Leaving Dallas

Our flight is on time from Dallas and we are about to board. Next stop Brisbane then Sydney and on home. 

See you all Wednesday afternoon

Safe arrival in Dallas

We are all safe and sound in Dallas. We are now waiting for our 9:55pm departure local time. The students are happy and looking forward to getting started on this leg. 

Leaving Orlando

Just a quick note to say we are all checked in at Orlando airport and we are waiting for our flight which departs in 1 hour and 15 mins. We first head to Dallas. We will update you when we get there. Everyone is looking forward to heading home. 

Orlando Day # 7 - Eco tour day

Updated!!!

Today we are heading out and about in the Florida wildlife of Cape Canaveral and Merrit Island. 

We are going kayaking to see manatees and dolphins. We are taking an airboat ride to see alligators and we are heading to Cocoa beach and the famous Ron Jon Surf shop. The evening will be finished off with a traditional southern BBQ. 

UPDATE-

The Eco tour today was brilliant and it was such a great day I promptly fell asleep upon returning to the hotel. 

Below are a few photos but before that we finished off the day with some time at Cocoa beach where the students got to swim in the Atlantic Ocean. They also went to the world famous Ron Jon surf shop. Afterwards we went to Kays BBQ restaurant. This has been a traditional meal on every trip. We were hosted by Juan and his wife Kay as well as Ken from simplicity travel who organised the whole day. It was a wonderful meal and they made us all very welcome including our wonderful van drivers. 

So now a few photos. There are kayaking photos to come soon once we get them downloaded from the company. 

The air boating was great fun but very loud. 

The 20 seater airboat was powered by twin fans and a big block Chevy V8. The only control you have the the small foot pedal and the ability to direct the fans. Great fun for the captain. 

Harry, Nicole and Rebecca enjoying the tour. 

The captain was very knowledgable and explained a lot to us about the St John river area. 

These cypress trees are really amazing you can see the high water mark on them. Their roots grow out and up so they can still get oxygen when the water rises. Their leaves turn the pristine fresh water into a tea colour due to the tannins they release. 

We did see quite a few alligators but due to the high heat - 30 plus degrees - they were all in the water cooling. 

Everyone got to try gator nuggets after the airboat ride. The consensus was it tasted like chicken. 

Orlando Day. #6 - Disney

Well after a great day yesterday and time to recharge our batteries last night at the hotel today is a chance for free time at Disney. 

The students all wanted to check out Disney's Hollywood studios today and promptly shot off there when we arrived this morning. 

With little hope of catching pictures of them today as they jump from ride to ride I thought I'd take you through my day of relaxing at Disney. 

Animal Kingdom is Disney's theme park zoo and a great place to wander and check out some animals. 

The parrots and rhino iguana are some of my favourites. 

The park is set out in different areas such as Africa and Asia. You can even get a photo of the replicated Mount Everest before you ride the expedition Everest roller coaster which goes backwards for half the ride. 

The view to the Everest ride. 

The rest of my day was spent at Hollywood studios which is a park I hadn't visited before. It was great fun starting with the Aerosmith roller coaster which accelerates from. 0-100km per hour in 2.5 seconds. 

Next was the Hollywood tower of terror one recommended by the students. Enough to say I might have screamed as it drops and lifts you randomly through the tower in an elevator car. 

The Hollywood studios has an amazing attention to detail including a set of 1940's America. 

Before heading home it was time for the backlot tour including a water stunt show. 

We are about to head back to the hotel have dinner and make our pack lunch for the Eco tour day tomorrow. 

Orlando Day #5 - Kennedy Space Centre

Today we were up and heading out to Kenbedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral. 

We were there to see the space centre museum and have lunch with an astronaut. The centre has had a major upgrade since our last visit and is now an amazing facility that houses one of the three decommissioned shuttles, STS Atlantis. 

The group arrived and were welcomed by a new exhibit that replays the count down to the launch of the first manned space mission. 

The group then spent the morning exploring the space centre which included another rocket park much like the one at Space Camp. There is an IMAX theatre and many exhibits including angry birds in space for a bit of light entertainment. 

The real highlight for many of the students and myself included was the new facility that houses the Space Shuttle Atlantis. This new purpose built facility is one of the best exhibitions we have seen on the trip. You are treated to a brilliant 15 minute video history of the shuttle development. All recreated with actors depicting the major milestones from late 1969 till the first successful engine test and everything in between. 

You then enter into a 270 degree theatre that depicts the scenes of the very first shuttle launch. As the film ends the entire back wall rises up and out of the gloom you are treated to the amazing sight of the shuttle Atlantis seemingly suspended in mid air in the centre of the exhibit hall. 

There are not many times when I can truly say something has astounded me but the sheer size and beauty of this shuttle was just immense. 

The exhibit shows you inside the cargo bay and the two Canada arms one fully extended. 

After going through the whole exhibit it was time for lunch with an astronaut. The students were treated to an amazing lunch complete with dessert! The Astronaut was Greg Linteris who has been into space on two shuttle missions as a payload specialist. 

He gave us a wonderful talk on food in space and how NASA has developed the nutrition of the astronauts. 

He then opened the floor to questions and a few of the students got to ask him their questions about being an Astronaut. 

This evening everyone is relaxing at the hotel after a very busy few days. 

Day. # 4 -Disney by night

Last night we all decided to stay on and see the nighttime shows at Disney. It was a wonderful spectacular show with first a 10 minute projections show onto the Disney castle. There were scenes from all the classic Disney films all tied together with an amazing sound track. 

Then at 10pm the real highlight of the fireworks show got started. Absolutely spectacular fireworks all in perfect time with a sound track of all the classic Disney tunes. 

Orlando Day #4 - Disney Physics Program

Today we are back at Disney for another Youth Education Program. This one looks at the physics of Energy and Waves. It also looks at how Disney uses this physics to their advantage in their parks. 

We will be learning about the physics and visiting three attractions - Haunted Mansion, Lilo and Stitch Space Adventure and mickeys philharmonic. 

The students are doing really well. Yesterday afternoon we took sometime out to go shopping. Due to some not so flash weather and a longer school visit we didn't go to a Kelly Springs but the shopping and early night has allowed us to recharge our batteries. 

The group meeting their Disney Graduate Cori. 

Michael, Rebecca, Chris F and Chris W helping to demonstrate forms of energy. 

Cori explaining the properties of the electromagnetic spectrum. Our students are really well versed on these. Good job by the CHS Science Department. 

Very topical UV light discussion especially with today getting to 30 degrees. These UV beads demonstrate the amount of UV light even in the shade. Sunscreen is now applied earlier than previously. 

The students got to ride the haunted mansion then go backstage to see how the illusions are made using light and glass. 

We then headed over to tomorrow land to learn about sound waves. Cori the Disney  presenter used a slinky to get Simon and Matt to demonstrate compression or sound waves. 

Orlando Day #3

We are off to Dr Phillips High School this morning. The students are going to spend a couple of hours with a buddy student before we head off to Kelly Park Springs. 

We had a great day at Disney yesterday the students and teachers were all very excited. The afternoon was spent with free time at Disney. The students were amazed at the size of Walt Disney World and after a bit of research they found out the entire area of all 6 parks is just under half the size of Christchurchd urban area. 

No wonder it has it's own bus and highway within the park. 

The crowds were huge yesterday! 

Gaston and beauty and the beast are one of the new exhibits. 

The students have had fun meeting their buddies with a few games to start off

They have now buddies up and are off to classes for half a day. 

Careers in Marine Science

The students have nearly completed their first youth education program based in the Under the sea with Nemo and Friends aquarium. 

They have been making observations of marine animal behaviour. They have seen all the wonderful marine life in the aquarium which holds around 15 million litres of salt water. All the salt water is produced on site rather than being pumped from the ocean. 

Chris F and Chris W observing the sting rays. 

Below is Alex and Nicole looking at the moon jelly fish. 

A massive moray eel in the Great Barrier Reef exhibit. 

The students have also had a classroom session where they had to diagnose a health issue with different marine animals given symptoms and a key to major problems. 

Harry and Matt diagnosing a white spotty bamboo shark

Michael, Luca and Sam working on their marine animal. 

The students have been able to go backstage and look at how the aquarium runs. We have seen manatees and bottle nose dolphins up close. Unfortunately we can't take photos behind the scenes but the students have some great memories. 

For the rest if the day the students are going to enjoy disney. More updates and photos tonight. 

Disney! Day #2 Orlando

Just a quick note to say we are off and running at Disney with our first youth education program at Epcot 

Gatorland

We are halfway through day 1 in Orlando and having a great time. We have all just finished the screaming gator zip line and it was lots of fun. 

We weren't able to take our cameras due to the height but we have bought a disk of photos for everyone to get a copy of later. 

There are a lot of sights to see here at Gatorland. 

Simon and Jamie looking at the alligators. 

Baby alligators sunning themselves

Extremely rare white alligators. Interestingly these are not albino but rather a rare recessive gene that has only shown up once in the last century. These gators were found in a nest in Louisiana and brought to Gatorland to avoid hunters. 

Beautiful pink flamingos