 From the EditorPresident's MessageTogether Down Under Rotary at a glance and other misc. information A Different World Rotarians also Laugh D-770 GSE Team : In the Land of Koalas and Kangaroos DGRs-PRM RY 2003-2004 |
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the team. For twenty-three days we savored life in the land of koalas and kangaroos. The Rotarians we met as well as their countrymen lavished us with the kind of hospitality we never expected in our lives. The scenic, historical and tourist spots we toured gave us beautiful impressions of a country richly blessed by nature. The workplaces we visited taught us valuable lessons from a country and people that have withstood the test of time. The memories etched in our minds will be part of our lives for a long, long time - perhaps never to be forgotten.
We left Manila on March 19, at 8:30 P.M. and arrived in Perth , Australia the following day. The flight took 11 hours - long enough to make you tired and bored. But we were warmly met, by PDG Terry and Joan Barrit and other Rotarians who wore reassuring smiles that wiped our cares away. After that heart-warming welcome and a short rest, our hosts drove us 450 km to Margaret River , where the joint District Conference of D-9450 and 9470 was to be held.
Early the following day, we awoke to the beauty of Australian life. With cameras clicking, we made our first ever encounter with live kangaroos grazing right at the back of our cottage. Later in the morning, we attended the opening ceremonies of the joint DISCON, which was held underneath a huge tent built in the middle of the vineyard of Locuwin Estate Winery. On the second day of the conference, March 22, we attended the Governor's Banquet and Concert at the DISCON venue. On the third day, we played our GSE team's video presentation to the great delight of Rotarians and their guests. Then, after lunch, our hosts brought us back to Perth .
The warm welcome at Perth and the joint DISCON opened all doors to our enjoyment and the success of our visit. In the days that followed it was all fun as we experienced the Australian way of life. Our visits to many places were like beautiful pieces of a puzzle that put together our impressions of Australia . Those places include Kalgoorlie , Merredin, Corrigin, Hyden, York , Northam, Malaga , Mill Point and Armadale. At Kalgoorlie , a mining town 595 km from Perth , we toured Goldfields Mining, Kalgoorlie Water Reservoir, Flying Doctors Hangar, Shire of Kalgoorlie and Kalgoorlie Park . There we attended the joint meeting of the Rotary clubs of Hannans, Kalgoorlie , Boulder and Kambalda.
At Merredin, we visited the CBH grain handling facility, flour mills, a dog cemetery, the Collins Alpaca Farm, and a sheep farm owned by IP Ron Williams. At Hyden, we toured Wave Rock and attended the joint meeting of the Rotary clubs of Corrigin and Quairading.
Our next stop at Northam brought us first to York town after which we toured the motor museum and passed by Solly's airport to watch sky diving. At Northam, we toured the Dept. of Agriculture Cropping Centre, the Northam Regional Hospital , the School for Impaired Children, Weston milling facilities, Avon Valley Visitors Centre and Migrant Exhibition. We then attended the joint meeting of RCs Northam and York. We also had time to play golf at El Cabello Golf Club and tennis at Northam Country Club, and to watch greyhound racing. We also toured Morcy Cottage and an alpaca farm.
After Northam and Malaga ,we had a grand time touring Perth , where we had our vocational day. There, we attended the joint meeting of RC Mill Point (home club of RIPD Ken Collins) and RC Malaga, which was held at the Royal Perth Golf Club. Among the places we toured were Burswood Hotel & Casino, King's Park and Swan River, which we crossed by ferry, and Yanchep National Park where we had a wonderful boat ride, watched koalas and kangaroos and marveled at the aborigines dance.
Moving on to the last week of our visit, we changed over to Armadale, where we attended the joint meeting of ten Rotary clubs. Our last tours included the Borello Cheese Factory, Mardon fish farm, a dairy farm, a cement batching plant, Alcoa Aluminum Mining (the largest aluminum mine in the world), Canning & Serpine dams.
Our days went by quickly without our notice. That's what happens when you thoroughly enjoy yourself in a strange but beautiful place. That's why it was only on April 11, the last day of our visit, that we realized we had to do some last minute shopping at Fremantle. Then capping our visit, we spent our last evening in Armadale with the Filipino community.
The following day, we bade goodbye to all with a heavy heart. It was one of the most difficult things to do. For when you've become accustomed to faces and places you'd wish time would stand still. So, as the plane ascended to the sky and looking down at Perth from above, we could see from memory friendly faces that have become familiar to us. Their names are too many to mention in this rather short recollection, but they are written in our diaries that will become part of our district's history. Their faces are etched in our minds and hearts and will stay there until we meet again.
Now home and miles and miles away from our new found friends, we wish to send our message of thanks to PDG Terry and Joan Barrit and those who shared their precious time with us and made us feel that Australia is also our home. We give special thanks to our host families, who opened the doors of their homes to us and with the warmth of their hospitality touched our lives with love, which we shall cherish for a lifetime. With all of them we leave the seeds of peace we have sown in our visit as we share with our fellowmen their message of friendship, understanding and love.
Article by PDG Boy Valle, GSE Team Leader
