OUR TRAVEL BUDDY Ernie Echidna

ERNIE ECHIDNA is a soft hand puppet who became a member of the Years 1, 2 and 3 class at HILLVIEW STATE SCHOOL in August 1996.Ernie loves all the children and they love him. He loves sitting on their desks and reading with them. He even likes the beach.His first visit was to a grade 2 class at SISTER MCNAMARA'S SCHOOL in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. We exchanged lots of email letters first to get to know Ernie's new classmates. During this time we prepared letters about ourselves and did reports on all sorts of Australian animals and plants, even one on Echidnas.


ERNIE ECHIDNA

I am Ernie Echidna. I was born in Beaudesert, Queensland, Australia. I am a class puppet for Years 1, 2 and 3 of Hillview State School. I have a long snout, beady eyes and long soft hair not spikes like my real cousins, echidnas.

I was chosen to travel as a representative of my class all the way to Canada to be like an exchange student, a travel buddy, in Grade 2 at Sister McNamara's Primary School in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It took along time to get all my things ready. My classmates worked hard, writing letters introducing themselves and writing reports about Australian animals and plants.I was even in the class photo. I looked really cute. They found out information on our area and collected lots of our favourite photos and wrote captions for them. My diary for my new classmates to record all the things I do in Canada was prepared.

On 29 October 1996 after a cuddle from everyone with my passport and all my goodies including a little surprise for all my new classmates, I was carefully packed in my kitbag and posted airmail in a padded post bag to Canada.

It was a bumpy trip and I was pleased when I arrived and was unpacked. My classmates had emailed to say that I was coming. My new class sent my mates an email message to say I had arrived safely.

I'm home. I arrived safely on 30 October 1997. I'm enjoying being back with my classmates before I go travelling again.



THE ECHIDNA

The echidna is an egg laying mammal which is covered with sharp spines.
It is also known as the spiny anteater. It is asmall ground dwelling animal found all over Australia. With its covering of sharp spines it has strong legs and claws.It has a long sensitive snout with a long sticky tongue. It uses its claws and snout to break open termite and ant nests. Its tongue is used to flick termites back into its mouth. When in danger the echidna rolls into a spiky ball or digs down into the ground.

The female lays a leathery - shelled egg which is incubated in her pouch for about ten days. After hatching it feeds on milk from its mother. It stays in the pouch until its spines develop. Then it is left in a nursery burrow and its mother comes back and feeds it every few days.After a few months it leaves the burrow.