We’re back on the road. The intrepid travellers had a bit of a sleep in this morning (a rare occurrence) before we packed up and hit the road for Winlock. On our travels we stopped at Tacoma and enjoyed our first taste of an American shopping institution, Walmart. It was all we had dreamt it would be – it was a cultural experience like nothing before. Oscar, Oli and Joel Duncan immediately found the motorised shopping carts and cruised the aisles at their leisure . The girls didn’t need motorised wheels to get around and there was more than a fast paced walk as they found the mecca of all Christmas jumpers – we’re intrigued with who can find the worst Christmas jumper at the moment. They have some absolute festive crackers. Myself and Michelle might have done room checks last night in our own fantastic Christmas jumpers while singing carols – it’s just the extent of the service we offer

The day’s rest yesterday came at a great time as fatigue seems to have been settling in and bringing with it, a barrage of extremely funny comments. At the students’ expense, let me retell a few:

Kate Telford: Yesterday while lying on the revolving floor of the Seattle Space Needle, Kate gazed up and pondered, “ïs it the ground moving or the building?”

Emilia Kerr: When Michelle and myself, did room checks in our Christmas jumpers, Emilia was impressed with the flashing light’s on Michelle’s jumper. However, being the caring lass that she is, she asked Michelle “it won’t electrocute you will it?”

Emily Dawe: Being the innocent pup she is, on viewing some of the girl’s g-string purchases from Victoria Secret’s she asked “which way do they go”. Ow!

Ciaran Buckley: When speaking to the group and trying to encourage nominations for the flag, he may have come out with a “it’s time to throw each other under the microphone”.

Anthony Holmes: Anyone who knows Anthony knows how much he loves to chat. Imagine his disdain (and our delight) when he lost his voice on Day 3. It’s yet to return. We think he left it at Granite Falls – we’re not going back.

Winlock is a city in Lewis County, Washington with a population of 1409. Winlock began as a Northern Pacific Railroad construction camp called Wheeler’s Camp in c. 1871. The railroad was then in the process of extending its line from Kalama to Tacoma, Washington. Dr. C. C. Pagett, an early resident, donated the land for the townsite. In 1873, he named it for General William Winlock Miller of Olympia, a man of some renown in the area. Miller had promised to give a school bell to the town if it were to be named after him. The town was incorporated in 1883.

Fun Facts

• Winlock is mostly famous for having the World’s Largest Egg, reflecting its former status as a major producer of egg
• Refer to fact above, it’s the only fact we need…..

Junior Varsity Boys:

The rest had done the boys good, with them coming out of the blocks strong at the start of the first quarter against Winlock High School. Mason was applying the defensive pressure with three blocks in the opening minutes. We were 6 nil up but Winlock rallied to score the next 5 points. Darcy and the two Joel’s were controlling the play but our scoring seemed to hit a lull. A Joel Dent three pointer got the scoreboard moving ahead. Jake and Max were working hard in defence and Joel Duncan was pulling in the rebounds. At the end of the first quarter we lead by 3 points 8-11. It was rapid fire scoring by both teams at the start of the second quarter with Mason, Jake and Darcy adding to the tally. Stuart and James were working hard to create turnovers and send the ball back down our end. Winlock’s pressure was starting to take its toll but a Max two pointer stemmed the flow and we were down by 4 points (26-22).  The third quarter started with a focus on defence which saw us peg back the lead and see scores tied half way through the quarter. Joel Duncan and Darcy were working hard and capitalising on the scoreboard. It was a physical contest under the basket so a three pointer by Joel Dent out of the danger zone was much needed. At three quarter time we were 8 points up (33-41).  We continued our good form into the fourth quarter to be 11 up with 5 minutes to go. Darcy was playing hard both ends of the court and notched up a three pointer to give us a 14 point lead. James was bringing the ball down well and capitalised with a great lay up. The boys finished strong in a great team performance to win by 13 points (43-56).

Varsity Girls:

The girls seemed to take a moment to adjust to all the cheering and fanfare from the band. It was smaller stadium but it was full of noise. Luckily for us Winlock were struggling to convert from the free throw line so with 5 minutes to go we were only 1 point down. Our passing game was letting us down and our shots weren’t dropping. Gabby are Sarah were applying the pressure early and Ellen was creating opportunities in our offence. Emily and Sarah were converting at the basket and took us to a 2 point lead at quarter time (8-10). Ellen started strong in the second quarter with two quick scores. Kayleigh’s on ball pressure was creating turnovers and she was converting to finish them off. Ellen dropped a 3 pointer and at the 5 minute mark and pushed the lead to 10 points. Ella and Emilia were proving strong under the basket pulling in the rebounds. Kate made a return to the court and worked with the girls to apply the defensive pressure. At half time we were out to an 11 point lead (15-26). The third quarter got underway with a bang with 3 pointers from Emily and Ellen and 2 points from Ella. Kayleigh and Emmason were putting the pressure on their opponents which helped to slow Winlock’s scoring. Clever passing from Sarah to Ella open in the key added another 2 points to the score. When Kayleigh scored another 2 points from her knees, we knew things were going our way. At three quarter time we were 25 points up (20-45). Emilia lodged the first score in the final quarter and in a great team effort the girls powered through the final quarter to win by 31 (22-53)

Varsity Boys:

Matt Black got the Varsity Boys underway and a Jaidyn put back put us up 4-0 in the starting minutes of the first quarter. Winlock rallied and took the lead midway through the quarter. Malok started his scoring off with a series of baskets but our team passing was letting us down. Our defence rallied and a steal and conversion by Oli then another 3 pointer put us 5 points up with 2 minutes to go. The boys knew they were in for a fight. Matt Black added another two to push the score out. A half court shot by Winlock on the quarter time siren brought the difference to 5 points at the break (15-20).  We started the second quarter with more determination and AJ and Conall were working hard under the basket to get the rebounds. Malok, Matt and Oli added to their tallies and helped push the score out to 12 half way through the quarter. Matt Withers was providing some great passes to his team mates and creating scoring opportunities.  Jaidyn’s height was providing hard for them to match and he was working hard pulling in the rebounds at both ends of the court.  Toby was applying the pressure and creating turnovers.  At half time Titans lead by 17 points (27-44). We were a bit complacent with our start to the third and let Winlock pull back 7 points before Matt Black put us on the scoreboard to steady the ship. With 3 minutes to go the difference was 10 points and the crowed were cheering Winlock on (loudly). After a disappointing quarter we were 7 points up (45-52) heading into the last. The boys had a match on their hands when Winlock narrowed the lead to 4 points 4 minutes into the quarter. Unfortunately while our defence was strong our shots weren’t dropping. A Toby 3 pointer got us back on the board and a push back from Malok added another 2 points. Winlock were still in the game and were converting their shots at the free throw line to keep it at a 5 point game. A Toby steal and score put us 8 points up with 2 ½ minutes to go but a free throw conversion and 3 pointer from Winlock kept narrowed the lead to only 4 points. Another Winlock 3 pointer narrowed it to a one point game with 25 seconds on the clock. With 9 seconds left in the game, Matt Black was sent to the foul line and converted one to put us 2 points up. The boys held their nerve and got the win (59-61).

The Flag!

Our newest Flag recruit takes me back to the little pig nursery rhyme, in particular the one that goes wee, wee, wee all the way home. Yes folks, that’s where we’re heading, toileting issues. Quality. Let me introduce Emma Gould to the stage as our newest recipient of the flag. Come on down. It seems Emma encountered a few problems while attempting to shower. Number one, she could only get cold water. Number two, she had the bath and shower running at the same time and the plug in place so water was filling up around her feet. Number three, she had to go to the toilet. All these three problems happened at the same time but luckily there was one of these stumbling blocks she could fix easily – and it’s not the one you think. Our Emma, feeling a little less than energetic decided to take her wee while standing in the bath. Nice. Let’s remember, the plug was still in the bath at this stage, and water still lapping at her feet. Eeeuugh! Deciding she needed help with her other two problems she popped a towel around her, hopped out of the bath and called for assistance. In trooped our shower experts Gabby, Emily and Kayleigh who immediately noticed the first problem, the water was a funny colour. Once the reason for this had been established (and once they’d stopped laughing…and dry reaching) they then showed Emma how to use the shower. They mentioned about the plug but none of the three were willing to put their hand in (don’t blame them), Emma didn’t care, she just hopped straight back in with the water swooshing around her feet. At least she’ll be in the clear if there are any random box jellyfish around in the next couple of days.

Flag News: We’d also like to make special note of yesterday’s recipient Joel ‘Romeo’ Dent who dallied with the flag rules. The rule of the flag is that it must be in the recipient’s possession for 24 hours – no exceptions. Guess who came down to breakfast and the flag ceremony this morning, minus the flag, and guess who now has bus duties for the day.

“You have to pace yourself. If you have a day off, take it as a whole day off. Just relax. That’ll help in the long run.” Chris Shelton

Today we had a day to relax and enjoy the sights of Seattle. It was a chance for our tour participants to have a day off the court and enjoy everything this beautiful city has to offer.

The girls returned from their homestays full of vigour and after picking up the boys who had enjoyed a night of rest in the motel, we headed off to do, what else but watch a game of basketball. We headed off to Seattle University to watch the WNCAA Seattle University Redhawks take on the Sacramento State Hornets. We hit “kid’s day” which was appropriate for us, so there was a lot of cheering and dancing (a lot of flossing) from the crowd. The kids were excited to see Australian patriots Courtney Murphy, Georgia Keho and Mandy Phillips suiting up for the Redhawks. With the announcers making a special mention of the Aussie contingent in the crowd, the crew cheered loudly for the Redhawks (well, apart from Joel ‘Romeo’ Dent (see below) who defiantly went for the Hornets). After Redhawks took the win by 7 points, we took the opportunity for some photographs with the Redhawks Aussie team members and who can forget the Redhawk mascot. As a footnote, have you ever tried to organise a photograph with a mascot that can’t talk. It’s not easy, and not particularly pleasant when you have a bird phobia either.

After our sporting outing, the focus turned to tourist mode. We were off to the Seattle Space Needle. The Space Needle is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world and is a treasured Seattle icon. Built for the 1962 World’s Fair—the Century 21 Exposition whose theme was “The Age of Space”—the tower’s futuristic design was inspired by the idea that the fair needed a structure to symbolize humanity’s Space Age aspirations. Since its grand opening on April 21, 1962, the landmark continues to symbolize the innovative and forward-thinking spirit of Seattle. Located at Seattle Center, the Space Needle stands at 605’ tall and is one of the most photographed structures in the world. And photograph we did. There were photos on the top floor with floor to ceiling glass, and then there were photos on the bottom level with the glass floor. The latter level made a few a tad cautious to step on the see-through flooring (adults and children alike), while some revelled in the chance to lay on the floating floor – I’m not sure if that’s out of tiredness or just purely for photographic purposes.

From here we took the monorail downtown and enjoyed the sights of Seattle in all its Christmas light glory. As we wandered the streets we were serenaded with the sounds of Christmas carols as the ‘Figgy Pudding Carolling Competition’ hit full swing. Each year approximately 40 carolling teams take their places among the streets of downtown to sing their hearts out to raise money for the Pike Markets Senior Centre and Downtown Food Bank. After getting our carolling fill (and a bit more shopping) we headed back for an early night and well deserved rest.

Before I launch into my announcement of the Flag for Day 6, can I make mention of an incident that has only just came to light that should have earnt a flag nomination. It seems some of our poppets are a little remiss in remembering incidents from the day before, so despite the fact that there is a moratorium on flag nominations only being for the prior, this little beauty is getting an airing. After Stuart’s game at La Conner High School, he decided he was a bit peckish and felt like some popcorn so headed out to the canteen. After making polite conversation he ordered his bag of popcorn, expecting to pay $2.00 so he was a little surprised when the gent asked for $4.00. Not wishing to be overcharged, he pointed to the price list on the counter and said “but it says $2.00 here” to which the attendant replied “that’s an old price list”. Not missing a beat, Stuart questioned how the one up on the board said $2.00 as well, but the guy said that was out of date and the price was now $4.00. Stuart really wanted his popcorn, so he conceded and paid the princely sum. As he was putting his change in his pocket, a young girl came up to the counter and ordered popcorn and a drink – she was charged $3.00. Work that one out – is it the girl fact or the Aussie factor? (On a side note, Stuart admitted popcorn was worth the extra $2.00….

The Flag!

As well as drawing attention from passers by due to our accents, matching tracksuits and witty humour (wait, that might be just me), it seems one of our tour participants has been capturing the hearts of our American friends for his charm, charisma and cuteness appeal. That’s right we have a resident Romeo on board – also known as Joel Dent (it’s always the quiet ones you need to watch out for). Joel has earnt his turn with the flag after casting his spell over a young Granite Falls (or is that Sharon Falls) lass. While we noted he was talking his magic with a little poppet after the game on Day 4 to be honest we didn’t think too much of it. That all changed however, when Day 6’s game arrived for the girls at Jackson High School and we realised the full extent of Joel’s magical powers. Low and behold the little poppet and two of her compadres had made the one hour drive to support our Titans (and Joel). Now that’s dedication. We’re now planning on quarantining Joel to limit his affect on the American female population.

“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping”. Bo Derek

It never ceases to amaze me, the generosity and hospitality we are receiving from our American counterparts. Not only are they letting us into their homes, cooking us meals, providing us with comfy beds and giving us an insight into their lifestyles but we are also enjoying the chance to just sit down and chat (the boys are actually getting better at the latter).  It’s interesting to learn that not everything we see on American sitcoms is 100% factual – it seems that Happy Days was not as a true to life as I thought.

Today, after a great night with our homestays, we returned to La Conner High School to spend a little bit of extra time with our American buddies. The students had the chance to go to first period with their homestay friends, and the aim was for them to get another taste of life in an American school. Änd a taste they got. Emmason learnt how to say her name in Spanish, AJ, Oli and Oscar read a book in English, Oscar fell asleep in English (possibly because of the book) and Emma watched the Grinch in sign language. Even Ciaran was out enjoying the lessons, he had PE with Coach Novak and his Grade 6 class – although I’m not quite so sure the class enjoyed it as much as Ciaran did. It seems Coach Novak thought Dodgeball would be a good inter-cultural lesson, but I don’t think he was aware of Ciaran’s white line fever. It was Ciaran, Joel Duncan, Kayleigh, Ellen and two ring ins against Grade 6 PE. With a glint in his eyes, Ciaran “take no prisoners” Buckley was primed and ready from the start. Grade 6 knew they were in trouble when the whistle started and Ciaran “in for the kill” Buckley tried to divert their attention and get a head start on the run in to grab the ball – it worked. Ciaran “no mercy” Buckley eyed off a gentle, kind-hearted lass who stood there and watched as he threw the ball up in the air, the lass stood there casting her eyes upward as she watched the ball, and as she did, Ciaran “win at all costs” Buckley pelted her with the second ball he had hidden behind his back. Well played Ciaran, well played. We left shortly after this. 😊

With everyone feeling a little tired from the busy schedule, there’s nothing better than a bit of retail therapy to clear the mind. So, after 5 hours at the Seattle Premium Outlets, there were a lot of refreshed minds (and slightly lighter bank balances). With the words of “pace yourself and “only buy it if you love it” ringing in their ears, they bolted out of the gates. Five hours later they returned, bedraggled, tired, but delirious with their bags of purchases. Early front runners for shoppers-anon are Emmason Ilsley and Matt Black, special mention to Emmason for bruising her wrist from carrying all her purchases – however, in true Titans spirit though she managed to push through the shopping pain.

With the bus loaded with purchases, we headed into Seattle. Seattle is surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests, and contains thousands of acres of parkland. Washington State’s largest city, it’s home to a large tech industry, with Microsoft and Amazon headquartered in its metropolitan area. The futuristic Space Needle, a 1962 World’s Fair legacy, is its most iconic landmark. According to U.S. Census data released in 2018, the Seattle metropolitan area’s population stands at 3.94 million, and ranks as the 15th largest in the United States.

Fun Facts:

• Seattle is the birthplace of Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain
• The bridge that connects Seattle and Medina across Lake Washington is the world’s longest floating bridge
• The land that is now the city of Seattle has been inhabited for at least 4000 years.
• Seattle is home to the world’s first gas station, opened on East Marginal Way in 1907.
• People in Seattle buy the most sunglasses per capita than any other US city.
• Seattle was the first city to have police on bicycles.

Varsity Girls:

There was no rest for the girls tonight as they took on Jackson High School. Built in 1994, Henry M Jackson High School is the district’s newest high school, located in the fastest growing region of the school district, Approximately 2500 Timberwolves in Grades 9-12 attend Henry M Jackson High School.

With the boys having a night off they were put to good use as the guard of honour for the girls on-court entrance. With the lads seated back in the stands with the job of our cheerleaders, the girls got to work on the court. Sarah got us on the board putting the first 6 points on the board. Emilia was working hard under the basket with dogged support from Emily. The girls fought hard to finish off the quarter 4 points up (10-14). Kayleigh started strong in the second with a steal and score to get us on our way. There was some tough work by our girls on defence to restrict Jackson High’s scoring, and a 3 pointer by Ellen at the end of the half put us 9 points up (12-21). A scrappy start to the third quarter saw Jackson High level the scores half way through the third. Gabby was battling hard against the tall opposition. Ellen brought us back into the game with a quick 5 points to see us 2 points up at the third quarter break (26-28). Jackson High started strong scoring a quick 5 points in the opening minutes. Emily narrowed the lead with 2 points and converting a foul shot. Emmason was applying great defensive pressure so help send the ball back our way. With scores going back and forth our team work was keeping us in the game. The girls battled hard ended up going down by 7 points (45-38).

The Flag!

We always knew this recipient was going to earn a flag – it was just a matter of when.  Welcome Ella McIntyre to the flag foray. In our navy tracksuits we are drawing quite a bit of attention, people like to stop and chat, ask questions about who we are, where we’re from and what we’re doing. We even had a gent today ask us if we were from Tacoma (not sure what their accent sounds like?). Well anyway, it seems while walking the corridors of La Conner High School, Ella was stopped by an inquisitive staff member.  He asked the standard questions but he hit a stumbling block when he asked her “where are you going next”. I believe he was a little unsure where to head with the conversation after Ella replied with “to the gym”. Possibly a little too exact in her response, I think he was curious about more than the next couple of minutes.

“I really need my glasses.” Michelle de Wit

It was a very early 7.00am start at school this morning (it was even still dark and I think I saw an owl), which was a tad early after a night full of chatting with homestays. The generous hospitality of our Granite Falls High School friends was greatly appreciated by our Titans crew and even extended to a fully cooked breakfast at school. After our pancakes, sausages and scrambled eggs, our Aussie travellers were sent back to school 😊. The students had the pleasure of enjoying four periods of lessons with their American counterparts and even use the legitimate High School cafeteria (complete with tater tots). While our students may have elected not to stretch themselves too far academically in their lessons, it was a great experience for our students to see what it’s like to be a part of the American school system. Interesting points during our Granite Falls visit were Michelle admiring a new electronic smartboard (which turned out to be a window), a few clogged toilets and who can forget Michelle questioning whether it was their (American) left or ours? Thanks to all at Granite Falls for their fantastic hospitality and generosity.

Starting to get a little weary, we boarded the bus at 12.30pm and headed straight to La Conner High School. Some took the chance for a quick nap, some enjoyed the scenery, others kept on talking. La Conner is a town in Skagit County, Washington, with a population of 939 – a tiny town with big charm. It is a balance of people who work and live here, including the Swinomish Tribal Community, Shelter Bay residents from across the channel, fishermen, farmers, artists, and carpenters – a diverse mix of cultures and educational backgrounds.

The La Conner School District serves approximately 600 students in three schools: Elementary (K-5), Middle (6-8), and High (9-12). There are 190 students in Grades 9-12. We arrived at the school at about 2.00pm, and it was pretty much, get in, get suited up and get ready to go.

Fun Facts:

• Situated on the delta near the mouth of the Skagit River, La Conner was founded in the early 1860’s and is Skagit County’s oldest community.
• La Conner is often voted the most perfect Washington state weekend getaway destination
• In the month of April, the town annually hosts the majority of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival event
• La Conner is wintering grounds for swans and Canada geese.
• La Conner is on the National Registry of Historic places. The Civic Garden Club was the first courthouse north of Seattle.

Junior Varsity Boys:

Starting to get a little weary, our boys were a little sluggish on the get go. Conall kicked off the scoring, closely followed by Joel Duncan and Darcy. Jake was rebounding strongly and James was providing plenty of drive down the court. The boys started to lift their defensive pressure and worked hard to finish off the quarter to finish 5 points up (8-13). It was a slow start to the second quarter by both teams with limited scoring. Max and the two Joels were putting the hard yards in on defence creating turnovers but our team was failing to capitalise. At half time we had managed to hold on to a slender 3 point lead (17-20). The boys started strongly in the third, edging the lead out to 11 points halfway through the third with some accurate shooting by Darcy and Joel Duncan. Conall was a proving powerhouse under the basket and Joel Dent was providing some great passing options to help increase our score. Stuart was working hard both ends of the court and the team dominated the third quarter to lead by 29 points (19-48). James started the final quarter with a three pointer, and Mason converted from the foul line to keep the scoreline ticking along. La Conner pegged the lead back with a last minute scoring flurry but the Titans secured the win by 29 points (31-60).

Varsity Girls:

The fairtytale is over! La Conner came out fighting in the first quarter and certainly let the girls know they meant business. With three minutes left to go in the first quarter we were four points down. Emilia, Ella and Emily had all registered a score to keep us in the game. Ellen and Sarah were ferreting around the packs, bringing out the ball and delivering it to their team. La Conner were scoring freely and by the quarter time break we were 11 points down (18-7). The pressure was relentless in the second with La Conner maintaining their accurate shooting. Gabby, Emmason and Kayleigh  worked tirelessly on defence to try and stem the tide.  The girls steadied and kept fighting hard to be 18 points down at half time (33-15). Our Titans girls’ never give up attitude came into play in the third. Emmason and Emily were scrapping for the ball and Ella was proving strong with rebounds. We headed into the three quarter break 24 points down (52-28). Gabby and Emmason got us on the scoreboard early in the final quarter with Ellen working hard to create turnovers and bringing the ball back our end. The girls fought hard but went down 74-41.

Varsity Boys:

Our Varsity Boys were out to seek redemption after the girls’ loss and came out firing. Matt Withers set the scoreboard alight with 10 points in the first quarter. Matt Black and Oli were bringing the ball down the court to create plays for their team mates with Malok flying high bringing in the rebounds. La Conner was still in the game but our Varsity Titans lead the first quarter by 11 points (14-25). Oscar proved too strong under the basket scoring the first 6 points at the start of the second quarter, with Toby notching up another 4 points. Jaidyn, Conall and Alex were applying the defensive pressure under the basket, and by half time the score saw Titans lead by 23 points (32-55). The Titans started the third quarter with some great team passing to get Matt Withers to the basket. Jaidyn’s height was proving a problem for La Conner adding another 4 points to the board and Malok was proving a handful for his La Conner counterparts. AJ found the space and added another four points to the tally with Oli adding 2 points to take the lead out to 26 points heading into the third quarter break (46-72). The boys didn’t ease up in the fourth and increased the lead with some great team play. Darcy and Joel Duncan came into the game and Toby hit his three point range, dropping three in the last quarter. The boys ran out winners by 35 points (60-95).

The Flag!

It’s fantastic when someone is present to witness a potential ‘Flag’ incident, it’s even better when it’s caught on CCTV footage. There’s nothing better we like on tour than a bit of an awkward fall, nothing that causes injury just some minor embarrassment. Our flag recipient for Day 5 had a stumble in her pact not to win the flag – guess what Sharon Adams, it’s all yours…..again! That’s right, Sharon is a previous recipient of the flag from back on the 2015 tour, and the reason she won it then was due to a fall out of the bus. Pattern emerging? Sharon’s latest fall from grace happened in the nearly (yes, nearly) empty halls of Granite Falls High School at about 9.00pm in the evening. It was a simple walk to grab her suitcase, or so she thought. Unfortunately for Sharon, traction and gravity were not on her side, as she rounded to collect her bag, something moved, someone slipped and she faceplanted onto the floor. Luckily for one of us, I may have been in the vicinity (thaaaaank you) and turned in time to see a fleeting view of the faceplant and the fastest ‘get up’ on history. After my laughter had quelled and no injuries reported I lamented about my disappointmentS at missing the entire stumble. Imagine my pure joy when our Granite Falls friends let me know it would all be recorded on the CCTV footage. Hooraaaaay. So, while the kids were studying in class this morning, the Granite Falls team were studying the footage….and they found it. Funny the first time, even funnier the second, still hysterical the third. Henceforth, by Titans decree we have renamed Granite Falls and it will now be known as ‘Sharon Falls’ (thank you Anthony).

Goodbye Canada, hello United States of America.

Our team of intrepid travellers returned to Kitsilano High School bright and early this morning after their first night’s homestay, and didn’t they have tales to tell. After the games last night, the students had the chance to mingle with their Canadian counterparts with a buffet spread put on by the host parents – it was great to have some home cooked meals. With some food in their stomachs and a win under their belt they then headed off with their homestays. It was great to hear them excitedly talking about their experiences when they returned in the morning.

After bidding farewell to our new friends we left Kitsilano enroute to Granite Falls. During our 2 ½ hour drive, we had the joys of going through customs (again), but this proved a far less painful experience than our previous encounters. We arrived at Granite Falls High School at 2.00pm and received a warm welcome from our visitors.

Granite Falls is a city in Snohomish County, Washington. It is located between the Pilchuck and Stillaguamish rivers in the western foothills of the Cascade Range, northeast of Lake Stevens and Marysville. The city is named for a waterfall on the river that is located north of downtown on the Stillagumish River.

Granite Falls High School has over 500 students in Grades 9-12 and the students were very impressed with the size of the school and its facilities – not bad for a town of 3364.

Fun Facts:

• The site of Granite Falls was originally a portage for local Coast Salish tribes prior to the arrival of American settlers. The settlement was founded in 1883 and prospered after the discovery of gold and silver in the Monte Cristo mines located east of Granite Falls on the Everett and Monte Cristro Railway. Granite Falls was platted in 1891 and incorporated as a fourth-class town on November 8, 1903.
• Each year, the main city festival, Railroad Days, is held on the first Saturday in October.
• The Granite Falls School District has two elementary schools (Mountain Way and Monte Cristo), one middle school (Granite Falls Middle School), and two high schools, (Crossroads High School and Granite Falls High School). The Granite Falls High School’s athletic teams, nicknamed the Tigers, compete in the North Sound Conference high school sports league.

Welcome to American basketball. Today we had our first experience of all the hoopla that goes with the game over here in the states – and it was all we had imagined. The band, the cheerleaders, the announcing, they certainly know how to build the game atmosphere. Our little Aussies were a little shell shocked at the beginning, and our boys in the stands were a little hard for the cheerleaders to motivate, but once they realised they were actually cheering for us and were saying Titans, they warmed up a bit (a bit, definitely a tough crowd 😊)

Junior Varsity Boys:

The boys started strongly with an accurate shooting display from Joel Duncan and Oscar to get them underway. Joel Dent was wreaking havoc on the defence line and Matt Withers added a three pointer to the total. Stuart was providing plenty of drive down the court. Oscar was dominating under the post, whiles James and Jake were applying plenty of defensive pressure. Great team passing was proving the key to the boys keeping ahead on the scoreline and at the end of the first quarter the boys led by six points (16-22). Max Crook and Joel Duncan worked with the team to provide defensive pressure but Granite Falls pegged the lead back to three points midway through the second. Stuart and Max helped to keep us ahead each lodging scores on the board and Darcy kept taking on the defence, driving in to add to the tally. It was still anyone’s game at half time as we lead by two points (34-36). Kitsilano hit the lead early in the third, but then Darcy and Oscar hit their straps to get the lead back. Joel Dent was proving a menace in defence for Granite Falls and Mason was offering some great passes to his team to keep the score ticking along. At the end of the third quarter we had stretched the lead out to 14 points (44-58). The boys had no desire for another close game tonight and played some great team work to push the score out and come away with a comfortable 19 point win (58-77). Coach Holmes is very excited to be two from two.

Varsity Girls

Wow… where do I start. These girls, they are inspirational, uplifting, and just plain ol’ great.(Footnote: Intro courtesy of Ellen Brown, now back to some honesty). After an impressive fanfare to start the game, our Varsity women started well with our little blogger wannabe, Ellen, getting Titans on the scoreboard with a three pointer. Tight defensive pressure by Emily, Emilia and Kayleigh was seeing the ball head back our way with Sarah finishing off nicely. Ella, Gabby and Emmason came into the game and helped the girls to increase their lead going into the quarter time break 7 points up (9-16). It was a clinical display in the second with the girls scoring freely and ramping up the defensive pressure. Despite wanting to be the team mascot, Kate took to the court and helped apply the pressure. Ella and Emilia’s height was proving a problem for Granite Falls under the basket and at half time we were looking strong 24 points ahead (13-37). We kept up the pressure in the third with great help from Emmason and Gabby finished off with some great shooting by Sarah and Emily.  At three quarter time we were 40 points up (18-58). In a strong finish, all girls kept working hard to earn a well deserved 43 point win (21-64).

Varsity Boys

With the cheerleaders, band and crowd in full swing, it took the boys a little moment to find their momentum, however a Malok 3 pointer got us on the board, followed by scores from Matt and Oli. It was a tight tussle with AJ and Oscar proving a force under the basket, pulling in some great rebounds. Jaidyn was hit the scoreboard and Toby was driving the ball well down the court with some great passing. A strong finish to the quarter saw the boys up by 9 points (12-21). The Varsity Boys edged away in the second with help from Matt Withers and Conall, but some bad passing choices allowed Granite Falls back into the game. Joel Dent worked hard in defence, and at half time we’d increased the lead to 18 points (17-35). Our defensive pressure kept up in the third, with Matt rewarding the team for their efforts at the Titans end. Malok, Oli and Toby were proving tough for the Granite Falls offence. Joel Duncan came off the bench after a solid Junior Varsity game and kept the pressure up, helping the Titans to a 28 point lead (24-52) going into the last. The teamwork game continued in the final quarter, with the boys holding their nerve against some tight Granite Falls defence. The boys ran out winners by 31 points (36-67).

The Flag!

The reality of the Flag is that we knew from the get go that we had more than a handful of students (and adults) who would be guaranteed candidates, and how right we were. Our awardee for Day 4 was also destined to earn a guernsey, so welcome to flag territory Emily Dawe. Anyone who has seen Emily play basketball (or seen her just walking around) knows she is more often than not on the ground. (If anyone has a chance to see her blog attempt where she fell mid-blog I highly recommend it). The reason however for her nomination was not her falling but something else. As we enjoyed our time in the premier shopping district (remember, the one with the $10,000 coats), Emily and crew decided on a bit of a nibble and refreshments. All went well as she and Emilia boldly ordered their sushi and watermelon juice, until Emily moved her feet. It seems her feet and arms were not working at the same speed and as Emily went to depart with her tray of goodies her arms may not have been holding the tray as straight as she may have thought. I had the good fortune of walking past at this exact moment and saw the large cup of watermelon juice spiral off the tray and onto the EFTPOS machine, floor and Emilia’s pants. Obviously, myself and Emilia were incredibly supportive during this intense moment, and stopped laughing after a good couple of minutes. Meanwhile, Emily was standing there as the mops, sponges and towels came out around her, it was truly an entertaining sight, and consequently sees her being the caretaker of the flag for Day 4.

May I also make note of another student destined to earn her own flag and coming desperately close to also winning this one. Ella McIntyre is a chip off her sister’s block (yes Tori, I think this is something you would have done). When Ella’s group of friends was having a highly intelligent conversation about philosophy, Ella asked the questions “Philosophy that’s about dinosaurs isn’t it?” Gold, pure gold.

“I already want to take a nap tomorrow” – Anon

While we were happy to see the snow gods yesterday, we weren’t as excited with the rain gods today.  But, really, the rain shouldn’t have come as a surprise with it generally raining on average 170 days of the year. To stay out of the rain we headed to downtown Vancouver and spent a few hours at the premier shopping destination, Pacific Centre. We knew we may be slightly out of our league as we walked past shops the likes of Gucci, Fendi, Cartier and Max Mara – personally, I think we fitted in a treat in our matching navy ensembles. A couple of the adults (alright me and Sharon), braved a store and back peddled exceptionally quickly when the tag on the jacket was $10,000 – and no, it wasn’t any better when she pointed us to the one on sale that was $4200. We said thank you but said we were happy with the jackets we had and high-tailed it out of there. Prices were a bit friendlier on the next level down, so we stayed there.

From there it was a bus tour around the beautiful Stanley Park. Stanley Park is Vancouver’s first, largest and most beloved urban park. Ideally situated on a peninsula at the north western edge of downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park attracts approximately 8 million visitors each year. This 400 hectare (1000 acre) haven is recognised as one of the greatest urban parks in the world and is actually 10% bigger than New York’s Central Park. While the natural beauty may have been a little too much to handle for our tech savvy group, we still took the time to stop for the obligatory team photo with the totem poles. After that it was a drive to Granville Island for a quick walk around before heading to our first home stay and tour game at Kitsilano High School. Let the games begin.

Kitsilano or ‘Kits’ as we like ‘locals’ to call it, is southwest across English Bay from Vancouver’s downtown peninsula and is one of Vancouver’s favourite neighbourhoods. Kitsilano Secondary School consists of about 1500 students and in addition to its distinguished academic record has been highlight successful in a number of sports, most prominently, basketball, rugby, soccer, ice-hockey and cheer leading.

Junior Varsity Boys:

There was no jet lag evident for our Junior Varsity Boys as they hit the court and came out full of fight. AJ had the honours of scoring the first two points for the tour, with the rest of the team all contributing to the scoreboard. When we got our passing game happening against the full court pressure we hit our straps, leading at quarter time by six points (12-18). Matt was applying some great defensive pressure with a team effort on the fast breaks to capitalise on the turnovers. Jake, Max and James provided some much needed assistance off the bench. Three pointers by Joel Dent and Matt helped to keep us in the game but some bad passing let Kitsilano back into the game with scores tied at 28 all at the half time break. After an intense half time chat by coach Holmes, Mason came out and scored the first points for the quarter with Darcy and Joel Duncan providing plenty of drive down the court. Jet lag seemed to hit about half way through the third with the Titans down by 4 points so coach Holmes called a much needed time out. We came out with a bit more gusto and pegged the lead back to 2 with AJ adding to the scoreline. Stuart started the scoring off in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Another Joel Dent three pointer took the lead out to three points. Darcy kept the scoreboard ticking over with another 2 points but Kitsilano still were right in the game. After a few rapid fire shots from Kitsilano we were down by 1 point with 2 minutes to go. A handy pass from Matt to Mason and consequent score put us up by 1 with 1 minute on the clock. Kitsilano hit the lead by 2 points with 42 seconds to go but Darcy remained calm and levelled the score. If the boys were tired before, welcome to overtime with another three minutes on the clock. Mason kept the scoreboard ticking with the first 8 points, with some strong rebounding by AJ and Darcy and great team pressure. Stuart added another 2 points to seal a fantastic finish seeing us winners by 7 points – 55-62.

Varsity Girls:

The Varsity Girls were riding high after the boys’ overtime success, starting with a great team effort that saw them 0-7 up only 1 minute into the game. Emily was the first to get the Titans on the scoreboard from the foul line. Kayleigh and Ellen led the scoring charge, with Sarah, Emilia and Gabby applying the defensive pressure to create turnovers. Emmason was fighting hard under the basket and Ella was rebounding strongly. The girls were looking good and at quarter time led by 10 points (8-18).  At the start of the second quarter, Kayleigh, Ellen and Emily kept the scoreboard ticking over. The team’s defensive pressure was causing headaches for Kitsilano with numerous turnovers. Emilia was proving very strong with her rebounding and scoring. Kate hit the court and straight away got involved in the game with some solid passing. The girls kept up the relentless pressure to have a huge lead of 31 points (13-44) at half time. Coach Adams kept the pressure up in the third, with the girls coming out firing. A great team passing saw the scoreboard ticking over with contributions from the whole team and tight defence was the key to Titans holding their lead. The girls went into the three quarter break leading 23-54. It was a clinical display in the fourth quarter with the Varsity Girls coming out convincing winners by 47 points (27-74) thanks to a great team effort.

Varsity Boys:

The pressure was on for Coach Buckley with two out of two wins already on the board. It was an unsettled start for our Varsity Boys who were applying great defensive pressure but failing to capitalise at their end. The boys finally hit their straps with shots finding the range from Matt, Oli and Malok and a much-needed three pointer from Toby. Our defence was proving a stumbling block for Kitsilano and we headed into the quarter time break 6 points up (12-18). It was up and down in the second quarter with Titans letting Kitsilano back in the game. A three pointer and foul shots from Jaidyn helped to stem the tide, with Malok and Oli adding to the scoring. Oscar and AJ were bringing in some great rebounds. At half time we had maintained the 6 point lead (27-33). The lads came alive in the third quarter with some great team play, capitalising on some tight defence. Oscar continued to get the rebounds with Jaidyn, Malok and Matt finishing off at the other end. Conall was proving strong under the basket. At three quarter time we were 18 points up (44-62). A sequence of Matt Withers and Toby three pointers started us off for the final quarter with boys finishing off strongly to hold the lead and finish 22 point winners (61-83).

The Flag!

Foolishly we were so worried about the Withers family monopolising the flag, we forgot about the dark horse de Wit family. How silly we were. In our first daily double, we are proud to announce that Toby and Michelle de Wit are the winners of the Day 2 flag – yes, it was a joint effort. Toby earnt the honours of his second flag in two days after having a day he’d rather forget. In his exuberance to experience all the trip has to offer he seems to be forgetting/misplacing a number of items. In addition to losing the room key yesterday, he lost his Skyride ticket on the 100 metre walk to the Skyride and his wallet … twice. The first time he lost the wallet was slightly humorous as it was found in a matter of minutes. The second time wasn’t quite so funny. After getting back to the motel from our day at Grouse Mountain, Toby realised his wallet had not made the return trip. After much searching and more patting down, it became apparent it was either on the bus, stolen or still at Grouse Mountain. A call was made to both locations but with no success – the bus company would search and let us know and bring it in the morning if they had it. Now, enter Michelle for her 2019 flag debut (may I make note, Michelle is a previous three-time winner from the 2015 tour). During the evening, Michelle noticed that another name had been registered on Toby’s card, so before any money was taken an urgent call was required to the cash card company to put a hold on funds. Unfortunately, the call had to be made on a landline. After finally finding the number to call, assistance was required to dial out and get a line and then she was away. After a lot of explaining and retelling of information, she was about to be put through to another operator when they accidentally hung up on her. Delighted, as you can expect, there was more panic as she again tried to find the number to call and dial out. She knew you had to dial ‘9’ to get an outside line, from there it was a bit sketchy so she threw in another ‘1’ (that’s for long distance) then dialled the number. There may have been two others in the room with her (you don’t need names) but when she went deathly quiet with a “pardon me” and “ooh, sorry, I’m from Australia” it caught our attention. When she mouthed ‘911’ we realised what she’d done. Very funny for us, not for Michelle. As she was answering questions from the Canadian Police, the people in the room may have been laughing which then made her laugh, so when the police asked “are you okay” and she answered a laughing yes which also could have sounded like a crying yes, they responded with a “it doesn’t sound like it, we’re going to send a car out to check”. And you know what, 2 hours later there was a powerful knock on the door and sure enough, there was the police. Absolute gold. After filling out the necessary paperwork and ensuring she was not under attack, the police officer saw the funny side of it, and agreed to our requests for photographs – just for posterity of course. For two out of the three people in the room, I don’t think they’ve laughed so hard in quite a while. Footnote: Toby’s wallet came back on the bus the next day….

A snowball in the face is surely the perfect beginning to a lasting friendship.” Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Snow glorious snow. The snow gods were on our side today and we experienced snow in all its white gold glory – and we loved it. We fell in it, threw it, rubbed people’s faces with it, landed in it and threw it some more. Loved it.

After a glorious night’s sleep in what may just be the best bed’s ever in the world (or was that just because we were all so tired) we all arose feeling fresh and bubbly (well, bubbly might be a bit of a stretch).  Everyone awoke on time and headed down to breakfast (special hats off to AJ who braved the cold in his football shorts). From there, it was a matter of putting on as many layers as humanly possible and our big jackets (which were fantastic) prior to heading to Grouse Mountain for the day.

Rising 1250 metres above Vancouver and just a 5 minute drive from our accommodation, Grouse Mountain is Vancouver’s most popular attraction – and we can see why.

We stopped at the bottom of the mountain for an obligatory team photo, before piling into the Grouse Mountain Skyride which is an 850 metre ascent to the peak of Vancouver. Sometimes mistaken for a gondola, which has cabins suspended from a continuously circulating cable, the Skyride is in fact an aerial tram, which remains fixed on the cable. It is the largest aerial tramway system in North America. Over the ascent the Skyride travels up 850m/2, 800ft from the base to the top of the mountain.

The excitement started building as soon as our Skyride driver mentioned there was snow falling on the mountain – pick the 33 Aussies who audibly gasped with excitement as soon as he uttered those words. We saw the snow falling as we made our way up to the top, and once we hopped out of the Skyride there was many a photo taken before we headed into the land of snow.

It was hard for our intrepid travellers to remain still as Bucks tried to pass out some instructions. After much feet twitching and the gradual patter of random snow balls falling, the kids were let loose. Twenty seven blue clad Aussies all had the same idea, make a snow ball and throw it, and that was pretty much how it went for the next 5 hours. In amidst dodging snowballs (which wasn’t always successful) the highlight was watching our little poppets try and stay on their feet – special mention to Emily and Jaidyn who tied for the most falls, not terribly graceful either.

We tried to move out of the public eye (in the fear of them getting hit by stray snowballs) so we moved to the slide zone. Now that was entertaining. Picture if you will, 27 Titans sliding in any manner (forwards, backwards, sidewards, even rolling) down the hill. And in amongst all this, we of course, still had more snowballs, which by this stage had increased in ferocity, speed and size. They were like bullets – and they couldn’t get enough.

At 12.30pm we called a truce for lunch, but before we hit the chalet, we enjoyed the photo opportunity of a lifetime with the man in the big red suit. That’s right, Santa was visiting from the North Pole (and brought his own North Pole sign) so we took the opportunity for a group photo. Thankfully Santa failed to mention who was on his naughty and nice list so presents should still be on the cards for our Titans clan (phew). From there we headed for lunch in the chalet, before coming down for a wave to the webcam to anyone in Australia who was watching. We had an hour left before we left the mountain so what else would we do but more sliding and snow ball fights. At the end of the full assault attack we left the mountain a little wet and bedraggled after what had been a really great day. The kids loved it (and so did the adults).

We had a half hour rest before donning the big coats again and heading down the street for tea, we even visited our first supermarket which was an experience in itself. The kids had some time to kick back and rest after what had been a fantastic and memorable day (and injury free 😊).

Tomorrow we visit Stanley Park and see the sights of Vancouver before we head to Kitsilano High School for our first game and homestay.

Fun Fact:

• Grouse Mountain was named by the first recorded hikers to reach the summit in October 1894. In those days, climbing Grouse Mountain was a three or four day epic journey – there was no bridge across Burrard Inlet and no road to the base. The hardy group of hikers slogged through snow, scrambled over rock and up through the dense forest. Along the way, they hunted a Blue Grouse and honoured the plentiful game bird by calling the Peak “Grouse Mountain”.

The Flag!

The lucky winner of the flag will come as no surprise, he was a definite contender from the get go, a certainty from the start, so without any further ado, congratulations Toby de Wit. Toby earned the honour of carrying the flag all day after a bit of, let’s call it, misplacing. On Saturday night, Toby’s room mate left him in charge of the room key. No problems there….yet. On what was a leisurely walk for most of us to Denny’s, there were a few energetic lads who thought it would be a good idea to give a bit of a gentle nudge to each other as they walked past hedges. Not a huge problem…yet. Unfortunately, Toby was one of the lads who was given a gentle nudge into the shrubbery and landed in it. All good, he hopped himself up, brushed himself off, and continued on his way. We enjoyed a good dinner and then our posse headed back. After our team meeting and a good night was bid to all, we went to our rooms. Well most of us….now we have a problem. It seems after numerous patting down, checking pockets and a slight amount of panic, it was worked out that Toby’s key had been misplaced, and was no doubt stuck in the bush. Too scared to tell Bucks, the decision was made to go for discreetness, so the lads went and arranged a replacement key. Points for initiative, but maybe next time don’t tell those around you, their art of discretion is not as good as yours 😊

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“Airplane travel is nature’s way of making you look like your passport photo.” – Al Gore

After 31 hours of non-stop travel we arrived in Vancouver, effectively about an hour and a half after we had departed Melbourne the day before – confused, so were we? I felt like I was on a Monty Python skit, and the majority of our young intrepid travellers weren’t 100% sure where they were let alone what time it was.

And I’m sure it comes as to no surprise to you all when I say our trip to date has not been dull. After a 6-hour bus ride through the middle of the night, a 14 hour flight over the Pacific, a 2 hour highly intense and somewhat stressful effort to make a connecting flight and some customs treasured moments we eventually arrived in Vancouver at 12.00pm on Saturday 30 November.

We had yet to even leave the Aussie shores when the first clues of our ensuing travel forays surfaced. Imagine our surprise at check-in when one of our little travellers had excess baggage. That’s right, at check in. 26kg, 3kg over. I’m not going to mention any names, but I will say that Emma didn’t win the lightest baggage award. Luckily for her, good friend Gabby packed a little lighter so a quick exchange of items was made. Get the cargo container ready for the trip home. From there we moved on to customs, where we had confiscated tubes of vegemite and toothpaste and a rap on the knuckles for filming the customs process from our own budding Steven Spielberg alias Matt Black. And who could forget the young lad who put his passport in to be scanned and then walked off, assuming it would follow him through the process of its own accord. Seasoned travellers on board here folks.

We always knew the connecting flight from Los Angeles to Vancouver was going to be tight but we didn’t realise just how tight and how much running would be involved. Our Principal, Mr Mezinec would have been impressed – we sweated and we shined…..

Our plane to LA arrived at 5.25am but as arrivals aren’t allowed to enter the terminal before 6.00am we had to remain seated on the tarmac. At 6.00am, knowing we had 2½ hours til departure and 1 hour 50 minutes til boarding, we joined the intense throng of arrivals and headed to customs. So many lines, so much waiting, so little time. At 7.55am we left customs, ran and collected our bags and ran through two terminals to check in to our next flight. We got there at 8.05am and were told too late. Bucks hit the phone. Twenty minutes later, after some smooth talking and a couple more phone calls, they conceded and we were checked in and given a priority escort to the plane. What priority escort turned out to be was that someone from the airline ran to the gate with us, and run we did. We ran to security, we ran from security and then 32 of us (that’s right 32, I’ll get to that later) ran to the gate with crowds of onlookers watching on and our names getting called out over the speaker. We were hot, we were bothered but we made the plane. Not sure if the other passengers were as jubilant with our arrival and our consequent 30 minute delay in departure.

What we saw of LA was fleeting, we noticed that cars were on the wrong side of the road, and that the cars were big, real big. We’re looking forward to seeing more when we come back at a bit more leisurely pace.

We used our 2½ hour flight to Vancouver to regroup (well nap actually). Vancouver was a welcome sight, beautiful city and friendly people. After another bout of customs, we finally left the airport, hopped on to the bus and headed into Vancouver.  Our bus driver, Keith pointed out the sights as he drove us to downtown. There was plenty of excited comments as we saw the snow capped mountains and gorgeous scenery. We hit the downtown for a stroll through Gastown and the Vancouver CBD. Our matching trackies and our accents were certainly creating interest. The temperature was very cool (yes, even cooler than the South East) and was sitting at a balmy 1 degree. The jackets and beanies made their debut. We headed off in groups for a couple of hours of wandering and grabbing some lunch. Beautiful spot with lots of obligatory touristy photos. We hopped back on the bus at 4.30pm and headed over to North Vancouver where we checked in to our accommodation and had a bit of a rest before heading out to tea at Denny’s, an American institution. Cole walk and a good meal but to be honest most were just looking forward to getting back to their rooms and sleep in an actual bed. Early night indeed.

Tomorrow we head to Grouse Mountain where we are looking forward to getting out and about in the snow.

Vancouver Fun Facts:

• The population of Vancouver is approximately 2.1 million;
• Vancouver as a city is quite young, having been incorporated the same year as Coca-Cola (1886).
• Vancouver is Canada’s third largest city; Toronto and Montreal are bigger
• Greenpeace started in Vancouver.
• Vancouver is the third largest TV and movie production city in North America, too. We’re right behind LA and New York.
• Vancouver has not won a Stanley Cup in over a century, when the Vancouver Millionaires beat the Ottawa Senators
• Vancouver is apparently the friendliest city in the world and ranks third in the world as the best city to live in.
• BC Place, the soccer stadium, has the largest retractable roof in the world with 7500 square meters of sky! Kitsilano Pool is Canada’s longest saltwater pool. It’s 137.5 metres long, the equivalent of almost 3 Olympic Pools!
• Despite its name the California Roll was invented in Vancouver by Chef Hiedkazu Tojo

The Flag!

The flag is back for the 2019 tour and for those not familiar with this concept, it is a very prestigious award.  The flag recognises an individual’s moment of madness during the day while on tour.

Some of the more common flag incidents include lost passports and lost uniforms to strange toileting experiences and missed alarms. Rest assured, anyone’s misfortune while on tour will be the blog’s gain and reported with glee. Over the years, we have had many family dynasties stake a claim on the award (I won’t mention names), and it looks like this year will be no exception. In fact if this family receives too many more flags we may have to look at renaming it in their honour.

Which brings me to the first flag announcement for the trip. Come on down, Allan Withers. While the rest of us were sweating and shining racing to make our connecting flight we noticed we had misplaced Allan. The team had collected his bag that was sadly doing the rounds of the carousel, so we figured he’d either gone to check in, hadn’t grabbed his bag or was still coming. However, when there was still no Allan at check in, we had to resort to modern technology for help, so phone calls were made. Details were given, Terminal 2, Westjet, upstairs, and he said he was on his way, he’d just been held up by a bag check. We weren’t sure what bag check as we had his bag, but we were happy and content that he was at least on his way. Twenty minutes later still no Allan. By this stage Bucks had worked his magic and we were madly (and I mean madly) checking in. All except for Allan. Students were sent to flag him down, but unfortunately no flagging could be done as there was no Allan. More calls made. In desperation we checked in his luggage and worst case scenario we figured he could catch a later flight. Where was Allan, poor Allan all alone and lost. While running with our priority escort another call was made, and it was then we worked out where Allan was – he was already sitting on the plane. We’re not sure how, but Allan had avoided group check in and gone straight to the gate (minus his bag). As we sweated and shined onto the plane, Allan greeted us with a “where’ve you been, I’ve been here for 20 minutes.” Well played Allan, well played.

Editor’s Note: The judging panel has deliberated and due to the frequent and excessive flag nominations received by the Withers family over the past three trips it has been decreed that there will be a one week ban on any Withers being eligible for flag nominations – we’ve got to give everyone a go 😊

There’s only 5 days to go – that’s right 5 days!

You’ve got the bags, uniforms and compact snow jacket, now get packing – remember less is more.

“If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together.”

— African Proverb

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