Northern Territory
General contact: 1300 889 566
or capricornia@dragonsabreast.com.au (Regional Representative)
darwin@dragonsabreast.com.au (Darwin)
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(below) Lord Mayor of Darwin reading Robyne's poem, "My Lovely Wife" - click here
for words |
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click on images to enlarge
MOON TIME
I remember the first time I saw Moontime, she was in a work-shed at the
Correctional Services facility. Even in pieces, she looked special. The
team had been looking forward to the benefits of a second boat for a long
time, and now she was only weeks away from completion.
At our next meeting, Moontime was fully assembled and looking like the
majestic dragon she is supposed to represent. The glints of challenge
in her eyes, the bared teeth were all softened by the glorious display
of balloons and paper ribbons. As each of our paddlers arrived at the
launch, you could feel the pride and the realisation of being part of
another major achievement for our cause. As we looked on her with awe,
we all seem to have the same comment to make "Isn't she beautiful!"
Her launch was nothing less than she deserved. During all the pomp and
pageantry, she looked down on us from her lofty position, regal and imposing.
The Lion Dancers, in their colourful costumes, paid her homage. The Monks
performed their blessings and now Moontime was ready for the task of carrying
her cargo of paddlers.
I hadn't realised the amount of effort that was required to get 'another
boat'. It's not like buying a car. You can't just go to the car yard
and say: "I'll have that one please!"
To see the end product - after the countless hours of effort, both mentally
and physically, was absolutely wonderful. A dream had become a reality.
The possibilities are now endless for our group of 'paddlers on a mission'. Now that Moontime is in the water alongside her sister, Sunshine, we can
continue to grow, expanding the number of participants in our sport, ultimately
reaching a wider audience with our message of 'life after a breast cancer
diagnosis'.
written by Pat Skewes
This page last updated:
September 16, 2008
