Final summaries from everyone written on the way back from Singapore :-

Rohan Monico - Captain Senior Team
Well its been a memorable tour of Australia. I am sure all of us enjoyed it immensly. I know I did. The tour began slowly but it was clear the senior team improved greatly as the tour progressed. The juniors showed how well they can play getting ever better as the tour went on. I would like to say thank you to the schools and families who hosted us. We have all made some new friends who we hope to meet again - soon. Also, I must say thank you to the four people who made the tour possible : Tim Whitwham, Liz Bryant and my parents Steve & Judi Monico. They all did a great job. It was a fantastic experience to captain the seniors and I was gratefull to be chosen to do so. Rohan.

James Owen - Captain Junior Team
Thanks to Tim, Steve, Judi & Liz for putting up with us and making the tour really good ! The juniors have done really well winning 6, drawing 2 and losing 2. Hopefully we can keep it up in England ! Thanks ! James.

Blair Abrahams
Ok, its been an awesome trip. Met loads of new people, most great. I got to try surfing for the first time which I've always wanted to do. And got to know other people on the team alot better too. Probably improved my water polo which is good. Thanks to Timmy, Steve, Judi & Liz for looking after us brilliantly and organising a cool trip which I'll remember forever. Oh and thanks to my parents for paying for this great holiday. Blair xx.

Matt Bennett
Hey all, the trip was great ! I think we all have got better in the pool after playing some great teams ! My best place was the Sunshine Coast because everyone there was great and what we did was great. It was really good seeing my cousin as well because I had not seen him for ages. I intend to come back for 6 months on my year out. The country and people are great ! Mainly I would like to thank Steve & Tim for organising such a great trip. Thank you ! Love Matt.

Sam Bryant
Well the tour has come to an end and we are on our way home. I have had a great time and have enjoyed every part of the trip. I would like to thank all of the hosts who have put up with me during the trip. A special mention goes to Tim, without him none of this would have ever been possible. Finally, I'd like to say "I can't wait to go back !" Sammy B, over and out.

Jake Burgoine
Thank you very much everyone for organising a great tour. Making life long Australian contacts was brilliant. Thanks again everyone. Jake.

Jesse Burgoine
We are on our way home now and have had a brilliant time. So we must thank Tim, Steve, Judi & Liz very much for putting up with us for nearly 3 weeks. They have done a great job. Jesse.

Adam Chambers
First off I would like to say thank you to Tim. I had a cool time, its a shame I have played my last match for the school. I have some good friends in Australia and improved my water polo. Thank you again ! Adam.

Andrew Court
I thought that this tour was the best. I believe that our team has improved loads. We should be very happy with what we have achieved as winning 6 games, drawing 2 and losing 2 is a brilliant effort. There should be a big thank you to Tim Whitwham who has sorted out and organised the games. Another thank you should go to Steve & Judi Monico who also helped along the way. Its a shame that we could not stay in Melbourne and Perth a bit longer. I think the trip has made us play as a team alot more, so we can face ESSA with Big Expectations. Andy.

Chris Craig
Hello for the final time. We are now 2 and a half hours from home and this is my summary of the tour down under. The first days in Melbourne were liberating and our first couple of matches against Scotch really woke us up to the quality of the opposition we had to face. Then on to Adelaide, where we spent the most time. I arrived with low expectations of Adelaide after my previous hosts had told me it was a dump ! But I found the place to be my favourite stop. The people and my hosts especially were wonderful and the scenery was spectacular. Again, the opposition were of the highest quality. To Brisbane and our first win against Immanuel College down at the Sunshine Coast where I celebrated my birthday in great conditions. We finished in Perth playing a very strong Aqinas team who at the beginning of the tour would have beaten us by double the score, but practice does make perfect and we held them to a much smaller victory. And now I am here thanking everyone who has contributed to the organisation of the tour and to my family who have subsidised my place on this trip. Thank you everyone, I will never regret this. Chris.

Alex Feary
Overall I thought this trip went very well and that Tim, Steve, Judi & Liz did a good job organising it - and kept it all going when things went slightly wrong. Also I was relieved about having hosts as I thought it would be awkward all the time but they were really nice and they made me feel really at home. Also, I was quite proud of our junior team for playing so well and only losing 2 out of 10 matches which I thought was excellent - as we were all tired, jet lagged and hungry at most matches - and not at our home pool. So a big thanks to the 4 adults mentioned above and Stephen Smith the headmaster for making this trip possible - and of course to our parents for paying and also making it possible. Alex.

Alex Garraway
Elo, Elo. Just coming over Germany now and its 03.45 English time and over the last 20 hours or so I've had about 2 hours sleep ! O well. The tour has been class, its been a wicked experience, and I would like to thank all that have organised the trip. My favourite place would have to be the Sunshine Coast. No, not just because we were with girls but it was just a cool place to live. I think it would be wicked to live out there. Also, I liked Kangaroo Island (apart from the driving on the 2nd day) and cycling about on Rottnest Island was fun. I think that we didn't have enough time to do all of what we have done in these past weeks and I only got 2 lye in's (!) in the whole tour, but I was ready to come back home. Thanks again to all the parents here on tour and the billets as well. And well done to the teams for a wicked tour ! Best get some sleep. Gazza.

Rupert Houghton
This has been an excellent trip from both the water polo and the tourist point of view. I have been very surprised about how well we have done against the Australian polo teams. It has also been a very interesting trip to see all the Australian tourist spots. The billets were also alot nicer than I expected too. All in all, alot better than I originally thought it would be. Rupert.

James Lord
hiya for the last time. We are on the plane about 2 hours from England at the moment flying over Eastern Europe at 38,000 ft at 483 mph and we have been on the plane for about 10 hours and 43 minutes. Overall the tour was excellent and very enjoyable. The junior team won all games except 2, against very good sides, and the senior team did very well too. I would like to thank Tim who organised this tour extremely well and without him the tour would definitely not been possible. I also thank the other adults on the tour : Steve, Judi & Liz who without them would also not have been possible. James.

Adam Monico
On this tour across the world we have played a number of matches with many achievements. We are a better team and I feel that we are all closer friends now. There have many attempts of pranks and tricks which ended up with my brother, Rohan, getting wet and Simmo covered with shaving foam ! We have all made new friends in Australia. I am sure that a return trip would show Bedford has the best coach. What used to be an occasional event to an annual trip, with help from the team parents, I am confident we could have an improved tour either next year or the year after. There must be a big thank you for Tim & Steve for the arrangements and also to Judi & Liz for keeping us in the right place. Adam.

Bryn Powell
The tour was good fun and enjoyable. We should all have been billeted in pairs each time. We should have spent longer in Australia, two and a half weeks is not enough. We should have spent more time sight seeing than what we did do. I would like to thank Tim and I understand why he was so stressed because he had to arrange everything and make the holiday excellent for all of us. He has made alot of sacrifices for us and I've made it harder for him. Thank you Tim for everything - and the other adults who helped as well. Bryn.

James Simpson
Great fun. I enjoyed the whole trip. Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth were all fantastic with alot to see and do. Its a shame the weather was not hotter and we did not win more games. James.

Dom Thurmott
Going to Oz was wicked ! I had a great time going all over Australia and meeting new people. Hopefully I will return to Oz very soon. Dom.

Rob Thurmott
I just want to say thank you to Tim, Steve, Judi & Liz for pulling off a "heaps good" tour for us ! we've all improved "heaps" and Australia was amazin. Thanx. Rob.

Bryce Titman
This is a little summary of what the trip has been like for me. As we fly over Eastern Europe on our way home ! It has been enjoyable (Sunshine Coast, Brisbane & Perth) and disappointing (the cold weather in Melbourne & Adelaide). But the water polo has been good, with some very hard opposition and some weaker ones. The junior team has had a very successful tour playing 10 games, drawing 2 and losing 2 (one being to the South Australia) and won 6 - and most of them being U16 teams. Unfortunately, the seniors didn't do so well having only won 2 or 3 and being beaten heavily in the others.For me it has been a good learning experience and I think from what time I got in the water I have come on in leaps and bounds. The highlight of the tour for me had to be the Sunshine Coast - tho we only spent 2 days, but they were the best days for me. Now a few thank you's - firstly to Tim Whitwham our coach and tour organiser, also the other 3 adults on the tour - Steve, Judi & Liz who all helped make it run smoothly. I also thank all my billets who put up with me. This is goodbye now and I can't wait to be home and see everyone. It has been a great tour and one I won't forget ! Bryce.

Guy Titman
Hello family, I will be seeing you soon. Tour was heaps good and I stayed with sweet families. Didn't score any goals which was annoying but I got alot better and fitter. Got loadsa new sick stuff and had a little problem getting the weight of my bag down. Its been fun, thanx to all the families I stayed with, I hope they check out the site. It is now time to come home and we are all tired and missing people at home. Well I'll cyaz all before your gonna read this. Catchya later. Guy.

Sam Whittle
The tour was very exciting. I enjoyed playing in the water against the Australians, it brought a whole new aspect to the game of water polo. Although we lost the majority of our matches I think that I have learnt alot from the experience and our team has improved as a whole. The families I stayed with made me feel very welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Sam.

Philip Willshire
The trip was fantastic ! I think all the people in Aus were very friendly and the hosts were great fun. I am glad we won most of our matches. The cities were great to explore and the beaches were really fun - I loved seeing the Kangaroos. I hope to go back and see some of my hosts. Philip.

Liz Bryant
We have had a fantastic trip. The boys have had a good time - they've operated as a team and we have had loads of compliments about their politeness and behaviour. We've packed alot into a short time. 4 cities in 2 weeks is good going ! Highlights of the trip for me have been seeing the modern cities, the sleep over on Kangaroo Island, seeing the breakers in the Southern Ocean for the first time and our last day in Australia - Rottnest Island off the coast of Perth is idylic even if I did spend alot of time trying to keep up with Tim on bikes ! Liz.

Judi Monico
We have had a fantastic time in Oz. Its been a real privilege to get to know all the boys on tour; watch them play and admire their courage and sportsmanship in the water. They are all a credit to the school. We have made so many new friends, renewed old friendships - it has been wonderful. Many, many thanks to Tim for the endless work he has put in. To Steve for doing all the work on the website and of course all our hosts in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast & Perth. We very much look forward to returning the hospitality we have been shown. Judi x.

Steve Monico
I very much enjoyed the trip and getting to know the boys better. It was amazing at each location how the host families complimented all the boys to us. The parents and BMS should be proud. I am pleased everyone (in Bedford and where we have been to) enjoyed watching our progress via this website. It has taken quite a bit of time each day downloading & preparing the pictures and writing the articles to keep everything up to date. Tim put a great deal of effort into the trip and consequently everything went very smoothly. He should be congratulated. Steve.