Words: Warren McCaskill
Photos: Warren McCaskill
December 14th, 2009
YIRARA CLONTARF BARRELS VICTORIA
15 Yirara fellas headed south for a major camp to remember.
The day had arrived and all the fellas involved in the camp could not hide their excitement.
They were all full of anticipation as many were going to Melbourne for the first time. We also had a number of students who had not been on a plane before. Upon reaching Melbourne they were all glued to the windows of the bus (like the Garfield toy that donned the windows of cars in the 90’s), taking in every new experience.
This experience continued once we arrived at Bourke Street, the middle of the city centre. There were buskers, people, trams, people, pigeons, and people everywhere. It was almost sensory overload for the fellas.
Robert, Lane, Alex and Timmo in Bourke Street Mall.
Our time spent in Melbourne was action packed, where the fellas were simply exhausted at the end of each day. They enjoyed the simplicity of public transport, which enabled them to easily move around the city. Some of the sights they enjoyed were the Melbourne Museum, ACMI (Aust. Centre for the Moving Image), Shrine of Remembrance, Luna Park, Science Works and the St. Kilda Beach.
Tickets Please (Timmo Connick)
But the real highlight for the fellas was when we went and watched Carlton train. All players said hello as they went passed which surprised most of them, and once the session had finished Chris Judd came straight over. He chatted to the fellas and was open to all their questions.
To top this off he was more than obliging to pose for photos with the fellas. But not to be out done though was Eddie Betts and Chris Yarrin. They spent a considerable amount of time laughing and chatting with the fellas. Once all the fellas had gone into the change room, the football we had accidently went onto the oval. Well we have all heard of ‘safety in numbers’, and so every one of the fellas had to support each other to go and pick it up.
They kicked the footy around on Princess Park for about 25 minutes and to our surprise no one from Carlton’s administration asked them to get off the oval.
The Judstar and Fellas
On Sunday we packed our vehicle and departed for Phillip Island. Along the way we stopped off at the Melbourne Aquatic Centre. Everyone enjoyed the wave pool; the water slide and the soaring humidity inside the complex were welcomed by all.
Upon our arrival at Phillip Island we were greeted by the YMCA hosts, who made us feel very welcome.
The fellas were that excited to have their feet on land again as opposed to the unforgiving concrete surfaces of the concrete jungle of Melbourne. Later that day we visited the famous Phillip Island Grand Prix track and it was great to hear the roaring engines pass by, even though it was in a flash.
The Next day bought sunshine and all were excited to see the surf that they were going to tackle. Boogie boards were the first of the water activities, which the fellas thoroughly enjoyed. All were not overwhelmed by the huge swell that consistently roared and dumped them toward the shore. They would simply emerge from the whitewash laughing before heading straight back out to do it all over again. The fellas were ‘stoked’ and couldn’t wait for their session on the “Stand up Boards”.
Fellas Getting Ready
The rest of the day was broken up with several activities;
Seal colony which was very interesting even though the sea gulls got all the attention;
Water Balloon War was declared a great activity and fun was had by all;
Archery session, where the safest spot was to stand in front of the target! ;
And finally the night “Penguin Parade”, where the commentary on the parade was very ‘Special’.
The day had finally arrived and the fellas could not wait to get their hands on the Surf Boards. They looked like seasoned campaigners heading out to the surf, boards under their arms ready to tackle anything the sea would throw at them. Once out there, it all turned super serious.
All were a picture of concentration and all wanted to be the first to stand up. It was amazing to watch as the activity rolled on, all were able to stand and catch numerous waves. To see these fellas from the Central Australian desert, standing up and hanging ten was a real hit not only for us, but for the instructors involved as well. The instructors could not believe their eyes and kept stating “they are the most natural surfers they had ever seen”.
Adam Noble Ripping the Surf.
During the afternoon the fellas participated in a bike ride which took in part of the Island. As with all activities the competitive spirit surfaced with plenty of Cadel Evans type performances on the roads. A swim down the beach was needed after the 20 km ride (give or take a couple of km). The fellas reminisced about the proceedings of that morning, and the waves they had ridden, suddenly had become three metre monsters.
The last day involved more surfing and swimming before the drive back to the City. The Camp was a huge success and all involved enjoyed our time away. All Fellas conducted themselves very well and should be proud of their achievements not only during the camp but during the school year as well. Congratulations fellas.
The Pipe Line Masters.
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