From our Travelling Teacher

I have been asked to share my experience of working with ACC Southlands while travelling around Australia! In September 2020, I was nine months into a two-year trip around Australia, when I got a call from a past colleague who was working at ACC. She asked me to come onto the team to create a literacy and numeracy program for senior students. Flexible, online work felt like it would be a great option to take on while I was travelling so I agreed. Since then, I have come on board with ACC Southlands in a more permanent position, mostly working with students who need more time to access the curriculum and those who need to develop literacy, numeracy and life skills to transition to the next step in their education. This has been a great fit with my previous experience working as a senior school coordinator and careers advisor.

So, how does one juggle online work with life in a camper trailer, travelling around our wonderful country? It turns out that it suited my travels well. I tend to enjoy spending a bit more time in each location I visit, rather than moving every few days. So, I would usually spend about a week in each place, working for a few days and exploring for a few days. One of the great benefits of this slower style of travel was that I could select the best weather days for tours and day trips and work on the days on which the weather was not so good. I travelled in a Jayco Penguin which is quite small, so there were plenty of times I sought out local libraries and cafes from which to work when the weather was not so good. I even worked from the top of the Q1 building on the Gold Coast a few times.

My 2020 travels were mostly in Tasmania and Queensland. This year I have been through every state and territory except Western Australia and Tasmania. Some highlights of this year’s travel include:

· Playing ball with a seal at Coffs Harbour

· Riding a rollercoaster zipline through the rainforest on the central coast of NSW

· Exploring a Qantas jet at the Aviation Museum – I have been missing being on a plane!

· Climbing Mount Kosciusko – something I have wanted to do since my late teens

· Seeing the Enlighten Festival and Canberra Balloon Festival – I hadn’t deliberately planned to be in Canberra at the right time, but I am so glad I caught these festivals

· Completing Parkruns in 20 different locations, including at least one in each state and territory I visited

· Watching dolphins surf the waves on the Yorke Peninsula

· Snorkelling with giant cuttlefish in Whyalla, South Australia

· Exploring Coober Pedy – I had wanted to see how people lived underground since I heard about it when I was 15

· Exploring Uluru, including walking around the rock and seeing the Field of Lights

· Hiking in the red centre – particularly the Valley of the Winds walk and the Kings Canyon circuit – both very difficult, but very rewarding hikes

· Floating down hot springs in Mataranka and feeling very blessed that my car key still worked after I left it in my pocket while swimming in the hot springs!

· Enjoying the waterfront in Darwin

· The Yellow Water River cruise at sunset in Kakadu

· Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef

· Eating very different ice cream flavours at the Daintree Icecreamery

· Spending a night on the Reef Sleep pontoon on the Great Barrier Reef

· Snorkelling with turtles, sharks and even an octopus at Lady Elliott Island

· Learning to surf again – I loved surfing in my 20’s and decided it was time to give it another go

· Playing at the theme parks on the Gold Coast

· Catching up with friends all around the country – some I have known for a long time, particularly through Christian Surfers and others who I have met while travelling

There have been some challenges along the way. My camper trailer and car have both had a few minor issues requiring repairs. I learnt to change fuses and had a few times I met people while asking for help with things I couldn’t do on my own. Other than the Australia wide lockdown at the start of the pandemic, I only got caught in one lockdown – five days in Darwin.

This also meant that my plans to travel into northwest WA were thwarted due to border restrictions. It was a shame as I was hoping to visit some of our students in the northwest.

I have now settled on the Gold Coast for the time being. I am blessed to be able to continue to work with the amazing students and staff at ACC Southlands. And, of course, I am saving for

my next adventure which I hope will be a trip to Canada and the USA in next year’s summer holidays.