Scouts Head To The Hills For A Campload Of Fun And Adventure

Newcastle Herald

Saturday January 3, 2004

By STEPHEN JOHNSON

MUD slides and abseiling are among the adventures awaiting Hunter Scouts at the 20th Australian Jamboree, at Adelaide.

About 500 Scouts and Venturers from Port Stephens, the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and the Central Coast will join 11,000 youths from 18 countries for 12 days of outdoor fun at the Woodhouse Activity Centre, in South Australia's Adelaide Hills.

Sian Brown, 14, from 1st Merewether Scouts, and 40 of her friends will camp in marquee tents by night and get covered in dirt by day as Scouts from Norway, Mongolia, Nepal and Fiji take part in jamboree challenges.

``You can talk to Scouts across the world and meet Scouts from Australia,"she said.

Sian has packed some old clothes and is looking forward to ``getting dirty" with the Challenge Valley obstacle course, which involves climbing ropes and navigating a mud slide.

Her father, Bill Brown, a leader with Sian's Scout group will return to the venue where he had fun when he was a 13-year-old Scout at a jamboree in 1973.

``It's a terrific experience for kids," he said.

``You certainly do strike up some long-term friendships ."

Sian does not reckon her dad will have enough time to keep a watchful eye on her all the time.

Scouts from the Hunter will be joined by 66 leaders when they hop onto 11 buses at EnergyAustralia Stadium today for the 22-hour trip to Adelaide.