Our time here is coming to an end and we are trying to pack in all we can before we head back home on, appropriately, the Fourth of July. The girls have finished classes and did their mandatory internships in their final week. Jill and Mike are finishing up volunteer projects and have a few more day trips and markets to explore before we have to return our Saab and start packing.
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| Melbourne laneway graffiti is world famous |
One of the many interesting aspects of our experience has been seeing the prosperity of Australia and the way this impacts quality of life Down Under. After six months, we are still amazed at the social infrastructure that makes this vast country work so well. It will be hard to go back to the social, political and ethnic divisiveness of the U.S. In Australia, issues of discrimination and racism are dealt with openly, if not perfectly. Still, the legacy of the former "White Australia" policy is hard to overcome. The needs of the Aboriginal communities are complicated, but they are not being ignored. Other differences between people such as profession and wealth don't seem to matter as much as in the U.S. The parks and streets are clean and well-maintained; graffiti is minimal except where it is considered art. Restaurants are obscenely good and the food is fresh off the farm. General health status is good, although obesity is becoming a greater concern. Who gets fat eating Vegemite? Native trees and animals are revered and seasons consist of hot and very hot. We are envious of the good-intentioned paternalism in Australia: basic health care, education, housing and retirement are ensured. Roads are safe thanks to the speeding and drunk-driving campaigns. And why would anyone leave? Because our visa ends in a few days and they are going to kick us out! And yes, we really are homesick for our friends and family. But we will return to this amazing country.
The semester at
Wesley College ended sweetly for Nina and Audrey. They adapted to the purple school uniforms, the formal, rigid teaching style and the different Australian curriculum with curiosity and enthusiam. Both girls participated in school activities including sports and the debate team.
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| The girls and friends at an environmental rally |
They received honors and “house colors” for their leadership. The seemingly endless going away parties are a testament to the great friends they have made in their short time here. We expect a lot of teenage Aussie visitors to Chicago.
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| The gold mining town of Ballarat |
Much of the prosperity of the country is due to the rich natural resources. Mining is big industry, although most of it takes place in the north and west, "outback" regions. A few weeks ago we drove west of Melbourne to the old gold mining region. Prospectors came from all over the world in the mid to late 1800's and within a few years,
Melbourne became the richest city in the entire world! The elaborate architecture and stately civic buildings around Melbourne still stand today. Many of those early mining immigrants stayed and created the diverse ethnic culture of
Melbourne.
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| Some Korean tourists jumped into our 12 Apostles photo |
Over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend (
Australia is still part of the
British Commonwealth) we drove south to the Great Ocean Road. We walked along the limestone cliffs and saw the famous rock formations called the The Twelve Apostles—although corrosion has sunk 5 of them but the 7 Apostles doesn’t sound as catchy. The girls zip-lined through a eucalyptus rain forest and Mike and Jill walked the mile long tree top bridges.
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| Kookabura looking for handouts |
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| That's a dragon fruit in the right hand, custard apple in the left |
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| Nina making cheese |
The local passion for excellent food, organic farming and old world traditions has been a delight for us. Mike and Jill spend hours every week roaming the aisles of the daily farmer’s markets, picking up weird fruits and perplexing Asian ingredients for trial and error back at our apartment. Mike and Nina took a day long cheese-making class at an organic farm.
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| Audrey won a prize for her excellent latte |
Jill and Audrey went for the quick buzz and took an espresso-essentials class with a barrista master. Melbourne coffee is an art form and the cafes have been a big part of our experience here.
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| Nina in uniform and Audrey, on the last day of school |
At varying times we have felt like anthropologists and ambassadors. Our friends here joined us in the cultural exchanges. We learned a lot from them and we are sure they learned a lot from us. We will miss our mates, the wallabies, koalas and eucalyptus trees and the thrill of finding unusual foods and spectacular scenery. We are eager to take all of our experience back HOME.
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| Sunset over Phillips Bay from our Melbourne home |
