All safely arrived and cleared customs…

…10.42 leaving the airport right now…expected to arrive 11.30am.

Ready to go

All checked in at Kota Kinabalu international airport-ready to come home ….

Borneo-Day 7

All going very well and according to plan: Took early plane to Sandakan. More details to follow as Internet up and down as in the Jungle now.

Borneo Day 4

After the most amazing morning at our sister school with stunning presentations, such as dances, games and songs, we are now heading off to Mamutik Island.

China Travel Update

The China group’s flight is now scheduled to arrive in Melbourne half an hour early. We’ll update this post when the students board the bus at the airport with an estimated time of arival at the College.

UPDATE: The China group is on the bus and expected to arrive back at South Road at approximately 12:30pm.

UPDATE 2: The bus has experienced good traffic and are now expected at about 12:25pm.

Day 16: Ho Chi Minh City

The journey for the yellow team came to an end with a cyclo ride around the City of Ho Chi Minh (in the morning prior to leaving Vietnam). What an amazing journey it has been!

Rachael and Reuben

Emalie and Daniel

Mrs Tattersall

Perry and Allie

Rhiannon thanking, Tree (our Tour Guide) on behalf of the Yellow Team

China Day 17 – Last but not least

Never a day without the endless escapade of a street vendor, and today was no different in Shanghai. First on the agenda was a waltz down the prestigious Nanjing Road, famous for its many varied shops selling old and new items. We all had a lovely time exploring vast shops of international labels. Despite few of us having enough available funds for the high end labels, we all managed to have a great time. Discovering new Chinese labels was quite an experience.

In the afternoon we had the opportunity to go to a market to purchase those last minute gifts for family and friends.  This huge multi story market was enough to make some faint. Filled with endless stalls and shops it was a maze waiting to be uncovered. With lots of us buying the famous “Dr. Dre Beats” it soon became a must have and almost every student purchased a pair.

After dinner we attended the famous Shanghai Acrobatic Show. As everyone’s expectations were high from the Kung Fu show in Beijing our expectations were high.  Once we walked into the impressive theatre we realised this would be a show to remember. With death defying stunts, and never before seen routines it got us thinking, how do they do that? By pushing the boundaries of the human body these acrobats managed to pull of manoeuvres we never thought possible. Sadly the show came to an end, but there was one boy we will remember forever as he was more flexible and stronger than you could ever imagine. This was a wonderful last night in Shanghai and a very fitting end to an amazing trip.  This will be our last blog entry as we begin our journey home tomorrow. We look forward to seeing our families and sharing our experiences.

By Alex Fry and Marcus Stack

From the teachers

As our journey comes to an end, it has been an absolute pleasure to share the Big Experience with these 28 students. They have made the most of every opportunity presented to them and have remained cheerful and positive at all times throughout the trip. They have been a credit to their parents, their school and their country. 

Liz Ware, Craig Tyrrell, Nancye Banks 

China Day 16 – Shanghai

We awoke to the now familiar sound of a phone ringing and the undecipherable voice of a Chinese wake up call. After a beautiful night’s sleep in our groovy new hotel rooms, we sleepily arose from the best beds we’ve had in weeks. The day was still young yet we were all looking forward to what we had heard was going to be an amazing day and what a day it was.

As we packed our bags for the 12 hour day ahead of us, we could feel the hunger setting in. When we arrived at breakfast we could not hold back our tears of joy when we saw the feast which was waiting for our hungry stomachs. Breakfast was complete with everything from Milo cereal to steamy pork buns. It was the banquet we had all dreamed of the night before.

As the clock struck half past nine we were well on our way to our first destination, The Bund. After a cramped subway journey, we arrived at Nanjing Road. From there we began our walk to the Shanghai river front, commonly known as The Bund. The Bund displays what many think to be the perfect contrast of the old and modern sides of Shanghai. Boasting old architectural feats of the British concession on one side and amazing modern structures such as the Pearl Oriental T.V Tower on the other, it truly is a sight worth seeing.

We then travelled across the Bund in an underground tunnel, featuring an amazing light show, to the base of the Pearl Oriental T.V Tower where we ascended to the startling yet awesome height of the viewing deck. The glass bottomed floors of the viewing deck challenged even the bravest of the group.

Following our nail biting experience we were then taken to the Yu Garden market where we were given a full 2 hours to explore the miscellany of stores that lined the area. Following another round table meal, we were treated to a breath-taking river cruise which displayed a night view of Shanghai.

Over the course of the day we students enjoyed the lovely contrast of what is Shanghai by day and by night. We then embarked on our tiresome journey back to our swanky hotel via subway. The importance of plane groups became a vital tool in keeping the group together through the hustle and bustle of Shanghai’s Metro. The hotel was a welcome sight as our group of 28 students dug deep to find the energy to drag their sore feet to their ritzy rooms.

What turned out to be one of the longest days of our trip also became one of our most memorable. The sights of Shanghai, by day or by night, are truly spectacular.

By Jordan Loschiavo and Oscar Garrington