The Tooth

It was the apple that made the tooth wobbly. We were just packing up after our first three days at Freycinet when Rosie ran, very excitedly, out of the car and showed me her first wobbly tooth. It was at the bottom in the middle.
Now for Rosie this was a very big deal - a first tooth like most of her friends, this means she's a 'big girl' and that the tooth fairy would visit.
She was also very keen for the tooth fairy to leave her tooth behind in the glass of water so she could show it to everyone at school - so she wrote a lovely letter to her.

Slow travel in Sleepy Bay

"Speed limited by lifestyle choice" said the sign on the large campervan we parked next to at the beautiful Sleepy Bay in Freycinet NP. It was a statement that made me curious because I've been pondering the concept of slow travel lately as we've relaxed into our camping in Tasmania.
So many people we've met on this trip and on other trips in the past seem to be in a hurry to see as much as possible in the shortest time. And it seemed to me, when I was a child and even older, that this was how holidays were. In fact I didn't really contemplate any other way of doing travel until much later.
But slow travel is my way now. When we travel slowly we become more intimate with our surroundings. And when these surroundings are natural and pristine we feel a deep connectedness to the Earth and to ourselves. Our lives align themselves with our natural rhythms. When we travel slowly we get to know people better, both locals and fellow travellers.
And when we travel slowly we get to experience the culture of the place we're visiting in a much deeper way. In a way that only grows with time. This is the real value of travelling slowly.
And so the sign on the campervan was curious - do these fellow travellers go slow in their van as a way of fitting in with their slow travelling lifestyle?
We did our own slow travelling, by kayak this time, in Sleepy Bay on the east coast of Freycinet. To say that this was the best kayaking I've done is an understatement. It was pristine. There was a gentle swell. There were dolphins and sea caves. And no one else was there. Heaven. Definitely a slow travelling day.
I like this way of thinking - it's outside the square (unless you're a grey nomad) which suits us, but it also just feels right. Hmmm...more thoughts to come here .

Two plus two equals maths in the bush

As part of our travel schooling experiments while we're away Rosie and I worked on a number line using our pegless clothes line and some card and pegs. We then used this progression of numbers to do some addition and subtraction.
As a maths teacher it was interesting to help Rosie decipher numbers in order and I was quietly very pleased to experience her enthusiasm for maths too. "It was good", she said..."I feel like doing it again".
Yay!

Devils, Dinners and Dinosaurs

We've been busy in the last few days visiting the Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park, attending an official Three Peaks presentation evening at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and looking at models of Thylacines and dinosaurs at the Hobart Museum.
Most of these activities took place with the lovely help of Mum and Dad who were visiting Tasmania to coincide with our trip. They are sadly now back at home but we enjoyed our three days together.

Sea kayaking central

We just bought a single sea kayak (to add to the nine other kayaks we already have). It was a snap purchase in a way (we decided after 15mins in the shop), but to be fair it was something we had been talking about for quite a while. So our trip plans have changed slightly to find the best paddle sites in Tasmania.
First off was a day trip to the Tasman Peninsula for a kayak near the Tesselated Pavement, The Blowhole, Tasman Arch and the Devils Kitchen - the last two both 200m high rock outcrops into the sea. Spectacular, world-class paddling it was.
We're now off to Freycinet NP again for more time on the beach and a chance to kayak around the beautiful, rocky coastline there.

Belonging

Do we really belong to a place? Does a place really belong to us? Travelling helps to loosen you from your moorings, so to speak, and leads you to question the importance to you of where you live.
I've been pondering these questions as we've moved around. Really I feel like home is where I am at the moment, and where my family is with me.
Mount Beauty is a very special place to us, but its not the only place that can feel like home, and it certainly doesn't 'belong' to us. Soon we'll be back there, schooling and working and blogging and playing. And then we'll head off again - to explore new 'homes' as a family.

Authentic learning

As a teacher and researcher of education I spent much of my time in search of an authentic learning experience for my students. From documenting their learning through online (digital) portfolios to biology field trips and subsequent assessment to maths excursions to the supermarket, I tried everything I could to make learning as real as possible.
You see this is what makes me tick as a teacher. It's not about the pay or the holidays (although they are nice) or the professional development or report writing. For me it's all about learning in the best, most effective way. In a way that engages students authentically in the learning process. This is Vygoysky's 'zone of proximal development' as its best. This is what motivated me day to day, bell by bell, classroom by classroom and student by student. It's what still motivates me now, even though I no longer teach in a school. In fact it drives my entire outlook and today I saw yet again evidence of authentic learning with my own littlies. Enjoy these photos ladies and gentlemen - these are two motivates girls authentically exploring and learning about the world!

All together again

Ian is back with us again after completing his third Three Peaks Challenge in Hobart. While the little ones and I have been having a lovely time with Nana and Pop at Freycinet NP, Ian has run 133km and sailed down the East coast of Tassie. We saw him as he finished his run with fellow-runner Andrew at Freycinet, then we picked him up yesterday from Constitution dock in Hobart, sore but happy and ready to spend the next two weeks with his family.
So we've relocated to White Beach on the Tasman Peninsula and as I write am enjoying a nice coffee with my love overlooking the local bay :-)
Today I am very grateful for:
Time alone with my love!
Yellow Wattlebirds swooping over our tent
Rosie writing her travel diary
'I spy' in the car
A hot shower and a sleep in this morning