Pots of tea, petrochemicals and pig products

Monday commenced with a wonderful sleep in allowing for a 8:40 start. We were given hamburgers with egg and........ something, for breakfast which was a pleasant surprise.

We headed out to Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation. We met up with exchange students from Denmark, Russia, France and Canada who joined us for this visit. After meditation, another tea ceremony was demonstrated to us as the guests of honour. We were then coaxed to give a presentation in Mandarin, which was an interesting experience. The devotion and dedication of the volunteers was demonstrated, with the amazing charity work conducted around the world being shown in a documentary. This group is able to get help into disaster areas usually within 24 hours. They then stay for extended lengths of time, rebuilding and stabilising whole communities.

After leaving the foundation, we were provided with a much needed break back at our accommodation. After a rest for 10 minutes, the GSE experienced rolled on.

We then headed to Formosa Petrochemicals, which was an amazing experience. To put the site in perspective, it covers 8km by 4km. The site had been filled (previously water/ocean) with the site being reclaimed at a rate of 2ha a day. The company now produces 12% of Taiwan's GDP. Products produced include petrol, poly carbonates, kevlar, carbon fibre etc.

After attending a temple and a nearby a park being redeveloped by Rotary, we arrived at Mai Lin Rotary Club.


We gave a informal presentation as there was no computer, with the presentation being well recieved. A few of the questions to Karalyn were a bit confusing and included "Can you only have one wife in Australia", "How much does a work visa cost" and further questions surrounding Australia's immigration policy. We were then given beauty products (body wash, shampoo), only to find out that these had been made out the gall bladder of a pig, a number of you out there may wish to read their product labels more carefully in future. The lucky door prize at the Alumni Dinner should be interesting.

Another sleep in with an 8:30 start.

Breakfast, birds, bullocks, banquet, baffling bamboo, brellas, brew & beers!

Hola to all our followers.
Catching up on blog and is getting late here in Taiwan, so apologies for poor form on blog!

We were told it was going to be another "quiet" day so were fully prepared for the day.

We started with traditional take away breakfast at a popular local shop- Karalyn was asking for coffee - based on yesterdays "quiet" day, she was going to need it.

The team then went bird watching for Pitta Birds.... No birds (just out of season), which was a pitty (boom, boom toush!) so we watched a DVD instead.

We then headed to a Water Musuem to learn about Taiwan's agriculture and irrigation systems learning about the history and culture of water management in Taiwan- was very informative.

Lunch seemed to come oh to soon! A banquet followed and we were, yet again, busting at the seams following another splendid banquet.

Next stop was a bamboo shop which included some truly amazing craftmanship with bamboo. The highlight was the puzzles, which the owner took great pleasure in everyone failing, while trying to crack the secrets. This included applying pressure, at a certain angle, and sliding certain elements, including secret sliding latches to open boxes. What a great cookie jar this would make!

We then headed to an umbrella factory to learn the history and various designs of umbrellas. Who would of thought there is so much to learn- wind resistance, UV protection, durability. So many types- ones with extendable golf ball scoops at the end, ones with fans, ones for the bike, ones with torches. It was the Bubba Gump Shrimp of Umbrellas!

Team was then geared up to learn about tea making in Taiwan. This included the traditional way of drinking tea in Taiwan. A packet of tea leaves sells for up to $150! We were able to sample this fine tea.. however James prefers his $5 Bushells!

We then headed for a Chinese dinner with Taiwanese beer- James and Ed did very well and we were very concerned about our drivers BAC! It was a big relief to find out that we had been assigned designated drivers... as if the roads in Taiwan are not scary enough!

Regards TM1, 2 & 3

Adios amigos!

Another GSE "quiet" day...

Ok everyone... Saturday we had a "quiet" day... I think the best way to do this is in point format:

1. Breakfast: Drive to Swallow's home which was nothing short of stunning! We had a great breakfast with lots of fruit and sticky rice.
2. Cultural Centre: Visited a cultrual centre based in a Japanese designed street- lots of history and very interesting.
3. Soy Sauce Factory: We the went to a soy sauce factory and learnt how it is made- by the barrel full of salt!
4. 2 km Bridge & Photos: We then visited the 2nd longest bridge in Taiwan at 2km long... however the school aged Korean tourists thought we were more of an attraction than the bridge; I would love to know exactly where all those photos will end up!


5. Largest fresh food market in Taiwan, $4 for a box of capsicums; being run over by mopeds, free
6. Lunch: We were then treated to a fine lunch in a section of a building that had previously collapsed and had been re-fitted for dining space.... chicken feet and duck wings were on the table, however we were not game enough for that game!
7. Sesame Oil Factory: We then headed to a factory where sesame oil has been produced for many years. Sesame Seed Ice cream, the delicacy of the day. Interesting with a great host and some nice gifts to try out with our cooking!
8. Towel Production: Next stop was examining a towel production factory who make towels for sports brands and 5 star hotels. There was fluff in the air, and finally it was not just coming from James' mouth!
9. Temple Festival: This was the highlight of the night with a great festival in a 300 year old temple! Fire crackers setting off car alarms and lots of people made this a great evening.
10. Dinner: We then kindly requested a small dinner and were then treated to a hot pot: this included two plates of beef, seafood and vegetables- a small dinner???
11. Night Markets: We then took the opportunity to wander through the night markets for an hour or so which was fun- James and Ed shot some air-pistols and received some cute little teddy bear each- awww!
12. Back to Apple's: After a "quiet" day we returned to our homestay for sleep.

Brad.

Chiayi to Yun-Lin (apples and oranges)

We packed up the very large amount of luggage that we have accumulated over our stay in Chiayi and moved in convoy to Yun-Lin. We arrived at what is to be our accommodation for the next week at Apple's house in Huwei. The boys are in the apartment above Apple's office, and I am two doors up in his home.
We were taken to lunch at a small local restaurant, where we enjoyed beef and noodles.

We had a spare hour before our first Vocational visit, so we were taken to a Rotarians beautiful home for tea and oranges. The snooker and Table tennis tables were given a workout by the boys and the other Rotarians, Australia was well represented..
Yun-Lin County Government was our next point of call, and we had a presentation on the structure of the local government and some of the programmes they are undertaking. There was also a presentation on the Local Fire Fighters, and one on Public Health, all of which were interesting and informative.
Because we had another spare hour, the Golf Driving Range was the chosen option. After some tips from the local pro, the boys managed to make a reasonable showing, with me cheering on from the sidelines and creating the next episode of Australia's Funniest home video.
The final visit for the day was to the Rotary Club for their meeting. We gave our presentation, and it was well received, followed by dinner at a restuarant and home made food from the Presidents wife which was fabulous.

Bureaucrats and butterflys

After a breakfast of toast and vegemite (courtesy of Brad), we placed bets on how many people our entourage would consist of. James was correct with one person (Fund) but we were informed that this would increase on arrival at our first destination.

We arrived at Chiayi City Hall which houses the local government. There were nine Rotarians who joined us there. We were taken to a Conference room and received a briefing on the International Band Festival to be held in Chiayi City in June. The Dep Mayor was then most helpful answering Brad and Ed's questions regarding local government. They both enjoyed this vocational visit. We were given a guided tour of the building and the various sections. Stanley (our very informative guide) explained the workings of the City Government and we worked out that the centre open amphitheatre would be an excellent location to fly the model helicopters that Karalyn had seen at the shop the previous day.

We were then taken to a restaurant to have lunch. After everyone selecting linguine, this was then followed by fruit and coffee. We proceeded to Chiayi City Park and went up the Shoot the Sun tower. The remote location at the top of the tower was very relaxing and tranquil. We left the city park and went to a insect museum at the Chiayi University via the city water supply (looks like a big lake). The insect exhibition was a collection of both dead insects and living. Some were very strange, and rather large. Interesting that we were not permitted to take photographs of dead butterflies!!

"Fund" collected us and took us to a traditional Tao temple (after we explained that we were still full from lunch and could not fit dinner in just yet). The carvings at the temple and the relaxed atmosphere made a stress free end to the day. We watched the sun set in a red "ambience" haze. We then selected a sushi train restaurant for dinner. This was shortly followed by gelato outside the night markets. Fund has been an excellent gude for the last five days and we thank him most sincerely for his patience and vast knowledge of all things Taiwanese.

Almost halfway through the trip, leaving Chaiyi tomorrow and do not get picked up till 10:30am.

Massages, moonrock and meat!

Ni Hao (hello) everyone!

This morning we were greeted by approx 12 Rotarians from various Rotary Clubs of Chiayi where we were given banners and had lots of pics taken with respective Rotarians. We were then taken on a short drive to the Chiayi Renewal Garden Centre. This was such an amazing site visit. The centre provides services and programs for adults (15-64) with a disability. This includes a range of programs from social work support services, through to employment skills and exercise programs. The centre also produces various products that are sold which includes some stunning glass work (beads, pens)!

After having a delightful lunch at the restaurant at the centre we were treated to a 1 hour massage from visually impaired/blind maseuses. This was such a relaxing experience and we now have high expectations for more of the same!

Next item on today's schedule was the Museum of the Tropic of Cancer. A great and cost-free experience that everyone can enjoy and learn about our solar system. This includes some USA rockets and a moon rock... well a picture of a moon rock. Here is picture of the picture of the moon rock.

From here we were dropped off to an 8 storey 'Myers' like shopping complex... air hockey and basketball was on the cards for the guys at Timezone whilst Team Leader1 (Karalyn) enjoyed smelling perfumes and looking at shoes for an hour.

We were then taken to a classy hotel for a buffet dinner with 6 Rotarians, which had, wait for it roast beef with mushroom sauce! Ed had been hanging out for this for about 12 days and it was enjoyed by all.

An English Village

Breakfast in the hotel was interesting - a room that would seat 100, and we were the only ones there!! Vegemite goes well on steamed buns!!
Picked up by another group of Rotarians, with the obligatory group photo, and taken to an English Language Village in the local Elementary School. This is a purpose built facility where classes from the schools all over Chaiyi are bought to the centre, and learn English by working in real life scenarios. There is a hotel, with a reception desk and a fully set up room, an airport and the interior of a plane, a restaurant and a shopping centre. Fantastic set up, and being well utilised. We then had lunch at the school, eating the same food that the kids get served each day. (a full hot lunch).
We took a tour of the school, and were entertained by the recorder orchestra and the school band, both of which have won local competitions, and will compete at the national level. They were awesome.
Fund then picked us up and took us to the Cultural Centre, which houses the local Museum. We saw Stone monkeys, which are an art form generic to this area, and fossils from the surrrounding areas, as well as an art show (which actually featured a painting of the Twelve Apostles - the artist had visited there a couple of years ago).
As we were leaving, two young guys in "suits" arrived, and were checking out the area. Turns out they are the President of Taiwan's bodyguards, and that he will be visiting there tomorrow.
Back to the hotel for rest and recuperation before a shopping excursion to the centre of the city and dinner of our choice.

Vegetarian haggis and ice cream trucks

On the way to dinner, we again noticed a truck with music (sounds like the music ice cream vans play). When garbage trucks drive around collecting rubbish, they play music.
We then attended Chiayi West Rotary Club meeting. It was a celebration of 1000 meetings and it was an experience we will never forget. This included a slide show of the history of the club, karaoke by the Club President, lots of food and of course, drinking toasts. The photographs taken at the end of the night were an interesting experience with the Club President getting everyone to sing "We are the World" with hand gestures, as photos were being taken. A dish came out that looked like vegetarian haggis (vegetables had been combined into a skin). It was a thoroughly enjoyable night.

I did not pack for 5 degrees

The day started out with the team half asleep - 5am after about 5 hours sleep. We were collected by Rotarian and tour guide for the day 'Fund', and proceeded onto the world renowned 'Mount Alishan'. After a quick stop at 7 Eleven for snacks for the road, we arrived in the mountains as the sun was rising. Watching the sun rise over the mountain was amazing. It appears to leap into the sky over the mountain. Quite spectacular.

Upon arriving at Mount Alishan, we stepped out of the car to the thermometer at the carpark reading 5 degrees. After an amazing walk through the forest areas, where the trees were up to 2000 years old, we were taken into a temple and provided with a wealth of information from Fund. His knowledge of the Taiwanese culture is amazing. Upon leaving the temple, we caught the railway back to the start. We were surprised by the sign that read 'fare adjustment office', which we understood as meaning that if you had not paid for your fare at that point, you should. Brunch was then enjoyed in a small restaurant at the top of the mountain.

We left the mountain and chose to close our eyes in many instances on the trip back as cars, buses and trucks hurtled in all directions (double lines, blind corners, one lane) in an organised chaos with steep slopes off the sides.

We stopped in for a tea demonstration on the trip back and learn the traditional art of preparing tea. We then arrived back at the hotel.

A 2 hour break prior to dinner and a Rotary meeting is currently being enjoyed by GSE members.

GSE definition of a quiet day

Sunday dawned with a "quiet day". Moving from one hotel to another (approx. 15mins) about 10am. Quiet stopped at about that stage.

From there we were taken to the temple of Wung Fong with its stunning craftsmanship, and ancient traditions where Karalyn was informed she will be rich and Brad considering the big question.

From there to lunch, 2.5hrs later a hot pot and starters had been enjoyed by all.

From there to rest (well maybe 15mins) before a quick 1hr walk and a spot of shopping.

From there to shopping, dinner, night markets (Paddys on steroids!!) and bed 10.30pm. For a 5am start tomorrow.

The hospitality and the people are amazing, 11pm pick ups from the train station through to our own tour guide and driver (Fund) for the day. It is a great honour.

Uncanny feat and celestial ingenuity...

On Saturday we had a "free" day and were taken to the capital city of Taiwan: Taipei. We set out early in the morning to catch the high speed rail... this train system runs north/south up the west coast of the country doing speeds of over 300km/h! A great experience, which was a little bit like a cross between catching a plane and taking a train to the extent where you are called for your train from the waiting lounge and have allocated seating. Everything was so clean and organised and just went so smoothly.

We arrived in Taipei and went straight to Taipei 101, the second tallest building in the world with the fastest lift in the world. The view was stunning, were standing above the clouds that drifted across the city. Some great historic pictures were also available for viewing.

We then took the opportunity to have some lunch... subway and KFC for a change in diet for the day! On we went to the National Palace Museum- an extremely popular attraction that was a cross between the Royal Easter Show Bag Pavilion and a museum. Some great historic attractions with the finest of detail in craftsmanship including an olive in the shape of a building complete with opening doors..

From here it was time for dinner- that's right, more food! Some more fine Chinese food (dim sum) at the Grand Hotel. Great food and company made for a relaxed and enjoyable evening.

We then hit some markets at the railway station which was fun and a good way to wind up the day before jumping on the high speed rail back to Chaiyi.

A big thanks to Delphine and company for organising everything and showing us some great sites in Taipei. A big thanks also to Peace and his family for taking us to the station, and picking us up at midnight!

Mushrooms anyone?

We are currently sitting in the hotel computer space with paid PC's... the guy sitting next to us is playing a shooter game and it is very loud... that is my excuse for any bad spelling anyway!

After breakfast we were picked up and taken to a high tech dental clinic which was very interesting- they have a large rooms with about 6 booths that are divided by petitions, so everyone can hear your moaning and screaming in pain! After this we travelled to Lsieh Bioorganics- an orchid garden/farm where they produce millions of orchids, one of which they have a world patent for. It was amazing how they are grown in glass, taken out, put into various rooms which have controlled environments including temperature, humidity etc. A total of 2 years they take to grow and are exported to the USA and Europe. We were presented with several beautiful stems,which are presently residing in KB's room (one of the advantages of being the only female). Shame we can't bring them home....

After this, we went to lunch which was amazing again. HOTALLA! (Bottoms up!) was called loud and often with Taiwan Beer being the choice of beverage.

After lunch we went to a Mushroom farm, where, similar to the Orchid Farm, large amounts are produced in controlled environments. We got to pick our own mushrooms which were then used for our dinner later that night. We also got to taste a tea brewed from "the King of Mushrooms". It was pretty vile ..... very bitter, and one sip was quite enough (even though Edward was assured that he would have a son within a year if he drank it!!).

We were taken back to the hotel to rest and recuperate for an hour or so, then on to a Rotary meeting, where we did our presentation to President Tank and his Club, with the aid of an interpreter. It went well and they were all impressed, especially with the flying maps of Taiwan over laid over Australia!!

Dinner followed - another multi course banquet, again with lots of toasting and beer. Eel and ostrich were again on the menu, along with the mushrooms we picked earlier in the afternoon.

Early pickup in the morning - High Speed rail to Taipei.

Hugs from Hotel and hovercraft

The days started with a western style breakfast - toast, eggs and spreads. Upon leaving breakfast, we were driving in the standard Taiwanese style of driving around the Science Park - near misses and using blinkers while lane changing is strictly optional.

We were collected by a convoy of cars from our accommodation above 7 Eleven and driven to Chiayi County. The toll ways are interesting with the driver almost throwing the voucher to the toll operator while still moving. Upon arriving at the business hotel with no wireless internet (James feels we now expect too much), we proceeded to the Chia Yi Fire Department after lunch. It feels almost like a celebrity when arriving - everyone claps while standing in formation and directs us to a board room where large coffees and cake are awaiting. After the presentation, we spot a hovercraft and the boys are impressed. The officers at the fire station start it up and they all get to drive it a small distance.

We then travel to the 'Temple of the Mother of Water'. A celebration is occurring for the final days after the Chinese New Year. Explosions, confetti, parades and masks do not begin to describe the event. We were whisked through the temple and taken around the parade route. We were beginning to think that there were eyes watching us, until we noticed people starting to take photographs of us - James loves the attention (his destiny has be realised).

Upon leaving the festival (with a bag of lollies), we headed to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. The unusual thing is none of us have been hungry since arriving. After another 'something' course dinner, a new level of drinks with dinner were realised. Upon a table member saying 'hatellier', you are required to drink the full glass. This would be alright normally, however they seem to shout 'hatellier' for numerous reasons or no reasons at all. We had a wonderful day and evening. Back to the hotel to write the blog, paying for internet in the interent cafe at the business hotel with no wireless internet.

Eel, Ostrich, and Fireworks

The day began with a "traditional" Taiwanese breakfast at Kaori's. This consisted of Gowgee (rice dish) with a whole lot of "bits" to add. Fairy Floss Pork, eel, mackerel, omelette's and a whole lot more..mmmmmm.
We got our own back - we introduced them to Vegemite, they loved it.
Collected in a pretty yellow bus by the RC of Hsin Ying (Julius, Oliver, Big and Little Chen)
Little Chen was our interpreter for the day - been to college in US.
First stop, Liouying Technology Industrial Park . Lots of hi-tech recycling data, from metals to pooh.
Kay, interpreter number 2 joined us here.
Lunch was an absolute highlight - Jianshanpi Resort. Lakeside building, magnificent banquet and a ride on the lake, chasing ducks and monkeys.
Next stop, Tainan County Stadium and Table tennis. A 40,000 thousand seat athletic stadium that is open free to the public- no major events are held here. We then visited the table tennis centre underneath the stadium and played against a past national champion... we almost had his measure! Outside we played a game that is a mix between golf and croquet... hit a ball using a mallet like bat, between a set of witches hat and into a device that resembles the golf hole. We then visited an amazing city park that included a two story platform overlooking a wetland where you can have a massage.
We then attended a RC meeting which was very nice and were warmly welcomed. We then saw some fireworks, but the highlight was getting to see how the horizontal fireworks were made- that's right, they take fireworks into the street and fire them amongst the crowd! About 6 days of preparations and thousands of fireworks, we wish we could of been there to see it go off, apparently it is too dangerous- pfft!

Guns and Drugs

Today was quite an interesting day. James went straight to the Police Bureau and we all headed to the Southern Taiwan Science Park. The Science Park has set up a way of life for its residents where they can live, work and play in a community. The District Governor of the Science Park advised that his primary roles were golf, tennis and swimming.

After leaving, we headed to the Police Bureau to meet up with James. We headed down to the shooting range. After a two minute demonstration of how to shoot a Police issue hand gun, we were fully trained to what we thought was watching someone shoot. This was until they took us into the shooting range and directed us to the cubicles and handed us all a hand gun. After shooting two magazines with the hand guns against the target, the first visit of the day seems a bit bland.

Onto the Rotary Club of Shan-Hua Lan-Hsin Club Meeting, there was a buffet lunch where we could serve our own food that was a pleasant surprise. After the meal, we found out we were the guest speakers. We developed our 5 minute presentation on the spot.

Onwards and upwards we headed to the Biotanico Inc. where they use natural herbs with state of the art technology to produce herbal remedies and supplements. We finally saw a Mass Spectrometer - a very expensive machine. We went to the Orchid Botanical Garden to view the orchids and just wait for it....dinner. When they asked for our order, we got excited that it would be a small meal. A large burner with a pot was brought out with the meal in it and a massive helping of vegetables. A simple meal when we arrive back in Australia is going to seem quite ordinary. It's after 8pm and we finally get to stop for the day.

Welcome Party and Day 1 of Program

Last night we had our official welcome party with special attendance from District Governor and Governor Elect. D3470 outbound team was also there and delivered their presentation which was very interesting. We had our first live presentation which went well and had good feedback. This was then followed by a 10 course (we think- can't keep count) dinner!

One thing we did learn is "one dollar?" two dollar?" "three dollar?" or "four dollar?" which is the level of drinking... four dollar being the equivalent of "bottoms up". This was put into practice with some Taiwanese beer.

Today was our first official program day...

1. Buffet Breakfast- very nice!
2. Visit national park to see rare Black Face Spoon Bill Bird- Too cold and windy so they were not there!

No Spoon Bills :-(

3. Mariculture Research Centre of the Fisheries Research Institute - Very interesting use of technology and its use in food production
4. Lunch at Sinan Village- Banquet of seafood with no less then 12 dishes being served and thoroughly enjoyed

5. Salt Museum- Learnt the process of extracting salt in Taiwan and its many uses in day to day items.. who would of thought there is so much to learn about salt- not just for our fish and chips after-all!

6. Visit to the Bethlehem Foundation

After the salt museum the team proceeded to the school of the Bethlehem Foundation which has been proudly supported by Rotary to assist especially young people 0-6yo with learning disabilities to achieve all they can achieve. We reviewed the mobile out reach van and classrooms where key skills such as physical dexterity are worked on and improved.

7. Dinner at Kaori's home- The mere thought of more food at this stage was a struggle in itself. But we managed to get through some more spectacular food which finished with a 1,000 layer cake- will get the recipe for this... hope we can find someone with enough cooking expertise to cook it!

8. Hotel Check in: Southern Taiwan Science Park- Just checked into our new hotel... amazing accommodation which we could easily get use to!

Looking forward to tomorrow!

Sunday Morning

After a much better night's sleep, we enjoyed another extended buffet breakfast in the hotel.
The hotel that we visited last night is only a block from our hotel, so we decided to walk back and check out the gardens that looked fantastic in the dark last evening.
What an amazing place - waterfall, statues, gardens. A real oasis in an area that has little green space. There was a wedding setting up in the grounds. Amazing flowers and decorations. So much colour!!

Wandered back to the hotel to do some adjustments to our presentation, and to meet later this afternoon with the outgoing team.
Welcome party here at the hotel tonight, then the beginning of the full GSE experience tomorrow.
So far - amazing and fun!!!

Saturday Evening and Dinner

After a "gourmet" lunch at Subway, we spent the afternoon sorting out phone issues and organising souvenirs and gifts. We watched a Chinese game show on TV, (without sub-titles), which was a cultural experience in itself!!

The highlight of the day was dinner at a nearby fabulous hotel, with GSE Chair Bill Tsai, his family and another Rotarian couple as well as an American exchange student, Heidi.
What a fantastic night. 12 course buffet, chopsticks, Taiwanese beer, plum juice, and an array of food that was amazing. We practised our Mandarin, our kangaroo impression and our chopstick skills and passed successfully on all counts. There were a few foods that we were not sure of, but the fresh vegies and produce were amazing.

First night and morning in Tainan.

We arrived into Taiwan safe and well last night at about 8:30am. Small delay at HK airport so between that and the flight meals with the time difference we had 5 meals in one day.

A tired team was greeted by a smiling dozen or so Taiwanese people who quickly organised a group pic and took our luggage towards the car park. We then were driven to our hotel, which is amazing!

After being awake for almost 24 hours, we crashed for the night and woke to see Tainan in day light after our buffet breakfast- very nice!

We have spent the morning wandering the streets and this was an eye opening experience. With no pedestrian walkways and motorists who don't seem to follow the road rules, we were staying wide eyed! There are a lot of scooters, and some questionable building approvals...

Will be having lunch soon (but not at the place we found earlier - see pic below) and tonight we are being taken out for dinner- more to come soon.

Brad.

At the airport

Very early start red eyes already and we haven't yet left the country

All the team made it safely to the airport and survived check in at the airport.

What are we getting ourselves into again???

Brad got the full flight experience with security pulling his bag apart

Approval to leave the country given thank you to Graham Wilson David Ross and David Cook

Plus our amazing families for our send off see you after we cross the equator