In conjunction with the WIPCE (World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education) in Melbourne, I spent some time visiting also a few other places in Australia. These extra travels involved not only natural/cultural/historical sightseeing but also training at a couple of fencing schools.

Click on each picture to view their larger versions.

The first five pictures show only some cultural/social programming at the WIPCE conference (as opposed to the rest of the more ordinary conference happenings).

The sixth photo is of an interesting Melbourne museum presentation where an old-time anthropologist and an Aboriginal elder discuss issues concerning the meaning of a variety of artifacts that the museum has in its holdings, including issues connected to how these objects were acquired and how they should be treated.  

The following two set of pictures are the fencing ones.

I visited with Julian Clark, the founder of the FINESSE ACADEMIE OF FENCE, first at his Canberra house, where he has a salle in the backyard. A week later, a workshop was organized on the occasion of my visit. Since I got to choose the topic of the workshop, it was named "How to Initiate Attacks Safely and Complete Them Successfully." A good number of Julian's excellent students were in attendance...

Additionally, I visited the STOCCATA SCHOOL OF DEFENCE led by Paul Wagner and located within the Sydney area. One of the good things about Australia is that Stoccata can practice outside almost the whole year. The last two pictures are from my lessons and a traditional Australian dinner (including kangaroo meat :-) at Paul's house. These feature also Paul's wife and the Stoccata rapier instructor Richard Cullinan. (With Paul, I took lessons in quarterstaff.)

The sightseeing pictures are coming...