Thought 
we’d share a few clips about our adventure to Australia for Rotary International. Here are two nice stories from our local publications.
Business reporter Mai Hoang of The Yakima Herald Republic did a feature May 29th. Click here to read.
That was followed up by a front page story in the Yakima Business Times.
Our Rotary Vocational Training Trip to Australia was featured at the Annual Meeting of Yakima Valley Tourism (YVT) today. Team leader and YVT CEO John Cooper gave a twenty minute program on the trip for the 120 people in attendance. In addition, the theme for the event had a ‘down under’ flavor in decor and music.
Also part of the agenda was a presentation on Alaska Air by Mark Bocchi, Managing Director of Sales and Community Marketing for the airline. Alaska recently underwent a new branding effort and announced they will purchase Virgin America.
Here are a few pictures from the luncheon:
The Australian team meets the U.S. and Canadian team in Yakima, WA
This past weekend, the 2016 Vocational Training Teams from Rotary International Districts 9500 and 5060 came together in Yakima WA for the District Conference of 5060. It was a great time of fellowship and learning as the teams attended conference events.
In addition, the Aussies toured a number of wine and agricultral related facilities in the Yakima Valley to learn about the region and industries aligned with their careers. Activities included a meeting with the Washington State Tree Fruit Association CEO, a vineyard tour with renown wine grape grower Dick Boushey, tours and meetings with staff at the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research Center near Prosser, tastings and tour at the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center plus visits to wineries, ranches and farms.
The team being interviewed by at KIT Talk Radio
They were also featured on KIMA TV in a news story about a local music festival they attended plus they appeared on KIT Talk Radio for a 10 minute segment about their trip.
From Yakima they journey North in District 5060 for stays and technical touring in Moses Lake, Wenatchee, Omak, Osoyoos, Penticton, Kelowna, Kamloops and other communities in Washington and British Columbia. Happy journeys team.
Rotary International District 9500 in Australia is sending a Vocational Training Team (VTT) of five to visit and learn about their professions in Rotary International District 5060. They arrive May 10th and will be in Washington and British Columbia through June 8th .
Jim, Reto, Lynn and John from our VTT are actively involved in hosting and planning their activities during their visit. Both teams will meet up and present during the Rotary International District Conference in Yakima May 12-15th.
Follow their adventure through their Facebook page.
Next up in Adelaide was a day out in the country (Tuesday April 12th). This time it was “all about Jim” as the emphasis was on smaller operations in the fruit industry. But first was a stop at Mt. Lofty to get a sweeping view of the city and beyond.
The first farm visited was Flavells Apples. Though I was unable to attend this session, Jim reported it was a great visit. We did reconnect at the Lobethal Bakery in the Adelaide Hills for lunch.
On tour at Chamberlain Pears
Afterwards we were off to Chamberlain Pears and their Paracombe Premium Perry operation. The facility is nestled on a gently rolling hillside covered by their pear orchard. We met with Damien McArdle, a fourth generation pear grower who is expanding the family business to make perry, an alcoholic drink similar to hard cider made from apples. He toured us through their production facility and grounds. Then we sampled various perries along with hand crafted pear ciders. I really liked the Triumph, a semi-dry variety made from Packham Triumph pears.
The next day we headed south to the Langhorne Creek Wine Region and Bleasdale Vineyards for an intensive three hour workshop on pruning and plant care, put on by the local wine association. Now Reto was in his element as he discussed with other growers best practices in viticulture.
Afterwards we toured and tasted at their winery. Bleasdale Vineyard has been around since 1850 and is the second oldest winery in Australia. The most fascinating thing I saw was their red gum lever press built in 1892 and used until 1962. Made of hand-hewn timbers of the red gum that dots the landscape, it’s modeled after the much smaller European screw presses. The massive press stands in the cellars along with large red gum vats. Lunch was at nearby Lake Breeze Wines in their scenic dining room overlooking vineyards dressed in fall colors of gold and red.
Thursday we toured Flinders Ports in Port Adelaide, a privately held company with a variety of port facilities in the area and South Australia. Quite different how the private sector manages much of the waterfront in Port Adelaide versus public held ports here in Washington state. That was followed by a Rotary meeting of Port Adelaide where we made a brief presentation.
Meeting outside the historic Urrbrae House, built by Peter Waite in 1891.
On our final day of the trip (Friday April 15) we spent the morning at the Waite Research Institute of the University of Adelaide. The facility is a partnership of educational, industry and government entities that conduct research for the benefit of Australia’s agriculture, food and wine industries. It is located on 500 acres of land gifted to The University of Adelaide in 1913 by Peter Waite (see Waite History). We had a succession of meetings and tours with wine focused staff and researchers. Following lunch, we split up. Jim and I went to meet Damien Keto, the CEO of the Adelaide Convention Bureau while Reto and Lynn went to historic Penfolds Winery (ironically, our host at the Convention Bureau served us some very fine Penfolds wine while we were with him!)
Final night farewell banquet.
And so, as the saying goes, all things must come to an end. Our final event was a farewell banquet with many of our Rotary friends, hosts and families from the trip coming to Adelaide. We shared our stories and pictures, memories and laughter.
In the morning we boarded our planes as District Governor Doug Layng and local hosts waived goodbye. While Jim, Lynn and Reto went home to Yakima and British Columbia, I went on a post-trip to New Zealand.
Now we are back to our lives and daily routines. But we will always remember and cherish the time we spent ‘down under’ and most importantly, the great people of Australia. As they say in the sun burnt country… Cheers mate!
John
FOOTNOTE: Come back to this blog in Mid-May as Rotary International District 5060 will host a group of five Aussies for similar vocational training experiences in Washington State and Canada!
Our final leg of this journey takes us where it all began, Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It was quite a change coming from the hot Northern region to coastal fall weather. We went our separate ways to settle into our new homes and get to know our local hosts. I am staying with Neil and Julie Merkel of the Henley Beach Rotary Club. Neil says he’s retired but when he rattles all he does from shuttling grand kids to Rotary duties I think he works more than I do. Julie is a practicing psychologist, which is probably why I got this placement!
Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills of Australia.
Cheers mate!
The following day was free time, so Neil and I met up with Reto and his home host John and we headed up to Hahndorf. Settled in 1838, this small community outside Adelaide was a farming community settled by migrating Germans. Today the tree lined streets and old buildings attract thousands of visitors annually. We spent a few hours browsing the stores, touring galleries and museums and of course, hoisting a few beers in a 150 year old pub.
The next day (Monday) we had a full slate of events. First up was a visit with botanists at the Botanic Gardens of South Australia in downtown Adelaide. We first met with Martin O’Leary, a specialist in Acacia and Eucalyptus species. He walked us back stage through their massive (one million give or take) collection of cataloged specimens including trees, plants, algae, mosses, lichen and the like. There are some 5,000 plant species in Southern Australia of which around 800 are the Gums/Eucalyptus. In case you have not guessed yet, “Eucalyps” are a favorite tree of mine. When I was a young kid, I lived in the Los Angeles area. Our yard was bordered by the massive trees, so I have many fond memories of them.
Martin talks botany with the team.
We then went up a floor to visit with staff collecting and preserving native species seeds for future regeneration, should the need rise. For fourteen years, the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre has worked to conserve South Australia’s threatened plants and support on ground restoration. To date, more than 200 million seeds have been collected and stored, including seeds from nearly 70% of the States threatened flora.
At lunch we walked downtown to meet with staff of the Government of South Australia staff directly responsible for the primary industries of agriculture, food and wine. They gave us an excellent overview of the industries, statistics on the industry and the roles they play in building these sectors. They shared with us their relatively new website AgInsights. This data rich and robust site offers potential investors and other with detailed, real time data ag related resources.
David shows the team and hosts the tasting area at the wine centre.
We closed out our busy day back at the botanical garden for a session with David leach, also with the Government of Australia who focuses on the wine industry. He toured us around the impressive new National Wine Centre of Australia. designed to resemble a wine barrel turned on its side, the facility has more than 12,000 bottles in storage for events and tastings, massive halls for trade and consumer rentals plus a walk-through tour of the country’s wine industry and regions. The highlight of the facility is a self-serve tasting room that, for fee, you can taste among some 120 wines “on tap” in pressurized dispensing units. Naturally we ha to try the system out!
It was a great start to the week. In future entries I’ll discuss our trips into the country and down to the sea.
John
Rise and shine! To wake us at 5:00 a.m., Kate played her favorite selections of ‘get up and go songs’ from her I-Pad, from the Lion King “Circle of Life” to the Beatle’s “Here Comes the Sun” she had us going in the pre-dawn darkness. After breakfast we went a lookout on a mound close to our campsite for an Uluru sunrise. A bit cloudy that morn so not as dramatic, but still worth it to see the big rock materialize from the dark.
Then we took off to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) for a 7km trek through the “Valley of the Winds”. The Olgas are a group of large domed rock formations about 365 km (227 mi) southwest of Alice Springs, and 25 km (16 miles) from Uluru. In this vast park there are 36 of the domes, all conglomerate or sedimentary rock masses consisting of cobbles and boulders of varying rock types including granite and basalt, cemented solid over the eons by sandstone. They are some 500 million years old and the wind does blow through the paths and gaps we explored.
Water hole at Kata Tjuta (no I am not filling up my water bottle)
As there had been recent rains we found a fair amount of seasonal flowers, grass and plant life. Kate told of how some 60,000 years ago or so the area was much more lush and mega-fauna like giant kangaroos creatures roamed the canyons before being their debated demise. Our trek took us about 7.4 km (around 4 miles) over rocks, water and crevices.
After that journey we headed back to camp, but first had a stop at a roadside cattle station that has a store and area
My make-shift fly net.
for a barbecue lunch. The flies in Australia can be fierce and very aggressive, so many folks take to buying these nets to drape over heads and hats to keep them away. Unfortunately, you do have to peel them back to eat, so a bit defeating. And at this station the flies were the most persistent we had seen to date. I had not bought a net, so instead jokingly created a temporary one to ward of the pests (see picture). The gang thought it was quite hilarious, but it did work (though a bit hot)!
Again, back on the road. Near sunset we arrived at Kings Creek Station for a relaxing hour of goodies and for a swim in the pool, then off a way back into the station to our outback bush camp. Unlike the camp the night before, which was one of many tour camps clustered in the same campground, this new camp was just for us, miles off the road. We arrived around 
sunset to a dozen tents, campfire area and a kitchen/eating shed. It was rustic yet very clean and the setting stunning. Down a trail from base camp was a toilet that flushed (no ‘long drops’ as outhouses are called here) and a hot water shower that looked out into the bush.
For dinner Kate cooked up here special bread and a tasty vegetable medley with kangaroo meat. Before heading to bed we sat around the fire telling stories about our lives. Found out that teal member Jim Blonde attended the real Woodstock in 1969!
As others retired to their cabin or to a swag around the camp fire, I wandered down the dirt road a few hundred yards to soak up the night. I have camped many times in my life all over the West, from the deserts of Arizona to the Cascades of Washington, yet I have never seen a night sky like I did that night. The land around the camp is flat and in the middle of a vast desert with no towns, villages or cities for hundreds of miles. All around me it was black, like I stood in a darkened closet. But there was light: above me was brilliant sky of billions of stars, more stars than I have seen before. The Milky Way was a stream of white and the Southern Cross stood proudly over her land. With no mountains or hills the stars stretched to the horizon. No aircraft flew above, only one satellite crawled by yet oddly, no shooting stars. I stood transfixed for nearly and hour, knowing this was a special place and time to remember. Later as I crawled into bed I heard dingos howling in the distance.
Kate had talked our group into getting up even earlier (4 a.m.) to head to Watarrka (Kings Canyon) for what their brochures describes as “a mind-blowing 6km walk through the towering walls, crevices and plateaus of Watarrka.” So once again, we awoke to music. As it was still pitch black I looked up at the stars. All the constellations had shifted with the earth’s rotation, but I did see two shooting stars this time.
We arrived in the dark, the first of anyone to the car park. A strong wind blew and Kate gave us the run down of the hardest stretch of the hike, the ascending of “heart attack hill,” a scramble up a wall of natural stepping stones. But after thirty minutes she said we had finished the hardest part and I was surprised: The climb did not seem bad at all. Guess the cool weather helped.
The Ampitheatre at Kings Canyon
For our early morning sacrifice we were rewarded with predawn light and no people as we continued along the rim of the canyon. As the sun crested the horizon the colors of the canyon came to life. We stopped at the ‘Amphitheatre’ at sunrise (a bowl-like area of the canyon with sheer cliffs), and then headed to the tranquil ‘Garden of Eden’. We descended a set of wooden stairs into the canyon to where water, Eucaplyptus, palms and shrubs resided on the cool canyon floor.
The peaceful Garden of Eden in the Kings Canyon.
After a snack break and contemplative time in the garden, we descended another set of stairs and were soon walking through the ‘Lost City’ , which are beehive like mounds of layered sandstone rock that dot the South flank of the canyon walk. After that, a series of descending rock steps lead the troupe back to our van. By now it was about 10 a.m. The trip had taken a little over 3.5 hours and we all agreed it was spectacular.
We journeyed back to Alice Springs mainly along dirt roads. Along the way we stopped at an overlook of a meteorite created mountain (sorry, forgot the name) for lunch. We arrived back by late afternoon and sadly separated from Kate and our new friends on the tour.
It was an amazing three days full of adventure, friendship and fun. On behalf of the group we thank Rotary District 9500 and the Peter Sutton Memorial Safari Trust for this life enriching experience. If you visit Australia, Uluru, Kata Tjuga and Kings Canyon are a must see adventure.
John
As part of our visit to Alice Springs, we were treated to a three day safari by District 9500. The trip was made possible through the Peter Sutton Memorial GSE Safari Trust. The fund was established in honor of Peter Sutton, who tragically died in an airplane crash a number of years ago. The trust gives in-bound VTT/GSE teams an opportunity to experience and explore the outback country.
Kate, a.k.a “Cyclone”, with Wayoutback Tours
The trip was with Wayoutback Tours, a respected and accredited local tour company with trained, environmentally conscious staff. All tour guides have a sound knowledge of the area history, Aboriginal culture, geology and the natural environment. Our three-day tour was the Goanna Dreaming Red Centre 4WD Tour, though I think it could just be called “A Rip Roaring Outback Adventure!”
We were picked up at the hotel around 6:00 a.m. Jumping out of the massive tour rig was Kate, a 26 year old singing bundle of energy aptly nicknamed “Cyclone”. And off we went, the big rig rumbling and lurching as Kate sang along to her music. Beside our team of four, there was a couple from France, another from Holland plus an elderly mother and adult son from Australia.
Lynn and Jim go for a camel ride
First stop was a camel farm for a break and an optional camel ride. All of our team took a turn around the paddock. It was a fast and bumpy ride!
About two hours in to the trip Kate pulled over because the rig was not shifting into higher gears. Luckily, another tour company caravan came along and stopped and after a few minutes of conversation, they took us along while Kate stayed and waited for a team to come replace her rig. I was impressed with the ease in which the other company brought us along and incorporated us into their group. Guess it’s the professional ‘rule of the road’ in the outback. So we dubbed ourselves “The Orphans”.
Kate tells a story of the Aboriginal peoples in a wind carved cave at Uluru
Cave paintings at Uluru
We arrived at the base camp at Uluru (Ayers Rock) in time for lunch and a pass off to another Wayoutback guide on site, who took us to the base of the massive rock. When people think of Australia, undoubtedly ‘the rock’ is one of the icons that comes to mind. Uluru is sacred to the Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the region. The area around the sandstone rock surprising has an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves, and Aboriginal paintings, things you do not see from the traditional far away shots of the rock at sunset. Uluru stands 348 m (1,142 ft) high, slightly higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and has a total circumference of 9.4 km (5.8 mi). The rock is like an iceberg in that most of its bulk is underground. Kate soon joined us with the new rig and she shared with us the fascinating flora, fauna, history and cultural significance of Uluru.
By now it was late afternoon and after getting settled at our camp, we journeyed to a look out point to see the rock at sunset and to toast our adventure with sparkling wine and biscuits, then back for a full camp style dinner and time around the camp fire.
Uluru up close during our walk
Next up: Day Two, when we travel to Kata Tjuta, (or colloquially referred to as The Olgas).
Experimental date farm at AZRI
Day two: Tuesday April 5th was a more leisurely scheduled day for our team. On our way to our first stop we had a half hour to kill. Our guide for the day, future District Governor Peter Schaffer, took us up into the hills for a view of the region on a rugged four wheel track. Actually, the trail more resembled a dry, cascading creek bed with gullies, ridges and bumps all cascading down the red rock and hills. Great fun. After that it was a tour of the Arid Zone Research Institute, commonly called AZRI. It was a fascinating visit to learn how they are working to bring sustainable agriculture and range management to this arid region. We toured their date production area, table grape plot then took a drive out to the cattle station to learn how they are using remote monitoring technology to manage cattle and range land. This is particularly important given the massive size of the stations in Australia and dwindling labor.
Watching how the School of Air works
After lunch we took in the Alice Springs School of the Air (ASSOA). Since 1951, this innovative school has brought education to the children spread over the vast regions of Australia. School of the Air has been bridging education gaps caused by remote locations and providing schooling to children at cattle stations, roadhouses, Aboriginal communities and national parks with daily lessons via satellite broadband to children aged 4 to 13 years. In the early days it was done by radio, but with the internet and broadcast technologies of today, their service area covers 1.3 million square kilometres (50,000 square miles, about the size of Louisiana). From their interactive live television studios in Alice Springs teachers lead children through their lessons. Unfortunately it was spring break so no live sessions were underway, but we did see a recorded version to get an idea on how the program works. I bought and donated back a book for kids to enjoy.
Rotary District 9500 Governor 2017-2018 Peter Schaffer and team leader John Cot, that evening we were the guests and program for a joint meeting of the Rotary Clubs of Alice Springs and Stuart. Great group of folks.
That evening we were hosts and presenters at the Alice Springs and Stuart Rotary Clubs.
Next up: Our adventures in Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Kata Tjuta National Park (the Olgas) and Kings Canyon of the Watarrka National Park.
John
We sure had a great time on the Yorke Peninsula, but alas, we had to move on. Our hosts from the peninsula took us in to Adelaide for an overnight stay at a hotel plus a farewell dinner. Then we were off on a two hour Qantas flight to Alice Springs yesterday (Sunday Aussie time). We arrived to sunny skies and a warm day (some 80 plus degrees).
Jim arrives at Alice Springs
After a quick settle in, our local Rotarian hosts had a get together at one of their homes. Then it was bright and early for the sunrise breakfast meeting with the Rotary Club of Mbantua. Our host for today was Rotarian (and future RI District 9500 Governor) Peter Schaffer. After the meeting we headed out to Undoolya Station to visit Richie Hayes with his Rockyhill Table Grapes operation.
Yes, here in the searing heat of Alice Springs you can grow grapes: All it takes is water and the right care. As Richie pointed out, the red like clay/sandy soil can be quite productive, as evidenced by the healthy vines plus the other crops he grows including experimental plots of yams and peanuts. He also has a good amount of clover in production and had been cutting it when we arrived. Luckily he has invested in a well that is tapped into a regional aquifer that allows him to irrigate his fields. While learning about his agriculture adventures was fun, our afternoon tea and coffee allowed him to share his exploits as a young man traveling across American in the 1980s in a Cadillac he picked up in Bakersfield, California. His retelling of being pulled over in Tennessee by a good ‘ole boy sheriff and their adventures together that night had us all in stitches.
Richie and his wife Lee Anne bid us farewell at their ranch/farm
Lynn makes a friend at the Reptile Centre
Next we ventured to the Alice Springs Reptile Centre. This small facility packs in some 100 reptiles of 60 species providing a great perspective of the critters that roam the Northern Territory and beyond. First up was a presentation with various reptiles and snakes plus a little education of how to deal (or basically stay away from) snakes in the wild. Then they gave willing participants a chance to hold a few of the reptiles in their collection including a boa and a couple of lizards. Finally we toured their grounds to see adders, tree frogs, goannas, skinks, turtles plus one stealthy looking crocodile that thankfully was well protected(or was it that we were well protected?)
Afterwards, we enjoyed a visit to the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS), not because we needed help after handling the snakes but because they are renowned and conveniently across the street from the reptile centre. Started in 1928, this non-profit entity is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organizations in the world. RFDS provides emergency and health care services for folks living in remote areas of Australia.
Following that we had free time to stroll downtown and stop in at various galleries exhibiting Aboriginal art or to get some basic necessities (like flip flops!) I capped off the night with an outdoor dinner under the stars at the local casino with our local hosts. Had an Aussie burger which is basically like an American burger but also comes with with beetroot and a fried egg. They are great, try one sometime!
All in all, a great first day in Alice Springs.
John
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