• Trips to OZ
• 2002 - Easter
• 2002 - Summer
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010
• 2011
• 2012
• 2013

• Fundraising Tips

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It all started with an early morning departure for the entire team whether travelling by coach or with family. Everyone met outside Terminal 3 at 8.30a.m in the hope of avoiding the planned strikes by Immigration Officers! It all went swimmingly and the team enjoyed a few hours at the airport before boarding the Thai Airways flight to Bangkok! There were looks of shock when there were NO backseat TV screens!! What were we all going to do for 12 hours!! The answer was sleep and avoid the peanuts that were being served despite notifying them that we had a team member with a nut allergy. Stephanie and co kept us amused with their “round the plane” workout to keep themselves active!!

We arrived in VERY VERY hot Bangkok and seemed to walk miles until we found our bus! Our luggage proved too much for the bus and some of us waved goodbye to our bags hoping we would see them again. We were greeted at the Diamond Hotel like long lost family members! And a steam bath!! We were pleased the rooms were ready and we all quickly changed to hit Bangkok! Most of us headed to the sky train and the group slit, some heading to the shops and others to the river front. Of course some of the group took extended boat trips that they didn’t mean to and others got very wet when the heavens opened. It meant that for most of the group we spent the evening at the hotel enjoying some great meals, the odd beer ( Kristian!! ) and getting to know each other in a great atmosphere!!

We were up early the next day collecting our packed breakfasts ( no one had a clue what they were ) and off for one of the best day trips ever in the history of the oz experience! It started with a coconut farm and then the surprise news about the chance to ride and elephant. Most of the group grasped this opportunity and off we went!! It was awesome! Then we hit the speedboats for a trip to the floating markets and that was one of the most fantastic things ever! We got to see how Thai people lived along the canal and let’s just say its no somewhere we will be moving fast! The markets were great and next it was back to the city (and boy was there traffic! ) for lunch on a boat- more food than most of us could eat and then visits to the two main temples. At this point the heat did get the better of us and the team leaders did lead everyone astray and some of us ended up in a café with ice lollies stuck to our face. It was back to the hotel for some rest and then the bus back to the airport. Everyone headed for the takeaways at Bangkok airport and soon the gang was asleep at 37,000 feet!

Melbourne was cold! Again the bus couldn’t fit all the luggage and then it go worse when we discovered two of the team were still in the terminal building!! We arrived at Melbourne Metro YHA and after a quick change we all headed on the tram down to the city. Most of the team hit bed early that night and so the group were all ready for their moving visit to Melbourne Children’s Hospital the next day. We were met by Mary and the group was split into 3, visiting the wards, the research unit and all of them had a talk about the work. They then visited the starlight lounge! After toilet hunts and of course a McDonalds (the first of many!!) the group headed off on the Neighbours Tour. It was such a laugh because many of the team members had never watched the show but soon became fans as they watched episodes on the bus. We met Dr Karl in Ramsey Street and soon the whole gang decided to extend their “Neighbours” fun by going onto the evening gig in St Kilda’s.

Conservation work was next! We all lined up in the freezing cold to wait for our vehicles and they were a little late….so we froze some more!! Finally they arrived and off we went. Stories of killer cows and vending machines kept us amused in or bus! Of course so did Becky’s near religious need to see a Kangaroo which I am pleased to say eventually did happen. We had 6 vehicles and they took us to a great outdoor BBQ and the slide where everyone got very wet!! Then it was off to Bendigo to arrive at our accommodation for 5 days- Koolamurt Scout Camp. We were greeted by the great Ian who turned out to be the best cook in the world! We had a busy week, mostly involved in fence and flooding management work and all the teams did us proud. The CVA team leaders were very impressed. In the evenings the groups entertained themselves and even enjoyed a great talk from a local geologist and a camp fire. Films were watched and cleaning up done!!

Our planned departure from Bendigo to Melbourne to catch our flight to Sydney never happened!! Earlier in the week we had discovered that Tiger Airways was grounded for safety reasons and despite team members telling us they would rather fly knowing the plane might not be safe !!!! we decided otherwise and the decision was taken out of or hands when the airline as grounded until the end of July. All other airlines were full and the train was impossible so it was a bus!! Never before had we travelled quite so far across Australia!! It started with a 5a.m departure and it was 9.30a.m before people were awake and we stopped for the toilet. We were told there was a Mcdonalds “ just down the road” and so we all reboarded………now here is where we found that “ just down the road” in Australia means an hour and a half! Finally in the middle of the snowy mountains with ice and snow warnings we stopped and ate out this tiny Mcdonalds!!

Sydney was soon in sight and the wonderful Sydney Central YHA. Everyone checked in and most of the group then spent the night at the wonderful Scubar. Some can’t remember the night but they were all there for Breakfast the next day. Indeed the next few days were full of great experiences including a harbour cruise, visits to the Taronga Zoo, Manly and of course our team leader got a new hair cut!! We also had the fabulous Oz jet and the ultimate bridge climb! A visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum was as emotional as ever and then there was the fun of the trip to Bondi! Of course some team members managed to get a free ride and the rest of us waited…and waited for the blinking pre-paid bus!!! But getting there was worth it for the ice rink and the team members who braved the cold to hit the water!! Mad people that they were!! The Thursday was a real highlight of the week as we went to Watsons Bay and the famous Doyles for fish and chips!!Our final night was aboard the Sydney 2000 and what a fantastic setting for the final meal!

We said goodbye to 11 of our team members who were staying on and headed to the airport for the final long trip home!! Despite a nose bleed and nuts everywhere we all survived and landed back in the UK.

We want to extend a massive thank you to the Wombats and Skippies for making this trip so special. We sincerely hope it was the trip of a lifetime and we look forward to staying in contact with all the new friends we have made.

Best Wishes

Sarah & Ben xx