Partner institution: Headland Montessori ELCWebsite: http://headlandmontessori.com.au/
Contributors (2015):Deanna Leman
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Headland Montessori is a long day care centre offering 76 places for children between 0-6 years old.
The setting is open between 7.30am- 6pm.
There are 3 different classrooms;
Nido - For children between 2-18months old (Which i would avoid if you want the Montessori experience as it is still all very much like a standard nursery)
Infant Community 18 months-3 years (The room i spent most of my time in) This is introducing Montessori concepts and skills to the children, showing them the acceptable behaviours and how to be independent in their learning.
The head teacher (Philippa) was brilliant at responding to my emails quickly and meeting all my needs. Although I spent all my time in the 18 months - 3 years room, I did have the opportunity to visit the others too.
The Montessori teaching becomes a little more formal in the 3-6 year old room, known as Pre-Primary, where more 'educational' activities were evident such as Geography, History and Mathematics. The typical day in this room mirrors a normal reception/year 1 classroom here in England, but presented in a Montessori approach.
The staff and children all speak English, though many are from various countries across the world. It is wonderful to see such inclusive and unity within the whole setting.
The building and facilities are extremely modern and purpose built. The building is in a beautiful area (Headland North Sanctuary) and definitely worth the walk up hill!
I used the website Airbnb to book somewhere to stay.
This is a site which allows people to rent their homes out to public whilst they are away.
This allowed me to have an entire home with access to cooking facilities rather than a hotel and having to pay out for food.
Emily was the host of my apartment and I couldn't fault her or the apartment in any way! She has good reviews and has verified her identity with driving license/passport which you will also have to do before you can book. This is the link to her apartment, with details on prices,images and availability https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/2810876
The apartment itself was a 20-minute walk to the nursery (uphill)… but only a 5 minute walk to Little Manly Beach, 10 minute walk to Shelley beach and a 10 minute walk to Manly Wharf and Manly Beach.
Things like beach towels, bath towels and all bedding were provided to again save space in our cases.
It’s in a brilliant location, allowing you to feel a resident and part of the community rather than just a tourist.
There are lots of hostels and hotels in Manly Wharf if looking for somewhere a little more affordable but these do include dorms or shared facilities.
We got a taxi from the airport in Sydney to our apartment in Manly and this is usually between $50-$90 depending on time of day.
The taxis were reasonably priced, only charging us $5 from Manly Wharf to our apartment (because we had shopped until we literally dropped).
They are always driving around, you do have to ‘hail a cab’ to get their attention as they’re not allowed to park up and ask you like they do here in Nottingham.
The buses in Manly (and even more in Sydney) are just as regular as here in Nottingham.
I would recommend getting an Opal card (similar to our Oyster Card) which is a prepaid card for Tap on/Tap off bus rides. Some of the main bus routes only allow this facility much like London.
The Opal Card can also be used on the Ferry and on the Trains, giving you a discounted price too!
We purchased ours from the transport office at the Sydney Harbour and it could be topped up online or at local newsagents.
The Ferry was $7.50 on a weekday/Saturday each way from Manly Wharf to Sydney Harbour Quay (30 minute journey)
On a Sunday, you pay $2.50 and that is travel all day on any travel service.
Where possible, I'd recommend you walk! We got to see some amazing creatures, wildlife and views that would not have been possible to find in a car or on a bus... take a pair of comfy shoes though, as there's lots of hills in Manly!
I worked in the nursery from 7am-3.30pm most days and still managed to find time to do all the 'Bucket List' activities I aimed to do.
I would recommend visiting...
Little Manly Beach/Little Penguin Cove
A small beach with lots of sail boats, less tourists and a sectioned off area for swimming/diving in the sea.
There is a cafe/bar and toilets on the beach too meaning you could spend all day there! The food is reasonably priced and generously served!
North Head Sanctuary
This is where the nursery is, but do take the time to do the walk and find out the history behind it... you see some beautiful views along the way!
Once at the lookout, you can see right across the Sydney skyline.
The Corso
This is the main shopping, bar and restaurant square in Manly. Perfect for a day of spending lots of money! There's also a Ben & Jerry's shop on the corner!
IN SYDNEY:
The Sydney Opera House Tour
The tour is around an hour long. If you chose the last tour time (5pm) , you have the advantage of having no other tours going on and you get to visit everything! The inside structure and the history behind it is just remarkable...
You do get a set of headphones at the beginning so even if you have a big group you can still hear everything.
At the end of the tour, you're also offered discount off a show that night.
We got $35 off a Shakespeare show!
The Harbour Bridge Climb
The experience is very expensive but the view make it worth doing!
Make sure you have layers on (as depending on the wind levels, you may be advised just to wear underwear/vest tops under the suits).
There are loads of steps and a few moments which may make your tummy turn, but the celebration at the top makes you forget all the wobbles.
If you go during the day its between $240-$350 , but sunset/sunrise and night are much more expensive.
Luna Park- Traditional 1930s theme park
We never made it there ourselves, but the ferries run regularly from Sydney.
Forgotten Songs
A hidden treasure in Sydney that very few tourists know about... head to Angel Place.
A magical alley with the installation of 110 empty birdcages suspended high in the air which are all lit up at night.
Bondi Beach & Let's Go Surfing
Bondi Beach is the place to go for a care free afternoon for sun and partying.
Catch a bus there from Sydney (For FREE) and even try 'catching a few waves' with the lets go surfing school. They were amazing and photos were included in the price.
Hyde Park
Hyde park is the oldest public parkland in Australia. Very much like London, it is a beautiful green area to relax after a long walk around the city.
The building in the middle (Picture above on the left) is a memorial for those who fought in the war. A guard was explaining to us how the dome part of the ceiling consists of 120,000 named stars for the men who fought in the war . Turns out this was 1/3 of New South Wales' eligible population of men at the time!
Definitely worth a trip inside, the guards inside are happy to tell you all about it.
Taronga Zoo & The Australia Wild Experience
https://taronga.org.au/taronga-zoo/tours/tarongas-wild-australia-experience
Learn all about the animals in the Zoo, follow a Zoo keeper around for the day and see, touch and feed the animals during this activity-packed two-hour journey.
You get to go in the koala enclosure and have photos, go in the animal kitchen and meet nocturnal creatures.
We paid $129 which was the Zoo price plus the tour and it did also include tea and a cake. Well worth the expense.
Chinese Garden of Friendship
For a small fee of $6 you can enter the gardens for as long as you wish. It is extremely peaceful and picturesque.Take the time to find the dressing hut! Inside you can pay an additional $5 for the opportunity to dress in traditional ornate clothing and walk around the gardens all day. This is well worth the extra fee.
Darling Harbour Fireworks
We came here for two evenings during our stay and both times we got to enjoy a free 15minute firework display.
There is always live entertainment as you walk down which you can sit on the steps and enjoy. We ended up spending our evening wandering down the strip full of musicians,dancers and magicians. Well worth a visit.
Royal Botanic Gardens
The brochures we picked up explained how it is the oldest botanic garden and scientific institution in Australia. There are plants from all across the world growing inside the gardens but mainly Australian/Native plants. The Botanic Garden is set on Sydney Harbour, next to the Opera House.
You can join in with the Free guided tour or arrange an Australian Heritage Tour too - head to the Info booth outside the garden shop near Palm Grove Centre(Inside the gardens).
Blue Mountains & Katoomba Falls
There are so many tour companies offering to take you to the Blue Mountains and Echo Point.
We used PJ Tours who seemed more pricey but worth the extra. There is a maximum of 8 people on the tour.
As we wanted to see the waterfall, our tour guide was happy to take us there whilst the rest of the group wandered around exploring alone.
He took us to the very top and showed us lots of different viewpoints we would never have found alone!
We even got the opportunity to go over the barrier and step into the waterfall (Picture in middle above shows us only a few feet away from the drop down the mountain).
A breathtaking experience.
http://www.pjtours.com.au/tours/blue-mountains-specials/
And so much more!
There's some vlogs that me and my cousin filmed throughout our stay that show some more ideas of what to do in Aus, feel free to take a look ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKyHkYKafHM
Wear plenty of sun cream regardless of whether the sun is out or not!
Avoid being out in the direct heat between 1-3pm (recommended by the locals to us) as this is the most common time of getting too dehydrated or burnt.
The best advice I could give you - By staying in Manly, you're already avoiding the 'touristy' area... Enjoy being a local and visit things that aren't just on the tourist maps and websites. We found many places by walking (and getting lost) which were much more unforgettable than those everyone visits!
Contact Emily (for the apartment i mentioned earlier) via email - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/users/show/14219258
Contact the headteacher of the setting via - admin@headlandmontessori.com.au
Cheap/ Student Priced Flights: STA Travel - http://www.statravel.co.uk/
Check that your electronic visa has been approved. (ETA) Or get one sorted! STA travel centre are great at doing this; we did it at the same time as our tickets.
You MUST get a Working with children check when in New South Wales. Check this documentation on the website link; https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/child_protection/work_child/Working-with-Children-Check-Appendix-4-Information-for-applicants.pdf as it may be that you fall into a loop hole where you do not need to buy it.
Do get a Travel Card, this is a preloaded cash card, it is a MasterCard and visa. All the restaurants and shops accepted it with no problems. I got the Thomson one and it came with a free app to download on your phone. I could top up out and about without the need of getting my English Debit card out. https://www.money4travel.com/tuiuk/travel-money-card