We have a lie in!!! An early morning call is arranged for 7.30am. Breakfast is at 8.30am. All are down and in good spirits.
The boys involved in last night’s misdemeanours are not going to be allowed to go white water rafting.
Breakfast is enjoyable and as previously there is lots to choose from.
We meet at 9.30am and arrange the ‘Donkey of the day’ vote. There are 4 contenders.
Georgia Davies had caused some to question her sanity when she said that “The Great Barrier Reef’ was where ‘Finding Nemo’ was filmed”. It was a cartoon Georgia.
Rhys Cherry nearly caused an international incident when he had been walking up the steps to his room-his thong (flip flop) had slipped from his foot and hit the cleaner who was underneath the stairs. No need to worry-that world renowned diplomat Shane Harris was on hand to smooth things over.
In Underwater World, Jayde Anderson had been excited to see a seal. It was just a picture on the wall. Imagine what she was like when she saw the seal show!!!
Lewis Macdermott was not in the best of moods this morning. During the meeting, he strode over to one of the poolside tables and sat on it-it collapsed, much to the amusement of everyone else.
When the votes were counted, Rhys Cherry’s ‘thong’ incident was the clear winner and he inherited the ‘shirt’ from Emma Kieft. Emma had worn it without fail for the last two days.
After the meeting we have arranged for the hotel bus to ferry us into town. 40 students wish to go and they are accompanied by 4 staff. The other 7 students remain ‘poolside’ with Mr Walters. Mr Long also remains at the hotel and continues to try to upload video clips to the blog.
Cairns is a city a little smaller than Swansea. It has a nice shopping centre with its fair share of designer shops. Several students visit the Canterburyshop, but prices are expensive. Others are able to search for and purchase bargains in other shops.
After two hours in town the bus ‘shuttles’ us back to the hotel and we have some lunch and prepare for an afternoon rafting. The rafting group is collected at 2.15pm from the hotel. Laura Baker whose back injury meant she couldn’t raft and the six boys who were not allowed to raft remained at the hotel with myself.
The rafters return at 5.30pm, most enjoyed it although Kira Button said she felt in more danger of drowning in the swimming pool than in the river.
There were a number of others though who had a ‘narrow escape from death’.
En route to the river the driver and guide told them that the river was fed by the discharge from a power station-that water feeds the river and generates the energy. Overnight they had discharged 66 megawatts which would be enough to power 10,000 homes. It means that the river would be high and the water will be flowing quickly.
After the boats had gone through a section of rapids, they came to a calm section. Rachael Williams was worried about her hair and so she put her head in the water to wash it. As she did so, she got pushed overboard. Then her ‘friends’ wouldn’t pull her back into the raft-who needs enemies when you’ve got friends like that.
Brittany Jenkins fell out and was grabbed by the guide in her boat. Luckily for her he pulled her back in.
Ailsa Howells went overboard and went under the raft and thought she was going to drown. I’m glad to report that she’s still with us.
Such calamities weren’t exclusively those of the students. Miss Jeffreys flew out of her raft, whacked Jayde Anderson over the head as she flew past her and took the guide overboard with her. “I’m never doing that again” she said. The guide was in full agreement.
We have arranged to have a meal in the restaurant for the whole group. We meet there at 7.30pm and have a choice of either beef or battered fish, with stir fry and salad, followed by trifle.
We also arrange for a birthday cake for our 6 birthday students. We embarrass them by calling them out front and singing ‘Happy birthday’ to them as a group.
At the end of the meal I confirm the arrangements for tomorrow-our final day. An early morning call at 6.30am. Breakfast at 7.00am and board the coach by 8.00am to travel to catch our boat to the reef. Jayde Anderson asks ‘Is there a beach there sir?’
Our last day tomorrow and an exciting prospect-The Great Barrier Reef. Students are in their rooms by 10.30pm in preparation.
