A g'day for Tees pupils.

THE school day turned into a g'day for teens at a Middlesbrough school.

Pupils at the Beverley special school have taken part in a week of activities to learn more about the culture of Australia.

During their antipodean adventure, the 14 and 15 year olds sampled Australian food, learned about the people who make up the country and even played Aussie rules footie.

Some were also surprised to find that Teesside and Oz share some fascinating links.

Teacher Gavin Jackson explained: "Obviously, the famous Captain Cook connection was something we learned more about.

"We talked about aborigines and looked at the perceptions people have of them."

They were even more surprised to learn the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge started out in the heads of the engineers at Dorman Long, just miles from the school gates.

Mr Jackson, who has visited Australia, wanted to share his experience with the pupils, who all have autism.

He said: "There are so many parts of Australian culture we can explore here.

"From throwing boomerangs on the field to watching the surfers at Saltburn - it has even been sunny for us!"

The week was rounded off with a slap up BBQ buffet of crayfish, shrimp and kangaroo meat, and a cricket match.

The Beverly pupils played under the new Australian flag they had designed to reflect the diversity of modern Australia.

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SAMPLING OZ: Beverley pupils, above, and Jordan Eztcude, top Pictures by ANDY STEVENSON