My daughters teacher is going to Melbourne at Christmas for a year, like a teacher exchange thing!! Anyway all the kids are having a collection and we want to buy her something to take with her or about Oz, will have about £50 so ideas needed!!

She is what I would call an old school teacher, very strict and I would age her at about 45-55??!?!?! So she hasnt really got a great sense of humour and the kids giving it to her are all aged 7 & 8, so needs to be appropriate!!

All ideas welcome as we are a little stuck!! Only one so far is a trolley case to take on the plane and a book about Oz, but there must be something more exciting than that!!

photo frame? - not very exciting I know

when i left my job as a nursery nurse (just recently) the staff put together a scrap book with the children's photos in and little messages that was appropriate for each child - something that the child was prone to say or do (it's a lovely memory book actually)

it's difficult if you don't know her very well and as she is having to travel you don't want anything too heavy.

I'll have to think (that could be a long time)

I am hopeless at present buying!

Ummm if she is going at Christmas, (when it is summer there) why not make her a little travel pack of toiletries up. You could put some high factor suncream, some after sun, nice soft, brimmed hat, a pair of flip flops.

umm what about an 'British emergency home sick pack' - you could put tea bags, marmite, a nice typically british tea cup, maybe some biscuits!

Bill Brysons 'Downunder' book is a very funny read.

See told you I was hopeless!

My OH and I have already requested from our friends at work what we want as a leaving present and that is $$$$$ money!! We figure, we don't want anything to pack, so with the £1 being about $2.50 or there abouts, dollars it would be

Thanks for the ideas it is a hard one, but hopefully something will suddenly spring into my mind!! Anyone else with ideas??

Get her to bring some water...

a toy koala bear or kangaroo

The RSPB do little cuddly British birds with "real tone" bird calls for £5.99 - how about buying her the robin or blackbird. it'll be nice for her to remind herself of proper bird song amidst all those parrot squawks!

Is she computer literate? If so a voip phone might be a goer

Lonely planet guidebook for Melbourne? Might be able to get both for £50, or get one and change the rest of the money to aussie dollars?

Thongs?

that's just thong

How about an MP3 player? She could put classical music on it or even books - will help with the long flight. My Mum (60) recently borrowed mine for her hols and thought it was great!

xx

Boomerang/didgereedo

She can use a boomer to catch her own lunch,as a back scratcher,to play catch,hit the kids /other half,as a hair slide. and when she gets p/off with the boomer she can sit and play her didgereedo
or you could buy the complete collection of rolf harris albums and still have £49.00 .

I like this idea!! Will look into that!!

Converter plugs so she can plug English stuff like her hairdryer into Aus sockets.

What about a small A5 size photo album with a picture of each child from her class including a little message from each one. It's not too big to be taken in her luggage and shouldn't weight too much. Good luck.

Lorraine