September and early October of our missionary service passed
very quickly. During this period we had a long-awaited opportunity to visit
Australia and to once again participate in wonderful General Conference.
Late in the evening of September 13, 2016, Susan and I
boarded a plane for Brisbane, Australia, arriving there at our hotel just after
midnight. Even in the dark, we were thrilled to see the majestic outline of a
beautiful city on the banks of the Brisbane, River. This river is the longest
river in the south east region of Queensland, Australia, and flows through the
city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first
European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South
Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823.
Our hotel was on a narrow point which juts into a bend in
the river called Kangaroo Point. We later learned that our supervisor, Richard
Hunter, had family living at almost the very address of our hotel in the early
part of the 1900s. He just learned that news, the day we arrived, from his
sister, who lives in Brisbane. The news was clearly emotional for Rich as he spoke
to us about his feelings—to know that he was walking on ground where once his
family lived.
Our reason for being in Brisbane was to participate with the
Public Affairs Missionaries in New Zealand and Australia for a three-day
seminar. Besides our boss, Rich, the other elders and sisters included Jeff and
Linda Champlin serving in New Zealand, Leo and Marilyn Brown serving in
Melbourne, Australia, and Elder Galan and Nancy Merrill newly called to serve
in Sydney, Australia. Elder Robert Dudfield who works as an Assistant Director
of Public Affairs in Melbourne and is an Area Seventy was also with us.
Our conference was rewarding and enjoyable. We learned much
and left committed to continue our public affairs work throughout the Pacific.
We also enjoyed doing an endowment session in the Brisbane
Temple. And on Susan’s birthday, September 17, I took a picture of a beautiful
birthday girl standing on the balcony of our hotel, with downtown Brisbane,
Australia in the background.
After the conference, Susan and I stayed in Australia for a
couple of days to tour the countryside. We headed north a few hours to the
Sunshine Coast area where we visited many charming smaller communities both
inland and along the coast. We attended church on Sunday in Gympie. The saints
there greeted us warmly, and we very much enjoyed feeling their spirits and
knowing of their dedication to the restored gospel.
During our time in Queensland, we spent an afternoon at the
Australia Zoo which is a 100-acre zoo located near Beerwah and the Glass House
Mountains. We drove to a viewing site which looked out over the landscape where
one could see the Glasshouse Mountains.
The Glass House Mountains are a group of eleven hills that
rise abruptly from the coastal plain on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland,
Australia. From the Internet, they are described as, “The highest hill is Mount
Beerwah at 556 meters above sea level, but the most identifiable of all the
hills is Mount Tibrogargan which from some directions appears to be a face
staring out to sea. Mt Ngungun is a sub volcanic mountain.”
The Australia Zoo was an amazing experience. Susan and I
really enjoyed spending the better part of a day there. About the zoo from the
Internet, “The zoo was opened by Bob and Lyn Irwin on 3 June 1970 under the
name Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park. Their son, Steve Irwin [of television fame
who tragically passed away], had helped his parents since childhood to care for
crocodiles and reptiles and to maintain the growing number of animals in the
zoo. In 1982, the area of the park was doubled and renamed the Queensland
Reptile and Fauna Park. Steve and his wife Terri changed the name of their now
growing wildlife park to Australia Zoo. As filming generated extra funds, Steve
and Terri put all money raised from filming and merchandise into conservation
and building new exhibits.”
“Australia Zoo won the Australian Tourism Awards for
2003–2004 in the category Major Tourist Attraction. In 2004, the Australian
Animal Hospital was opened next to the zoo to help with animal care and
rehabilitation. Visitors see a wide variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles,
and can view crocodile feedings, hand-feed elephants, and have hands-on animal
encounters.”
Our Australia adventure was a highlight for us. We very much
enjoyed the small piece of the country we saw (Australia is approximately the
same size as the U.S.) and the people we met.
During the month we continued to gather, prepare and write
stories for Mormon Newsroom Pacific. Some of the stories included:
One about a Tonga Vision Impaired Centre which was painted
by missionaries, both young and senior:
A story about life-sustaining water on the small islands of
Tuvalu where the Church donated huge water tanks to gather rainwater, the only
source of fresh water for the islands, for the children and pre-schools on the
islands:
Another story reported the work being done by missionaries
in Samoa to combat the effects of dental disease so the children won’t be
subject to the high levels of tooth loss that is common there.
One more example was a story called “Come to General
Conference with Us,” where we featured video clips and memes inviting people
throughout the Pacific Area of the Church to participate in and personally
benefit from the messages of living apostles and prophets:
And a final story to follow up on the effects of Cyclone
Winston that devastated areas of Fiji last February:
We arose at 5:00 a.m. on the first day of General Conference
to watch the session live. The time difference in New Zealand is five hours
behind and one day ahead of Salt Lake City, so this made the first session
early on our Sunday morning.
One week earlier, we watched the women’s session of
Conference together, which we enjoyed very much. With the
exception of the Sunday afternoon session, we watched all of the sessions live
and enjoyed every speaker. Indeed, we are blessed to have the restored gospel
of Jesus Christ and inspired leaders who help us live our lives through the
sharing of wise counsel, prompted by our Heavenly Father, the Savior and the
Holy Ghost.
From time to time, we continue to enjoy taking brief jaunts,
when we have opportunities, to travel around the North Island of New Zealand,
witnessing first-hand the beauties of this marvelous country, and to enjoy
meeting with, talking to, and learning about its wonderful people. As I’ve said
since the beginning of our time here, “everywhere one turns, there is a
photo-op.”
Each day, we arise, pray and read from The Book of Mormon; I
have grown to love this routine. More importantly, I am constantly inspired by
the tutoring of the Spirit and the consideration of the direction given through
this modern day, scriptural miracle. It is absolutely wonderful!
We hope each of you is well, and happy. We miss our family
and friends and the haunts of home, but for now, this is our home, and we are
most grateful to be here, serving the Lord.
May the Lord continue to bless and watch over each of you!
Until next time,
Elder Barry and Sister Susan Preator
