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Words: Luke Hoey
Photos: Patrick Ah Kit
September 17th, 2009

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE TRADE TOUR - CANBERRA

WE WERE selected to go on a plane to Canberra to visit the A.D.F. We were rewarded with this trip for good behaviour and good school attendance.

Our first day was a little long, we had to catch two planes to get there and we arrived there late. We were welcomed straight away. The food there was surprisingly good, and we had a variety to choose from. We had a meeting later on then we watched a power point of some of the apprenticeships you can do in the army, navy and air force. There are a few that I would like to do. They also put us into six groups I was in group five. They separated all of us Alice fellas so we could socialise with the other people who were from all over Australia.

Robert Austin, Kenny Campbell, Darren Swan, Michael Draper, Luke Hoey

Patrick ‘Tiny’ Ah Kit & Darren Swan

Our second day we drove the bus to the convention about trades in the armed forces. There were also different universities there to show you what their schools were like and what they do. We were there for about an hour and a half. I was asked by many people were I was from and we would have good conversations. After that we drove to Albury and stayed at one of the barracks there.

Kenny Campbell in the big rig

Tactical Defense Demo

On our last night at the barracks in Albury we had a little disco. The disco was really fun and we got to stay up a little bit late and it was a better way for us to socialise with each other, which most of us did. Our chaperone Patrick (Tiny) danced and surprised everyone on how good he could dance because he broke it down. We had to stay an extra night in Wagga-wagga with the Thursday Island blokes which was fun. We went shopping and everything was cheap!

Luke Hoey

Michael Draper checking out the display

Later the next day we went our own ways at the airport and back to our own towns. This trip was a good experience and I hope I can do it again. It has given me some ideas for what I want to do when I finish school. I had not really given my future much thought until now. It’s good to know I can easily leave Alice Springs for a couple of years, get looked after and get a trade.