Rites of Passage

13-07-2011 - 11-08-2011

3G Lo Lok Yin Clarence

Throughout the RoP programme, we kept challenging ourselves, taking initiatives and stepping out of our comfort zone. And little by little these started to change the way I perceived things. Slowly I started to notice the detail of things we saw during the expedition, even at times when we’re exhausted. And on the SOLO day, all the little details were combined together, then I found that I felt completely different when I looked at the Mary River. I tried to think of the things which had been bothering me in Hong Kong, and my view on those things seemed to differ. A new way of thinking has been built up.

“Running over the same old ground, what have we found? The same old fears, wish you were here…” I sang when I was on my flight back to Hong Kong. Yeah, same old fears, but it is a different me.

3A Kan Tsz Hang

Standing at the edge of a cliff to have a glimpse of the bottom from the top was breathtaking even for imagination. So what about abseiling down? Many of us were intimidated and struggled on whether to have a try or not. Those who had a shot all left Australia with this awesome once-in-a-life experience and pride as rewards. We encounter difficulties almost every day in our life. If we choose to turn our backs on them, we choose to be losers. But if we face them the way we faced abseiling and give it a shot, we get closer to accomplishment. This is how the RoP programme had shaped us into lifelong learners who try things spontaneously.

Cooking in the wild with a “Trangia” (a set of portable stove and other cookware), obtaining drinking water by purifying untreated water with water purification tablets, sitting around a campfire on chilly nights etc, these experiences are especially novel for metropolitans like us. Apart from learning, I bet most of us miss the time at the campsites under the cloudless sky of Australia. We loved how close we were to the nature and how simple life was there. As simple as a bacon-and-egg sandwich for breakfast made a good treat for us. It was really a pleasure to see the happy faces when we played Ultimate Frisbee and football on the grassy fields. After spending a month in the “oasis”, I understand that sometimes we have to ditch our stressful lifestyle and go beyond the concrete jungle in order to be recharged by the nature.

3E Janice Lam

“You must believe, believe that it will be like a fairytale, with happy ever after as the ending.” This song circled around all of us, adding to the mood when we were cruising along different trails and now, as the goodbye song that marks the end to our RoP programme. As we board the coach to leave Tuchekoi, our home for 28 days, countless memories came flooding back and we smiled; happy tears escaped our eyes because we knew that our four weeks of challenging physical experiences, the unbreakable bonds between group members and instructors, the absolutely impeccable view we saw everyday and the incredible amount of understanding we’d accumulated were irreplaceable.

The programme was inevitably hard – we had to go on several expeditions for a few days, with no showers and the risk of having our food eaten by wild animals; we had to rock-climb, abseil down 35-metre steep slopes; we had to canoe for the whole day and mountain-bike down rocky slopes. However, we endured all of these with the help of our group members. We supported each other in times of need, we shared laughter and tears together, and we broke the gender gap. But, most importantly, we matured into “Confident Individuals”, “Lifelong Learners” and “Responsible Global Citizens”, three of the focal points of the programme.

3B Cordelia Lee

“Let me see... okay. Can you see that little crack above your head? Do you think you can reach that? Keep climbing, you’re doing great.”

This was the second Big Activity Day. I was excited to go rock-climbing and challenge myself. The first two or three meters were easy; it was more walking than climbing. The next ones were more demanding. Finally, I got stuck.

I looked up and saw the tiny crack our instructor was referring to. It was in fact tiny. I gulped. No way, I thought. I carefully let go of one hand and tried to reach it. My fingers could barely fit into the crack. What if I fell? What if my belayer failed to tighten the rope? Minutes passed, all I could see was the impossible little crack above my head. I was about to give up…

“Where’s Corde? I can’t see her. CORDE? Are you still up there?” It was my teammate. I chuckled to myself. Here I was, some ten meters above the ground, my weight relying solely on the slope and a belayer whom I couldn’t even see anymore. Yet I was not about to give up…

I took a deep breath, glared at the little crack, stuck my fingers in, and straightened my legs with all my might. I found footing and settled myself again. One step down, just a few more to go. I did it!

I have met some great friends – who are truly caring and supportive, who lend you a helping hand whenever you need it and always encourage you to go on.

3G Cheng Kar Lam

To be honest, I hated hiking before. However, the 28 days in Australia let me experience the fun of it. Hiking for a long distance every day was tiring, but we enjoyed the time singing songs, chatting and eating. Hiking can actually be interesting, if we try to take a look at the surrounding scenery – where the skies are blue, and the fields are green – it is just so amazing.

When we found out that we’d walked 6 km during the first day of expedition 1, we already thought we were so great. In expedition 2, we biked, then we canoed, and we hiked again. At that time I still didn’t realise we were actually getting better and better. In expedition 3, we even hiked 15 km a day. We’d gradually improved physically and mentally. We could accomplish so many things because we supported each other, and also because of the encouragement from our instructors, Adam and Brock.

3G Chan Yi Cheng

When the kookaburra starts to sing at the crack of dawn,

And turkeys come around to snatch our food,

Waking us to conquer one more tiring long day,

We grudgingly pack and start our hike,

Heading to our destination hand in hand.

The sun is our hope, giving us directions;

The moon gives us guidance, she’s our light;

The wind is our console and our comfort;

And the stars, watching over us when we rest.

We learn we have the duty to cherish our Earth,

Who will share her precious resources in return.