Australia Eastern Australia guarantees an educational adventure

By Michael McLaughlin

!e Great Barrier stretches for a beach workout, where Robbie stressed 1,430 miles off Australia’s Northern Coast. being centered on the boards and !e world’s largest monolith, Uluru, reviewed the progression of movements dominates the interior of the world’s flat- required to stand up on the board. test, driest and largest inhabited island. Pretty soon, it was time to put that And Oceania’s most populous city, Sydney, muscle to use. Robbie had encircles the earth’s biggest natural harbor. me paddle out beyond the whitewater Australia is a land of superlatives. to catch a wave. On the !rst couple of runs, my nerves got the best of me: As head of the middle school at Austin instant wipeout. Robbie was a patient Preparatory School in Reading, Massachu- and encouraging coach, boosting my setts, I oversee the student body’s interna- con!dence and adjusting my form. Opera House, Sydney tional travel opportunities. I was fortunate His instruction paid o# as the to travel through Queensland and New a$ernoon drew to a close. I caught a South Wales with a dozen students as wave in the Goldilocks zone — one that part of a one-week tour of Australia. Our was just right! Over the break, Robbie "is new knowledge allowed the stu- stories are now our souvenirs. coached me to kneel, lunge, twist and dents to observe the creatures safely and stand. Keeping my center of gravity low, to understand their ecological role. Surf’s up my head toward the shore and my arms Later, a guided hike o#ered a natural- With no shortage of coastline, Aus- up, I was stoked to “shred the gnar.” "e ist’s eye to Fraser’s lush landscape. We tralia is a surfer’s paradise and inspires photo one student snapped will de!- learned the distinctive marks found on new thrill-seekers to try and “hang 10.” nitely be framed for my o%ce. eucalyptus trees tell the life story of the Within an hour of landing in Bris- scribbly gym moth as it grows and feasts bane, our tour director Erica whisked us Nature immersion on the bark. north to the “Sunshine Coast.” A small King!sher Bay Resort provides a A relaxing picnic lunch on an empty army of instructors from XL Sur!ng tranquil retreat on Fraser Island. beach provided time to soak in the sun. Academy greeted us. "is family-run A multi-stop coach tour showcases With supervision, some students rented out!tter lives and breathes sur!ng and is a number of sights, but the pace can be paddle boards for a fun a$ernoon of passionate about helping others develop quick. Our stay at King!sher Bay Resort water sport. In the evening, our driver their skills in the sport. We were thrilled was an invitation to unwind and rejuvenate. Jimmy joined us on the pier to point out to begin our !rst sur!ng lesson. A$er a poolside breakfast, we at- the Southern Cross amidst the thousands While students were paired with other tended a ranger presentation about the of stars that twinkled across the sky. coaches, I was paired with former profes- Fraser Island dingoes. "ese friendly- It is little wonder why Prince Harry sional surfer and XL Sur!ng Academy looking dogs are an apex predator, and a and Princess Meghan vacationed on founder Robbie Sherwell. We began with pack of nearly 300 call the island home. Fraser Island; it is a tropical paradise.

62 Winter 2019 • studentgrouptour.com Michael McLaughlin Gold Coast

Clockwise from top: iStock (2), Michael McLaughlin Dec • Jan • Feb • Mar 63 Musical on reviewing all the entries that Utzon’s "e tour ended with a special mem- work was reconsidered. ory. As we gathered in the Joan Suther- "e sail-shaped silhouette of the "e Studio is the Opera House’s most land "eatre lobby, our guide invited Sydney Opera House is both an archi- &exible venue with a capacity to trans- one of my students to sing. "e student’s tectural icon and a modern marvel. form its seating, sound and stage to meet rendition of Adele’s “Someone Like You” Hosting more than 2,000 events the unique needs of each production. For reverberated in the space; with each annually, the Sydney Opera House is a my students involved in performing arts, note, she grew more con!dent, ending premier performance venue. My stu- about the creative team in the with a crescendo of sound and the big- dents and I thoroughly enjoyed a private drama theater piqued their interest. gest smile on her face. tour. We began in the Western Foyer, I was keen to see the concert hall. "e "e Sydney Opera House is a space where we learned Jorn Utzon’s archi- venue accommodates an audience of for extraordinary talent, thunderous tectural design was initially rejected by 2,679. Features like a vaulted ceiling, white applause and treasured moments. It three judges in the 1956 competition to birch timber and even the curvature of was quite an experience for our tour to design the building. It was only because each seat channel sound and contribute to transform into a performance in one of the fourth judge arrived late and insisted the space’s unparalleled acoustics. the world’s most storied stages.

Fraser Island Michael McLaughlin with student group, Sydney

Pack of dingoes, Fraser Island

64 Winter 2019 • studentgrouptour.com Clockwise from top: iStock, Michael McLaughlin, iStock Stand-up paddleboarding, Fraser Island

Team spirit A night out at the Lord’s Cricket Grounds in Sydney brought the Aussie love of sport to life. Our guide Erica was a sports enthusi- ast and arranged our tickets to watch the hometown Sydney Swans take on the Gold Coast Suns in Australian Rules Football. "e bright lights of the Lord’s Cricket Grounds and 25,000 fans out!tted in red and white created an electric Fraser Island Fraser Island atmosphere. "e students and I joined the &ock by decking ourselves in Swans spirit gear as we took our seats. One of my students studied up on the game and was eager to share her knowledge. With just a few terms ex- plained, the game made sense, which, in turn, made it more fun to watch. A cross between soccer and rugby, “footy” is a fast-paced game between two teams of 18. "e high-scoring sport moves quickly with players kick- ing, throwing and catching the ball in the oval !eld. "eir aim is to score points by sending the ball through the uprights. "e most impressive plays, called marks, are when players catch the ball mid-air from a kick. "e team is then awarded possession. "e evening provided a fun, a#ord- able activity that immersed students in the local culture. With the Swans captur- ing a win, the night became unforget- table — especially for every student.

Australia Tourism Lord’s Cricket Grounds, Sydney australia.com

Michael McLaughlin Dec • Jan • Feb • Mar 65