After listening to countless students talking about skydiving in Byron Bay, I finally got my chance to see what it was really like to jump out of a plane! I met up with Holly at the airfields and was lucky to not only have one of the best dive masters Stacey but also to be able to jump with Holly and her dad John. The company is very professional and safety conscious which made me feel more relaxed.

The only words to describe the feeling are surreal and amazing. If I was a Cambridge student I would probably say ‘awesome’.

Now I understand why so many of our students go skydiving. I can recommend it 100%. It really is a fantastic thing to do in Byron Bay as it gives you a totally different perspective of this great place.  The lighthouse and bay look great at 14,000 feet.

Holly said that in the whale migration season (June – November) you can see whales breaching! So my advice is do an early morning jump, don’t have a hangover and follow John’s advice don’t blink when you jump out of the plane.

Last week Tess from Bay FM came to school to interview students about how they celebrate St Valentine’s Day in their country. She interviewed students from Korea, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Brazil and Taiwan. Most of the students were from David’s Intermediate B class. I heard Tess tell David that his students had really good speaking skills.

To listen to the students’ interviews tune in to Bay FM 99.9 on Monday 14 February 11:00 -12:00pm.

What can you do in an Oz studies class?

Learn the didgeridoo.

The didgeridoo is thought to be the oldest wind instrument in the world. It is traditionally made from one species of Eucalyptus tree. The hardest part about learning the didgeridoo is the circular breathing. In this photo David is teaching his Oz studies class the basics of didgeridoo. Good luck!

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What to do when it is raining in Byron Bay???            

1. Hang out in Woolies – a great place to meet your friends and see what your teachers are eating.

2. Go to the Movies – Cheap Tuesday and a great way to improve your listening skills.

3. Organise a Ten Pin Bowling excursion with Max.

4. Play on a full size Billiard table at the RSL.

5. Join the Library – a great place to borrow books.

6.  Visit the Arts & Industry Estate and have a tour of local artists’ studios.

7.  Go to the gym and join a Zumba class – follow instructions, meet locals and lose weight at the same time.

8. Join the BBELS facebook – make all the past students feel jealous that you are in Byron Bay.

9. Do a yoga class at the Byron Yoga Centre – you may even be taught by an old BBELS student www.byronyoga.com  

10. Volunteer at the Community Centre’s soup kitchen and give something back to the Byron community.