Eagles Down Under 2010

The Daintree Forest

2010-03-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

Today was our last day of expeditions. We headed out this morning for the Daintree forest, the oldest Rainforest in the world. This rainforest holds the 12 of the oldest unchanged plants in the world, and is home to many species of plants and animals that are only found there. It is amazing just how unique Australia is.
We took a 2.5 hour bus drive through winding coastal roads, across a fairy and into roads less traveled. We arrived at a Tour center at the rainforest, where we were greeted with very knowledgeable tour guides. They took us through the lower portion of the rainforest, and up into the upper canopy via a large tower. We looked around an information center, and learned a great deal about the rainforest and its inhabitants.

After leaving the rainforest, we stopped just a few miles down the road for lunch and play time on the beach. Some sat and talked; others soaked in the sun or played with coconuts. Myself and some of the other boys played an amazing game of ultimate frisbee on the beach. We had fun despite destroying the soles of our feet on the
compact beach sand .

We headed back towards Cairns listening to a commentary on our surroundings from one of our bus drivers. Among a few stops to stretch our legs was another swimming location where we got to swim in some small rapids. By this point, we were so exhausted and ready to get home. I think the fact that it was not until day 9 of the 10 day trip that we grew a little weary, gives testimony to just how great of a trip this has been. We are tired, but not of the trip or the scenery.

We topped the night off with a great dinner (probably the best of the trip), and we are now back to our rooms to do a little laundry, and get ready for our departure tomorrow. We will be leaving around 8 AM our time, and will do a little (ha-ha) traveling before arriving back at DFW around 11:45 PM on the same day somehow??? I am sure crossing that date line again is really going to make adjusting to home time so much fun! Be ready to be patient with us!

Well I am going to upload a few more pictures. We have not had great opportunities to get all the different pictures from the kids; however, we still have some good snapshots of our trip. Your kids took tons of pictures, and I am sure you will be thrilled to see all of them when the return.

We love and miss you guys.

Until Next time…

The Outback

2010-03-12T02:31:00.000-08:00

Well, quite a bit of time has passed since our last post. Quite a bit has happened as well!

We had the wonderful opportunity to visity the outback for two days! Just to give you a breif re-cap, the outback is very dense with trees. Not very desert like, at least not where we were. I am sure if you go more inland, the scenary would change. The wildlife was all around us. There were Kangaroos, Snakes ( we saw a Taipan, the world's most deadliest snake, on a road leading into our camp.) Vampire bats, spiders and so much more. We were able to tour amazing lava tubes, see the sunset on from a view that overlooked the outback as far as you could see, trek around the volcanos, and explore the great outdoors. We also saw stars! Not just any stars, but stars that were unobstructed by any light pollution. It was awesome as we saw the heaven's declaring God's Glory! You could see Orion's Belt, and the Southern Cross. The universe seemed so large dense as you saw stars behind stars in an infinate depth.

We slept in permanent tents that were elevated off the ground. It was far from roughing it, but to some of the students it was a far cry from anything they had ever experienced. We came away a little more fearless, and definately more aware of just how small we are in God's huge creation.

I spoke to the students earlier this week about how God's creation is so awesome, but we need to remember that we are his ultimate creation. This rang true for me in the outback as I felt amazingly insignificant inlight of this expanse. How could God love us more? How could we be more beautiful? I am not sure, but I could hear His still small voice telling me that I was more precious than anything I could see or experience. Mrs. McBroom spoke from Psalms about the stars declaring God's glory, and earlier our Tour Guide told us that God's creation speaks His name, and leaves mankind without excuse. Suddenly, God's word made more sense, and gave a deeper meaning.

After a rich experience, we loaded up and headed back into town. We checked into our next resort...even nicer than the last... and are now resting up for one more day in the rainforest before we make our journey home. On behalf of all of the student's, and adults, we say thank you for making this experience possible. We are forever changed.

We love and miss you guys!

Until next time...

Coach Winn and the SCS Mates

Mrs. Chaulk's Questions Answered.

2010-03-12T01:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, here is my best shot at answering all the questions posed...

7th Period.

We are seeing tons of animals! In fact, Australia is home to some of the most deadly species of animals in the world... most of which are only found in Australia. To name a few, Kangaroos, Wallabies, Walaroos, Snakes... including being a few feet from a Taipan (the worlds most deadly snake...a drop of venom can kill 100 humans!) in the outback. Lots of birds, crocodiles, vampire bats, did I mention snakes? Oh and spiders.

The accents are very heavy. So heavy in fact you can barely understand them at times even though the speak English. They really do say G'Day Mate!

They have banned most guns, and the crime rate has dropped dramatically as a result. The crime rate is far less than the U.S. While it may have begun as a penal colony, the society has transformed into a very upstanding people group.

Have not seen Ughs. Sorry.

7th graders! I miss you guys... I am having a blast!

Jennifer, it is hot here because it is summer. However, I would say that we have been mostly in the 80's and 90's. It has not been has hot as it can be.

Jason, I would have to say the Great Barrier Reef. However, this place is so awesome... I feel like each day is better than the day before. Let's just say that you are lucky that I love you guys so much, or I would just stay here!

kangaroos can kick, but I don't think they would punch... rather they would use their claws to cut your belly open... Gross!

Ty and Sarah, I have not seen an outback steakhouse here. We have eaten a lot of seafood, Kangaroo (seriously... it tastes like beef), crocodile tail, and otherwise normal food. The milk and cheese is a little weird.

Mer and Noah, I almost did get hit by a boomerang, but it was one of our kids who threw it! The locals are awesome... not as friendly as Texans, but who is...really?

Mrs. Chaulk, Yes I did three dives, and they were breathtaking. I have heard that we did not dive at the best spot, but for me it was amazing.

9th Period...

Okay, you will have to read above for some of your questions ( I have to load pictures tonight, and you only get so much Internet time for your money)

People in Australia dress a little different. Most of the people don't seem to be too concerned about appearance here. It is more about function and being laid back. I want to live here because almost no men really shave often! The natives are really dark, and almost look middle eastern. That really surprised me.

Love you guys! Can't wait to see ya'll after spring break!
Mr. Winn

The Rain Forest

2010-03-09T02:30:00.001-08:00

Today we had the opportunity to spend time in the rain forests. This was such a breathtakingly beautiful day! We saw huge gorgeous trees and vines, colorful flowers, and a setting that you only see in pictures... or in an attempted replication at a zoo. We have seen so many different settings. In fact Australia is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world. It is so crazy to be able to travel a very short distance in different directions and experience a new world at every turn. We are going to the outback for two days tomorrow. We will see yet one more beautiful and different scene.

Our kids are having such a great time. I overheard one student say to another... "I thought yesterday was the best day of my life, and then we had today..." Another students were saying that they were glad that they came on this trip. Our tour guide has been incredible, and we have seen things that we never would have otherwise.

Today while we were in the rain forest, we had the opportunity to swim in different rivers that flowed down the mountains. In one area in particular, we had the opportunity to slide down a natural slide that had been smoothed out over thousands of years. It was incredible...cold, but incredible. The views were simply breathtaking. In fact, as I sit here, I am finding it hard to put into words what we saw. It's is like trying to describe God with words...it is just difficult to find words that are spectacular enough.

In a few minutes new photos will be uploaded. Now, since we will be in the outback the next few days, it will be a few days until we can post again on the blog. So check back in a few days for an update.

We love and miss you guys.

Until next time...

***UPDATE*** I have not gotten to all the kids to get their pictures off their cameras. During out bus ride tomorrow, I am going to try and round up more pics. So if you have not seen many pictures of your child, they are out there... I just don't have them yet. As soon as I get them, I will upload everything to the picture site. Thanks for your patience!

Great Barrier Reef

2010-03-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

DON'T WORRY! THERE ARE MORE PHOTOS TO COME. Uploading take a good bit of time here, and we are basically going from waking up to going to bed. We are going to attempt to catch up with our pictures tonight.

So the reef was AMAZING. We woke up yesterday and took a short drive over to a port in Cairns where we boarded a boat to heard out to the reef. We got on a large boat, and took about a 90 minute ride out to the reef, where a staffed platform awaited us. On the boatride we recieved a lecture on the different biology of what we would see while diving and snorkling, and instructions on how to navigate the reef once we arrived.

Once we stepped off the boat onto the platform, we were immiediately encouraged to suit up and get in the water. Our experienced divers headed out to the outer reef for some advanced dives. The rest of the group spend the day snorkeling around the reef, or taking a ride on the semi submursable glass boat for another educational lecture and views of more diverse specices.

The views were amazing. We had a perfect day. Great warm weather, sunshine, and crystal clear waters. Our tour guide mentioned that it was the best he had seen it in his 9 trips over the last 8 years. The coral was just breath taking, and we even got to pet different fish that have been trained by the cruise staff. It was a once and a lifetime opportunity that we will never forget.

We are about to head out to do some hiking in the mountains, and this afternoon we will be going to the rainforest to hike and swim in waterfall areas, and slide down naturally formed slides that have been around for thousands of years. Although we have only been going for two days, we have already seen and experienced so much that if we left today, many would have considered it worth it. However, we have so much to see and experience.

We love and miss you guys. We will post more pics tonight. Please pray for sustained energy. Most of the crew is going to bed as soon as we get home... about 8-8:30 at night. It is all we can do to stay awake that long!

Until next time...

Greetings from Downunder

2010-03-07T01:12:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it! After 27 hours of travel, 3 flights, swollen ankles and feet, and lots of movies, we arrived in Cairnes this morning. Once we arrived, we didn't waste anytime. We loaded up on the bus and headed out to the Cairnes zoo. We held koalas, fed kangaroos, touched snakes, and saw many different species native to Australia. It was a great learning opportunity for all of us! Trying to stay busy for fear of jet lag beating us down, we trudged on. We checked in to our RESORT. We are not just staying in a hotel, it is a full on resort. Each room has two bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, and a laundry room. Talk about living it up! We took a quick break to shower, and then it was off to grab some groceries and then go out to eat. We ate unlimited pasta and pizza for dinner, and completely stuffed ourselves. We are now winding down and getting ready to head out to the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow. Until next time...

Gate Change!

2010-03-05T09:42:00.001-08:00

We are now leaving out of C11, which unfortunately has a differnet check in area (C1-C14). Please meet us at the check in area for C11.

If you have already dropped off, I am about to go down and collect everyone that might be at the wrong area.

Blessings!
Mr. Winn

Meeting Place

2010-03-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Parents,

We are departing from Terminal C, gate C16. We will meet at the check in area where Mrs. Allen will distribute your child’s tickets and Visas. Please be there at 12:00. Make sure your child has their passport and follows all airline regulations when packing. Please email if you have any questions or you can call me tomorrow (after 9:00am).

See you tomorrow!
Mrs. McBroom

Welcome to our Blog!

2010-03-02T09:58:00.000-08:00

Gooday Friends and Family!

The countdown to Australia has begun. We leave in approximately 75 hours for our fabulous Australian Adventure. We will be updating this blog as often as possible throughout our trip. Please check back with us on Thursday to see gate information and to find out what our meeting place will be on Friday at 12:00. Please pray for safe travel and that God will be glorified in all that we do!

Blessings!
Mrs. McBroom, Mrs. Allen, and Mr. Winn
Shout joyfully to God...How awesome are your works. Psalm 66:1,3