RYE: Valentin's Update

 

On Monday we went for a little hike to near Ellenbrook as Family. We made a little four-kilometre-long hike alone the Goat Trail. It was a pretty spot to walk and to explore the Nature of WA. I Finally go the opportunity to walk on the famous Australian red stones. Afterwards we went to a German Restaurant with the name Duckstein Brewery. It was a little bit of a surprise how good an sometimes very different people interpretate German dishes. 

 

At Tuesday morning's Rotary meeting, Brian Harris from Harrisburg Pennsylvania, who was one of the first Rotary Youth Exchange student in 1963/64, visited us and gave us a little presentation about his exchange and his learnings and the Benefit of Rotary in his life. He is now an active Rotarian in his Club with about 90 members, which is really impressive. After his exchange year he had to travel back to the US for 11 Days on a Ship, which I recon this an outstanding and great way of ending your Exchange year. It was very interesting to hear his story and his experiences 60 years after his exchange.


On the weekend I was doing a 30 Hour Scout Sailing race. “Swanabout” is a competition from all the six scout groups along the Swan River, where you are trying to sail as many kilometres as possible. Sleeping was not one of the priorities everyone has. 

 

The whole time was just amazing. We sailed for more than 12hrs straight and I’m super happy to have the opportunity to be on the water sailing all the time and enjoying the company of my scout mates. 

 

At 9a.m the race started and I sailed on a pacer with my mate Hunter, where we had a enjoyable and exiting time sailing on the beautiful Swan River. At around 2:40p.m. after the wind picked up Hunter as the more experienced sailor highly recommended not to stay on the water. Afterwards I found out, that the Leader were about to tell the pacers to go of the water and some other Sailing club racer had problems with the wind as well. After we stored our Pacer at Heathcote we drove to Pelican Point in a motorboat and went back to Camp Walter in a car with Mike. 

 

We had a long dinner and relaxing break. Before we headed with my Sister Ailiana and another scout back on the water to do a short course to Mosman Bay and Back to Point Walter. After we came back we decided to do another short course without scouts and on this trip we came up with the idea of a making a long course witch would take us around 5 hrs and wouldn’t give us a lot of sleep. So we started the long course at 3a.m. and just with our great sleeping system we all made it through the night.

 

Because we were now five people onboard we always had one person sleeping, one person being ready to take over when needed and three persons sailing. We came back to our scout hall at 10a.m., which was later than we expected. After we had some bacon and eggs for breakfast all the ventures from my crew left and went back home to get some sleep. Because Tom my Hostdad is a scout leader he needed to stay there and I liked to hang out at the scout hall with them and wait for the other crew to come back, before I fell into a 3 hour long sleep on the veranda in a swag. At 4p.m. we packed up and headed home. It was a great experience and I love sailing even more now.

And last but not least a massiv HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best Mentor, Ian Fairnie. 🥳