The Journal of Paul O'Leary: From the City to the Outback by Michael Mardel
* * *
Well, that’s the end of my journal of leaving Melbourne, going to Broome, and back again.
My time in Broome was like an extended holiday and I’m glad I went.
Now I’m happy to be home amongst my friends and relations. Johnny is still my best friend and we still play DONKEY but we have our computers to communicate so we are closer than ever. And I bought him a dinosaur – for the dinosaur toe prints at Gantheaume Point.
I told him of my dinosaur dream, riding one like on Avatar. We flew up and down the coast over all the places I had visited. It was great, skimming over the water and not being seen by anyone. The people were like ants. How we landed at Gantheaume Point where the rocks were still warm and soft and where my dragon left his toe prints. It was a magical time and I hoped I had lots more dreams of my time in Broome.
THE END
Comprehension Questions
1 Preparing to leave.
1. How old is Paul?
2. Which sport does he like?
3. What is his mate’s name?
4. What is the distance between Melbourne and Broome?
5. What does his Dad like to wear?
6. What type of dog is Lassie?
7. Which tennis player visited Paul’s school?
8. What does BRAC stand for?
9. How did Paul play DONKEY?
10. What did Paul dream about at the end of this chapter?
2. Saying goodbye
1. What will Paul’s parents have to buy in Broome?
2. How do Paul’s Dad and his grandmother plan to communicate while he’s in Broome?
3. How long did Harry stay overseas?
4. Name two courses that Paul could do at the Broome campus.
5. What was the name of the boy in the story?
6. What Christmas present did Nathan give the Aboriginal children?
7. How did Paul’s mother, Ann, get around Broome?
8. What happened in Paul’s dream?
3 The daring things I do.
1. Where does Harry go to work on his website?
2. What did the boys climb?
3. What happened to Paul?
4. What happened when Paul was about four years old?
5. What does Paul want to search next?
4 Searching for gold.
1. What does Paul find out about the Scouts?
2. When does Paul turn 11?
3. Why do you think Paul and his Dad didn’t tell his Mum about his fall?
4. What do his Mum’s friends have because they travel so far from Melbourne?
5. Why does Paul want to be interviewed by researchers looking at children’s play habits?
6. What was Paul’s dream?
7. Where does Paul’s class go for their school excursion?
8. Where is Ballan?
9. What did Paul decide to do for his assignment?
10. Did anyone find some gold?
5 My last days in Melbourne.
1. Name three scout activities that would interest you.
2. How many boxes has Paul’s Dad packed so far?
3. How many suitcases are they allowed on the plane?
4. What does Paul ask for so he can read lots of books?
5. Where will the boxes go?
6. Where will the beds go?
7. Where will the car be parked?
8. How long is the flight?
9. Who will organise Lassie’s flight?
10. Which story did Paul choose for the plane flight?
6 We arrive in Broome.
1. Which movie was playing on the plane?
2. Which story did Paul next choose to read?
3. Where was their new house?
4. What was the name of the park?
5. What was Paul’s dream on his first night there?
7 Exploring my new neighborhood.
1. What kind of names were they for the streets?
2. When will Year 7 be part of secondary schools in W.A.?
3. What will Paul collect after school?
4. Where is Target in Broome?
5. Who goes with Paul to the playground?
6. What was his next dream about?
7. Where did they find Lassie?
8 Broome the Neighborhood
1. Where is the market?
2. What did they buy at Dick Smith?
3. What did they buy at Target?
4. What did they buy at the Red Dot store?
5. Which beach do they go to?
6. What was Paul’s dream after the beach trip?
7. How did they check their email before they were connected to the Internet?
8. What happened to Paul in his next dream after his long walk?
9. What are his favorite sandwich fillings?
9 Starting my new school.
1. Where did Paul’s Dad/Harry go in Africa?
2. What did he visit in Zimbabwe?
3. What happened to Harry’s photos of New York?
4. What happened in Chicago?
5. What does Paul do each time he makes an entry in his Journal?
6. What did the school office lady give Paul?
7. How many tests did Paul have to do?
8. What did Paul do at lunchtime?
9. Who played footy with Paul after his first day at school?
10 Getting Foxtel, TV and the Internet.
1. What is the name of Paul’s school?
2. What is the name of his teacher?
3. What happened to the ceiling at home?
4. What was the downside with Foxtel?
5. Who gave Harry a router?
6. Were there Freeview stations for Broome?
11 School, footy and tennis.
1. Is Paul allowed to record Foxtel shows?
2. What did Paul like watching on TV?
3. When is the BRAC tennis open day?
4. Where is the pearl farm?
5. What happens when Paul falls asleep in class?
12 Stranded and rescued.
1. Where did they all go on their first trip?
2. What’s a proper hat?
3. What kind of tree is the prison one?
4. How did the First Australians farm?
5. What do songlines lead them to?
6. What happened on the dirt road?
7. Why couldn’t Harry change the spare tire?
8. What did Paul dream that night?
9. In which month is Paul’s birthday?
10. What presents did he receive?
13 Holiday fun.
1. Which movie did Paul see in the holidays?
2. What happened to Harry in Kununurra?
3. How many students have tennis coaching every week?
4. How much was membership for Paul at the BRAC tennis?
5. How much was each tennis lesson?
6. When was Paul’s first tennis lesson?
7. What happened in the Ashes?
14 First tennis lesson
1. What two things is Paul worried about?
2. Name the four rules of tennis coaching.
3. What type of racquet did Harry have?
4. Why are the wooden fences in Broome different from elsewhere?
5. Why was Paul cold, like in his dream?
15 Scouts and Reading
1. Name three activities they do in the Scouts.
2. What happened to Marcus when he lost his partner?
3. What does Paul’s family use for a bedside table?
4. What is the name of the book Harry reviewed?
5. Who was the author?
6. Who was the illustrator? .
7. What can Ricky do?
8. Why does Ricky fall and crash?
9. What happens to Paul in his dream when a bird sees him?
16 A tennis lesson and a trip.
1. What happened to Paul on hi
2. How will stress balls help Paul?
3. Who made the practice tennis set?
4. Which pearl farm did they visit?
5. What sort of plants did the bus driver point out?
6. How does an oyster develop a pearl?
7. How did one couple return to Broome from the pearl farm?
8. What did the bus passengers see on their diversion?
9. What did Paul have for tea?
17 Melbourne and trips.
1. Who returned to Melbourne?
2. How is Paul going with his practice tennis set?
3. On which beach was the camel safari?
4. What happened on their return trip?
5. Who went on the Red Dirt Photographic Tour?
6. Why is the Beagle Bay church famous?
7. What did they look for at Cape Leveque?
8. Who took them whale watching?
9. What were the two scouting activities?
10. What did Paul choose for his parents for Christmas?
18 Christmas.
1. What did Paul’s family have for Christmas lunch?
2. What were Paul’s presents?
3. What crashed in the park?
4. How did Paul’s Mum, Ann, help with the crash?
19 Tennis Open.
1. What was the name of the first tennis competition?
2. Where is the Australian Open held?
3. What did Paul use while he watched the tennis, to strengthen his wrist?
4. What does Paul have to do with his Storyteller Walkabout assignment?
5. Why did the Chinese shoot salt pellets at the boys?
6. What can’t you beat in tennis?
7. What did Paul dream?
20 Return to Melbourne.
1. Why are Paul and his parents returning to Melbourne?
2. List three things they need to sell before they leave Broome.
3. Where is Paul’s new tennis club?
4. What was Paul’s dinosaur dream?
Comprehension Answers
1 Preparing to leave.
1. 10 years old.
2. Likes football.
3. Mate Johnny.
4. 4,000 km between Melbourne and Broome approx..
5. Dad likes to wear t-shirts and shorts.
6. Lassie is a border collie cross.
7. Bernard Tomic visited the school.
8. Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre.
9. One has to take the next letter of DONKEY if your kick lands on the road.
10. Paul dreams of being a Formula One driver at Albert Park.
2 Saying goodbye.
1. They will have to buy a TV and a queen size bed.
2. Harry will use Skype to talk with his mother.
3. Harry stayed away overseas for 22 months.
4. Business and Information Technology, trades.
5. Nathan was the boy in the story.
6. Nathan planned to give fish as a Christmas present to the Aboriginal children.
7. Ann used her bike.
8. Paul nearly drowned in his dream.
3 The daring things I do.
1. Dad goes to Sandringham.
2. The boys climbed the school gum trees.
3. Paul fell and was knocked out.
4. He fell out of a tree and onto the edge of the sandpit.
5. Paul wants to search for the Boy Scouts.
4 Searching for gold.
1.1st B roome Scout Group plus their address and email address.
2. Paul turns 11 in August.
3. They didn’t want her to worry.
4. Wanderlust.
5. He’s always outside whilst it’s light.
6. Superboy and being on the wing of a plane.
7. Goldfields at Sovereign Hill at Ballarat.
8. Ballan is half way between Melbourne and Ballarat.
9. Paul did a timeline for his assignment.
10. Nobody found gold.
5 My last days in Melbourne.
1. Billy-cart racing, teepees, surviving in the bush.
2. 50 boxes so far.
3. Allowed 6 suitcases on the plane.
4. A Kindle to read.
5. The boxes will go to his wife’s father’s farm.
6. The beds will go to Paul’s Auntie’s.
7. The car will be at Grandma’s.
8. The flight is four hours.
9. Australian Air Express will look after Lassie.
10. Paul chose to read Story of Pi.
6 We arrive in Broome.
1. The Incredibles was showing on the plane.
2. Paul’s next story was about a spaceship.
3. Their new house is in Roebuck Estate.
4. Cygnet Park.
5. Paul dreams he is in a storm-tossed creek, Johnny is throwing a life-line, saved by Lassie.
7 Exploring my new neighbourhood.
1. Street names were birds.
2. 2015, when Year 7 is part of secondary schools in W.A.
3. Paul has to collect the mail after school.
4. Target is at the Boulevard Shopping Centre.
5. Dad goes with Paul to the playground..
6. In his next dream, Paul is whipped in a monastery.
7. They found Lassie in the park.
8 Broome the neighbourhood.
1. The market is in the grounds of the Courthouse.
2. A TV, a table and a DVD player from Dick Smith.
3. Sheets, crockery and saucepans from Target.
4. Shower curtains and cutlery from the Red Dot.
5. Went to Port beach.
6. Paul dreamt he was a pirate who stole some pearls and had to walk the plank.
7. Paul’s Mum could use her mobile phone and hook it up to her laptop.
8. Paul dreamt he was in a spaceship and was running out of air.
9. Paul liked peanut butter, vegemite and Nutella on his sandwiches.
9 Starting my new school.
1. Harry went to the Aberdares and Lake Nakuru in Africa.
2. Victoria Falls.
3. Harry’s New York photos were lost.
4. A bomb blast in Chicago.
5. Paul spell checks his work.
6. Paul was given a uniform, a hat and sunscreen.
7. Paul had to do three tests: English, Maths and Science.
8. Paul read in the air-conditioned library at lunchtime.
9. Marcus played footy with Paul after school.
10 Getting Foxtel, TV and the Internet.
1. Roebuck Primary is Paul’s new school.
2. His teacher is Mr Walker.
3. One of the workers cracked the ceiling.
4. Couldn’t get the commercial stations on Foxtel. Therefore, couldn’t record their shows.
5. The Telstra man gave Harry a router.
6. Yes, there are Freeview stations for Broome.
11 School, footy and tennis.
1. No, Paul is not allowed.
2. Paul likes watching football and cricket.
3. The last day of the school holidays is the tennis Open Day.
4. The pearl farm is at Willie Creek.
5. Paul dribbles when he falls asleep in class.
12 Stranded and rescued.
1. Derby.
2. Brim all around – a proper hat.
3. The prison tree is a boab tree.
4. Fires to farm.
5. Songlines lead to water.
6. The bridge gave way.
7. Harry couldn’t undo the nuts to change the tire.
8. Paul dreamt he was in a shuttle, skimming over the Fitzroy River.
9. Paul’s birthday is in August.
10. Paul received a helicopter and a skim board for his 11th birthday.
13 Holiday fun.
1. Paul saw Monsters University in the holidays.
2. Harry got a tick on him at Kununurra.
3. 100 tennis stude
4. $33 membership.
5. $8 for each lesson.
6. Wednesday of the second week of term for his first lesson.
7. England beat Australia for the Ashes.
14 First tennis lesson.
1. Paul worries he’ll make a fool of himself plus finding the right racquet.
2. Sunscreen, hat, space around you, listen to the coach.
3. Harry had a wooden racquet.
4. Palings don’t overlap on the wooden fences in Broome.
5. Paul felt cold because the temperature had dropped.
15 Scouts and reading.
1. Swimming, billy cart racing and camping are some Scout activities.
2. Marcus was lost and had only the sun to guide him.
3. They use a dining chair for a bedside table.
4. Don’t Look Now Book 1.
5. Paul Jennings – author.
6. Andrew Weldon – illustrator.
7. Ricky could fly.
8. Ricky crashes if someone, an animal or a bird sees him flying.
9. In his dream, Paul falls into the mangroves.
16 A tennis lesson and a trip.
1. A ball hit Paul on the head.
2. The stress ball will help strengthen Paul’s wrist to hold the racquet.
3. Slazenger made the practice tennis set.
4. They visited the pearl farm at Willie Creek.
5. The bus driver pointed out the bush tucker.
6. An irritant is placed in the oyster shell to make a pearl.
7. One couple returned by helicopter.
8. They saw wild brumbies.
9. Domino’s pizza for tea.
17 Melbourne and trips.
1. Harry returned to Melbourne.
2. The tennis ball keeps wrapping around the centre pole and Paul is not looking at the ball as it connects with his paddle.
3. Camel safari is on Cable Beach.
4. Two dogs started to chase the camels.
5. Harry went on the Red Dirt Photographic Tour.
6. The church is famous for its pearl shell altar.
7. They looked for crabs at Cape Leveque.
8. ecobeach for whale watching.
9. Camping and tidying up Cable Beach were two Scout activities.
10. Paul chose a picture frame for his Mum and a fishing reel for his Dad.
18 Christmas.
1. Seafood, oysters, crayfish, crab meat, cold ham, champagne and ginger beer for lunch.
2. Paul received a tennis racquet and tennis balls with loops for the practice set.
3. A helicopter crashed in the park.
4. Ann helped by using a woolen blanket.
19 Tennis Open.
1. Harry Hopman Cup.
2. Melbourne.
3. Paul used his stress ball while he watched the tennis.
4. Paul has to interview a migrant or someone who knows one for his assignment.
5. The boys were stealing the apples from the Chinese gardener.
6. Match practice is important.
7. Paul dreamt he was the champion of the Australian Open.
20 Return to Melbourne.
1. Paul’s mother has been made redundant at work.
2. Chair, printer, queen size bed, foam bed, Lassie’s bedding, car, TV for sale.
3. Tullamarine is where Paul will play next.
4. Paul’s dinosaur dream is like Avatar where he rides his dragon around Gantheaume Point.
References:
Bin-Demin, Sally. (2007). Once in Broome. Broome: Magabala Books.
Howard, Catherine Ryan. (2012). Self Printed. eBook.
https://www.stainsbyte.com (Thea Stainsby, website designer)
Mardel, Michael Patrick. (2006). Computer walkabout. Melb.: Michael P Mardel.
(2011). Growing your own: Sustainability in the 21st century part 2.2nd edn.
(2012). Peddling wares to the goldfields.
(2012). Storyteller walkabout. 3rd edn.
(2011). Walkabout Dreaming for years 3 & 4. 2nd edn.
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