Students from Josei Gakuen HS had a fabulous first day  at PBC and then out and about exploring Noosa and surroundings.

 Noosa Lookout gave an overview of the things to come. Happy faces everywhere when finally the shoes came off and bare feet touched sand and sea at the Spit. The plan to have a look around at Hastings Street was abandonned in favour of spending more time at the beach.

 The Noosa local tour ended with a climb up to Mount Tinbeerwah, well worth the effort with a wonderful 360 degree view of Noosa and the Hinterland.

Tired students returned to PBC to be picked up by their lovely hostfamilies.

On Thursday, TAP students joined Global Village activity coordinator Nathan on a walk to the top of Mt.  Coolum. 

With fantastic views in every direction at the top of the mountain, we could see to the North overlooking the beaches of Coolum, Peregian, Sunrise and Sunshine.  To the south we could see Marcoola, Mudjimba, Old Woman Island and Maroochydore.  To the east the beautiful Pacific Ocean and of course to the west we could see the coasts hinterland and other mountains like Mt.Pomona and Mt.Ninderry. 

All students agreed that the climb up the mountain was well worth the effort.  With a rewarding prize at the end, a panoramic view of the Sunshine Coast in every direction, truly magnificent.    

Have you ever spent the afternoon paddling around on a massive surfboard that takes two people to carry and works your core muscles as your leisurely glide across the water with each stroke? 

Global Village TAP students from Noosa, where lucky enough to spend the afternoon on Thursday leisurely paddling around the pristine Noosa river admiring some of the beautiful water front houses and enjoying the fun and healthy activity of Stand Up Paddling. 
For those who have not yet tried stand up paddling, or even heard of it, stand up paddle or SUP is one of the latest water sports to hit the Sunshine Coast.  A combination of surfing and paddling that requires the person to work their inner core muscles just to stay balanced add in your paddling and you have a complete workout!  This sport can be done in both the waves and on flat water, for first timers its best to go for flat water! 

Our group was in the right place and in good hands.  The instructor Tim was great and explained all the skills and techniques on how to paddle and manoeuvre the massive boards.  The result saw all TAP students paddling like professionals in no time.  Alexander was very excited with the activity, stating; “This is awesome!”  While Florine and Nina proved to be the fastest in a tandem paddle race, they even managed to outrun the instructor Tim and Vanessa from Taiwan who came in with a convincing second place.

All students really enjoyed the afternoon on the river and shared a scenic and active SUP in the Noosa River.     

Hatsushiba HS Students are participating in international Classes in the morning. In the afternoons they are in closed group lessons to really focus on speaking and listening skills.  They are studying in the most suited level in the morning classes, and are allocated elementary to intermediate classes. They enjoy the international and serious studying atmosphere at Global Village Noosa.  Teachers and other students enjoy having Hatsushiba HS students in their classes.

They are now preparing for their Farewell session on Thursday.  Students have been given recipes in english and are making cake and balls for the party.  If you are Hatsushiba Students’ friend, teacher or Homestay family, please join Hatsushiba Hashimoto HS Farewell Party.

Thu 24 Sep  2:10 Farewell Speech and Class Certificate Presentations

2:30 Class Presentations

3:00 Class Parties in the Kitchen Area

Hatsushiba students joined other students on Friday for a couple of games at Noosa Ten Pin

We didn’t set any records but all students had a great time at Noosa Ten Pin on Friday.  Most people scored better on their second game, especially Emi who just needed a little bit of help to find her game, and scored very well after a quick lesson.

Hatsushiba Hashimoto High School students joined the GV School activity on Friday.

We had a BBQ at Sunshine Beach Park and went for beach activities (volleyball and swimming) in the afternoon.

There were dozens of students surrounding Don the chef to get some sausages and burgers, and everyone enjoyed the taste of a true Aussie BBQ. Thank you Don!

Scott from Bushlab joined us and gave students a free Didgeridoo Lesson.  Hatsushiba Hashimoto students were more interested in enjoying the waves on the beach than taking the lesson.

The school was busy on Friday evening, as we welcomed 28 students from Hatsushiba Hashimoto High school.

We endured a nervous wait together while we prepared for meeting homestay families, but everyone was all smiles when they finally met.  Hatsushiba Hashimoto students are joining international classes to meet new friends from around the world.  In the afternoons, they are in a closed group to really focus on their speaking and listening skills.

On Monday afternoon, we’re all heading down to meet students from a local Australian High school.

Welcome to Noosa, guys!  I’m sure the visit will go well.

Todays activity was just what the doctor ordered after a late night on Thursday and a hot afternoon.

The hardest part about a visit to Noosa Aquatic Centre is getting everyone out of the pool when it’s time to leave.  Everyone enjoyed ball games and the challenging rocket run, with only 2 students making it all the way to the end of the rocket.  Tomas and Sabastian have been crowned as the rocket run Kings!

9 out of 11 remaining TAP students did surfing today, but for Junichi and Tomoyo, the exclusive treatment that comes with being the only two to go boating on the Noosa River was not hard to take

Tomoyo was brave enough to take the wheel for a moment but Junichi did not think that was such a good idea and chose to sit back and just enjoy the ride.  Pelicans are plentiful on the river and this one thought we had some fish for him.  Needless to say he did not hang around long when he discovered we were just sight seeing.

The Noosa River was a great place to be on Friday as we eased our way around the canal front homes

The cruise turned out to be a little too relaxing for Eriko who was caught out having a little nap.  We woke her up for the next photo but I don’t think we gave her quite enough time to open her eyes.  Sorry about that Eriko! Rikuto was also making new friends and seemed to enjoy being on the water.

Global Village Noosa offers a unique experience for its students……The opportunity to participate in an  English and Surfing program!

Students participate in morning English classes at the college, followed by group surfing lessons 4 days per week. Currently we have 15 students enrolled in the program from  Austria, France,  Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia.

We might just find ourselves a professional surfer from this talented group!  We’ll keep a watch on their progress through this blog.

We have received an email from Kenichi who just returned to Japan after a 2 weeks TAP experience.

I am back in Japan. It is very hot in Japan. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me. I’m very grateful to you. I really had a great experience And made many new friends. It will be the best memory of my life. I’d like to go to the Global Village Noosa again in winter, so I am going to study English very hard.

We are so glad to hear of Kenichi’s positive experience with us at Global Village Noosa. We hope all our TAP’s remain in contact with the new friends they have made in Noosa, Australia! We are very happy to hear that Kenichi will be back here in winter (Our summer time)!

TAP students got up close and personal with some of Australia’s amazing reptiles yesturday.

Australian Reptiles – …Did you know that Australia has over 1000 species of reptiles and amphibians?  Our lucky TAP students were able to get up close and personal with some of Australia’s most popular reptiles, the fresh water Crocodile and Python Snake. It was a a very memorable afternoon for those brave enough!!!!

Some of us aren’t on the beach each afternoon!

Did you know that some of your classmates are playing tennis every afternoon? Some are very advanced and some are just staring to learn.

Emily says while she was attending the camp, she improved her tennis skills!

Constance is gaining new skills to win tournaments when she goes back to France!

Patricia has just started, she is now able to hit balls back with a lethal forehand!

We’ll have more students joining English in Action: Tennis next week!

The sun was shining and the ocean crystal clear, perfect weather for the Noosa Life Saving introduction for our TAP’s.

TAP’s enjoyed a fun and educational afternoon learning about Australia’s famous beaches and surf safety.

Students were treated to a guided tour of Noosa’s surf life saving tower and the special types of safety equipment they use on a daily basis.  After this, TAP’s were given their own body boards and competed in numerous surf and fitness competitions.

It was very good preparation for today’s surfing lessons!!!!

Yesturday we welcomed 6 new TAP students.There are now 45 TAP students from Austria, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Belgium & Japan which are now studying at GV Noosa.

The 6 new students joined rest of the group from the afternoon activity – Mt. Coolum Hiking.

Dome-shaped Mount Coolum rises 208m above the sugar cane fields and coastal resorts to dominate the skyline in the Sunshine Coast lowlands. Mount Coolum National Park contains most of the mountain with its craggy cliffs. After rain, waterfalls cascade over the sides.

Open eucalypt forest skirts Mount Coolum’s lower slopes while grasslands and montane heath grow towards the summit. This is one of only two coastal places where montane heath grows. The park extends south and west of Mount Coolum protecting coastal wallum, paperbark wetlands and rainforest remnants which have largely disappeared from this part of the Sunshine Coast lowlands.

The park contains threatened plant species such as the endangered Allocasuarina thalassoscopica and the rare Bertya sharpeana. About 40 percent of known fern families grow in the park. Peregrine falcons nest along the cliff faces.

The journey began with a nice leisurely walk around the base of the rock. It was not long before the real “mountain climbing” began. The path gave way to a steep rock climb to the very top of the rock!! Waiting for all, was the most spectacular view from anywhere on the Sunshine Coast!!!!

It was challenging activity and we all enjoyed a very deep sleep!!!!

Stand-up Paddle Boarding is a craze that is sweeping the Sunshine Coast.  Our students found out why…

Everyone was a little worried that they were going to fall in at first, but guys….don’t think we didn’t notice that the girls were more determined to get on the boards first!!!

Once everyone learned what to do, they had a go at doubling up.  Unbelievably, no one fell over…. Except for Benjaim, that is, who went in right at the very very end.  He got a well-deserved cheer from everyone.

Stunning weather coming up for the activities next week!

A bright, sunny day saw the TAP group down at Mainbeach for a competitive game of Beach Volleyball.

Everyone was screaming…. ‘Out!….. its OUT!!! No, no, it’s IN!!!!’

We put the students into 3 groups to do a tournament. It heated up as all the games were very close.  There were some moments we thought we were seeing a professional match!

Here are the scores from Tuesday’s games:

1^st Round

A VS B: 15-12

A VS C: 13-17

B VS C: 17-21

2^nd Round

A VS B: 17-21

A VS C: 13-17

B VS C: 21-20

Final Scores

A: 61

B: 67

C: 75

So, our winners were Team C:  Hassan, Hideo, Kevin, Jack, Isaure, Elise, Camile, and Mirano.  There was a prize of Lindor chocolates, M&Ms and Skittles!

We cannot wait for the next match in August!

You can’t come to Noosa and not learn to surf!

Constance says; “It is not difficult but not quite easy!”

Elsa says;   “ It is difficult to balance once you stand up”

But both; say “ It is great fun!!!!”

Although it was the first time for most of our students,  they picked up the skills very quickly and were standing up the board after half an hour!   Some of the students were in the water for more than one hour straight. They were  trying to improve their surfing skills as quickly as possible.

It was great to see all the students having fun and they were all shining under the stunning sun!

ECC go roller skating!

A little wet – no problem, its time to go roller skating at Caloundra’s Rollerdrome. ECC students had a great time skating to disco music and playing tag with teacher Marty. The students had a break for snacks and drinks and played some arcade games before getting back out on the skates!

ECC Students participlate in Aboriginal Presentation!

Lyndon Davis from the Gubbi Gubbi People presented Aboriginal Art and Culture to the ECC group. Lyndon played the didgeridoo, and told some stories before the students went outside to throw some boomerangs. Students had a lot of fun and finished the day learning how to make Aboriginal Art.

ECC Students explore Maroochydore River!

A beautiful sunny day to be out on the river. Students paired up to canoe the river, after paddling to a rest point the students jumped in the water to cool off. Then the paddle back to Swan Boat Hire where the students finished the day with soft drinks and hot chips…Yummy!

ECC students play at Kings Beach

The ECC students played dodge ball and soccer at Kings Beach, Caloundra before making a splash at the beach swimming pool.  It was a little windly but that couldn’t stop the students from having so much fun!

ECC students have arrived!

The ECC group from Osaka, Japan is at GV Caloundra for 1 week. There are 14 students aged 8 to 12 years, all full of energy and excited to be here. They will be having English lessons in the morning and activities in the afternoon around the Caloundra area. Marty Porter is their teacher this week and all the students have taken to Marty as their new Aussie friend. A big thank you to all the host families looking after the students for the week, home stay is a big part of their experience here and all the students are very happy in their home stay!

TAP students go on a nature walk!

The TAP group welcomed a new student this week; Nana Konno (Middle of photo). The students went on a walk through the Noosa National Park, a great place to spot some wild life like koalas and lizards. The park also has amazing coastal scenery and the students had fun playing on the beach,  on the right day you can watch dolphins playing in the waves. After the walk the students enjoyed some souvenir shopping on Hasting Street.

Kanagawa students say goodbye

The students were presented with their graduation certificates at their farewell party.  Teachers, Annette and Deborah presented the certificates with accompanying comments on the student’s participation in class. All students had a fantastic time here in Noosa and there was a lot of smiles, laughter and tears as it came time to say thank you and goodbye.

TAP students take a tennis lesson.

A hot sunny day at the Noosa Tennis Club, Sunshine Beach. The students were put through some drills before working on their tennis swings. There were some powerful shots and with the help of tennis coaches Dave and Phil the students were able to work on their technique. The students ended the session with a pairs match and then chilled out after in the shade with some refreshments and snacks.

Kawagawa Students experience the Noosa Everglades

The Everglade Tour left from Noosaville and firstly went towards the mouth of the Noosa River where we saw some pelicans on the sandbanks. The two boats then headed upriver, past Tewantin and across Lakes Cooroibah (Aboriginal place name meaning – shallow water) and Cootharaba (place to collect wood to make tools). There was a bit of a race between boats, with Danny’s boat proving the faster and getting most of Debbie’s class who were on the boat very wet!!! It was great fun though.

The Everglades were beautiful and we saw people canoeing, many types of Kites, Cormorants, Kingfisher and a really big white Sea Eagle, plus other bird life. Because of the tannins in the water, the Everglades actually become like a mirror which reflect the trees, grasses, reeds and waterlillies along the banks. It was very still, quiet and beautiful!

We were able to get off the boat to have afternoon tea and see the old logging hut where the wood cutters lived. There are usually many goannas at this site, but unfortunately they were chased away by a dog just before we arrived and we didn’t see any. We did feed the fish our leftover afternoon tea – they were HUGE!! 

The students enjoyed a game of Beach Volleyball back at Noosaville while they were waiting to be picked up by their host families.

As you can see by the photos, we all had a wonderful afternoon!

TAP Students go surfing!

Fantastic fun in the sun as the TAP Students took their first surf  lesson with Learn To Surf -surf school. There was a lot of laughter as they tried to master the waves at Noosa Main Beach. All the students were able to catch a wave and are very excited about their next surf lesson next week!

Here for a fun week of learning and activities!

Students from Kanagawa High School arrived this week to study English at Global Village Noosa. The students are having English lessons in the morning and a varietyof activities in the afternoon. The first activity was an Aboriginal Culture experience preformed by Lyndon Davis of the Gubbi Gubbi people. The students had learnt a little about Aboriginal art in  their morning class.

TAP students take to the river!

Students joined the Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club sailing program for an afternoon on the Noosa River. The wind was prefect for first time sailors and the students quickly learnt how to sail their boats with the help of their skippers. The learn to sail program is good for students of all ages, all the students had a great time!

TAP – Here for 2 weeks!

This week saw the arrival of the students enrolled in the two week Teenage Activity Program. The students will be attending class in the morning at Global Village Noosa and participating in activities in the afternoon.  This is a wonderful culture and educational experience for the students which will give them confidence and practice with the use of English as well as having a great time here on the Sunshine Coast!

Hiyoshigaoka say goodbye

It was a fantastic performance put on by the Hiyoshigaoka students to say thank you for the great time they had here in Noosa, class time with their teachers in Coco Bay Resort and the time spent with their host families. There were 4 acts, each performed with enthusiasm and joy followed by a certificate presentation. Lot’s of tears in the morning from both students and host families as it was finally time to say good bye. The students will take many happy memories back to Japan with them.

History and culture through art

The Hiyoshigaoka students where divided into 2 groups over two afternoons this week. One group went to Noosa Civic to practice their conversation English and some souvenirs shopping and the other group had a Aboriginal presentation by Lyndon Davis of the Gubbi Gubbi people. On the second afternoon the groups changed over activities.

At Noosa Civic, the students were a bit anxious about asking shoppers questions but they coped well with it, and all came back smiling. Two girls even met some Japanese tourists who are a host family in Japan for Australian students! They also enjoyed looking around the centre, familiarising themselves with the range of stores and their products and bought some souvenirs to take home, all the while practising their useful shopping vocabulary!

At the Aboriginal presentations, the students learnt about the culture and history of the first Australians through art work and stories. The students were able to ask lots of questions to Lyndon about what they had learnt in their class lessons.  

A beautiful day at Sea World.

Amazing dolphines, sharks, polar bears and pengins are all part of the Sea World experience as well as waterslides, roller coaters and entertainment shows. The Hiyoshigaoka students had a fantastic day and bought many souvenirs and took lots of photos!

Mini Olympics

Lee & Lauralee from Corporate FAME introduced the Hiyoshigaoka students to some very interesting and wacky activities with Mini Olympics. The students made some very strange sounds and crazy actions as they competed in teams to win the chocolates for first prize!

Hiyoshigaoka students visit Underwater World

Underwater World is 45 minutes from Noosa on the Sunshine Coast. Students were able to take their time to explore the aquarium and learn some fascinating things about the animals that live above and below the sea. The big sharks were a big hit with the students and the seal show was also very entertaining.

A welcome BBQ for Hiyoshigaoka and Host Families

After a morning at Eumundi Markets Hiyoshigaoka students joined their Host Families for a afternoon BBQ at the Lion’s Park in Noosaville. It was a bright sunny day with delicious Aussie food and games being played by students and host family children.

Hiyoshigaoka students visit Sunshine Coast University

The students braved a few showers as they explored the Sunshine Coast University’s Campus. The students were taken on a guided tour which include some classrooms, lecture rooms, student cafe and library. The most surprising aspect of the tour were the many kangaroos which where happy hanging around the campus.

Hiyoshigaoka students encounter a new class mate

The students had a surprise in the morning when a little blue tongued lizard wanted to join their class. A few of the brave students were able to hold the lizard which felt very smooth. Class time in the Coco Bay Resort is always interesting and the students are enjoying their English teachers; Marty, Anne, Kerry and Debbie. The afternoon trip was out to Mary Cairnscross Park where the students took in the beautiful views of the Glasshouse Mountains.

Hiyoshigaoka students having fun on Noosa River

The Hiyoshigaoka students were divided into two groups. Group 1 went pontoon boating, exploring the canals of Noosa River. They parked the boats at the Lion’s Park where many of the students went swimming! Group 2 paddled towards the river mouth and stopped off at a few sand islands where students were able to run and play on. It was a great sunny day on the river!

Hiyoshigaoka are back for 2009!

The students arrived all excited and happy for their adventure in Australia. The tour started off on the first day with a trip to Australia Zoo. The students had photos take with Australia’s favourite cuddliest creature the Koala! The day finished at Global Village Noosa where the students meet their host families. The families made all the students feel welcome and the host family’s children were very keen to meet the students. The Hiyoshigaoka group will be studying at Coco Bay Resort in Noosa for the next few weeks!

Chiyoda students say goodbye

The Chiyoda students preformed three songs for their host families before they received their graduation certificates.  Many of the students had to hold back their tears as it came time to say thank you and good bye to their teachers Debourah and Marty. The students had a wonderful time here on the Sunshine Coast and take back great memories. Mr Sakata and Ms Miki had also done a great job looking after the students on their tour!

Chiyoda students enjoy street quiz.

It was time for the students to take their English to the street. Students had to solve a series of challenges that involved asking shop keepers and other people questions and reading different street and advertisements signs on Noosa’s famous shopping street – Hastings street.

Chiyoda and Peregian Beach College Students play and learn together.

First class in the morning was music lesson. Students made some interesting sounds as they played the musical instruments. After lunch Chiyoda students divided into 3 groups. Group 1 played some great aussie sports; footy, cricket and field hockey! Group 2 joined the littlies in Prep class, they had fun playing different games. Group 3 had the chance to show off some Japanese art, the PBC students were very impressed!

Chiyoda Students meet Lyndon from the Gubbi Gubbi people

Students had the chance to learn some interesting stories of Aboriginal culture through paintings and songs presented by Lyndon Davis a representative of the Gubbi Gubbi people. They were able to paint their own boomerangs and then try them out on the field at Peregian Beach College. A very interesting and exciting experience!

Chiyoda Students enjoyed the peaceful side of Noosa

It was a little cloudy but a cool day as the students explored Noosa National Park in the hope to spot a koala, cockatoos, lizards and other wildlife creatures. The boys had a snake slither across the track in front of them, which they didn’t like very much!! The park also has amazing coastal scenery and the students had fun playing on the beach,  on the right day you can watch dolphins playing in the waves.

Photos taken by Futoshi Sakata.

A beautiful day for a river Cruise!

Chiyoda students had a relaxing afternoon as they took in the sights of the beautiful homes on the Noosa River onboard the awesome Rainbow boat!  What a day, wish every school day was this good!  The students took many photos and where very impressed with the Noosa life style.

Scott from Bushlab Australia welcomed the students to the world of Aboriginal music.

Scott is an adopted son of a local tribe where he learnt the art of playing the didgeridoo, he now shares his knowledge with others from around the world. Chiyoda students had fun making strange noises as they tried to blow wind through the instrument and breath at the same time. Some students were actually very good and can take this new talent back to Japan!

Kristina and Adina came to Noosa with their mother Carmen for 6 months from Switzerland.

It has been about a month since their arrival. They have settled in class and have made many friends. Kristina has been a buddie to one of Chiyoda students and even helping students from another country!

Carmen says…It’s great to be here and we really enjoy this new experience. Both children like their new school. They’re open to new teaching methods and cope well with upcoming minor problems. They’re very happy and will never forget the “Noosa lifestyle”. They especially like the beaches and the opportunity to do so many sports outdoors!

Thank you again to Peregian Beach College taking our international junior students and giving a great care!