Page 46 - NHS Beyond the Classroom

Australia Hockey Tour 1983

SENIOR GIRLS HOCKEY TOUR TEAM, 1983
Standing: Wendy Zimmerman, Alison Baird, Barbara Smith, Sharon Acherman, Kim Stirling,
Miss Saskia Bergers [Coach].
Seated: Tracey Abbott, Leslie Haines, Jan Plummer, Michelle Tyrie, Denise Collins.

It was a brisk Sunday morning when the 1st our first Kangaroos and Koala Bears.
XI Girls Hockey Team, Miss Saskia Bergers and After two very enjoyable days in Wagga
two parents boarded the bus (together with the boys Wagga we moved on to Canberra where we were
basketball team) on their fist stage of an Australian again billeted for two nights. Canberra proved to be
tour. Ten months ago it had all seemed like a dream a very beautiful city.
but after months of hard work - chopping and Our last “leg” was to Sydney and one felt,
delivering firewood, haymaking, lawnmowing, while driving along, that you could be driving
picking up pumpkins, garlic planting, painting, anywhere in New Zealand. We stayed at a Police
baking, you name it - it all started to become a Boy’s Club which was ideal for a school party to
reality. stay. We did a lot of sightseeing, visited the Opera
There were some very excited and nervous House and Sydney Tower, cruised around the
girls who, at 10:55am, boarded the plane. For some harbour and visited Kings Cross. On our final night
it was their first flight. Two and a half hours later in the city we all went out to dinner at a German
we touched down on Australian soil. restaurant and had a very enjoyable evening.
The first four days were spent in Melbourne, Although we only won one of our six tour
noted for its beautiful old churches and buildings matches, the scores were very close. Considering
and beautiful parks. While there we travelled over the teams we played were all Representative sides,
the Westgate Bridge to Colac, a very friendly rural our team performed exceptionally well, and all
town where we played our first game of hockey. encounters were played in a very sporting manner.
On Thursday we travelled to Albury for an It was a very tired but happy team which
over-night stay. The trip was very monotonous - arrived home after 14 magnificent days that we will
just a straight road with paddocks and gum trees on remember for a long time. We would all like to
each side. thank our Coach Ms Bergers, parents and all who
Wagga Wagga was the next stop, the largest helped and supported our fundraising. We would
city in New South Wales (which reminded us of like to feel that we represented our school and
Hamilton). Before meeting our billets for the next Ngaruawahia creditably during the tour.
two nights we were taken on a tour of the city and
visited the Murray Cod Hatcheries where we saw - Jan Plummer