News Abroad

FISH AND CHIPS, COOKING MUFFINS - that was my introduction to Guiding Australia!

I had so many ideas of how different it would be, bush craft with me following through bush with snakes and all sorts of scary wild life or trying bush cooking with those big fat grubs we see on TV but come on fish and chips after travelling half way round the world…

I was a Guest of the 1st Warner’s Bay Brownie Guides in New South Wales. It was the last meeting before the holidays and the Unit were having a treat. Of course, they do lots of activities but it brought home to me that Guiding in Australia is no different to the UK, lots of cooking, activities and treats!

I had travelled to Australia to visit relatives and my Aunt kindly allowed me to use her house (and washing machine!) as a base to travel around Australia and Tasmania. I had to fit 12 flights in four weeks. Australia is so vast that flights are the only quickest way to travel.

Early in my planning, I decided I wanted to make contact with Guiding Australia and try to visit a Unit. After making contact, I completed all the necessary forms and after a number of e mails all the arrangements were made.

As a result, I visited the 1st Warner’s Bay Brownie Guide Unit in New South Wales. The Unit is run by Margaret (Kookaburra) and Michelle. They had eleven girls at the meeting. In New South Wales, they have too many Leaders and not enough Children, the opposite problem to my Unit. Margaret and Michelle were amazed at the fact I have a Unit of 24 Brownies and a waiting list.

The Brownies were well behaved and we played a UK game changing the animals to Australian ones!! This was a necessity, as they had no idea what a hedgehog was for example! I had to change it to an Echidna an Australian spiky animal.

I then travelled to Sydney for a week’s sight seeing and while there was invited to a jamboree (camp). The local Guiders even arranged transport for me to get to the camp at Silverdale 2 hours out of Sydney. With great thanks to Margo Hebbard, I had a great time. The camp was out in the bush. I was surrounded by tents called Bell tents. You can see from the picture the bell shape although I did query the fact that the wild life seemed to have easy access but I was told it was so the tents were cool in the heat. The camp was very well organised

I suppose to finally add a philosophical ending to my adventures. When I arrived, I found a Brownie dressed in UK uniform. You can see her in my picture. It transpired she was with the Unit for a year as her Father was on secondment from the UK. When I asked her where she came from in the UK, she gave a location 20 minutes from my Unit in Southampton!

That really sums everything up for me. Guiding is such that in any part of the world Guiding is there for Young Girls, it provides consistency and support with common themes so for example Children from all over the world can gain comfort from moving to a new Country by being involved in Guiding. In addition, it proves whatever Country or Religion you maybe it unites all Children into activities, friendship and traditions that are followed across the World.

Michele Cook Unit Guider, 1st Netley Abbey Brownies Hound District