Oxley to Canberra 1

SUNDAY
Megan, Dan & I (Frank) headed to Brisbane airport.  As we were driving we saw several cars containing Oxley State School kids that we recognised.  Megan dropped Dan and I in the stop drop go at the airport.

We joined an ever growing group of parents and kids invading the terminal.

The crowd converged on gate 43 and eventually the swarm was brought to order and sat of the way.  As was to be expected we boarded the plane via the rear steps and occupied most of the rear half of the plane.  There seemed to be a few unfortunate non Oxley people in amongst us.  A family decamped and were escorted toward the front of the plane.  A young man was marooned nearby with two young Oxley boys to entertain.  The ride to Sydney was uneventful.  Out of the window at one stage we could see a fire front of one of their bush fires with the smoke drifting south in a absolutely huge cloud.

At Sydney, the kids were once again lined up in a dual queue that given the word began to march down the corridor toward the baggage collection.  This beast is not to be messed with.  Woe be tide any toddler that strays into its path.

Onto the bus and a reasonable drive to some place in Botany Bay where Capt Cook apparently set foot in Oz for the first time.  We got out of the bus and admired the Kernell oil refinery that is a somewhat more recent edition to the landscape.  Our attention was drawn to a couple obelisks that celebrate the landing or invasion depending on ones point of view.  A plaque advised that the Aboriginals resisted the landing from day one but were out gunned.  Spears vs Muscats.  It would appear the Muscats won.

Then it was back on the bus with an even longer drive to Taronga Park Zoo.  The highlight of this leg was driving over the harbour bridge.  I was beginning to realise that the quite lengthy detour to Botany bay is one of those things that looks good on a program and I am sure has plenty of educational outcomes but the effect was that the zoo visit was somewhat rushed.

At the zoo I was assigned 6 or was it 7 kids to .... supervise.  I knew most of them and they are easy going and responsible.  We had one kid who came with a reputation but the force of numbers was with the new kids and he just got in the groove.  Even though time was short, we did manage to see a Koala move, some snakes curled up sleeping behind glass, a couple of Giraffes eat some leaves and a penguin or two swim.

3:30PM and we reassembled at the zoo entrance, some of us more intelligent ones refilled our drink bottled and boarded the bus and set sail for Canberra.  This proved again to be pretty uneventful.  About half way the bus driver deposited us at Macdonalds....

More to come.  I am off to dinner.