Let's Swim! - Gold Coast - Day 6!

At 10:00am we arrived at Wet n' Wild. I heard a lot about Wet n' Wild and it sounds really fun. We had our passes so we scanned them and went to the lockers to put our stuff. After some time we went off to change. After changing I saw a ride called Super 8 Aqua Racer. We went in a line to Aqua Racer, the line was small because it was the start of the day. But we got our turn and climbed up high stairs. After some minutes we reached at the top and it was our turn to go. The instructor said to lie on your tummies and when the green light goes you go. When the green light flashed my Sister straightaway went so fast when my Mum and I were trying to push our self's but we couldn't even moved we tried even more harder and we went off. The board was going fast and fun, it was going up and down. At the end we splashed off. It was a really fun ride. On the map there was a place called Lazy Rivers, I had heard about that when you go in a doughnut shaped ring and you relax. The way of the river was going was on the left. We relaxed and the water pushed us gliding on the left side. I began to start turning and went slower. The other people were going fast but I was left behind. I caught up with a run to them.

After 4 to 5 minutes we went round in a circle and came where we started from we went forward and went on going. I asked how many laps are we doing they said that this was our final lap and then we go to the Wave Pool. It didn't took long to reach at the Wave Pool. This place is where waves come in the pool and it is really fun. The water was nice and refreshing. We stayed there for about 10 minutes when our Dad said to go to the Lazy Rivers because they haven't been on it. When we reached to the line it was quite big and most of the people kept going on and on when it was out turn, I was relieved. We went there only for one round because we had to go to other rides.

Kamikaze

We again went to Wave Pool, it was so fun out there. Our parent's were deciding that we go to the Tornado. I had also heard about this ride and it is thrilling! It looks so dangerous.

There was a ride beside the Tornado named Kamikaze. We all went on it. It was a  It was really fun going on it.

Mammoth Falls

I saw a white tube ride so I decided to go there because I like tube rides, they are fun. So we went to Mammoth Falls. It was a 3 seated ride and we had to carry it a long way up. I was in the middle and the ride went side to side. It went round in a circle.


Next place...


We went to the Wet n' Wild Junior Playground. I have seen the bucket fall in internet, it is so fun. We got wet in it a few times. We stayed in Wet n' Wild Junior for 20 minutes when it was time for lunch. We had sandwich for lunch by the lockers.

After eating lunch I decided to go on the Constrictor. The line was really long. It took like half an hour to reach at the front of the line. When it was our turn to go on the Constrictor. We had to carry a huge raft. We had to roll it on stairs, it was really heavy! I was sweating when coming to the top. The line wasn't long there were only a few people there. After 1 minute it was out turn to go there. I thought that the Constrictor is quite thrilling. The ride went on for 2 minutes, there were 3 x 360 turns. After riding the Constrictor it was time to go home.

At our table my Dad said to go to Harbor Town because my Dad's friend hasn't been there. We again parked in the south. We went to Harbor Town to have a look. We looked around there for 5-10 minutes and saw a shop for juices. The adults had Sugarcane juice and the kids got Mango juice. We drank the juice as walking back to the car. We went back home around 4:00pm and had fun at home.

I hope you like my post and comment. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

Sea Animals! - Gold Coast - Day 5

Today was a really fun day at Sea World, I got to see cool sea animals...

At 11:00am we arrived at Sea World. When we arrived to Seaworld Drive there was heaps of traffic. But it took sometime we parked our car. When we got inside we had passes for the theme parks. After getting inside we got the map for Sea World. I saw that there was show going on in front called Jet Stunt Extreme.

After some minutes we went off looking around. When we were walking we saw a train station called Montrail Main Station. We walked up the stairs and the train came on time. There were 2 stations that we had to stop at, Montrail Mid Station and Sea World Resort Montrail Station. After some minutes we arrived back at Montrail Main Station. When we left from there, there was a good view of the places and rides in Sea World, also it went pass the car park.

On the map it said that there was a 'Our World of Dolphin Presentation'. In the presentation it told us to keep Dolphins safe by not using plastic bags because there are heaps of plastic bags in the ocean and it may harm them. Also they played with the dolphins. After some minutes the presentation came to a end. We all standed up and went straight, they said to go to Nickelodeon Land. There were heaps of rides to go on. We went most of the rides.

After the Nickelodeon Rides we met at The Plaza (food court). My Dad and his friend got us a burger and chips. They were really yummy.

Under Shark's Bay

When eating the burger I remembered something "When we were on the train we saw a place where there were water fighting boats that you can get wet." I told my parents and they said to go to the Battle Boats. It looked really fun to play in. I told the map where to go. In the way we came at Shark Bay, where there are sharks. We went pass the bridge and when we were passing by there was a group of Sharks close to each other. We walked forward and we saw more sharks and stingrays too. There was a underground gallery of watching sharks. We went underground and saw heaps of sharks, stringrays, fishes and other sea animals. After 10 minutes we went out of Shark's Bay and carried on. It didn't took long from Shark's Bay to Battle Boats. On top of us was the train. When arriving there we were the first one in line, because there wasn't much people there. It looked so fun when sitting down on the seats. There was a cannon water pipe to spray water on the other people. The more faster you spin the further it goes. We were sitting on the back and the adults were sitting in front. After finishing the ride we were not so soaked but the adults were soaking wet. I wanted to go again, it was really fun. I went for the next 3 times there and I got really wet. I went out of the ride and stayed out for a few minutes to get dried. My Mum was asking me to go to the Storm Coaster. I was frighted to go on the ride from the looks. I was brave and agreed to go on the Storm Coaster. When we reached to the line, the line was long, but our turn came really fast. It started slow but then it went fast and it was really fun. The ride was about 10 to 15 seconds long, it wasn't that long. I got a bit dried from the ride.

We were feeling hungry so we got popcorn.

After 1 hour...

It was nearly 5:00pm so the park was nearly about to close. We got again popcorn so we couldn't feel hungry in the car.

We got home and had dinner and went to sleep.

I hope you like my post. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

A Day in the New House! - Gold Coast - Day 4!

At 9:00am after breakfast our friends from Melbourne came to travel with us. We stayed there for a few hours and we had lunch.

Few hours later...

We packed our luggage and went to the rental car that our Melbourne friends hired. It was really hot outside and I was burning! It took 20 minutes to reach to our rental house in Miami. The thing that I like about the house is that it is about 700m away from Miami Beach.

When we reached home...

We parked the car outside of the house. When we went inside the house it was awesome. The view was great. The thing that I was waiting for is to see my bedroom. I went upstairs to my room, there were 3 bedrooms and in my room there were 2 single rooms, with a wardrobe and a bathroom.

After 1 hour...

We all sat in the living room and watched TV. After some time we went to our bedrooms and rested. At 9:00pm we went to sleep.

I hope you like my post. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

It's a Hot Day! - Gold Coast - Day 3!

At 8:00am I woke up and I went to shower. We went upstairs and had breakfast. Today we didn't plan anything because my Dad's Sister wasn't at home. It was hot and we had to put on the AC on. We all slept in a nice cool living room.

After 1 hour...

We had sandwich for lunch. After lunch we rested because of the cool AC until my Dad's Sister came back.

After my Dad's Sister came at 4:00pm we decided to go outside. My Dad decided to go to the Brisbane Temple. When we go the car would be full so my Dad, my Dad's Sister's Son and I went on the train. My Dad's Sister dropped us at Helensvale Train Station. We got a train to the city of Brisbane but we are stopping before the city. On Google Maps it says that it would take 30 minutes to Loganlea Station. We waited for 7 minutes for the train to come. On the train it had to stop at 2 stations, Coomera Station and Beenleigh Station. After half an hour we reached to Loganlea Station. We arrived on time to Loganlea Station. We arrived at Brisbane Temple after a few minutes. We stayed over there for half an hour.

After one hour...

We drove to a restaurant in Surfer's Paradise. At 6:30pm we reached at Tien Ran Vegetarian Restaurant. It took like 10 minutes to get the food to the table. We ate soup, noodles, spring rolls and other things. The food was tasty. At 9:00pm we reached home and went to sleep.

I hope you like my post. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

A Day at Surfer's Paradise! - Gold Coast - Day 2!

At 10:52am we reached Harbor Town. It took some time to reach there. When we reached at Harbor Town, there were heaps of fruits and vegetables up for sale. In front of us there was a huge watermelon that was for $4.99 (Australian Dollars) each.

Map of Harbor Town Shopping Outlet

Next we saw mangoes and they were cheap too. We looked around different fruits and vegetables. After looking at those we moved on looking at different shops. There were heaps of shops and food shops. My Dad and I looked around when my Mum, my Sister and my Dad's Sister went to shop around. There were sign boards which direction the parking is (e.g. South 🅿️. That is where you have parked because it is a huge shopping outlet). When we couldn't find my Mum, my Sister and my Dad's Sister so we went out and look around.

First we went to East. There wasn't much there to see but there was the food court and the Reading Cinemas so we went to the other direction. In west we looked around and we also didn't went further because we might get lost. But there was a information centre so I took one booklet of all of the main 4 amusement parks that we are going. We saw similar brands that I have seen in Christchurch like, New Balance, Adidas, Puma, Nike, Converse, Canterbury, Under Armour and Kathmandu. After looking around we sat on the same spot where we were sitting on before looking around. My Mum, my Sister and my Dad's Sister didn't come back. We looked everywhere but we couldn't find them

I was feeling quite thirsty so I asked my Dad to get something from Woolworths. We straightaway went by the ice-cream. We looked to find a ice-cream to eat but there were the boxes. When we were going by the counter I saw a bottle of Up n' Go. I thought to buy it. After buying it we went outside and waited for them.

After a few minutes they came from behind. My Sister said that they were finding for us as well. We walked back where the fruits were. We bought the huge Watermelon, Mangoes, Blueberries and Lychees. We went back home with a fun time at Harbor Town Shopping Outlet.


After a few hours we went to Surfer's Paradise. We parked underground in Paradise Centre. We walked to Cavil Street. They were tall buildings close to each other. We walked for some minutes when we saw heaps of people crowding and watching something. I went to have a look what was happening. There was a show going on and they were collecting money for some reason. After a minute we left and continue walking. When we reached at Surfer's Paradise Beach, my Mum, my Sister and I went to the beach when my Dad and his Sister was watching us from the top. The sand was nice and soft. We got our slippers off and got our feet wet. The water was warm and refreshing. This was the best beach that I have been to. The weather was calm. We stayed in the beach for around 7 to 8 minutes when we left to go back to the carpark. Before going in the car we went to Woolworths to buy somethings. We got ice-cream and other things. We ate the ice-cream in the car. It took like half an hour to reach back home. When we reached home we ate dinner and went to sleep.

We Just Landed! - Gold Coast - Day 1!

Today morning I posted that I am going to Gold Coast. I was really excited to go there. In the weather of Gold Coast, it is average of 29 and 30 degrees celsius. It is really hot than the average in Christchurch.

We were ready to go to Gold Coast and my dad's friend dropped us to the airport. After doing the checking for the bags and passports we sat by our gate. The flight was going to departure at 4:05pm but there was a delay for 10 minutes. We sat there and waited for the announcement to come. After the announcement we waited in a huge line, but we were in the middle of the line so that was good. We were going on Air New Zealand. Our seat was at the back to we had to wait a lot. When we were passing by other people's seats we could see headphones with a screen. I thought "I think that they paid for the screen to work." But really in our seat there were screens too.

At 4:20pm the plane began to move and showed a video about the safety rules like, but on your buckles when the sign says. After the video the plane took off. It would take 3 hours and 30 minutes to reach there, like Melbourne. I wanted to do something because it would feel boring for me. When we were finding our seats we saw the screens and headphones, my dad said you have to pay for the screens to watch or do anything. Also the other people were watching movies and episodes, so I thought that I can spend my time watching 2-3 movies. When we reached to our seat there were the screens and headphones. I tried to watch any movies but you have to pay for the movies, so I couldn't watch any movies. Next I tried to play any games and there were heaps of games to play. First I saw that there was bowling so I played that, but it was hard to play. So I tried to play other games but I couldn't do it. Next I saw a game called 'Home Run'. I repeated playing the game over and over again, my scores were going high because I was hitting home runs. I made my highest score of 11085. I was in 5th place. That time it was 2 hours and 30 minutes.

After 2 hours and 20 minutes there was an announcement that the plane was about to land. I was so excited that we are about to land in Gold Coast. My dad ordered some pringles and tomato juice. The plane was moving quite side to side. We could see the buildings of Gold Coast City. After some minutes the plane reaches the runway and we land on Gold Coast! After the sign of 'putting your buckles on' disappeared heaps of people with me standed up and tried to get our bags. It didn't took time from getting the bags and we were 2nd in the line so we got out of the plane really fast.

As soon as we get inside the airport and we went pass Duty Free and the Australian passenger card. We got our bag and we are out of the airport. After we went out there was the road and people picking up their relatives. I thought "This is the smallest airport that I have been to, we straightaway came in the airport and went out." We waited for 10 minutes and my dad's sister. We went with her to her house. It took half an hour to reach there because the runway is in the border of Queensland and New South Wales. Also the house is in the other side of the city. But it took faster than I expected. Near their house there were snake roads that were going side to side. When I standed up after parking the car I saw huge mangoes, I haven't seen that big in my life. It was a big house.

After few hours...

After dinner we talked and had fun together. At 11:00pm (Australian Standard Time) we went back to our beds and went asleep.

I hope you like my post about the first day in Gold Coast. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

Welcome Gold Coast!

Today at 2:00pm we are leaving home to go to Gold Coast, Australia. Every night (midnight - New Zealand Daylight Time) I will post about how my day has been. We will be there for 10 days - 28 January. I think that it will be an awesome trip. Also this is my 200th post! I hope you like my post before going to Gold Coast. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

Summer Leaning Journey 2017-18 | Week 4 | Day 5

Contemporary Kiwis

Day 5 - Looking into the future (2000 - Present)

Activity 1 | Your future self

It may be hard to imagine, but one day you will graduate from high school and it will be time to decide what to do next. You may want to study at university, become an apprentice, go to training college, travel, or start working. There are so many options!

Take a minute to think about your future. What would you like to do when you finish school? Would you like to work in a specific job? Would you like to study at university? What would you study? Maybe you’d even like to move overseas. Share your thoughts and ideas on your blog site. There are no wrong answers!

The Future

When I finish school, I want to study at university but also have a part-time job. While at university I want to study Science along with Solar System.

I want to work at NASA.

Activity 2 | Flying Cars

Let’s imagine that you’ve just learned to drive, and your family has decided to buy you a brand new car. You are allowed to choose from any of the following designs:

I would go for the second car. It is really good for the mountains and really good for travelling.

Summer Leaning Journey 2017-18 | Week 4 | Day 4

Contemporary Kiwis

Day 4 - Contemporary Entertainment (2000 - Present)

Activity 1 | Moana

In late 2016, the movie Moana was released by Disney. It’s a beautiful story about a young Polynesian girl from the fictional island of Motunui, who goes on a big adventure.

Watch the trailer for Moana and then write a summary of the movie on your blog. If you’ve seen the movie, you can include your favourite part! Tell us as much as you can about the movie. What is it about? Who are the main characters in the movie? What do they do in the movie? Where do they go?

Moana the Movie

I have already seen this movie and this movie is about a polynesian girl. The ocean chose her to receive the heat of Te Fiti. She vogages the sea and finds Maui and asks him to help to find Te Fifti. After finding the Te Fifti they restore the Te Fifti and Moana puts back the heart. Moana sails back to Motonui and becomes the cheif.

Activity 2 | Country Calendar

Did you know that the longest running television show in New Zealand history is a programme called ‘Country Calendar’? It started on 6 March 1966 and has been running ever since. The programme includes stories of everyday New Zealanders, many of whom are farmers.

Watch this short clip from Country Calendar. What do you think would be the most interesting and/or challenging things about being a farmer? Would you would like to be a farmer when you are older. Why/why not? Give us, at least, two reasons to support your answer.

Being a Farmer

I think the hardest thing about being a farmer would be having to start your day early and ending it late.

I would not like to be a farmer when I grow up because:

- I couldn't deal with all the mess and cow manure the animals make, It'll drive me crazy.

Summer Leaning Journey 2017-18 | Week 4 | Day 3

Contemporrary Kiwis

Day 3 - Social Systems (2000 - Present)

Activity 1 | Mixed Member Proportional (MMP)

In 1996, New Zealand adopted the MMP voting system. In September of 2017 we had a national election. Everyone in New Zealand, over the age of 18, was invited to vote for who they wanted to form the next government in New Zealand. The race was really close and in the end, three different political parties (Labour, New Zealand First and the Green Party), came together to form the new government. It is called a ‘coalition government’ because it includes different people from different political parties.

Imagine that you had to form a coalition government with two other people.  Who would you choose to partner with?

I would form a coalition with my son, Aronui, and with my friend, Amber. Aronui would be a great addition to the coalition because he is funny and kind. He would make us laugh and take care of us. Amber would be great because she is really smart and thoughtful. She is also good at making decisions. I think that we would form a great team. What about you? Who would you choose? Why?

Coalition Govermment

I would form a coalition govermount with my friends, Ameya and Arayan. They would be a great help because I know them really well.

Activity 2 | Migration

Over the past few decades, there has been a huge rise in the number of people coming to New Zealand to live and/or travel. I was one of those people! In fact, I moved with my family to New Zealand in 2010 and I am so glad that I did. It’s a pretty amazing place to call home! At the moment I live about 10 minutes from three stunning beaches and a beautiful national park.

Speaking of home, where do you live? On your blog, please post a picture of your hometown and provide a list of three things that tourists, like us, could do if we came to visit. What do you like most about your hometown? (Remember the guidelines for being Cybersmart, and never post your address online).

Christchurch, New Zealand

> Antarctic Centre Meet the penguins

> Orana Wildlife Park You can visit different animals.

> Christchurch Arts Centre Historic Arts, shopping and dining

What I love about my hometown

It is great to see all of the great things in Christchurch.

Summer Leaning Journey 2017-18 | Week 4 | Day 2

Activity 1: Chasing Great

Over the past 17 years New Zealand has experienced a number of sporting highlights, perhaps none larger than the back-to-back Rugby World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015. In both competitions our national rugby team, the All Blacks, was captained by a man named Richie McCaw. He is arguably one of the best rugby players of all time. A movie called Chasing Great was recently created to document his incredible rugby career.

Please watch the trailer for Chasing Great and read about Richie McCaw online. On your blog tell us three things that you learned about Richie that you did not know beforehand. What else would you like to know about Richie?

• Richie McCaw was named as All Blacks captain for the first time for the Test against Wales in 2004 aged just 23.
• Richie McCaw lead the All Blacks the All Blacks to 13 victories in 14 Tests, with the team winning the Tri Nations and again achieving the Grand Slam.
• Richie McCaw was captained the All Blacks to 51 victories and 58 Tests

What is the highest points that he has scored in a game?

Activity 2: Sporting Heroes

In 2015, a kiwi golfer named Lydia Ko became the youngest woman in the world to reach the #1 ranking.  She was only 17 years old. Many people from here in New Zealand and overseas really admire her and think of her as a modern-day sporting hero. Who is your sporting hero? They can be a famous athlete, or even a member of your family or community. It’s completely up to you.

On your blog tell us about your sporting hero. Who are they? Why are they a hero? Include a photo of them in your blog post.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is my sporting hero because he is the best cricketer in the world. He has made 49 century's - 100s. He is also a really good bowler, he bowls leg spin, off spin, and medium-fast.

My sporting hero is Lisa Carrington. She is an incredible rower, and last year she was awarded the prestigious  Lonsdale Cup for her amazing results in 2016! She spends hours training, and I think her commitment to her sport is inspiring.

Bonus Activity | Shake it Off

In recent years, many New Zealanders have embraced a new form of exercise called Zumba©. It was developed by a man named Alberto Perez who lives in the country of Columbia. He created Zumba by bringing together many different dance styles including cumbia, mambo, hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, tango, merengue, and mambo.

Choose one of the dance styles mentioned above and click on the name to read more about it. Once you are done, post three interesting facts about the dance style on your blog. In which country did it originate? Who originally created it?  

|| Salsa ||

This type of dance was originally from Cuba, which then spread to the USA which became really popular.

> American soldiers were the first to notice the Salsa dance during the Cuban war of 1898.

> Cuba's Salsa is only the modern style of the dance, but its origin can be brought back to many other lands and parts of our history.

> Many Jazz musicians started visiting Cuba to incorporate their Latin styles into their performances.

Summer Leaning Journey 2017-18 | Week 4 | Day 1

Contemparary Kiwis

Day 1 - Turn of the Century (2000 - 2010)

Activity 1 |  Celebrating a Win

In 2000, the country of New Zealand celebrated when Russell Coutts and his sailing team won their second straight America’s Cup. This was the first time that a team from New Zealand had won back-to-back championships! Many people celebrated the victory with their friends and family.

On your blog, tell us what you and your family do to celebrate special events, such as birthdays. Do you have a special meal or go to a specific place? In our house, we usually make a pizza and bake a special cake. What about you?

At Christmas and New Year's Day we go out to a park and have fun with a picnic.

Activity 2 | Lord of the Rings

Arguably one of the most famous movie trilogies of all time, The Lord of the Rings, was filmed in New Zealand. All three movies were directed by a New Zealander named Peter Jackson. The first movie was released in 2001, the second in 2002 and the third in 2003. The movies cost an estimated $300 million to produce!  

Imagine that instead of spending the money on the movies, Peter Jackson decided to give all of this money to you. Lucky you! On your blog, tell us what you would do with $300 million dollars. How would you spend it? It is a lot of money so please think carefully about it and spend it wisely :-)

I would spend it on a event centre so any sport can play over there like Soccer, Cricket, Rugby, etc:

Summer Leaning Journey 2017-18 | Week 3 | Day 5

Activity 1: Hiking Tongariro

In 1990, one of the largest national parks in New Zealand, Tongariro, was listed as a World Heritage Site. It is a truly spectacular place to visit! Thousands of people go to Tongariro every year and hike the Tongariro Crossing. Visit the Tongariro website to learn more about the one-day hike.

On your blog tell us what you would need to pack if you were going to hike the Tongariro Crossing. What should you bring with you? Write a list of at least 5 items.

1. Navigation
2. Sun Protection
3. Food and Water
4. Flashlight with extra batteries and First-Aid Kit.

Other than making sure that you have the right equipment, what else should you do before heading out on a big hike? Click here to learn how to stay safe while you’re hiking.

Activity 2: Leading New Zealand

In the 1990s, four different individuals served as the Prime Minister of New Zealand – Geoffrey Palmer, Mike Moore, Jim Bolger and Jenny Shipley.

On your blog, write a short profile of one of our former Prime Ministers. Upload a photo of them with your post. Click on this link to find a copy of the template. Click on file and then click make a copy. This will save the blank template to your Google Drive so that you can fill it in. Post the completed template to your blog to earn points for this activity.

Bonus Activity: You Have to Pay to Play

In 1990, for the first time in New Zealand’s history, universities and polytechnics started charging students money to go to school. Prior to then, it had been free to go to university or to a polytechnic. Since 1990, students have had to pay thousands of dollars to attend post-secondary (after high school) education.

The new Labour government have promised to give up to three years of free post-secondary education to all New Zealanders by 2020!

On your blog, tell us what you think. Should students have to pay money (tuition fees) to go to university? Why or why not?

I think that they have tuition fees because it would be no use of giving tuition if there is no fees.
But for school or university, I think that the school or university have not enough money for the whole school or university.

Summer Leaning Journey 2017-18 | Week 3 | Day 4

The Post Wars (1951 - 1999)

Day 4 - Perms & Lycra (The 1980's)

Activity 1 | Hairy Maclary  

One of the most famous children’s stories to ever come out of New Zealand, Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, was written by a kiwi woman named Lynley Dodd. The book was originally published in 1983. It is now sold in dozens of countries around the world. It features a small dog named Hairy.

On your blog, use the following sentence starter from the original book to finish the story.

“Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy…”

To earn full points, your story should have, at least, 8-10 sentences.

Hairy Maclary

Out of the gate and off for a walk went Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, into the world where he had many inquires. "Look! Flowers I wonder what kind, I wonder what other things I can find." Lamp posts, bikes and people all around, hey! It looks like I just made it into town. "I wonder what other things I can find, let's take a look into this shop; I hope they don't mind." Wow! There are books so big they could be the same size as me! And inside are stories as long as the sea. I read the whole thing! It took me awhile, but I can tell you one thing at the end it did make me smile. So, I walked back home, back to Donaldson's Diary, where I had just finished my journey of inquiries.

Activity 2 | The Big "OE"

In the 1980s it became increasingly common for students to graduate from high school and take a year off to travel and experience the world. This year was often referred to as the ‘Big OE’ or ‘Big Overseas Experience.’ A number of kiwis headed to places like Australia and England to live and work before returning to New Zealand to finish their studies.

Imagine that you are a student in the 1980s and you’re about to graduate from high school. Where would you like to go on your big OE? On your blog tell us which country you would visit and give us three (3) reasons for your choice. Find some pictures on the internet of things that you would like to see and do in this country.

I’d love to go to Switzerland and spend lots of time in the mountains, learning how to ski!

England

• London
• Top Sights
• Sightseeing tours

Bonus Activity | The 4 O'clock News

In 1982, Te Karere, a Māori-language news show premiered on television. It has continued to stream live on TV to this day. If you would like to watch it, turn on TV One at 3:55 p.m. each weekday and you will see it. The show is often hosted by a man named Scotty Morrison.

Imagine that you were Scotty Morrison and you were able to interview anyone you wanted. I would choose to interview our new prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. I’d love to know what it is like to be the Prime Minister.  What about you? Who would you choose to interview and why? What would you like to find out?

Kane Williamson - Blackcaps Captain
I would interview him because I watch every match of Blackcaps and I am a fan of him. I had a signiture of him but I want to met him. It would be awesome if I interview him.

Summer Leaning Journey 2017-18 | Week 3 | Day 3

The Post Wars (1951 - 1999)

Day 3 - Groovy Man (The 1970's)

Activity 1 | Ready to Roll

In the 1970s one of the most common television programmes was called ‘Ready to Roll.’ It was broadcast on Saturday afternoons and hosted by a man named Roger Gascoigne. During the show, Roger would introduce music videos and then play them for the TV audience. He also invited famous people to come onto the show and perform songs that were currently popular.  

Watch the following three clips that were shown on the Ready to Roll programme:

Golden Harvest

Ray Columbus and the Invaders

New Zealand Underdogs

When you have finished, rank the clips in order from your most favourite (#1) to your least favourite (#3). Post your rankings on your blog.

I would go in the order from the Golden Harvest to the New Zealand Underdogs.

Golden Harvest

Ray Columbus and the Invaders

New Zealand Underdogs

Activity 2 | Bell Bottom Pants

Fashion in the 1970s was quite unique. Take a look at the pictures of a ‘typical’ 1970s outfit and tell us, on your blog, two things that you like about 1970s fashion and two things that you don’t like about the fashion of the day. I am not a huge fan of the patterned pants. What about you?

I am also not interested in patterned pants because it doesn't look good. But the others looks good.

Bonus Activity | A Bilingual Schooling System

For much of the past century, schools in New Zealand taught students in only one language – English. In 1972, Ngā Tamatoa member, Mrs. Hana Jackson, submitted a petition to Parliament to ask the government to include the teaching of Te Reo Māori (the Māori language) and Māori culture in New Zealand schools. We still use petitions to this day when we want an organisation (e.g. a school) to make a change.

Think about your school. What is one thing that you would like change. Would you like to learn about different things? Maybe you think school should only be open 3 days a week?

On your blog, write a letter to your principal to try and convince him/her to make the change. Ensure that your letter is polite and respectful.

Dear Principle

Like always the end of the year school holidays has above 1 month holiday, like every school. So I wished to have a few days shorter there would be more school days. Why that? Because there is more time to learn more and new things and it would be great if that happens.

From Khush