P (part 2) & Q: Politics, Poetry & Queensland

We still have a couple "P" topics to finish, so be prepared to talk about POLITICAL SYSTEM, please.

1. poetry (I'll cover this one myself, no worries)

2. political system






















Our new topics will include:

3. The Queen of England (so as you see we are still staying in the realm of governing the country and the division of power)

***And a little tongue-in-cheek reason why Australians still love "their" Royal: Queen volunteered for James Bond skit at Olympics

*** PREFERENTIAL VOTING SYSTEM explained

and

4. Queensland
Have a look at this video. This is just the first random result I got from YouTube, I wasn't searching for it intentionally. And still it just makes you want to pack your things right away and head there ;-)



Queensland is sometimes referred to as the most beautiful state in Australia. And yet they feel the need to address advertisements to prospective tourists. In 2009 they launched the "Best Job in the World" action. Find out what it was all about.

Ben Southall wins the job:




We will also spend some time talking about Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise.

Get some ideas from this video :-)

The Fatman's Great Aussie Trek

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The guy in the picture is one of my Aussie mates, Brendon. A few weeks ago, together with his dog Jojo, he set out to walk around Australia.

He is doing the trek to raise awareness about cancer and obesity.

You can visit his blog HERE and his FB page HERE.


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P (part 1): Perth, Pearling industry and Poles in Oz

1. Perth is my favourite city in Oz so please make sure you are prepared for some pretty tricky questions ;-)



2. painters





















Focus mostly on the body of work of Sidney Nolan.
(hint: think of one of the topics we covered in our last class)


3 pearling industry (Broome, WA)


















(click the picture to learn more about the ugly face of this industry in the past)


4. Poles in Australia

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You guys seriously rule!

I still can't get over how much work you must have put into making these pictures.

Fantastic! All teams are getting the maximum score for this activity :)

O: Outlaws and Outback

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Tomorrow we'll deal with some really heavy topics.



The bulk of our time will have to be devoted to famous OUTLAWS. Australia sports names of many brave men who chose to stand against their opressors, but the two who are the most important, and have become part of Aussie culture and mentality, are Ned Kelly and Ben Hall.

Ned Kelly (a Sydney Nolan's painting)

















Ben Hall

And now something for film buffs among you (you are all encouraged to read/watch these materials, but there will be no questions on this part).

Since bushrangers chose OUTBACK as their real home, we'll also have a closer look at just how it is portrayed in modern culture.

I have already introduced you to the acclaimed documentary Not Quite Hollywood. Among films which are discussed there, are such golden nuggets of Aussie cinema as Razorback and The Long Weekend. While they are in no means of any (or almost any) artistic merit, they offer a surprisingly insightful description of "the red centre."



































If we have time, we'll celebrate Australian OSCAR winners and nominees.

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Homework

WHAT: make a picture that represents an Australian national park of your choice (see materials two post below)

HOW: use Aboriginal symbols as seen in the pictures below and make the picture resemble Dot Painting art. Yoy also may want to go to this blog - written by our former student to get a general idea what this style of art is like :)

ARRANGEMENT: this is a group activity. If you're still not assigned to any group, contact me please.

WHEN: the deadline is next Monday

Best Jobs in the World

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How apt :)

Today we talked about national parks in Australia and today Tourism Australia launched a promo campaign that can win you one of SIX "best jobs in the world" (AND a AUS100,000 six-month contract).

If you're lucky you can go and see these breathtaking national parks yourself :)

More HERE

And remember, this could be...

N: National parks, New South Wales & Northern Territory

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As I hinted last time, in the class you'll be involved in a number of activities both in groups and individually. And no, I'm not going to tell you anything in advance :-P

Study the materials below - they may give you some ideas what we might be doing ;)

1. New South Wales - this website gives you a good outline of interesting destinations in NSW.

2. Northern Territory - same here. You don't need to read everything in detail but browse the site to get a general idea of what you can do and experience in this part of Australia.

3. NATIONAL PARKS

* Uluru National Park - you can go on a stunning virtual tour round the monolith by CLICKING HERE



Uluru National Park is probably the most special place for Aboriginal Australians.

I'm not asking you to watch ALL clips from this folder, but since they offer a really honest view on how Aborigines see the land, the presence of white people there, and sharing their culture with them, I strongly encourage you to see at least some. "Working together", "About Tjukurpa" and "We do not climb" are ones especially important.


* Kakadu National Park (visitor guide .pdf) - a fantastic, colourful guide to the park. No questions on it, but you may want to scan it for your own enjoyment if you have some free time ;-)


Kakadu National Park - Introduction with Jacob Nayinggul from Parks Australia on Vimeo.



Kakadu National Park – Guluyambi river cruise from Parks Australia on Vimeo.



Kakadu National Park – Culture Camp from Parks Australia on Vimeo.

4. If time: NATIONAL HOLIDAYS & NOBEL PRIZE recipients from Australia.