the classroom was emphasised. Since that time, we have only grown more diverse than ever, making it even more important to celebrate our differences and our similarities.

Over my years as a teacher, I was fortunate to be able to teach in several schools with great diversity. My first being an International school in Thailand, the second, a Primary school here in Canberra. As an ESL/LOTE teacher I have been fortunate to work with some absolutely fantastic kids from all corners of the world and been involved in the planning and preparation of several Multicultural or Harmony Days at school.

When the classroom is filled with a diverse range of students it is exciting to bring in their backgrounds as part of their education. One of the things you can do to begin a classroom discussion is to start with a take-home survey.

For example: As we live in Canberra I titled this - My Canberra Survey. 1. Name 2. Age group (circle) 18-25 26-40 41-55 56+ (Note: This survey is for an adult to complete, you can alter to include the kids in the class) 3. Where were you born? Country City 4. What year did you move to Canberra? 5. Why did you and your family move to Canberra? 6. What do you like about living in Canberra? 7. What do you think makes Canberra unique and why? 8. What do you think is special about living in Canberra?

Once the class has collected the information you can - 1. Set up a class graph to see where in the world they have all come from. 2. Graph how long each family has lived here? 3. List all the reasons people like living here. 4. Compare/contrast similarities and differences.

This leads into organising a Multicultural Day. 1. Invite parents into the classroom to read stories from their country of origin. 2. Talk about their favourite places and memories of their birth country. 3. Share information on bulletin boards/project sheets about each country. Maps, climate, population, national dress, customs etc 4. Dress up in National costume. 5. Have a Multicultural Feast!

6. If you would rather spread the classroom diversity throughout the year rather than one special day, I suggest cooking a dish from each country once a week. If this is too difficult, ask a parent to supply a traditional dish to share with the class once a week instead.

I remember my first Multicultural Day Feast in Thailand. It was a magnificent day full of so many special experiences, laughs and wonder. I did learn one important thing about living in Thailand though. I tried to make lamingtons for the Australian tables food selection. They were not so successful. I discovered it was almost impossible to buy desiccated coconut in Pattaya and bought shredded coconut instead. My lamingtons tasted great, but did not look quite as good as I had hoped. Turns out shredded coconut soakes up chocolate. Who would have thought?

A few years later I had the chance to redeem myself while teaching back home in Canberra. As the ESL/LOTE teacher I was teaching Indonesian at the time so wore my Indonesian traditional dress and cooked a wok full of Nasi Goreng, much more successful. Lesson learnt, stick to savoury dishes!

Now if I were still teaching I have the perfect Australian picture book to bring to the table. Emma the Eager Emu is a different kind of bird to all the other birds at flying school. At first she doesn't like the fact that she is different, but with the help of her friends, Emma learns to embrace those special qualities that make her stand out from the rest. It is a wonderful book to help teach children the importance of their similarities and the uniqueness of their differences. A classroom discussion can follow the reading including the diversity in birds as well as humans and ways in which we can celebrate those special different qualities in us all. Children can then make their own books titled "I am different, I am the same."

How are you planning on celebrating your cultural diversity in your classroom? Leave a comment below. I'd love to know.

Six Strategies for a Successful School Visit.

Last week was Book Week. I visited four schools and did six readings. It is a busy time yet one of my favourite times of the year as I love being invited into schools to read to so many wonderful little children. The delight and excitement on their faces makes every moment so worthwhile. I am happy to visit school anytime throughout the year, it just so happens that Book Week seems to be a particularly special time. This year the theme was Australian Stories, so Emma the Eager Emu and Frazzled Freya were a perfect fit. Here are my six tips or strategies I would like to share that help make a school visit so successful.

1. Be Organised Ahead of Time. Never underestimate little people. If you think you can just go in and read your book, think again! Kids expect to be entertained. You need a plan. A well thought out lesson plan. Teachers and parents like a reason for your visit. They anticipate some kind of learning to be taking place during the session and afterwards too if you can organise it. Teachers always appreciate a good follow up activity. Part of my package is to send them an idea of what I plan to be speaking about as well as a couple of possible follow up activities. The complexity or simplicity of these depend on the level of the students. It can be as simple as a colouring in page, a craft activity or a comprehension page. 
2. Send the school a Pre-Order Form. If you hope to gain a few book sales while you are there, then the best marketing strategy is to forward a pre-order form to the school at least two weeks prior to the visit. This way the school has time to send the form home in the newsletter and parents have time to respond. I always add a note about the benefits of reading at home, reading a book from an author the children have met, books make great presents etc. Include your website so that parents can make an informed decision. I also usually give a discount for an author visit as an encouragement to purchase a signed copy of the book on the day.
3. Have a Poster for the School to Display. You want to advertise your upcoming visit. Don't expect the school to make up a display for you. Schools are very busy places so they will appreciate the effort you make in having a poster ready for them.  It should include a photo of yourself so the students can see who the author is coming. A copy of the cover of any of your books. The date of your visit and your website information. Forward it along with the pre-order form at least two weeks in advance of your visit.
4. Be Prepared to Mix it up a little. When reading your book vary your pitch, tone and expression. Use puppets where you can. Kids love puppets! Ask questions, involve the kids, encourage participation. If there is repetition in your story, (as in Emma The Eager Emu) the kids can join in and help you recite certain lines. Have a discussion at the end. What did they learn from the story? Was there a moral? In my case, my books are about unique Australian animals, so that allows for an opportunity to discuss the nature of these amazing creatures, what makes them special and even what their habitat is. I have a video of a frill-neck lizard in the wild that the children find fascinating and a video about an emu that we can all sing along to. 
5. Be Flexible. Sometimes not all goes to plan and you may have to change things. Kids can get restless. Don't persist if something isn't working, don't stress, move onto something else. This is where another activity can be useful, that video or craft. Sometimes things might be going so well, that they may ask for more! Last week I planned to read and do my lesson around my latest book, Frazzled Freya, each session lasting only half an hour. The children in several groups were listening and responding so well that I was asked to continue. I pulled out my emu puppet and proceeded to read Emma the Eager Emu.
6.  Finish on a high. Sometimes I use the video of the emu song to finish. It's a great way to end a session. The kids are laughing and are happy. Now I have Freya to add to the mix, I remind them of the games they can now go outside and play just like Freya does in her story, (Shadows and Hide and Seek) then we all finish with a special frill neck lizard wave.

Do you have any other ideas that help make a school visit successful? Share them in the comments below.

Book Love Blog Hop- Seven Signs You Are A Bookaholic!

August 9 is officially Book Lovers Day! In honour of this great excuse to pick up a book and read, some of my writerly friends and I are having fun by sharing all the ways we adore reading. Please join me and the other awesome bloggers  (and readers) at the end of this post who also share their libre love. Why not help spread the love a little further by sharing, commenting or adding a link to your own book loving blog below when you've finished reading. This is my first time hopping on board a blog hop, I'm excited to join these awesome fellow authors and looking forward to sharing the love of books.

Seven Signs You Are A Bookaholic!

1. Every room in your house has a bookcase overflowing with books. It would break your heart to throw even one book away. I love reading books, but I have to own and keep every one that I read. Each book becomes a treasure. It is part of a time capsule that represents that time of my life when I read and loved it. They are always on hand ready to be re-read, revisiting precious childhood memories, both mine and my children's. Books share a special part in our lives, a time of coming together and sharing laughter, tears, mystery, intrigue, fantasy and learning of so many fascinating subjects. Books overflow every shelf, in every corner of our house. I have books from my childhood to present day. Including all the series of books I read with my sons. "Harry Potter" will always have a special place on my shelves as will the "Chronicles of Narnia."

2. You can't walk passed a book shop without venturing in, only to exit with an armful of books in anticipation of reading.

Whether I am in my home town or away on holidays somewhere, if I pass by a book store, I find the temptation is too great. I just have to go in and browse. That's what I tell my family anyway, "I'll just have a quick look!" Yeah right! An hour or so later I emerge, arms full of books I couldn't resist. Books of interest, books I always wanted to read, books that might come in handy one day, books to read aloud to young ones. The list and excuses are as huge as the pile of books I carry. I found "Kakadu Sunset," by Annie Seaton in a little book store I wandered passed in the sleepy coastal town of Kiama. We were driving the long way home, down the coast road from Sydney to Bateman's Bay then up across the mountain home to Canberra. We just stopped for coffee and a bite for lunch when I spotted the bookshop. Coffee and lunch had to wait! I had found a new book store to explore. I had wanted to read "Kakadu Sunset" since reading a few online reviews, the book resonated with me after living in Darwin for the last couple of years. It didn't disappoint, the imagery of the spectacular scenery took me back and the story of mining in a protected wilderness area along with a hint of romance intrigued and delighted me.

3. You are up half the night reading "just one more chapter!"

Do you ever wake up in the morning bleary eyed from lack of sleep due to a good book? You find the book still in your lap where it landed when you finally fell asleep. The reading light is still on even though you promised to turn it out after finishing the end of just that one last chapter! I know my husband gets quite frustrated with me for this habit. To me, there is no greater book than one with fantastic cliff hangers that beg you to continue to turn the page. Mystery immerses me into the story every time. I have to try to solve the problem before the main character. A good book is one that keeps me guessing all the way to the very last page. A tale I love to tell is about a book we read to our boys while on holidays one year. Each night we would gather in bed together to read a chapter or two. "Indian in the Cupboard" by Lynne Reid Banks was "unputdownable."  The boys would fall asleep, but we had to read on. It was the same with every book in the "Harry Potter" series. Everyone else in the family would fall asleep, but I kept on reading, glued to every page until I too, would eventually fall asleep with the book still in my hands.

4. You should be cooking dinner for the family but you are busy reading instead.

Whether it's cooking a meal for the family, feeding just yourself or doing any type of housework, a good book will always take precedence. My mum says she can't understand how the house cleaning gene didn't seem to get passed on to me, but there are always so many better things to do in life, in particular reading! I love to curl up with a hot cup of tea in front of the fire to read another chapter. Hours later, I'm still there, lost in the adventure, mystery, or romance. My family will ask me "what's for dinner mum?"  My reply will often be, "I don't know, I haven't thought about it yet, I'm reading."

5. You seek knowledge and thrive on exploring new places and ideas.

Books are a fantastic way of expanding your knowledge base and imagination. When you immerse yourself in a book, the pictures develop in your mind. You become more creative and inventive. Books are the buildings blocks of knowledge. You can discover amazing worlds both real and fantasy. My husband is always reading too, but where I like to read many different fiction genres, he enjoys technical books. Things where he can learn about an interest, hobby or expand an understanding of the world around us. He can be reading late into the night beside me, engrossed in something new and fascinating he has to learn. We have planned many holidays around the research he has done of places we find interesting. From haunted castles to climbing rocky peaks and swimming under waterfalls, we have found them all while reading late into the night.

6. You get emotionally involved with your book's characters.

Have you ever had tears running down your face while reading about favourite characters? Felt their joy and their pain? Laughed with them during their greatest achievements and silliest moments or felt despair when they can't solve a problem? Maybe even shock when a twist reveals a plot arc you didn't see coming! "Big Little Lies," by Liane Moriarty did this to me. A wonderful mystery murder set in the Sydney suburbs, This book had me hooked trying to guess "who dunnit?" I couldn't believe it when I reached the climax and inevitable conclusion.

7. You feel a little lost if you are not reading a good book.

Ever felt like you don't know what to do with yourself when you finish a book you have really enjoyed? You have embraced the characters so much that you relish the time you spend in their world. It took a few years to read the entire "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon. I found it hard to pick up a new book and introduce myself to new characters. For a few months after completing the series I read autobiographies instead as I couldn't bring myself to replace Clare and Jamie Fraser. No other author could give me characters, a setting and historical romance quite as satisfying.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have I convinced you that you too are a bookaholic? What is it that you love most about books?

For more book love, please visit these awesome book lovin' bloggers next. These blogs will be linked from 5 August 16.

Cat Michaels

Cat's Corner

Auden Johnson

Dark Treasury

Carmela Dutra

A Blog for Your Thoughts

Jd Holiday

JD’s Writers Blog

Julie Gorges

Baby Bloomer Bliss

K. Lamb

Author K. Lamb Blog

Rosie Russell

KidLit Blog by Rosie

Rhonda Paglia

Rhonda Paglia, Children's Author

David Chuka David Chuka - Children's Book Author

If you blog about books and reading, post your family-friendly link about book love in the comment section and we'll give you some blog lovin' too!

5 Fun Reptilian Facts

Frazzled Freya and her other quirky Australian reptilian friends had a fantastically fun time sharing unusual facts about themselves during her week long ebook launch party. As so many fabulous people played along with the fact or fiction questions, Freya thought it might be a good idea to share the love in a blog post for those who missed the party but might still be intrigued.  Freya is a frightened and timid little frill neck lizard who is too shy to go out into the heat of the outback sun even though she is desperate to join in the fun and games with her desert friends. Naturally, our first fact had to be about these amazing little creatures.

Frill Neck Lizards : - Are a cute little lizard that has a frill that goes all the way around their neck. When they feel threatened or frightened they will try to make themselves look bigger and scarier by opening their frill as wide as possible. However they can only do this at the same time as opening their mouth really wide too! If this doesn't scare away the predator, the frill neck lizard will stand on its hind legs, turn around and run away (only on those back legs) as fast as possible to climb to the safety of the nearest tree. Frill neck lizards have southern cousins, the Eastern and Western Bearded Dragon, which are so similar in appearance they are often mistaken as frill necks. The bearded dragon's frill however, does not go all around their neck.

Next we met twin velvet geckos, Gabbie and Grace. They scamper all over the desert floor having lots of fun playing games like tag.

Geckos :- Found all over the northern tropical parts of Australia as well as Indonesia and Thailand, geckos are curious little creatures. They will come into homes and share your living space, making themselves very comfortable eating mosquitoes and other small insects. Geckos have unusual sticky pads on the underside of their feet, sort of like suction caps. These enable the little fellows to not only climb vertical walls very easily but to defy gravity and walk upside down along your ceiling as well. For further information on these curious fellows click the link below.

http://www.arkinspace.com/2013/07/gecko-20-interesting-facts-about-worlds.html

Sloan snake is the antagonist in Freya's story. He believes she would be a rather tasty treat to eat. Sloan is a Northern Brown Tree Snake.

Northern Brown Tree Snakes :- Contrary to popular opinion, the Northern brown tree snake is actually not as dangerous as you might think. While its southern cousin, the Eastern or Common Brown snake is considered the second most venomous snake in the world, the Northern brown tree snake has it's fangs so far in the back of its mouth, that it cannot open its mouth wide enough to get a big enough bite on a human. If bitten, you will still need to seek medical treatment but you will survive.

Joanna Goanna is another of Freya's special outback desert friends. She enjoys playing games with Gabbie and Grace and doesn't understand Freya's fear.

Goannas :- The amazing thing about goannas is that they utilize the climate of termite mounds to incubate their eggs. Once the goanna has laid her eggs, she digs holes into the termite mounds and buries her babies to keep them safe and snug until they are ready to hatch. When the time approaches, the mother goanna returns to help her babies dig their way out of the mound.

Last but by no means least, we met Freya's only friend that is not a reptile. Molly is a Spinifex Hopping Mouse who proves to be rather wise. As she is the only mammal in our story, I included a few more extra facts about her.

Spinifex Hopping Mice :- So named because they can be seen hopping on their hind legs just like a kangaroo. They are nocturnal desert dwelling mammals, that can survive on little to no water during the dry season. Because of the lack of water they are omnivores and will eat whatever roots, shoots or insects they can find. They have very effective kidneys that absorb every drop of water from their waste which in turn makes their urine solid instead of liquid.

I'll be discussing these interesting facts during the print book launch of Frazzled Freya this Saturday 9th July 2016 at the Paperchain Book Store in Mnauka at 2:00 pm. Come along and join in the fun if you happen to be in Canberra this weekend.

As a thank you to all who participated and in honour of our cute little heroine, I included this video clip of a frill neck lizard where you can see exactly how they react when they feel frightened. After filming she is let go to run back into the bush. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKMtUOw3Uxw&feature=share

Tea for Two or Maybe More.

Kids love any excuse for a tea party. My neighbour's kids think it's wonderful when I invite them over for High Tea. We go all out using my special china and make lots of tiny sandwiches and cakes. I try to make the tea party a memorable treat as if they were at high tea at an exclusive restaurant, something like High Tea at the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. It's a delight to watch the expressions on the faces of everyone concerned. I don't feel you need a reason to hold a tea party, they are a great idea with kids at any time. However you can use it as a prompt for reading and story writing. There are plenty of children's books on the market that include tea parties in their plots. The most classic one that comes to mind is Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." A Mad Hatter's tea party is the obvious choice.

That being said, this being the month of March where we turn our thoughts towards St Patrick's Day, Leprechauns and all things green, why not read a few Leprechaun tales and hold a "Green" or "Rainbow" tea party.

http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B007KFXGM2/ref=s9_simh_bw_p351_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ANEGB3WVEVKZB&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=0699PZZET7QNHQK14WJ7&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=218163269&pf_rd_i=2496751051

"The Little Leprechaun Who Loved Yellow"  is a perfect choice as a children's picture book to read out loud together at bedtime or in the classroom. Within the pages are plenty of conversation starters for use during your tea party. A few topics for discussion could include being true to yourself, your uniqueness, building self-esteem, feelings and emotions, not to mention all the magnificent colours of the rainbow and where in nature you may find them.

In some ways "The Little Leprechaun Who Loved Yellow" shares a very similar message to my own

picture book "Emma the Eager Emu" who through her tenacity to never give up eventually learns the importance of her very own special and unique qualities.

If you are using the story in the classroom and incorporating it with a tea party, a suggestion is to elicit the help of class buddies. If your school uses the buddy system you know what I mean. An older class of kids are paired with your younger group of kids for various activities. There are two activities I suggest here as ideas towards your classroom resources.

1. After reading the story together, the older group of children can use it as a writing prompt to write a story perhaps that includes inviting a Leprechaun to tea. You might give them a list of words that they must use in their story. eg: Leprechaun, tea party, rainbow, tree, cup cake. The younger group of children can draw a picture that includes the five suggested items above and try to write a one line description/story. Both groups can come together and read aloud to share their stories.
2. Have the buddies help make a tea party invitation for the younger child's mum/dad or significant other. Then you can hold a special morning or afternoon tea party with mums or dads included, I'm sure they would be more than happy to help supply the goodies for the tea party.

Here is the template to make the card. The children can decorate the outside with whatever they like or suggestions from you.  I like to leave this open to allow for creativity and imagination. Inside they can write or you can print "Have a cup of tea on me."  In my class I would then sticky tape a tea bag to the inside cover.

My next book in my 'Bradberrie Brother's Alien Adventure' series will be another great addition to add to your reading list before a tea party. in "Alien Milkshakes" not only are there plenty of laughs to entice the reluctant reader but plenty of interesting edible suggestions and moral dilemmas to discuss over a pot of tea.  "Alien Milkshakes" is coming soon.

Enjoy your tea party, have fun and make lots of memories with your kids.

What book would you read with your kids to encourage a themed tea party?

Collaborative Class Journals Produce Oodles of Reading and Writing.

I belong to a wonderful group of writers and authors with a common interest, that is, encouraging kids to learn to read through new and interesting children's literature. This month we have a theme to post suggestions on book making with kids. Mine was all about collaborative class journals that produce oodles of opportunities for kids to both read and write. What more could you want from a making books together? The project encourages reading and writing for all students from the most basic level, that includes those beginning Kindergarten in the earliest pre-writing stage up to independent writers in classrooms in years 2 or 3. As the year progresses, the journal entries develop and intrigue each student who participates, consequently encouraging them to share their stories and adventures. Students are eager to open the pages of the journal each day to read the next anticipated entry.

Kids writing a class journal was a project I worked on several years ago when I was teaching kindergarten, however as mentioned above it can be used in classes ideally from K-2. It encourages both learning to read and write. The premise begins with introducing a new member to the class, (or a class pet), someone that the students have to learn to take care of. The animal in question is a soft stuffed toy that they can cuddle and take anywhere. In our case, our class was given a soft cuddly lion cub which we named Caesar.

To introduce our class pet I wrote a book about his adventures on our property trying to search for kangaroos. The kids loved the story. I made it into a laminated spiral bound book and a power point presentation to read on the smartboard.

I then showed them the cover of the journal with the class pet's photo on the front with plenty of blank pages for each class member to take turns in writing something about the pet that they did with him when it was their turn to take him home. Each night the students wrote in the journal, read the previous entries and read my story. At the beginning the students had help from their parents who would take photos and write a sentence or two as dictated by their son or daughter. The kids loved the part of the day in class when we read each new entry in the journal. As the year progressed they drew pictures and as their confidence in writing grew , they began writing their own entries. To encourage their imagination I took our class pet on other adventures throughout the year and wrote several other books too. Some students wrote about their trips to the snow with him, sharing family meals and celebrations, while others about adventures on their bikes together or simply laying on the floor reading together.

The journal gradually became a much loved piece of writing that even some years later when I taught the same students again, they asked me if I still had Caesar and if I still kept the journal so that they could re-read some of their favourite entries. I have recently had the suggestion made that I should have made copies of the journal at the time to be placed in the school library. This is a wonderful idea especially as the journal was so loved it became very dog-eared from over-use. I would recommend perhaps making a copy for the library once a month rather than waiting for the end of the year. Perhaps laminating the library copy as well.

Collaborative class journals are a brilliant tool for engaging young students with the reading and writing process as the expectation to write may be as simple as one line under a photo or drawing or up to a whole page depending on each individual's ability level. As the entries are all from class members they are all keen to read too. With the new school year due to start next month here in Australia why not consider introducing a class pet and journal in your classroom? I guarantee it will bring oodles of fun and imagination to your students days and they will learn all about sharing, caring and co-operation. It really is a win-win opportunity.

We Drove A Sunburnt Country Part Three

Three days and 2068 km after saying goodbye to Darwin we finally reached Winton, dinosaur capitol of central out back Queensland. It had been three days of dry hot flat desert and I was keen to reach the museum first thing in the morning. Twenty minutes out of town we reached the turn off, an unsealed road not really suitable for our car. Now I admit that when one is travelling in the outback you really should be in a four wheel drive as we had learnt previously with our unexpected flat tyre, but we had come this far, I was not going to let this minor obstacle make me miss out on something I had anticipated for many years. We agreed to continue on, slowly and carefully, four wheel drives overtook us, billowing up great gusts of dust in their wake as they rushed to reach the museum to start work for the day. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum did not disappoint! We booked into both tours. Firstly the tour of the working laboratory which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Here we were told, believe it or not, that they only go out on digs for three weeks a year. They find and collect so many bones that they now have a backlog collection to clean up and classify that will take at least ten years to work through! They now house the worlds largest collection of dinosaur bones and we were able to walk passed most of them! Throughout the tour the guide gives a wonderful and thorough explanation of how the first bone was discovered, plus the reasons behind why the area is prolific with dinosaur bones and why it was so important to build the working museum on the site. You are even given time to watch them clean debris from bone fragments.

During the second tour we were able to watch a film explaining the topography and changes in geology of the area from the dinosaur era to today. We were shown fragments of bones found in the area of the two main dinosaurs, Banjo and Matilda, that put Winton on the map and made fossil hunting so significant to Australian scientists. Research into these amazing creatures continues to fascinate adults and children to this day and at this facility everyone can come together to share their passion.

The museum stands atop a rocky plateau that overlooks the dry open plains where all the dinosaurs are dug up among the farmers cattle stations. Hard to believe that 65 million years ago this was once a lush rainforest and swampland. The view however, is spectacular.

Next stop was Longreach. A fabulous old country town and one not to be missed. Plenty of character and charm and of course the Stockman's Hall of Fame. An amazing museum in itself, too big to go into great detail here. Suffice to say if you ever want to know anything about the outback way of life, from stockmen, pioneers, shearers, pilots, teachers, miners, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, it's all here. Plan to spend hours meandering through the galleries as there is so much to look at and learn. My favourite part of the exhibition would have to have been the swagman that came to life to tell a bush story of life in the saddle. His facial expressions were magnificent.

While in Longreach you can also visit the School of the Air. Our son assumed I meant a school to learn to fly. I didn't realise I had never taught him about this important place in Australian history. The school of the air teaches school by radio to children all over the outback that are isolated and cannot reach a school classroom. Unique and iconic in its day it is now taught through Skype. There is also the museum for the Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service, yes QANTAS was born here.

The drive from Longreach to Bourke the next day was a long one. Broken by capturing the odd shot of an emu or two that ran along the side of the road at sunset. One last day on the road and we finally drove through meandering country roads that rose through the mountains until we felt like we had reached home. Somewhat green rolling hills and rising eucalypts bent to greet us and present a little cool shade. As we turned off the highway and rolled through our valley kangaroos stopped grazing on the side of the road and stood to gaze in the window of our car. I gave a huge sigh, home at last!

We had driven nearly 4,000 km in 6 days. Seen some amazing sights. My conclusion, Australia really is a harsh dry wide brown land but I love her.

We Drove A Sunburnt Country Part Two

"That's not a Knife, this is a knife!" I am standing in a pub in the middle of no where holding the prop knife that Paul Hogan made famous in the movie Crocodile Dundee. The pub itself is the one used on location as Mick Dundee's "Outback Tours" local watering hole. We had departed Mt Isa at a reasonable hour in the morning and had driven hours across open dry flat country with nothing much to see except for plenty of roadkill. I admit outback Queensland is in terrible drought and it is very sad to see the state of the stock, sheep and cattle are in desperate condition.

It was a well earned reprieve to see the oasis of the tiny town of Kynuna, population - 20 and the famous pub. We wet our whistle, had a chat to the locals while taking in the sights of the bar which was adorned with movie memorabilia and before long were back on the road.

I felt it had been rather special to stumble unexpectedly across this iconic hotel, a small piece of Australian film history, especially after living in Darwin for the last eighteen months and having the opportunity to see and explore parts of the amazing wilderness that is Kakadu National Park. While there we had the awesome experience of climbing the plateau to watch the sunset over Arnhem Land, where in Crocodile Dundee Mick is quoted as saying he "owns the land as far as your eyes can see!" That is some statement, you can see a very long way! That's now two iconic places from the film I have been able to experience.

More dirt, more dead kangaroos, a few rugged outcrops, finally we reached the destination I had been longing to reach, Winton - Dinosaur capitol of the Queensland outback.

We Drove a Sunburnt Country Part One.

For six days, three states and over four thousand kilometers we drove across a sunburnt country from Darwin at the top end of the Northern Territory south/east to outback central Queensland and down through the back of NSW to Canberra and home to our quiet little cosy country estate.. Along the way I couldn't help remember and recite a famous Australian poem that we were all taught at school (and loved) when we were young :- Dorothea Mackellar's "My Country."

I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of rugged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror- The wide brown land for me!

We packed up the car and said goodbye to our view of the jewel sea, in this case the Arafura Sea as it enters Darwin Harbour. Within minutes we were in the harsh dry outback of the Northern Territory. Flat sweeping plains as far as the eye can see broken only by the occasional rugged mountains and an abundance of termite mounds so numerous it is impossible to count. First stop, Pine Creek, a tiny old gold mining town with nothing much open on a Sunday morning, so it was non-stop then to Mataranka for a promised legendary Mataranka pie. Another really tiny outback town, it's main claim to fame being the autobiographical novel "We of the Never Never" by Jeannie Gunn and immortalised in the 1982 movie with Angela Punch McGregor in the leading role. Set in Mataranka, the book was written about the authors life and experiences moving to such a harsh and isolated area in 1902 when women, albeit white women, were not seen to be on the land or help their husbands on outback cattle stations. If you spend an afternoon swimming in the local thermal springs you can then partake in a cool ale at the local watering hole while watching the legendary movie. We didn't stop long enough to do this as we had previously experienced the Mataranka hot springs in all their glory on another occasion. Over 1,100 km and and 12 hours after saying goodbye to Darwin we finally pulled in for the evening at Barkly Homestead, and yes, believe it or not, we were still in the Northern Territory! When travelling in air conditioned comfort it is easy to forget just how hot it is outside, (particularly as we approach the summer months in Australia and the "build up" in the NT) that is until you open the car door and step out into the furnace. It was 7:00 pm and yet still 45 degrees C with a formidable burning hot wind.

Day 2 we set of bright and early before the heat set in and began our journey well. We planned to cross the border into Queensland and reach Mt Isa in time for morning tea. Should have known all good plans always go astray. As the sun and heat rose and we cruised through the sweeping plains gazing at the wonder of the far horizon, we came around a sweeping bend in the road and over a "flood" bridge only to find a pot hole in the middle of the road almost the same size as our car. Too fast and too dangerous to swerve we hit the pot hole and hoped for the best. Sure enough we blew out the front right tyre. Not a problem! Just pull on over to the side of the road, unpack the bags from the boot, lift up the flap and look inside to where the spare tyre should be. Were my eyes deceiving me? We have a brand new car and NO spare tyre! Who would have thought? It may have seemed naive of both of us not to check before leaving Darwin but we both assumed a new car would come equiped with a spare tyre! There we found ourselves in the middle of the outback, heat rising every minute, and not a soul in sight for miles. "Not to worry" said hubby, "I'll wave down the next truck driver that comes along and get him to radio for help."

That was real successful! Turns out in the heat of the outback CB radio signals don't reach futher than 10 km at most. The nearest small town was 70 km away and Mt Isa was still 300 km ahead. Not to worry, don't despair, believe it or not, just 200 m further up the road was Avon Downs Police Station! Who would have believed it! In the middle of absolutely nowhere stood a police station! We limped the car up the road and found the local policeman just opening up shop for the day. His response, "So the pot hole has got another one has it?" He helped us organise a tow-truck into Camooweal, 12 km east of the NT border into Queensland, population 300 (on a good day when all the indiginous folk are in town to do a head count) so the tow truck driver told us.

What do you get if you cross a kangaroo with a buffalo? A buffaroo of course!

It stands proudly outside the Camooweal Roadhouse. The story goes that one evening a couple of truckies were having a drink at the local pub and began to discuss who were tougher, Queenslanders or Territorians! The more they drank, the more vocal they became, the Queenslanders insisting their kangaroos were tougher than the territories buffalo. It didn't take long before the idea came to pass that the strongest of all would be a cross between the two. It just so happened an artist was listening to the conversation and drew a sketch on a coaster. Before he left he showed the bartender and asked if they would like one? A few weeks later to the towns surprise a special delivery arrived. The Buffaroo now stands pride of place for all to see as you arrive in the sleepy outback town.

Instead of reaching Mt Isa by the intended morning tea break of 10:00 am we finally arrived at 5:00 pm, just in time to call it a day.

When the FIFO Life Gets Hard.

I'm sure many people believe I live a pretty exciting life these days living a fly in/fly out lifestyle with my husband. In many ways that is true. Flying across the country between Canberra and Darwin and everywhere in between. I do have the opportunity to see and explore many parts of our beautiful country that so many other families never have a chance to experience and I do very much appreciate it. This can only happen now that our boys have grown into such independent young men, two of which are now married thus leaving only our youngest still in the proverbial nest. Last week we finally managed to have son no 3 come visit us in Darwin for the first time, but as I watched him depart on his return flight to Canberra my heart broke. A lump developed in my throat, my stomach churned and tears swelled in my eyes. He was no sooner here and he was gone, I missed him already. I won't see him again until we head home for our Christmas break. Seven weeks on in Darwin and only one week home in Canberra at a time after eighteen months of fly in/fly out life is obviously taking its toll on my emotions.

We had a wonderful week together. I was able to show him some of my favourite places around town and introduce him to my new friends. My husband took him on site and gave him a tour of the plant they are building, giving him an insight to what the construction industry is really like. We even took him out to Litchfield National Park for a swim under Florence Falls. It has taken me a lifetime to tick swimming under an outback waterfall off my bucket list and he has now checked it off at age 21! My first opportunity to swim under an outback waterfall was only a couple of years ago when my husband was working in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and we visited Python Pool in Millstream National Park.

Herein is where my dilemma lies. As a mum, he will always be my responsibility and I feel he still needs me at home while he continues his university studies. I understand it is natural for our children to grow up and fly the coup, but it feels somewhat unnatural when it is me that has left the nest, not him. I know he isn't ready to leave home just yet and by following my husband I am the one who has left home and him behind. That being said, it is my husband who has for many years done the hard yards of FIFO on his own. Isn't it about time he had the company and support? So far son no 3 has had son no 2 and his wife living at home with him. That all ends within the next few weeks as they embark on the next exciting chapter in their lives and move into their new home. This is a step forward for them and I am so happy that they have reached this time in their lives but it leaves our youngest at home to study alone and look after our 13 acres. Am I asking too much of him? However I have a Celiac husband to consider. With the long 12 hours of work plus an hours drive each way six days a week, I know without me there to provide his meals his health will suffer as he is too tired to come home and cook of an evening. I am at a crossroads, two men in my life whom I love dearly, both need me. Do I continue the FIFO life and support my husband or stay home more often and support my son?

My heart goes out to all the FIFO workers living week in, week out without their families and vice versa. It is a difficult situation no matter which way you look at it. The construction/mining industry is riddled with broken marriages and torn apart families who do it tough. Some of us survive it, many don't and many are filled with guilt and depression. It may appear to others that we eat out or entertain a lot, but it is essential to be there to support our fellow FIFO colleagues, wives and partners.