Amazing Race visits Darwin
The Amazing Race has visited Darwin – the Dukes Mob Amazing Race that is. Seven students from Katherine High School ventured to Darwin to participate in the first ‘Wilderness to Wharf’ initiative for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
As part of this initiative students participated in an Amazing Race that saw them venture through Darwin and locate specific landmarks such as the museum by using various.JPG)
modes of transport including bike riding, bus travel and walking. After they followed their clues and directions they completed the race by fish feeding at Darwin’s Harbour Wharf.
Dukes Award Executive Officer, Ms Jane Brennan said ‘Wilderness to Wharf’ was designed to encourage ‘bush’ youth to participate in city craft, training to enhance their social and communication skills in a city environment.
“Traditionally the Dukes Award encourages youth to head out bush to learn ‘bush’ skills but so many Territory youth are ‘bush’ smart so this Wilderness to Wharf initiative has been devised to test youth’s ability to adapt to a city environment, differing greatly from their day to day activities,” she said.
Wilderness to Wharf brings students from remote locations across the Northern Territory into Darwin to conduct city craft training, with a focus on i mproving personal presentation and communication skills that will assist students with future employment.
To reward the Katherine students for their involvement, they enjoyed a lavish lunch with the Administrator of the Northern Territory, Mr Tom Pauling AO QC at Government House and were treated to a scenic tour of the establishment. They also enjoyed a ride on the jet boat ‘Shark Attack’ which proved a rare opportunity for many as most students only get to the ocean in Darwin once or twice a year. The representatives also appeared as guests on the radio station Hot 100, where they discussed the project and what they felt they got out of it.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award aims for the Wilderness to Wharf program to extend to a number of remote locations throughout the Territory including Jabiru, Ramingining, Gove and Numbulwar.
If you would like to hear more about Wilderness to Wharf or support the initiative please contact The NT Award office (08) 8947 7071 .