NT December 2004

By Luke van Zeller, Sports Challenge Senior Coach/Mentor
The week prior to our trip to the Northern Territory , Camilla Milburn, (Manager, Sports Challenge) and I were constantly checking what the temperature was in Katherine and Timber Creek , NT . We were afraid that Sandgropers like ourselves would melt in the heat! Temperatures were in the mid 30’s and we thought, “Yeah, we can handle it”. However, when we arrived in Timber Creek, after the four-hour flight and six-hour drive, it felt like near a thousand degrees, but in reality, it was about 45-degrees Celsius.
After a huge meal of Wild Barramundi at the Wayside Inn, thanks to the efforts of Megan in her 52-degree kitchen and a good sleep, we were ready to have some fun with the kids at Timber Creek School . Camilla and I have had the pleasure of spending time at Timber Creek before but for the rest of the team, Vicky Roberts and Jo Lutz , it was their first time to N.T. , let alone Timber Creek and Katherine. Both Vicky (captain) and Jo were part of the Athens Australian Olympic women’s rowing team.
The day at Timber Creek was one of the most memorable that I have been involved in my six years with Sports Challenge. There were many smiles from not only the kids, but also the coaches. The day involved sport such as basketball, cricket and football as well as teamwork and problem solving games that the kids excelled at.
After a magnificent day with the kids, Darren (the principal) took the Sports Challenge coaches out on the Victoria River to see crocodiles. Unfortunately because of the heat and the fact that Camilla was wearing crocodile repellent, there were no crocs to be seen! Despite this, we still had a wonderful time out on the river and our thanks go out to Darren and Robyn for making the trip possible.
The next day was the second part of our journey. We left Timber Creek very early in the morning to head to Katherine for two days at Clyde Fenton Primary School . The drive was magnificent, with the morning sun lighting up the beautiful country side, with crystal clear blue sky and the rich red of the soil, such a great change from city life.
The two days at Clyde Fenton were fantastic. As it was my second visit, I really enjoyed catching up with the kids again and finding out wether they had reached the goals they had set on our last visit. It was great to see that many of them had achieved their goals and were setting new ones and staring a new journey in life.
Jo and Vicky were able to share their world champion and Olympic rowing experience with the kids, which the kids relished. It was great to see such enthusiasm and a desire to learn about not only the Olympics but also how the girls achieved such great heights in their sport, and the hunger, desire, sacrifices and hard work needed at times to achieve your goal in life. There were many well thought out and interesting questions being asked and hopefully some of the students have been inspired to reach their own goals after rubbing shoulders with champions.
After saying our goodbyes at Clyde Fenton, we headed back to Darwin. The whole trip was spent reminiscing about our experiences in Timber Creek and Katherine. Each team member spent time highlighting what was their favourite part of the trip. Many of the highlights were about the beautiful country and wildlife we saw, but we all agreed that what made the trip was spending time with such fantastic and receptive children. I can’t wait to revisit the Northern Territory again.
Merry Christmas N.T. and we will be back in 2005