Questions for discussion
Team Gillard
1.
2.
3.
4.
Discuss the Team Gillard story with another student.
What is a portfolio?
Name three of the portfolios.
What does Julia Gillard consider when choosing ministers for the different
portfolios?
5. Who has been given the job of Treasurer and what will he be in charge of?
6. What portfolio has Kevin Rudd been given?
7. The ministers are sworn in by the ____________________.
8. What are the opposition ministers called?
9. Which portfolio affects you the most? Why?
10. The BtN Team Gillard story is an example of a
a) Narrative
b) Procedure
c) Argument
d) Report
Create a profile of one of the ministers on Julia Gillard’s Frontbench. The following
weblink has information about the ministers http://abc.net.au/news/infographics/gillardcabinet-2010/
Test your knowledge in the online quiz.
Commonwealth Games
1.
2.
How did the British Empire begin?
Britain is the old Roman word for
a. Strong
b. United
c. England
3. How did England `claim’ countries around the world?
4. How did Australia become part of the British Empire?
5. What did being part of the British Empire mean for Australia?
6. What does commonwealth mean?
7. What do the Commonwealth of Nations work together to promote?
8. What were the Commonwealth Games called when they first began?
9. Where are the 2010 Commonwealth Games being held?
10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?
List the sports that will be played at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Display the
sports in an A-Z chart.
Gold price
© ABC 2010
EPISODE 27
21ST SEPTEMBER 2010
1.
Before you watch the BtN Gold price story, write down the words you
associate with gold.
2. What does the word gold mean?
3. Describe some properties of gold.
4. Apart from jewellery, what is gold used for?
5. Why was gold used as a form of currency?
6. Why do some people invest in gold?
7. When does the price of gold go up?
8. What is Fort Knox?
9. Gold is bought and sold every day on _______ __________.
10. What was surprising about this story?
Create a multiple choice quiz about gold. Use the transcript from the BtN story to find
facts about gold.
Rabbit race
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Briefly summarise the Rabbit race story.
Describe the sport of rabbit jumping.
Where and when did rabbit jumping start?
What events do the rabbits compete in?
What techniques are used to train the rabbits?
Why are wild rabbits considered pests by some people?
Are rabbits native to Australia?
Why do you think rabbits are popular pets?
Illustrate an aspect of the story.
What do you think the future of rabbit jumping is? Why?
Create a comic strip based on the BtN Rabbit race story.
Swim star
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What does it take to get to an elite level in sport?
What competition is Geoff Huegill about to compete in?
Describe his success at the 2000 Olympic Games.
Why do athletes eat a lot when they are training?
US swimmer Michael Phelps says he eats about _________ more food than an
average person when he is in training.
6. What happened to Geoff when he stopped training?
7. What was he concerned about?
8. What did Geoff find difficult when he started training again?
9. Why do you think Geoff already feels a sense of achievement?
10. How did this story make you feel?
Write a message about the story and post it on the BtN guestbook
http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html
© ABC 2010
Gold price
Focus Questions
1.
Before you watch the BtN Gold price story, write down the words you associate
with gold.
2. What does the word gold mean?
3. Describe some properties of gold.
4. Apart from jewellery, what is gold used for?
5. Why was gold used as a form of currency?
6. Why do some people invest in gold?
7. When does the price of gold go up?
8. What is Fort Knox?
9. Gold is bought and sold every day on _______ __________.
10. What was surprising about this story?
EPISODE 27
21ST SEPTEMBER 2010
Learning Area
Society and
Environment
Precious metal
Key learning
Students will work in pairs to recreate the BtN Gold price story that has
been read aloud to the class. Print a copy of the transcript from the
Teachers section on the BtN website
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.html#teachertools Ask students to
write down the key words as the text is read (the text may need to be read
more than once). Each pair rewrites the text then proof reads and edits their
text. Students then present their texts to the class and compare them to the
original.
Students will
investigate the
impact the
discovery of gold
had on Australia,
the properties of
gold and what it
symbolises.
Students choose one of the following investigations about gold. Before
students begin the investigation, ask them to record what they know about
the topic and what they want to find out.
Investigation 1 – Gold in Australia
Some possible questions to investigate include:

Which areas in Australia were most affected by the Gold Rush?

What impact did the discovery of gold have on Australia? Consider
the wealth it created, immigration and social change.

What was the Eureka Stockade? Investigate using the Who, What,
When, Where and Why framework. Why was it a key event in the
development of democracy in Australia?
Investigation 2 – Properties of gold
Some possible topics and questions to investigate include:
What is gold?
How would you describe it to someone who has never heard of it?
© ABC 2010
List and illustrate uses for gold. Invent a new use for gold.
How is gold formed?
What is the value of gold at the moment? Calculate the value of an ounce of
gold in Australian dollars.
Investigation 3 – All that glitters…
Some possible questions to investigate include:

What was the importance of gold to ancient civilisations?

What does gold symbolise in our society? Consider images and
references in advertising, movies, songs, magazines. Collect
examples of images and words to include in a presentation.
Encourage students to share their research finding with the class using an
interactive whiteboard.
Reflection
What do you understand more clearly since completing this investigation?
What would you do differently next time? Why?
 Related Research Links
ABC Behind the News – Gold rush
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2823680.htm
SBS – Gold
http://www.sbs.com.au/gold/
Geoscience Australia – Gold rock file
http://www.australianminesatlas.gov.au/education/rock_files/gold.jsp
Australian Minerals - Gold downunder
http://www.australianminesatlas.gov.au/education/down_under/gold/ind
ex.html
The World Gold Council – Official website
http://www.gold.org/
© ABC 2010
Commonwealth games
Focus Questions
1.
2.
How did the British Empire begin?
Britain is the old Roman word for
a. Strong
b. United
c. England
3. How did England `claim’ countries around the world?
4. How did Australia become part of the British Empire?
5. What part of Britain is reflected in the Australian flag?
6. What did being part of the British Empire mean for Australia?
7. What does commonwealth mean?
8. What do the Commonwealth of Nations work together to promote?
9. What were the Commonwealth Games called when they first began?
10. Where are the 2010 Commonwealth Games being held?
11. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?
Commonwealth Games
Remember and understand

List the sports that will be played at the 2010 Commonwealth
Games. Display the sports in an A-Z chart.

Locate Delhi on a world map. Find five interesting facts about the
city and display them on a poster.

Use a Mindmap to list all you know about the Commonwealth
Games.
Apply and Analyse

When did India become part of the British Empire? Put your
research findings into a PowerPoint presentation and share it with
other students.

Investigate one sport played at the Commonwealth Games in depth.
Who are the Australian athletes competing in the sport?

Imagine you are in the audience at a Commonwealth Games opening
ceremony. Write a series of tweets describing what you are seeing.
Each message should be less than 140 characters.
Evaluate and create

What inspired the logo for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi?
What do the image and colours signify? Design your own logo for the
Commonwealth Games and briefly describe what it symbolises.
© ABC 2010
EPISODE 27
21ST SEPTEMBER 2010
Learning Area
Society and
Environment,
Health and
Physical Education
Key learning
Students will
investigate the
Commonwealth Games
in depth

What have been some of the issues organisers and athletes have had
to deal with at the 2010 Commonwealth Games? What solutions or
advice is being offered?

Make a Commonwealth Games board game. Include information
about Delhi, Games facts and Australian athletes competing.

Create a Venn diagram showing the similarities and differences
between the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games.
Self assessment
What do you understand more clearly since completing these activities?
What would you do differently next time? Why?
 Related Research Links
ABC Radio Australia News – New Delhi prepares for Commonwealth Games
http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201009/3011921.htm?deskt
op
Commonwealth Games - Delhi 2010
http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/
Commonwealth Games Australia – Official website
http://www.commonwealthgames.org.au/
Commonwealth of Nations – Official website
http://www.commonwealth-of-nations.org/Commonwealth-Home
Children’s BBC – What is the Commonwealth?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4790000/newsid_4794500/4
794536.stm
© ABC 2010
End of term quiz
Term 3 2010
1. Who did Julia Gillard replace as Prime Minister?
a. Wayne Swan
b. Tony Abbott
c. Kevin Rudd
2. What was the name given to camel handlers that came from India
and the Middle East?
a. Afghans
b. Jackaroos
c. Cowboys
3. Taking caffeine before sport is illegal.
a. True
b. False
4. What type of instrument is the vuvuzela?
a. Horn
b. Percussion
c. Strings
5. In which country did the battle of Fromelles occur?
a. France
b. Germany
c. Belgium
© ABC 2010
6. How do honey bees communicate with each other?
a. Using high-pitched noises
b. Dancing
c. Email
7. Heating juice to 100 degrees plus and packing it into a sterile
container is known as…
a. Pasteurising
b. Aseptic processing
c. Homogenising
8. Which country in South America has large amounts of lithium?
a. Venezuela
b. Colombia
c. Bolivia
9. How many days before a federal election does political advertising
have to stop on TV and radio?
a. 1day
b. 3 days
c. 7 days
10. Meteorology is the study of…
a. Weather
b. Rocks and minerals
c. Space
11. What is made from enzymes in an animal’s gut?
a. Curds
b. Whey
c. Rennet
12. When was the wearing of bike helmets made compulsory in
Australia?
a. 1985
© ABC 2010
b. 1991
c. 2000
13. The London Olympics will be held in…
a. 2011
b. 2012
c. 2014
14. The Senate is also known as...
a. House of Representatives
b. Cabinet
c. Upper house
15. What is studying music believed to help?
a. Make you grow tall
b. Build new pathways in the brain
c. Make you popular
16. Micro-betting is…
a. Betting small amounts of money
b. Betting on the outcome of a match
c. Betting on an incident in a match
17. Wrestling was at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
a. True
b. False
18. A female cow that hasn’t had a calf is called a…
a. Bull
b. Heifer
c. Steer
19. Water always finds the
a. Highest land
b. Flattest land
c. Lowest land
© ABC 2010
20. Which portfolio has Kevin Rudd been given?
a. Treasurer
b. Education
c. Foreign Affairs
Answers on the following page
© ABC 2010
Answers
1. c. Kevin Rudd
2. a. Afghans
3. b. false
4. a. horn
5. a. France
6. a. using high-pitched noises
7. b. aseptic processing
8. c. Bolivia
9. b. 3 days
10. a. weather
11. c. rennet
12. b. 1991
13. b. 2012
14. c. Upper house
15. b. build new pathways in the brain
16. c. betting on an incident in a match
17. a. true
18. b. heifer
19. c. lowest land
20. c. Foreign Affairs
© ABC 2010
BtN: Episode 27 Transcript
21/09/10
On this week's Behind the News:

The Commonwealth Games are just weeks away, but what's a
commonwealth?

We'll find out why investors think bling is the thing.

And we'll go trackside to a high stakes competition with a
difference.
Hi I'm Sarah Larsen, welcome to Behind the News.
Also on the show today, how early do you get out of bed? We'll catch
up with some dedicated swimmers who are up at 4.30am for training!
News Ministers
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
INTRO: Well there's no time for training for our new government.
Just days after being confirmed as Australia's Prime Minister, Julia
Gillard named her new team.
And when I say team I don't mean she's planning a footy game on
the lawns of parliament house.
© ABC 2010
Her team are playing politics and just like sports stars they all have
positions they need to play here's Nathan.
NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Julia Gillard loves her footy.
She's the number one ticket holder for the Bulldogs, but you get the
feeling she'd love to have a shot at coach.
JULIA GILLARD: I'm pretty good at nerves of steel.
Unfortunately she's already got a coaching job that keeps her hands
pretty full, Prime Minister of Australia.
But how is being PM like coaching, you might ask?
Well just like a footy coach, the PM gets to pick the team she'll lead
against the opposition.
And just like a coach, she looks at her player’s strengths and
weaknesses to decide who'll get a guernsey.
Let's imagine you're running a school footy team.
Before giving everyone their positions, you want to make sure
everyone is put in a position that suits them best.
First up, you might ask if anyone has any experience.
Then you might look for people that have the natural abilities needed
like height or strength.
And finally you might look for some kids that have done well in the
last game and give them some more responsibility.
© ABC 2010
It's exactly the same choosing ministers, but instead of positions on a
field, they're given portfolios or area's they're in charge of.
There's Treasurer, Defence, Transport, Foreign Affairs, Climate
Change, Health and Schools, to name a few.
So just like a coach, you look for people that have experience in those
areas.
You look for people that have natural interest.
And you look for people that did really well in their last portfolio.
And at the end of it all, instead of winning the game, your team can
hopefully do their best running the whole country!
REPORTER: So that's how it's done. Now let's have a look at who
Julia Gillard called up to her team.
Wayne Swan was once again picked as her deputy or her right hand
man.
He also takes the most important portfolio, Treasurer, meaning he's
in charge of all the cash.
Next down the list is Kevin Rudd, who was promised the Foreign
Affairs portfolio, after being chucked out as Prime Minister only a few
months ago.
Julia lived up to her promise and put him in as the man in charge of
our interests overseas.
But will they be able to work together despite their nasty past?
© ABC 2010
JULIA GILLARD: Of Course.
Well, the distance will help. Kevin's already jetting out to America to
get started.
But that leaves Stephen Smith, the last Foreign Affairs minister,
jobless.
STEPHEN SMITH: When the Prime Minister told me she was going
to appoint Kevin Rudd as Foreign Affairs minister she asked me what
I'd like to do, and I said defence.
That means he'll be in charge of all our armed forces and have
responsibility for wars like Afghanistan.
But most importantly, who's the minister in charge of things that
matter to you?
Well that'd be Peter Garrett, who's in charge of school education,
early childhood and youth.
All up, 30 ministers were sworn into their various roles by the
Governor-General.
And over at Parliament House, Tony Abbott was naming the
opposition members that would be taking them on, called shadow
ministers.
So now the teams are picked, the leaders are ready, let's hear the siren
for the start of play.
Presenter: We'll be keeping our eye on that game!
© ABC 2010
The Wire
Let's see what else is happening in the news with Tash.
People living near the mouth of the Murray River are breathing a sigh
of relief as South Australia’s lower lakes fill with water.
For years lakes Albert and Alexandrina have been drying out.
The drought meant there wasn't enough water flowing down the
Murray to fill them
And lakeside towns were left high and dry.
But the recent rain which brought floods to Victoria has brought hope
to these communities.
LADY: The water's moving and so is the land. We can hear the frogs,
we can see the birds are feeding, the fish are running, the tube worm
on the back of the turtles are going away. The country's refreshed and
there's new life and the communities are feeling happier too.
And there's been some more good news from the Gulf of Mexico in
the US.
The broken well which caused the worst oil spill in the country's
history is now officially plugged.
For months the company responsible for the leak has been drilling
holes down to the base of the well.
Then they pumped in cement to squeeze it shut.
© ABC 2010
Even though the oil isn't leaking out anymore the disaster isn't over
"It’s not finished we've still got a lot of oil out here to pick up".
It could be years before coastal environments recover and some are
worried about what affect the oil will have on sea creatures.
Commonwealth
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: If you tune into the Commonwealth Games next month
you'll see athletes from all over the world, from Canada to South
Africa to Tonga and Tuvalu.
But there are a few big countries you won't see represented, like
China and the US. So what's with that? And what is the
commonwealth anyway? Let’s find out.
SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: Once upon a time there was a little
country called England.
It wasn't very big, but being an island the English knew a thing or two
about ships.
So they sailed around the world trading with other countries and
eventually claimed some for their own.
KID: I claim this new found land in the name of the Queen of
England!
© ABC 2010
And that's how the British Empire began. Britain being the old
Roman name for England and Empire meaning the collection of
countries it ruled.
England claimed countries all over the world, sometimes through
wars, sometimes through business dealings, and sometimes through
discoveries of land that they said was empty.
REPORTER: Of course, Australia wasn't empty at all. Indigenous
people had been living here for tens of thousands of years, but
nevertheless Australia became a part of the British Empire.
At first it was ruled by England, but in 1901 Australia got a
government of its own.
Soon after, England came up with a new name for its old Empire, the
'Commonwealth'.
It means a collection of countries that come together for the common
good.
REPORTER: It's a word that you've probably seen around the place
and that's because we still live in the Commonwealth of Australia.
That bank used to be owned by the government, that's why it's called
the commonwealth.
As part of the Empire, Australia shared a lot with England. We kept
the English king or queen as our head of state and we followed some
English laws. We also shared a love of cricket!
And when England went to war, so did Australia.
But over the years, Australia grew more of its own identity and
stopped relying so much on England.
© ABC 2010
Other countries broke away from the empire, either peacefully or by
force, and eventually it came to an end.
But there is still a commonwealth. These days it's called the
Commonwealth of Nations and 53 countries are active members. It's
not like the Empire. It's more like a club that countries can choose to
belong to.
They work together to support each other and encourage peace and
human rights.
But the Commonwealth is probably best known for this, the
Commonwealth Games. They were first run in 1930 to try to bring
together countries in the British Empire. In fact, back then they were
known as the Empire Games.
But while the Empire faded the games continued.
Like the Olympics, they're held every four years in different
Commonwealth countries and this year it's India's turn.
They've been racing to get new sporting venues finished on time and
they want to put on a spectacular show, because next month a lot of
people will be watching.
Presenter: As you know the games are held every four years so let's
have a quick quiz.
Quiz 1
Which city will host the 2014 Commonwealth Games?
Brisbane, Australia
© ABC 2010
Glasgow, Scotland
Vancouver, Canada
Answer: Glasgow
And that will be the 20th Commonwealth Games.
Gold Price
Reporter: Nathasha Thiele
INTRO: Now at the Commonwealth Games a lot of athletes will be
chasing gold.
But it’s not just sports people who are obsessed with the precious
yellow metal.
Investors and finance experts spend a lot of time thinking about the
price of gold. And at the moment it's at a record high.
So why is that important? And why is gold so precious? Tash has
been investigating.
"Aztec Gold. All the gods placed upon the gold a terrible curse"
"His gold! Fort Knox, the world's biggest bank!"
"Look MacKenna, I'm covered in gold!"
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: It's pretty obvious gold is one
precious metal!
The name 'gold' comes from an Old English word meaning 'yellow'.
© ABC 2010
Its soft compared to other metals and can be turned into different
shapes without fire or other heat.
Gold is valued for its shine and it's been used for thousands of years
to make jewellery.
REPORTER: This is what real gold looks like. It's pretty cool and it’s
quite heavy. And all this gold here in my hand is worth 20 thousand
dollars!
Besides the bling factor, gold is also used in medicine, technology like
computers and electronics, that's because it's a great electrical
conductor and it doesn't corrode.
It even gets used for cake decorations. It's extremely thin pieces called
gold leaf.
But hold on! When did people start realising gold was so precious?
Many thousands of years ago, gold was used to pay for things and was
turned into coins.
Before that, people would use things like stones or feathers to buy or
swap items like food, clothing and shelter.
But they discovered the precious metal was better because it lasted
longer and was rare. It was difficult to find.
Gold hasn't just been a currency, these days some people buy it as an
investment so they can make money from it!
Experts say you can always fall back on gold because it'll always keep
its value.
© ABC 2010
And at the moment the price of gold has hit a record high!
That means investors don't have a lot of confidence in how the world
is going at the moment.
So people can either sell their bit of gold and make a profit or buy
more!
But they don't actually get to hold the gold in their hand; it's kept in
secure places like banks and government storage vaults.
Like many precious metals, gold is bought and sold every day on what
are called 'gold markets'.
You've probably even seen people talk about these markets on the
news.
FINANCE REPORTS: Gold is flirting with its record high. And gold
this morning is trading at one thousand two hundred and sixty six
dollars and eighty cents an ounce.
These bulletins tell us how much gold is being bought and sold.
Although we don't see people use gold as money any more, it's still
being traded.
So with gold becoming more valuable, we could see more people
investing in the precious metal.
Presenter: Ok let's have a quiz about gold now and this one's pretty
tricky.
© ABC 2010
Quiz 2
The question is: What is the chemical symbol for gold?
Gd
Au
Na
Answer: Au
Like lots of science things, the symbol comes from a Latin word and
the Latin name for gold is Aurum.
Ok next up is a story about some kids in search of their own bit of
Aurum!
Swim Comeback
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: Would you fancy a dip at 4.30am? What a way to wake up!
For swimmers in training that's a part of their normal day.
I 'volunteered' to jump out of bed nice and early to catch up with
some kids hoping to be stars of the future.
And along the way found out about a star swimmer from the past
who's making an amazing comeback.
© ABC 2010
SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: What were you doing at 4.30 this
morning?
These guys put in two and a half hours of training before school starts.
MIA: Sometimes we fall asleep in some lessons. But that's the life we
choose.
They have nine training sessions a week, in the mornings and the
afternoons. All up it’s about twenty hours of hard work. But to
compete at the National level they need every minute and Mia
reckons it’s worth it.
MIA: Definitely when you hit that finishing line and you see everyone
finish behind you it’s just the best feeling you know you've done your
best.
Getting to an elite level of just about any sport you can think of takes
years of hard work and dedication. And you don't get to stay at the top
for very long.
Many athletes retire in their thirties or even their twenties because
their body slows down or because they get tired of devoting their life
to sport.
That's something Geoff Huegill knows all about.
Ten years ago he was on top of the world. Years of hard work were
paid off with a silver and a bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics.
GEOFF HUEGILL: I still get goose-bumps thinking about it.
But that was his last big win and Geoff decided to quit swimming and
soon got pretty out of shape.
© ABC 2010
GEOFF HUEGILL: I lived a life to excess, so to speak. You know,
instead of sticking to diets and routines and exercise, I did everything
completely the opposite to what I had grown up with.
It's a pretty common story amongst retired athletes. One of the
problems is their diet has to change.
Competing and training uses a huge amount of energy and they need
to replace that. US Swimming star Michael Phelps says he eats about
five times more than an average person.
REPORTER: He says his daily diet looks a bit like this. For breakfast
there are three fried-egg sandwiches, an omelette, cereal, pancakes
and French toast. Then there's lunch and dinner! So you can see why
it might be hard to get back into normal eating habits!
Geoff's weight was getting unhealthy so he decided to do something
about it. He started swimming to get fit, but soon found he missed the
competition.
COACH: When Geoff first came to me and spoke to me about wanting
to make a comeback and wanting to make the Commonwealth Games
it was like, ok. It was sort of an out-there idea and a great dream goal
but he's done it.
With a lot of hard work Geoff managed to get back into his old
training regime. He dropped more than 40 kilos and won a place in
the Commonwealth Games squad. His coach says Geoff's swimming
faster than ever.
GEOFF HUEGILL: That would be great. But, for me, I think I've
already won my gold medal. I've been able to turn my life around and
to have a second chance.
It's an inspiring story and not just for retired athletes.
© ABC 2010
MIA: Absolutely amazing. I just can't image how hard it must be to
get back t the level he's at. Just missing one lesson for us is so hard.
It just goes to show with courage, determination and a lot of hard
work anything is possible.
Presenter: Hope he does well!
Ok let's see what else has been happening in sport with Alfie.
The Score
Aussie Casey Stoner's had his first win of the Moto GP season at the
Aragon grand prix.
The former world champion started in pole position and managed to
hold off a trailing Dani Pedrosa to take the win on the Spaniard's
home soil.
After recovering from a minor crash during the warm-up, Stoner
managed a comfortable margin of more than five seconds.
CASEY STONER, WINNER: "Going into the race I was staying away
from every white line that I could. I did not want to get too close. But
yeah, we were able to pick up the pace when we needed to during the
race and bring home a win."
Stoner's Honda team-mate Nicky Hayden pipped championship
leader, Jorge Lorenzo for third.
And back home in the A-league.
© ABC 2010
Melbourne Heart is celebrating their second win in a row, after
defeating Wellington Pheonix 2-1.
And Gold Coast United's had a goalless draw with the Central Coast
Mariners at Skilled Park.
Rabbit Race
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: Animals can be put through their paces in a heap of sports, from
horses in elite dressage events to, believe it or not, pig jumping!
But did you know rabbits have their own competition too?
It's called rabbit jumping and Tash found out a little more about the
unusual sport.
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Meet Bob, the country bunny!
And Humphrey, the show off!
Take note guys 'cause these furry characters could be the future champions
of the rabbit world.
This is rabbit jumping!
Rabbit jumping started in Scandinavia in the late 1970s.
Now thanks to the Internet, the rather different sport is catching on in
Australia.
The rabbits compete in four events.
There's speed course, the multi-round with different height jumps, long
jump and high jump.
They need to run along these trestle tables, roughly about 8 metres.
Owners say the rabbits naturally love to jump, so all you gotta do is teach
them to follow the track.
But it's not just the adults getting involved in the growing sport.
Young people like Jack are too!
© ABC 2010
He's been involved in rabbit jumping for three years and this is his rabbit
Wilbour.
JACK, RABBIT OWNER: You have to pat it and get to know him and call his
name and pat the table because then he'll get used to your scent and when
you call his name he'll just jump automatically.
But Jack would like to see more kids get involved in the sport.
JACK, RABBIT OWNER: I'll like to have a competition, not just me and my
brother because sometimes we have to verse the adults and it's way too hard
because they've been training for like twelve years.
Sometimes during competition there can be a few accidents along the way,
so they need to spray the area down with vinegar so other rabbits don't get
distracted by the scent of other rabbits.
And although you're not allowed to touch the rabbits while they're in action,
the owners say getting them over the line comes down to lots of love!
So lots of affection like patting them is their secret weapon!
Others prefer to use clickers and treats to reward the bunnies when they
train them, like they do with dogs.
Each breed has its own characteristics and personality and the lopped eared
rabbits seem to be the best!
REPORTER: And this is what they look like! Their ears hang down instead
of standing up.
But not everyone thinks rabbits are as cute and fun.
Wild rabbits are considered pests because they breed out of control in the
wild.
They came here from Europe in 1859 and destroyed plants, trees and
farming properties.
And although it's illegal to sell or keep wild rabbits as pets, it's okay to breed
domestic rabbits in most parts of Australia.
A lot of money and research is going into controlling wild rabbits and that's
why farmers aren't too keen on pampering rabbits.
But according to some pet shop owners more people are buying rabbits,
especially as a first pet or around Easter time.
After all this rabbit talk, I thought I'd give it a go!
REPORTER: C'mon Wilbour, do me proud!
© ABC 2010
REPORTER: Aww nice one! See, it's not that hard after all!
So with the event now attracting other rabbit clubs from around the country,
maybe we'll be seeing a lot more rabbit jumping in the future!
Closer
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And we'll see you next time.
© ABC 2010