The Stage Band Tour to Adelaide & Mt. Gambier
The Stage Band have completed a very successful trip to Adelaide and Mt Gambier, leaving the gates of Palmerston North Boys High School at 2.15am on Saturday 26th September they finally arrived at their destination of Adelaide at 3.30pm Saturday 26th August. After settling into their accommodation at the Adelaide Central YHA a quick walking tour of the city the band was immediately impressed with the openness, cleanliness and heritage of a great city. Sunday 27th September was a very welcome sunny 25 degrees and a 25 min train journey took the band to the historic Port of Adelaide, where they were taken on a guided walk of this very historic area. The group were welcomed by the guide who was lovely lady and a kiwi from Otago. She was most impressed with the fact that these were the boys from the Haka School, she had been sent the link of the Haka for Dawson Tamatea, by her son and asked to have a photo taken with the boys so that she could say she had met them. A trip into Adelaide centre that night certainly made the boys aware of the size of Adelaide as the annual Moon Lantern Festival was held on the banks of the river, and it seemed as though everyone in Adelaide was there, the crowds were immense.
Monday 28th the band left early for the hour and a half journey into the Adelaide Hills to spend the day with Mr Bill Broughton, a renowned trombonist, director, composer, and motivator. We were welcomed to his historic home by Mr Broughton, his wife Jan and the local district Mayor. The morning was spent with a workshop on band dynamics and then after a wonderful home cooked lunch by the pool the boys spent the afternoon in a Leadership and positive thinking workshop.
Tuesday 29th was another early start to get on the road for the five hour bus journey to a Penola, a small town on the way to Mount Gambier. There the band stopped and provided an hour performance for the elderly residents of the aged care facility. There had never been anything like this before and the residents were delighted, and very happy to see young men in uniform and neatly groomed. After the performance there was a quick stop to take in the street of historic cottages from the late 1800's still maintained in original condition. Another surprise had been organised for the boys and they were somewhat perplexed to stop at the local auto spare parts workshop until a visit to the office found two Kangaroo joeys hanging in their baskets. These had been taken in for the boys to have a cuddle by a local woman who undertakes Kangaroo rescue work, a really lovely experience for the boys. Once on the bus it was a quick trip out to the farm of Mrs Rosalie Skeer, where roasting marshmallows and crumpets on a fire and quick walk through the National Park gave the boys a taste of rural Australia. Onto Mount Gambier and accommodation was at the Old Mount Gambier Gaol, this gaol was only disestablished in 1997 and was situated behind a large stone wall, where entry could only be obtained by a code which was held by the staff only.
Wednesday 30th September, the band undertook a visit to the James Morrison Jazz Academy and a meeting with the maestro himself Mr James Morrison. An idol of many of the boys and Mr Lauridsen this was a momentous day. The band was privileged to sit in on the assessments of some of the students and very interested to listen to the feedback given to the students by the assessors. No punches were pulled. The band were then given a rundown on the academy by Mr Morrison and a question and answer time. It was also very humbling to see Mr Bill Broughton there who had driven over to take part with the boys. Mount Gambier proved to be another spectacular and historic town which provided many exceptional sightseeing highlights for the boys.
Thursday 1st October, the band travelled back to Adelaide, stopping on the way at the Naracoorte Caves, the only world heritage site in South Australia. These caves while amazing to see the formations are spectacular for the fact of the fossils that are found in them and date back some 400,000 years and give an amazing insight into the size of animals such as kangaroos, koalas etc back then.
Friday 2nd October, the band undertook a 30 min tram journey out to Glenelg Beach, another spectacular area of Adelaide, with the temps rising to around 31dgs the beach and a swim were high on the agenda, a quick catch up with old music teacher Mr Sava Djukic was a welcome surprise.
After an afternoon journey back into the city it was very pleasant to undertake a warm Friday evening and late night shopping experience and see how the city came alive.
Saturday 3rd October, an 8am departure time for the trip back to New Zealand with a long stop over and transfer in Sydney and the band eventually arrived home to the gates of PNBHS at 3am Sunday 4th October.
It was a very successful and enjoyable experience to tour with boys in this year’s tour, they performed above and beyond expectations at all times and presented the school in excellent light at every occasion. A huge thanks to Mr Neville and Mrs Diane Lauridsen for all that was organised and overseen by them and the success of the tour was purely down to their input at all times.
