Crofty's Final Blog

It has been my great privilege to have shared this journey with 29 extraordinary people and their extended families. That is what the Anzac Tour is all about. Just like the first Anzacs, a disparate group of people combined to achieve great things. Though we were fortunate not to have endured conflict, we came together to learn about the service of others to our nation and espouse the values synonymous with the very best of the Anzac traditions. Resourcefulness and commitment spring to mind but especially mateship in a shared experience which makes all of us family.

All of the students have developed and grown. They conducted themselves in an exemplary manner which reflects upon our school and community and ultimately upon all Australians as the best examples of what our youth has to offer. They have irredeemably been changed by their experiences but only for the better. Many express a newfound appreciation for their own country and just how lucky they are to be able to call themselves Australians. I thank them for being such wonderful young adults who stepped up and had the courage to follow in the footsteps of previous Anzac Tours and who went to new places, tried new things and forged new traditions.

The parents on tour I cannot thank enough for their humor and help on the tour. They were wonderful in their care and concern for the students. Moving thirty people around a foreign country or two has its challenges and we couldn't have done it without them. Thanks Wayne, Rhonda and Toni. 

The staff who came along on this tour really worked hard to make this new experience in two completely foreign countries as safe and successful as it could possibly be. The work behind the scenes in preparation for the tour is always massive but compounded this time by the new destination. The tour is not a holiday for the staff and their duties are significant with great responsibility. It was grueling at times but a pleasure to share this tour with such passionate teachers who are so dedicated and hard working. Thanks Kirsten, Chris, Jenny, Trudi and Adam.

Kevin Dyer was our RSL veteran on tour. Kev served in Vietnam and his insights and knowledge of the conflict from the Australian perspective were invaluable to all of us. His friendship and concern for all tour members, as has been said before, makes him family. The kids love him. Thanks mate.

The Tour does not happen without the support of the school. Thank you to Ms Dale Miller, the Principal of Collie Senior High School for continuing to see the value of the Anzac Tour. As a two times former participant I know just how much she understands the value of this program to the school and community.

The parent body as always was magnificent in supporting their children through this process. When we consider how far we have come from the very first meeting I am certain that not one family has any regrets. Thank you for all your hard work on behalf of your children and the tour. It couldn't happen without your commitment and courage.

Finally thanks to the community of Collie. It is by far the best place to live and raise children on the planet. Just ask our students.

Ed Croft

Day 20 - Homeward Bound

Well, after 20 days of travelling through Cambodia and Vietnam, our Anzac Tour has come to an end. We are just about to head to Saigon airport ready to board our plane home to Perth. While we are excited to see our loved ones again, we are sad to be leaving this trip of a lifetime behind. 

Over the past 20 days, we've had many funny moments and highlights whilst learning about the Australians involvement in the Vietnam War and seeing the Vietnamese perspective on this war. 

We've all had a good laugh on this tour, whether it be at the slow motion stacks and wobbles on the bikes; someone accidentally wearing another person's clothes; the bugs we've seen; students "accidentally" taking things out of hotel rooms; Mrs Curran wearing her shorts inside out; the constant thoughts from the girls "are they western toilets?"; the sleeping faces on the bus; or people temporarily misplacing their passports. 

There hasn't been a single dull day on this journey and some of the highlights are as follows. I think we would all agree that Ha Long Bay was one of the most beautiful places we've seen plus it was a fantastic "family" night singing karaoke and enjoying sleeping on the bay. Celebrating Wayne and Ashliegh's birthdays while over here were also unforgettable. I'm sure it's a birthday they will both remember forever. 

In Cambodia, the circus workshop and martial arts lesson were certainly fun experiences. We all have some new party tricks to show everyone once we arrive home. 

The cycle tours we've participated in have been fantastic and despite the day we cycled the temples of Angkor Wat being the hottest, most humid day of the tour, cycling 20km around the temples is something we all enjoyed! Getting the opportunity to play soccer and basketball against some Vietnamese school students was fantastic too. The Eco Tour and cooking class in Vietnam were also great experiences! We got to see first hand, how the farming lifestyle of Vietnam differs to ours and we also got to attempt to make some of the delicious food we have been eating since we arrived. Another highlight for us all was seeing Kev meet Mr Vu and Mr Tam. I think these will stick in our memories forever. 

We will never forget the first time we walked out of the airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia to feel the immense heat and humidity straight away! Most of us are rugged up ready for our journey home to arrive back into Perth in freezing temperatures compared to what we've been in. 

A lot of the kids mentioned that a highlight they had of the tour was getting to write the blog. I too have enjoyed this, spending time writing about our day with two of the students each night, laughing about everything that happened or talking about some of the difficult things we had seen that day. 

Some of the things we've seen have been shocking and eye opening but a learning curve to remind us of how lucky we are. The weaponry, the traps, the poison, the tunnels, the inhumane acts, and the well presented museums we've seen have helped us to grow and try to understand what was happening during the Vietnam War. Sometimes these things were hard to understand and it left us questioning how people could treat others in this way.

It was humbling to commemorate Anzac Day with our own private service on Vung Tau beach, with a few other Australians we'd met joining us. Tamsin did a beautiful job playing the Last Post on the flute. It was also nice to experience the Long Tan Cross. We are very thankful that we were allowed to run two small ceremonies, in smaller groups here. Bobbie Jo sang the New Zealand National Anthem beautifully and Tamsin played the Last Post again.

Before I finish this blog entry for the Collie Senior High School Anzac Tour 2017 there are many people that need to be thanked. Firstly, to the parents & families of our wonderful students, thank you for all the work you've done and support you've given your children in order for them to experience this trip of a lifetime. Secondly, to Vietnam School Tours for providing us with an itinerary that made our tour run smoothly and ensure we got to experience both the culture and the history of Cambodia and Vietnam. Thirdly, to Kea and Chi, our tour guides for Cambodia and Vietnam respectively, for providing us with endless amounts of information and laughs while travelling through your beautiful countries. Fourthly, to the Collie community for your ongoing support in making this tour possible, we couldn't have done this without the support of the wonderful individuals and businesses in our local town. Thank you to Mr Blackmore, Mrs Curran, Mrs McDonald, Mrs Griffiths, Toni, Wayne & Rhonda for providing continuous laughs and fantastic supervision and coordination of the tour. Thank you to Mr Croft, our tour leader, for organising the tour and giving us all this opportunity. A big thank you to Kev, our Vietnam veteran for the inside insight into what his experiences were while serving for our country. He's been an asset to our trip. 

Thank you to Collie Senior High School and our principal Ms Dale Miller, for the support of our sixth Anzac Tour. Also, thank you to everyone that has followed our blog while we've been away, it's been great to be able to provide you insight into what we're getting up to over here. And my final thank you is to the students. Thank you to the twenty young adults that have been amazing this whole trip. It has been lovely to watch you all grow and share the experiences of this trip that you will keep with you for the rest of your lives. 

Below are quotes from each member of our tour, describing their experiences in a sentence or two:

"I had expected to learn a lot from this tour but one thing I didn't expect was to become so much more grateful for everything I have."

- Tierni Flanagan

"It has been no surprise that these two countries have offered some amazing experiences and memories."

- Legacy Poata

"One of the best cultural experiences of my life."

- Jess Hunt

"A life changing experience that I will remember always."

- Tamsin Blurton

"A gobsmackingly amazing trip!"

- Bobbie Jo Morriss

"This tour has been an overwhelming experience that has enabled me to develop a greater appreciation for the life I have."

- Taylor Hallissey

"An eye opening and culturally diverse experience filled with memories that will never be forgotten."

- Hayley Leighton

"An extraordinary, once in a lifetime opportunity where memories have been made that will stay with me forever."

- Shanice Ryan

"An amazing trip, one I'll remember for the rest of my life. It was mint!"

- Josh Hoey

"Bright lights, good sights, a lot of flights... Chi's a lad."

- Connor Watts

"Most extraordinary experience of my life to date."

- Cameron Simm 

"An amazing experience that I will never forget and that has definitely opened my eyes."

- Olivia Roberts

"It was a wonderful, eye opening experience full of many surprises."

- Tristyn Keen

"An incredible journey I will cherish forever. I have learnt, experienced and tasted so much of Vietnam's culture. I am honoured to be a part of the Collie Senior High School ANZAC Tour!"

- Rebecca Lockyear

"This trip has been such an amazing experience as it bought so many individuals closer to make us feel like one big family."

- Tilara Whiteaker

"The Cambodian and Vietnamese cultures have really opened my eyes to how diverse the world can be. I'm forever grateful for having the opportunity to be part of the 2017 Anzac Tour."

- Krystal Harrison

"I have thoroughly learnt what the Anzacs have done for our country and am now very grateful to live in such a peaceful and safe country."

- Ashliegh Chapman

"The Anzac Tour has been great and I will take what I have learnt and experienced on tour with me for the rest of my life."

- Lauren Cook

"Once in a life time experience; so many memories have been made that are irreplaceable and will not be forgotten. Very proud of the CSHS 2017 Anzac Tour."

- Paige Nelson

"An eye opening journey with many mixed emotions. Experiencing new cultures, different foods and learning new languages. A tour full of laughter amongst some of the greatest people I know, proud to be apart of the 2017 Anzac Tour! Something I'll never forget."

- Chloe Garner

"Once in a lifetime, eye opening, inspirational and extraordinary experience that makes me appreciate my country so much more."

- Chris McDonald

"I thank my lucky stars that I can raise my family emotionally and financially without the horrors of war on our Australian soil, and have a freedom of speech."

- Toni Flanagan

"An amazing journey with a wonderful group of people."

- Wayne Garner

"A journey I'll never forget with the students of Collie Senior High School. Anzac Day was very special for me."

- Kevin Dyer

"Soul changing for the better."

- Rhonda Roberts

"Loved Vietnam. Ha Long Bay and pushing myself out of my comfort zone were highlights for me."

- Jenny Griffiths

"An explosion of cultures and experiences with a group of beautiful people who all grew so much. I hope that the lives and futures of the young souls we worked with will be enriched through the experiences encountered in the lead up, during the tour and after the tour and that they emerge as strong leaders in the years to come, showing resilience, compassion and acceptance of others."

- Trudi Curran

"An awesome insight into the history of Vietnam & Cambodia and I loved being immersed in a different culture!"

- Kirsten Thomson

"A wonderful, fun loving group of young adults respectfully experiencing the culture and history of Vietnam and Cambodia with a caring team of teachers and parents, working together to make every moment memorable."

- Adam Blackmore

"Collie Senior High School Anzac Tour 2017 has been one, that from the beginning faced immense difficulties and obstacles but due to the dedication, hard work and perseverance of the students, parents and staff the culmination of our tour has made me realise something that I've always known, that the Anzac Tour, regardless of its destination, moulds fine young people into outstanding individuals whose horizons have forever been broadened and results in citizens that our school, town and country can be exceedingly proud of."

- Ed Croft

I hope you've all enjoyed reading our blog for the 2017 Collie Senior High School Anzac Tour.

- Miss Thomson

Sleeping Blog!

To stick with the tradition of the previous Anzac Tours, we did our best to capture each tour member asleep on a mode of transportation. Some of us obviously know how to nap at a moments notice in any position, notable mentions to Legacy, Bobbie Jo and Tilara. 

Congratulations to Josh and Mrs Curran for not being caught sleeping... Mrs Curran we know you did! Josh, well done mate, you're a trooper! 

Hope you enjoyed the sleeping blog! 

- Miss Thomson

Day 19 - Saigon

After a later start to the day we enjoyed a buffet breakfast. In the lobby we met with Chi who introduced us to his colleagues, Matt and Tran, to give us our instructions for the Race Around Saigon. We were split into two groups of students and a group of adults, with each group having a helper. However, Chi 'forgot' to follow his team. During the race we had to navigate using a map, practice our negotiation skills and work as a team to complete the 11 tasks. Crossing the roads was a simple task we found difficult. 

The race took us to the Ben Thanh Markets where the group had to purchase a t-shirt under 70,000 VND and one unlucky person had to eat a piece of Durian, "which smells like hell and tastes like heaven". The adult group were convinced that they all had to eat a piece. 

The tasks involved us going to many sights such as the Sky Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House. We finished at the Reunification Palace where each group had to find a Vietnamese lady that wasn't actually Vietnamese. This non-Vietnamese lady turned out to be Bec, dressed in a traditional Vietnamese dress, called Ao Dai. The student teams left for the restaurant without the adults due to them being half an hour late. 

At lunch Team One was announced the winning team due to completing every task. They received a trophy and the left over cash amounting to 100,000 VND, which is about 50 Australian cents each. 

We then headed to the War Remnants Museum where we were confronted with pictures of the effects of Agent Orange where a lot of Vietnamese civilians, mainly women and children, were brutally attacked. The Agent Orange has affected up to the fourth generation of families. We also saw many horrific images that made us question the actions of the war.

One of our last sights we visited for the day was the Reunification Palace which housed Ho Chi Minh when he visited South Vietnam. It is imagined to be the Vietnamese equivalent to the White House. At the end of the war tank 843 smashed through the gates of the palace as an act of protest against the war.

To lift the spirits of everybody we went to the local markets for one last shopping spree. It was a lot of people's mission to spend every last bit of their dong. Mrs Curran decided to take a more scenic route back to hotel without realising where we were actually going. After asking hotel staff we were back on track with the heavy flow of peak hour traffic. 

To conclude a busy day of walking and sight seeing we had a nice relaxing and peaceful cruise along the Saigon River for dinner. It was our last meal as a group and with Chi. As an inside joke we gifted Chi a Rolex watch because he reminded us everyday to not forget our belongings... sunnies... phones... cameras... Rolex... pearls, diamonds and rubies. 

We then headed back to the hotel to pack our suitcases to fit all our goodies in as we prepare for our day of flying home tomorrow.

Bobbie Jo, Krystal & Legacy