Page 48 - NHS_1983_GROUPS

AUSTRALIAN HOCKEY TOUR, 1983

It was a brisk Sunday morning when the 1st XI Girls
Hockey Team, Miss Bergers and two parents boarded the
bus, together with the Boys Basketball Team, on their
first stage of their Australian tour.

Ten months ago it had all seemed like a dream but, after
months of hard work - chopping and delivering firewood,
haymaking, lawn-mowing, picking up pumpkins, garlic
planting, painting, baking (you name it) - it all started to
become a reality.

There were some very excited and nervous girls who, at
10:55am, boarded the plane. For some it was their first
flight. Two and a half hours later we touched down on
Australian soil.
The first four days were spent in Melbourne, noted for its
beautiful old churches and buildings, along with
beautiful parks, While there we travelled over the
Westgate Bridge to Colac, a very friendly rural town
where we played our first game of hockey.

On Thursday we travelled to Albury for an over-night
stay. The trip was very monotonous - just a straight road
with paddocks and gum trees on each side.

Wagga Wagga was the next stop, the largest city in New
South Wales (which reminded us of Hamilton). Before
meeting our billets for the next two nights we were taken
on a tour of the city and visited the Murray Cod
Catcheries where we saw our first kangaroos and koala
bears. Rear: Wendy Zimmerman, Alison Baird, Barbara Smith, Sharon Acherman, Kim Stirling, Saskia Bergers [Coach].
Seated: Tracey Abbott, Louise Hanes, Jan Plummer, Michelle Tyrie, Denise Collins.
After two very enjoyable days in Wagga Wagga we
moved on to Canberra where we were again billeted for
two nights. Canberra proved to be a very beautiful city.
It was a very tired, but happy, team which arrived home after 14
Our last “leg” was to Sydney and one felt while driving magnificent days that we will remember for a long time. We would all
along that you could be driving anywhere in New like to thank our coach, parents and all who helped an supported our
Zealand. We stayed at a Police Boys’ Club which was fundraising.
ideal for a school party to stay.

We did a lot of sight-seeing, visiting the Opera House We would like to feel that we represented our school and Ngaruawahia
and Sydney Tower, cruised around the harbour and creditably during the tour.
visited Kings Cross. On our final night in Sydney we all - Jan Plummer
went out to dinner at a German restaurant and had a very
enjoyable evening. Amy Conquest (far left), Zone Secretary of the
Although we only won one of our six tour matches, the Wagga Womens Hockey Association, greets the
scores were very close. Considering the teams we played Ngaruawahia High School Girls
were all Representative sides, our team performed
exceptionally well and all encounters were played in a Miss Saskia Bergers upon the Ngaruawahia
very sporting manner. team’s arrival in Wagga.