AustraliaQuest is an interactive expedition developed by Classroom Connect. For five weeks a team of scientists and explorers will examine the ancient culture of the Aborigines and attempt to determine how it affects their modern existence.

The truth about the team

Jerome fixes his bike on the first day of AustraliaQuest

I knew I was in for monumental adventure the first day of the Quest. We were driving to our destination in two vehicles, carrying four bikes each on a back rack. Suddenly, Jerome's bike came flying off the truck ahead of us and started doing cartwheels down the pavement. Oblivious that their cargo had gone missing, the front truck spiraled up the road.

"Uh oh. Looks like the Quest has officially begun," moaned Deborah.

"You'd think we'd never done this before," added Jerome.

VIDEO View the team's daily movie feature on the AustraliaQuest site Play video     More on AustraliaQuest from Classroom Connect: Cool Science Week in Review Mystery Sound Quest Map        MORE REPORTS COMING SOON Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 Day 21 Day 22 Day 23 Day 24 Day 25

"I hope things go really badly, really fast," Deborah replied. "Then everything will look like peaches and roses after this."

"Better yet," quipped Jerome, "let's just change our motto to: We never learn. That's why the kids have to."

Just then, David walked up to the car, hopped inside and slammed the door on his finger. "YEOWWWWWWCH!" he cried. "Man, this day really stinks."

I started laughing hysterically and couldn't stop. My teammates weren't amused.

On camera and in our stories, it may appear that the Quests are a nonstop ramble full of fun and adventure. This is true 90 percent of the time. It's the other 10 percent-when we resemble a scene straight out of "National Lampoon's Vacation" -- that gets a little scary.

For me, the hardest part of the Quests has been the long hours. With so much ground to cover and so much knowledge to absorb from our Aboriginal teammates, the scope of our project overwhelms me at times. Plus, it's pretty hard to feel focused and happy at midnight, after you've just rolled into a campground with no shower, and your story is due in 20 minutes. I stay sane by grabbing the nearest bike and cruising down the open road. By the time I return to my teammates, I can usually manage a smile.

The team talks about the knowledge they gained from learning a little about the songlines

The worst moment on the trip for me was comforting a teammate after her other team members criticized her during a group discussion. She was crying in the bathroom, bravely trying to put on a happy face for others at dinner. Bleary-eyed and sad, she wanted nothing more than to quit and go home to friends who appreciated her personality. Instead, she smiled, made a silly joke, then bolted from the bathroom to try to make peace with the team. She moved forward in trying to solve the problem rather than wallow in her pity -- an attitude that was essential for teamwork.

Despite the challenges, AustraliaQuest has been a life-changing adventure for me. As a writer, I've banged out dozens of stories-- some straight from the heart, others pulled carelessly from my brain like leftovers from the refrigerator. But this is the first time that I've served as the eyes and ears for so many curious kids. And I must say, it's a real thrill.

Every day I scour the Outback searching for horrible "Gross & Disgusting" fodder, which is a fantastic job. But every night I go to bed feeling the exact opposite of grossed out -- more like blissed out, like I've been handed out a gigantic Christmas present filled with knowledge, friendship, and adventure.

The most important part of my job on the Quest has been to interview our Aboriginal teammates and beam their thoughts back home to you. I just hope their insights haven't been lost somewhere in cyberspace. They have said dozens of wise things over the days, but the most essential lesson I've learned from Terry, Reg, John, and the others, is that everything is a big connected circle: We have to respect the land, our family, and our heritage. If one of these elements is neglected, we're all doomed.

I'm also finally getting the songlines. Sitting around the campfire one night, Terry Coulthard, our Adnyamathanha teammate, wisely summed up the power of these singing tales -- both the ancient Aboriginal ones and our newly minted Quest team versions.

"We don't dictate what people should learn from these stories," he told me. "But if you listen, you're sure to take away a tiny grain of knowledge that you didn't have before. Pretty soon, that knowledge will add up to something."

Sharing our story,
Stephanie Gregory

AustraliaQuest
Classroom Connect