International Student Update

On Friday 15th August, a windy day, our international students went on an excursion to the Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens and the Moonlit Sanctuary. Even though the weather was wild, students enjoyed exploring the beautiful gardens and trying to find their way through the maze.

At the Moonlit Sanctuary, they were able to see and learn about many Australian animals. All students were lucky enough to have close encounters with kangaroos, snakes and other native wildlife.

We would like to thank Ms Ji, Ms Liapis and Ms Sharon for supervising and making this day possible. 

Some students from the language centre have written about their favourite memories from the day below.

Max Xing: 

On Friday the 15th of August, I went on an excursion with all the students and teachers.. We went there by bus. The way was long and far. There were a lot of trees along the way.

In the Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens, I drank coffee and ate bread. There were a lot of flowers and trees. It was beautiful and big.

In the afternoon, we went to the Moonlit Sanctuary. We saw many animals, such as wallabies, koalas, and dingos. And then we got food from Ms. Podesser for feeding the ducks and kangaroos. When we finished the Excursion, we went back to school then went back home. I felt happy and enjoyed the excursion. I learned all about Australian animal habits.

Stella Dou: 

On Friday 15 August, I went on excursion with Ms Podesser, Ms Ji, Ms Sharon and Ms Liapis and all the other international students. In the morning, we went to the Ashcombe Maze and Lavender Gardens. It was very big, I walked in the maze and I saw many plants there. And there was a forest there with many beautiful, tall trees and many lakes. In the afternoon, I went to the Moonlit Sanctuary. Many tourists were there. I saw the koalas, wallabies, dingoes, kangaroos, ducks and many other animals. I fed the kangaroos, they were very cute. I learnt many things about animals. My favourite fact I learned was: dingoes live in a group and they are not like dogs, they more like wolves.

I enjoyed visiting the zoo, because I saw many special Australian animals. I didn't enjoy the wind because it was very strong. I felt very happy because I saw lots of beautiful scenery and animals.

Jayden Lyu: 

Last week, on Friday 15th August, I travelled with all the international students out of school. In the morning, we went to some large gardens. There were many beautiful trees. I walked through the grasslands. It was amazing. Then I drank coffee and ate some snacks . I enjoyed being there like that.

In the afternoon, I went to a large zoo. There were many animals, like wallabies, koalas, birds, kangaroos, ducks, dingoes and snakes. The koalas, birds, ducks and kangaroos made me feel happy because they were very cute. The ducks and dingoes made me feel afraid because they are dangerous animals.

That day, I enjoyed walking around in nature. I got to know the habits, diets and appearances of Australian animals. It was really exciting.

Also, Dily Leang, a Year 10 student from Myanmar, says,

It was such a great time that I went on the excursion to Ashcombe Maze and Moonlit Sanctuary. The weather was cloudy and windy making a really good day for exploring and enjoying nature. At Ashcombe Maze, My friends and I had a great time exploring the maze. The maze was surrounded by beautiful nature. We also took lots of pictures together. It was a wonderful time to enjoy the fresh air at the maze. After that, we went to Moonlit Sanctuary. We were divided into two groups and had our own time to explore the beautiful sanctuary. I was excited because this is my first time seeing many Australian animals such as kangaroos, koalas, emus and many more animals. My best moment was getting to feed the kangaroos. 

We took lots of photos that day. I would like to thank Jerry for taking those photos for us and the photos were really good. Thank you Jerry. It was a fun and great experience for us. 

Additionally, Jerry Liu, a Year 10 student and aspiring photographer, captured some beautiful pictures of Australian animals that he wanted to share with everyone. 

Charmaine Ji

Acting International Student Coordinator