It’s day two of our life changing adventure and my oh my have we been doing some big lifting!

Most eyes were open by 6:30am, an early but eager start for our team. Big lifting tunes blared through the house and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one impressed by Michael and Jelena’s performance of Superbass!

Showered, fed and packed up ready to go, we assembled in the yard for some energising morning games – Aru-cha-cha put a smile on everyone’s face =), while Little Sally has become a group favourite (a game that involves showing just how groovy your moves are!).

After meeting Mayor Sam Murray of Cherbourg, we split up into 3 groups – 2 groups for tree planting and 1 group for rubbish removal. Members of the community drove us to the tree planting sites while giving us some local knowledge along the way.

We planted trees with members of the community and were honoured to meet some of Cherbourg’s local elders! The Murri Rangers helped us to dig holes while the students of Cherbourg school joined in to give us a hand. It wasn’t too long before a dance circle was formed between the students and some our of Big Lifters. Despite Michael’s impressive efforts, the students weren’t as keen to show us their moves as we were to show them ours.

One of our Big Lifters found some heritage in Cherbourg! Her grandfather was a stockman in Cherbourg and her father John grew up in the town. Imagine the surprise on Emma’s face when one of the community members Percy, knew exactly who she was talking about when she mentioned her father’s name.

Back to the council office for a BBQ lunch and an inspirational speech by the Mayor. It think it’s safe to say that we all left full and satisfied!

A final clean up of the house and an extra clean of the bathroom (thanks to our dirty feet!) and we were back on the bus, ready to say goodbye to the inspirational community of Cherbourg.

Currently on our way to Eidsvold for a 2 night stay. Bonds have been formed throughout the team which will only grow stronger as we continue our journey.

I am so proud of our QUT Big Lifters!

Signing Off

Mikaela
(AKA Magical Miki) =)

Day 1 is under way and the excitement of the crew has infectiously spread to our 'Little Lifters'. With the bus finally packed and a sentimental send off from QUT's Lee Crockfordand Kim Ah Sam, the trip finally began. Team Mascot Lola (a small dog) was also there to see us off.

After a quiet start from our lifters, a lovely BBQ at Kilcoy Yowie Park woke them up and got them moving. The chatter of the bus indicated initial signs of friendship and excitement for future days. Are we in for a treat!

Once we arrived at Cherbourg, we were warmly welcomed by Rocko, Sandra and Robyn and the rest of the Ration Shed Museum Crew. It was a fitting orientation into the Cherbourg community and our tour through the Old Boys Dormitory brought the community’s hardships into reality. Rocko shared personal accounts from his family’s journeys and it was a privilege to have been party to this. The provision of tea, coffee and cake made for a lovely opportunity to have a yarn, and entertainment was provided by a small and overfriendly dog (Day 1 and already small dogs were taking a liking to us!)

At approximately 6pm, we moved onto our accommodation for the evening – the old principal’s house located on the school grounds. Within minutes of arriving, the children of Cherbourg had spotted us and paid us a visit. Overwhelmed by their attention, we quickly devised games to interact with them and were playing soccer, cricket and Uno before too long. It was wonderful! Upon nightfall, we bid the children farewell and got stuck into cooking the feast for the evening – Lemon Chicken and Rice. Michael and his team of Master Chef’s cooked up a storm! A quick clean up and then it was downstairs for the first night of Big Lift Activities. We began with an hour long name memory game – beginning with Magical Miki and ending with Graceful Grace, with a whole lot of terrific Teleah’s and torturous Terry’s in between. We upped the energy levels with a quick game of High Five Unique Trait and embraced our girly screams. The night ended with the Accountability-Buddy assignment game and an intrapersonal moment, to make a connection with ourselves by identifying our own values, beliefs, areas for improvements and aspirations. The evening ended with making Shower Lists and finding spaces to sleep.

Bring on Day 2!

Over and Out
Kass