Day 7 Eve: Sunset at Rotimah Island
Sailing On acknowledges the Traditional Owners of this incredible
country; the Gunai Kurnai people. We pay our respects to their Elders
past and present. We thank them for their custodianship of the land. We
trust the experience of young people on Sailing On imparts awe, wonder
and respect for this amazing creation and it's people.
Eve of Day 7: April 8th 2016
Packing up camp and sailing away from Rotimah Island is the beginning of
the journey home. Sunset on the eve of pack up is a time for reflection
immersed in the beauty of the surroundings. Noticing the surroundings
and seeing beauty is an both awesome and challenging; placing ourselves
under the changing skies of pink, blue, purple, white - seeing our lives
in another context and reflecting as the sky is reflected in the water.
This is the sunset above that the Sailing On were gifted with.
Day 7 & 8: April 8th & 9th 2016
Day 7: After completing the morning pack up, all Tri-Yaks, Triplet and The Three Kings
were loaded up with gear and crew, ready to sail back to the Banksia
Peninsula and Camp Icthus. Here they were joined by Daryl, a most
welcome volunteer from Xplore and the NAB. Daryl brought fresh
enthusiasm for the last part of the journey - thank you so much.
At Camp Icthus, a group meeting, community meal and celebration was enjoyed by all.
Day 8: Preparation for the return to Narre Warren and
Melbourne is underway. A reflection and debriefing time importantly
checks in with everyone. Over the whole journey each young person has a
mentor whom they can rely on for talking to, to listen to them, to be
there. Along with the goal setting, challenges and reflections, the
mentors part an enormous part in the value of the journey top each young
person. Ultimately however, each young person is to be congratulated
for the way they have faced their personal challenges, overcome fears
and met their goals.
The drive back to Melbourne is made easier by a lunch stop at Rosedale to once again be with the group that is Sailing On 2016!
Ahoy me hearties!! Robert
would like to extend his grateful thanks to volunteers; Ken, Gwen &
R2, Kalinda and Adam who have prepared meals ahead of the trip, taught
sailing skills, mentored, kept people laughing with jokes and fully
committed themselves to the process without which the trip would not be
as successful.
Also, a big yellow trumpet blast to John and Adrian whose professional
skills and dedication to their craft of caring for young people is like
the keel of the boat, keeping people stable in all seas.
Finally, Karen would like to acknowledge the deep care for young people
and love of the outdoors that Robert brings together in Sailing On and
to his desire to help young people see their lives from a new, hopeful
perspective in a bush environment.
Spot the Dolphin!
LOL - technical skills evade me at the moment but watch for one of the
highlights of the trip in Sailing On eNews No. 6, after the crew get
together for a catch up day in May. In the meantime we'll leave
you guessing how many dolphins played around the boats...thanks for
reading Sailing On eNews! Karen
