A School, a Museum & an Ode, Qld

Just a quick footnote re:last night's dinner... the steak burgers cooked by Richard & Jack were very yummy!

Enjoying our steak burgers

Jack doesn't like his burger at all ;-)

What a learning experience today, Friday the 7th of September has been. Our first port of call was the Longreach School of Distance Education.

The kids at the Longreach School of Distance Education

The building itself wasn't remarkable but what lay inside was about 8 different studio's, similar to a radio station, where teachers perform their distance education classes on a daily basis. 

A teacher, at work in his classroom

We got to see how the whole process happens and how it has changed through the ages from big CB radio's to computers.

The Longreach School is the biggest of its kind in Australia and covers an area two times the size  of Victoria and Tasmania put together. They have children ranging from outback stations to houseboats off the Barrier Reef. 

Needless to say the kids were fascinated by it all and Nina would have quite easily stayed for the day or the week given the opportunity. The fact that school is in the name meant the boys weren't so keen, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

The school also has a boarding quarters to allow the students to come together a few times a year. It was very impressive!

The next stop was the Qantas Founders Museum which commemorates the founders of a great Aussie company that went on to become a world wide leader in aviation.

 

The decommissioned Boeing 747

The best part was getting to tour through a decommissioned Boeing 747 and 707. 

We were given a guided tour through the ins and outs of both planes, the kids even got the opportunity sit inside the cockpit of the 747, a rarity since 9-11, and we all got to have a great photo inside the engine of the  747....

Pilot Nina, co pilot Harry and Jack the onlooker

Sonia, Jack, Nina and Harry inside the massive engine

A family snapshot

They were excited to see that the decommissioned plane was called City of Bunbury, it made us all feel closer to home....

The plane has The City Of Bunbury, written on the side

The 707 also had many stories to tell, it was once chartered by the Jackson 5, and it contained beds and lounges, cocktail bars and all the necessities of being a rock star on the road....

The Boeing 707

Inside the 707, once chartered by The Jackson 5

It was a great experience.

It also reached a sweltering 35 degrees today, something I know everyone in Perth won't be happy to hear, keep warm guys.

Proof that it got to 35 degrees. Yay for some hot weather.

On the way home from the museum I checked my emails to find this.... I read it aloud in the car and it gave us a lump in our throats but made us smile all at the same time.

Thanks Aunty Lucy, it's special and we love it.

You are too clever, we think you missed your calling....

Ode to the Travelling Bennett's!

Mum and Dad are almost going mad

"Are we there yet?"

Is a question they don't need to hear

They've heard it so many times this year.

In outback Queensland is where they are

The road is endless and very far.

Travelling along they all sing a song.

"It's very hot and dusty, a lot of things are rusty

Some things are getting very crusty."

We are the Bennett's we love to be free

Travelling along is where we should be.

Way outback on the Birdsville track

Jack, Harry and Nina looked happy and fine

It's the special place where their TV

Appearance was seen on channel 9.

Richard says to Sonia:

We need to stop soon dear

I am very thirsty for a cold beer.

Sonia responds with a big smile

Not now dear, we might meet a crocodile.

We will travel on in rain and snow

We have places to visit and places to go

We've travelled early and we have travelled late

We have found a friend, we have made a mate.

We will head on now to the top end

The next few months on the road we'll spend.

By Christmas time we expect to be

Back in Perth with the family

Written by Lucy for Jack, Harry and Nina

Tomorrow we leave Longreach and the Queensland Outback and head towards the coast.