Stanmore More than sightseeing For many students, the chance to visit new places and actively help others as part of a Service Learning Tour is a highlight of their time at Newington. Red Centre Service Learning Tour Here, a group of Year 11 students reflect on their experiences as part of the 2018 Red Centre Service Learning tour. During the tour, the students visited key sites, camped under the stars, played AFL with local children, and worked on a remote property owned by one of the group’s tour guides, traditional Aboriginal landowner John Liddle. Bradley Parker (11/JN) After going on the Red Centre tour, I now know that my previous experience of the Australian outback was superficial to say the least. This time, while we did visit the sights, we also got to learn, in- depth, about both Aboriginal culture and the Aboriginal experience in modern Australia. This was especially helped by the nightly discussions with Aboriginal leaders, who told us their stories and implored us to take positive action to work with Indigenous communities in the future. The work we did on Johnny Liddle’s property, while phycally exhausting, wassi one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences I’ve had in my life. Max Hochuli, Oliver Saleh, Samuel Perivolaris and Brad Parker. Henry Cain (11/LE) working hard with my peers was very The work on the farm was a big challenge, rewarding for me. It was the hardest given the hot conditions and the hard work I have ever done. I also made work they had us doing, but seeing the some new friends along the way. results at the end made this one of the big highlights of the tour. The AFL game was Service learning definitely something no one on the tour in Tonga will forget anytime soon – the experience of playing sport on the dirt, with dogs Callum Stewart (11/MA) was one of a running around and the odd firework still group of 14 students to visit Tupou lying around from the night before. Theday College in Tonga during the winter also provided proof that sport can bring holidays as part of Newington’s 9th people together from completely different Annual Tonga Tour. Here he shares what backgrounds and life experiences, the experience was like. providing a platform for these people to What motivated you to join the Tonga relate and have a great conversation. tour this year? Aiden Bowie (11/ME) At Newington, we are incredibly lucky to It was great to be amongst a tight-knit have the opportunity to visit Tupou community and giving a helping hand in College and I had heard amazing stories their work. Being with Aboriginal people from the boys who have been on was a great experience for me and previous tours to Tonga, so I knew it opened my eyes to the world outside was something I had to experience while Samuel Perivolaris and Henry Cain hard at Sydney and major cities. work digging an irrigation trench on the I was at Newington. Liddle family’s traditional land for their Samuel Perivolaris (11/MO) bush tucker garden affectionately referred To work on [the Liddle] family’s land and What were the best parts of the trip? to as the ‘Newington Garden’. to make a tangible difference while One of the best parts was being able to 12| NEWS SPRING 2018| GRATITUDE