Operation 2000

NOTE: The planned Kakadu Trip has been cancelled due to a Tropical Cyclon near Darwin and the Kakadu National Park area. Operation Kakadu has been moved to the end of June 2000. Kakadu Trip was cancelled the second time because the chartered airplane was not available due to the Fijian Crisis. But the real reason was the contractor who was responsible for organising the trip cheated the Scout Association and ran away with the money. Everyone was extremely disappointed especially the Scouts.

Prologue

Operation Kakadu was an ambitious project organised and run by the Scout Association of Australia. A total of 350 Scouts and Leaders participated in the adventure. From 15th Essendon Sea Scouts the following scouts were among the 350 scouts who had the adventure of their life: Kevin, David, Julian, Courtenay, Geordie, Hamish, Madeleine and Thomas.

Sunday 25th June 2000

Leave Melbourne Tullamarine Airport at approximately midnight by chartered Jet.

Monday 26th June 2000

Arrive Darwin, travel to Kakadu, sightseeing to Jim Jim Falls and other tourist attractions.

Tuesday 27th June 2000

Arrive Darwin just before dawn and after breakfast and a drink, we board our chartered coaches for the trip to Kakadu. On the way, we will stop for a briefing at the information Centre where we will hear from the local Rangers about our obligations in hiking in such an area of significance to the Traditional Owners.

We will arrive at the hike start points at around mid morning. Lunch that day will be th first from our ration packs. We will be using the latest American Marine, Self-Heating ration packs. After gear checks and basic orientation, we set off on the first day's hike. On the way we will participate in various activities. We will arrive at our first night's campsite late afternoon and setting up tents and having dinner, we will participate in other activities. All these activities are designed to increase our knowledge of the local Aboriginal lore and culture, habitat and local flora and fauna.

Wednesday 28th June 2000

On average, we will be hiking about 10km each day, although some individual routes may be longer or shorter each day. The hiking will be around the 'Nourlangie Rock' and the 'Brockman Massif' areas. These two features are part of the Arnhem Land escarpment and are very siginificant to the Traditional Owners of the area. Many rock carvings and paintings are to be seen in this remote area.

Thursday 29th June 2000

Each day, we will be stopping for lunch in the middle of the day and then rest in the shade for a period, before proceeding to our next activity and then on to the evening's camp site.

Friday 30th June 2000

On Tuesday morning we will rise early and have the last of the hike rations for breakfast and lunch. We will then proceed back to the pick up points, to board our coaches to travel to the main base camp where we will dine on a magnificent banquet prepared for us by a Chef brought in especially from Perth. After dinner we will board our coaches to travel to Jabiru and then set up camp in the Jabiru Caravan Park for the night.

After setting up, we expect to be entertained by special Guest Artists in a 'Concert Under The Stars'. We hope to play host to the people of Jabiru.

Saturday 1st July 2000

After a great nights sleep and a breakfast, again, prepared by our guest Chef, we will board our coaches to do the 'touristy bit'. We will be visiting the Ranger Mine, Jabiru township, Ubirr Rock where 'Crocodile Dundee' was filmed, go on a Crocodile Cruise and visit major wetland areas where we will be able to see huge flocks of water birds including the Jabiru, Australia's only stock. After dinner, we will arrive back in Darwin in time to catch our chartered flight at about midnight for Melbourne.

Sunday 2nd July 2000

We will arrive in Melbourne at about dawn.

Epilog

An experience of a life time!

Soon-Lee Lim is the Scout Leader of the 15th Essendon Sea Scouts

The day we flew off from Tullamarine Airport ................well it didn't happen!!!

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