Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to talk briefly about an honour that was bestowed upon me between 12 and 19 July this year when I, as the patron for the Darling Range Sports College in Western Australia, which used to be the Forestfield Senior High School, had the honour and privilege of taking nine students through the East Kimberley on a trek. For those opposite who may not have had the pleasure of seeing the East Kimberley region, we ventured out of Kununurra at the top end of WA on a 40-minute flight south-west to a place called Kachana Station. I have to tell you that 16 years travelling as a truckie through that part of the world was pretty tough from inside an air-conditioned cab looking out of the windscreen but to actually get out there, walk the country, live on it and live off it really did open my eyes.

As I said, I took nine students out there with the help and support of some very decent people—some of whom I would like to mention. One of them is Mr Greg Maynard, who is the director of the sports college. I would also like to mention his fellow assistant teacher Ms Amanda Fleming. I was also joined on that trip by some supporters—namely, Mr George Takla and his son Medhat. Mr and Mrs Takla are in the gallery today and I welcome them here to Canberra. It is great to see them. George was absolutely fantastic in more ways than one in supporting us.

But, as we travelled through, there is one person I really must congratulate and thank. He is a great friend of mine, one Mr John Davis, affectionately known as JD. JD and I have been mates for a long, long time; we came through the trucking industry together. It all started when JD said to me that his granddaughter goes to a state school and suggested that we should visit and have a look at this state school because it is something out of the ordinary. I did that, and I must say that it is a special school.

But I have more to say on the trek. What happened was that we were taken by two Cessna Caravans to Kachana Station—as I said, about 40 minutes south-west of Kununurra—and were dumped on a remote airstrip. I have to tell you that it looked lovely from the air. Once we hit the ground, we were at the Chamberlain River, if I remember rightly, where we had a very enjoyable lunch while we put our 18-kilogram backpacks on. I think that was the last enjoyable lunch till the Saturday seven or eight days later.

The students learnt orienteering and how to survive out there on their own. They learnt leadership skills. We had a group that took us out there called Adventure Out. Adventure Out had some very fine scouts, assistants or whatever they are called—I am sorry; I do not know the proper word. They told us that this was the last bastion. They said, ‘It’s pretty easy.’ They said, ‘If you want to have a good trek and enjoy some hardness and hardship, do Kokoda; if you want to get the living daylights flogged out of you for the next seven days and really question your place in this world, then you do the Kimberley.’ They also told us that there would be no porters and that we would be carrying everything ourselves. As I said, 18-kilogram backpacks are not bad for the first hour, but it is different when you are traipsing across some of the harshest country in this fine continent of ours, where with just about every step we took we did not know what was under our feet. I have never walked on so many rocks in my life, let alone through spinifex and through creeks, and it was absolutely amazing.

All our water was collected as we walked. We did not have Powerade, Coca-Cola or choc milk at every turn. Everything was collected as we went. The food we ate was dehydrated. I must say, Mr President—you know me well enough—that I am proud to say that I lost four kilograms that week; that is how harsh it was. So I can recommend it to a lot of senators if they really want a challenge. Join me next year; put your hand in your pocket, fund one of the kids whom we are taking and join us. It is there for the taking.

To talk a little bit about how the kids conducted themselves, these students—make no mistake—earned their right. It was not decided by names drawn out of a hat. These students—these young Australians, 17-year-olds—actually had to apply to do the trek. I tell you what: what a fantastic bunch! We had three boys and six girls. It is just amazing how they left us oldies—I do not think my good friend George up there would mind my calling us oldies—for dead. I tell you what: they were an inspiration to us; they really were. They carried us through—some of the older ones, who found each day a little bit harder.