Trips To Australia
2005 - The Wallabies
After an effervescent coach and aeroplane journey, a bubbly gang of Wallabies set down in the humid island-state of Singapore. The brave, energetic few ventured out from the Robertson Quay Hotel in search of food whilst the majority decided that an early night was in order. That night, we all realised the true worth of air conditioning! The following morning, after sampling noodles for breakfast, we collectively took a stroll to the nearby Clarke’s Quay for a morning’s enjoyment. After a small break to sample some of the local culinary delights, we went off in search of the real Singapore shopping experience – Orchard Road. Like a jolt into the 21st century, this neon jungle was to every ones liking, a few hours here was enough to pep up our charges with enough energy and new clothes to approach another long flight. At this point, it’s worth noting how impressed the team leaders were with the punctuality and general organisation of the Wallabies – read on to see if they kept it up!
Brisbane was a real pleasure partly because we were actually going to be in the same place for more than 24 hours. Now accompanied and guided by the third team leader and native Aussie, Tim Evans, we enjoyed strolling the main drag of the city and generally unwinding. Unfortunately and due to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to visit the local hospital and oncology unit. Resolving to visit the Sydney hospital instead, we made the most of the newly-available free time and prepared for the upcoming week in The Mighty Bush. And what better preparation than a trip to Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo? As luck would have it, we were visiting on the day of Steve’s daughter’s birthday when he would be making one of his increasingly rare appearances. After a koala-hugging, elephant-feeding, alligator-snapping few hours, we took seats in the aptly named Crocoseum for the show. Bizarre Shrek-homage apart, it was a fantastic mix of the slithery, the snappy, the flying and the fearsome as we saw albino pythons, phenomenal parrots and keeper-chasing tigers. Surprisingly, it’s not the 12ft crocodile who’s the star, despite his fearsome teeth and visible appetite for human leg. Steve Irwin is larger than life and despite the fact there was no baby-dangling-in-front-of-croc this time, it was still a fantastic show.
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The following week featured some of the Oz Experience highlights as the Wallabies team set to work with the CVA team. Working on three key sights within a minibus ride of Kooralbyn, the team completed a variety of tasks. On the Joshua Foundation’s land at Gilgal, public enemy number one was Lantana weed (a monstrous tree/bush that can grow up to 10ft!). After four days’ hard work, the land was one step closer to being suitable for the development of the Gilgal resort. Mount Barney was a path-building experience led by Dangerous Des from CVA, during which a good kilometre of path was restored, rebuilt and later, thoroughly trodden in as the team engaged in a four-kilometre stroll to the beautiful pools at the end of the path. If evidence was ever needed of how hard the Wallabies worked, the number of tools broken can prove it!
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The toughest task of the week was undoubtedly cooking for each other. Those who were at the team leader’s villa to start breakfast at 6.30 am (yes parents, 6.30 am!) did a phenomenal job whilst the dinner crews treated us to a global menu, from India to Mexico. We also all had the opportunity to sample Kangaroo meat when the CVA team leaders cooked a true Australian barbecue by the pool.
In Sydney we all began to experience the picture-postcard Australia. Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and enjoying a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ on the summit for Morgan, we began to seriously unwind. Spending that evening in the rotating restaurant at the top of the Sydney Centre Point Tower was a fantastic experience.
The following morning was a sobering experience as we had walked to the Sydney Jewish Museum and conversed with Holocaust and Auschwitz survivor Eddie, from whom we could all learn lessons about how to make the most of our lives. The afternoon was to be even more sobering for Bethan, Bex, JJ and Carrie as they were the few who were passed healthy enough to visit the Sydney hospital’s oncology unit. The opportunity to see the children for whom charities like TJF raise money and awareness was of infinite value and very moving. The team met up once more in Darling Harbour.
Before we all realised it, it was the last night and the entire TJF crew (Wallabies, Dingos, & Skippies) went out for a meal and the Sydney Hard Rock Café. It was a tremendous communal experience and a fitting end to a wonderful trip. As an epilogue, the following day, Tim led an expedition to legendary Bondi Beach whilst others took a more relaxed approach to the last few hours in Sydney.
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It was with a heavy heart we said ‘goodbye’ to the first to go their own way as Carrie and Hannah were remaining in the Antipodes for a little longer and we could already sense that a few more tears would come in the next twenty-four hours. As we sped down the runway, we collectively said goodbye to our newly-adopted land and cwtched into our seats for the long journey home.