Report: Laura Murphy (Hockey Team, 6th year 2005)

We all woke up feeling a little disorientated after the long journey. After a long sleep in we met for breakfast and began to plan the day ahead.

First thing scheduled was a light training session in the parklands near our Hotel. We were unable to run on the grass as there had been no rain in that location for the previous two years until a storm arrived a week before us. Mr. C guided the hockey team on a short jog around the park while the soccer team trained separately with Neil. Even though the weather was not too hot it took some getting used to.

After returning to the hotel to freshen up we then left on a walking tour of Brisbane. One of the memorable spots we came across was the Southbank Beach. This man-made beach was a great tourist place to visit. (It also had very hot lifeguards!) It was here that some of us bought our 'authentic' Aussie cork hats. We blended in nicely among the locals.

On the way home we stopped off at Queen Street Mall to do what we do best….. spend our parents' money! It was a huge street with shops and different malls on each side.

One of the best meals we received on our trip was at the BBQ at the Carpenter household. Their generous hospitality made us feel welcome immediately. Friends and neighbours helped with the food preparation and the meal was fantastic. Seeing as a lot of the people there originally came from Ireland, in true spirit we had a good sing-song with all the guests. The atmosphere was great. We also heard some interesting stories about Mr. C and saw a lot of funny photos. Overall it was a great night.

Thank you again for everyone's hard work and for making us feel so welcome.

My 2005 Australian Tour Highlight:

Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge (although not entirely pleased with the 6.30am start)

Cork hats in Brisbane

We climbed this bridge!

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