Finding culture and competition in the Northern Territory

A bike ride around Uluru and getting up close and personal with some camels have topped the list for best memories from some young adventurers.

With the next school holidays almost upon us, the 10 Cub Scouts from Grafton Scout Group have been reminiscing about their trip to the Red Centre in the April school holidays with three Leaders and three adult helpers for an eight-day trip partially funded by the Dick and Pip Smith Leadership Through Adventure Fund.

Find out more about the Leadership Through Adventure Fund

Alison Perdikaris’ son Michael applied for the grant after learning about Uluru at school. He connected it to Scouting by checking his Cub Scout book for what progressions he needed to achieve, with one to navigate by the stars and find the Southern Cross.

“This trip was something different for the Cub Scouts, with a lot of history and culture to learn about,” Alison said.

“It was somewhere we could explore nature and the natural beauty this part of the country can offer. Just being on a plane was an adventure for some of the Cub Scouts. Michael also didn’t want to do the adventure on his own – he wanted to share the experience with his Scout friends.

“We had plenty of activities planned, including a tour around Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas), both a trek and a bike ride around Uluru, a camel ride, the Field of Lights, an astronomy night, swimming, cultural works, art and craft a the Gallery of Central Australia, and games during ‘down time’ along with a review at the end of each night.”

It takes a lot of effort to plan a trip for 16 people, not just organising flights, accommodation and tours, but also coordinating more fundraising activities. The Group was dedicated to the cause, running Bunnings barbecues; cake stalls; seeking support from local businesses by visiting them directly to seek vouchers and items to raffle off; collecting cans for return and earn; and running a survival bracelet workshop at the local shopping centre and Michael’s school, not only raising funds but awareness about Scouts.

But was all the effort worth it? Emphatically yes!

“There were unplanned experiences we were able to take advantage of by just using our manners and asking,” Alison said. “For example, all the Cubs were allowed to meet the pilot of the plane and get to sit in the cockpit at Uluru.

“We found out the visiting Chaplain who conducted the Easter service had a son who is a Scout from Alice Springs and we caught up with him (his name was Mandela), play cards and eat pizza together and swap badges. We saw animals we didn’t think we would see – snakes, lizards and rabbits. The kids put on a play before one of our reviews one night – unexpected little thespians!

“There was just so much that happened that wasn’t planned. Like how much the kids liked playing handball in every single place we visited. Each and every single place we went to and every moment we had spare the handball competition continued.”

The travellers shared their experiences with friends back home throughout the trip via social media. A daily wrap-up, along with many photos, often made for entertaining reading.

Day 1 – The “We Survived the Flight” Edition Today, our brave band of travellers set off on an epic adventure packed with excitement, mild panic, and a collective fear of plane landings. Emotions were running high – somewhere between “WOOHOO!” and “Why did I sign up for this?”

Day 2 – The One with the Bush Yarn, the $8000 Dot, and the Many-Headed Rocks Today the Cub Scouts got a dose of ancient wisdom at a bush yarn session, learning all about Aboriginal tools – and let’s just say, the takeaways were as varied as the Scouts themselves. Here’s what stuck with them: Michael: “They use hot wire to burn art into wood.” Pyrography – ancient and still cooler than a glue gun. Ted: “Their water bottle doesn’t have sides.” Physics, you’re drunk. Next stop: Gallery of Central Australia (GOCA) – a place full of dots, colours, and price tags that made some of us question our financial life choices. We asked the kids for one-word reviews: Dimitri: “Dots.” Mat: “$8000.” (He checked the price tag, obviously) Jeffery: “Art.” (Nailed it)

Day 4 – Uluru Base Walk (aka The Great Grafton Scout Shuffle) The walk was long but full of surprises: apparently there’s a frog that moos like a cow (science explain yourself), and Uluru? Not smooth at all. It’s bumpy, rugged, and absolutely not like the polished souvenir keychains.

Day 5 – Culture, Chaos and Questionable Cuisine The day ended on a magical note with the Field of Light – an incredible display of thousands of solar-powered lights glowing softly across the desert. It felt like walking through a dream (if dreams had mozzies and slightly sandy shoes). Everyone was quiet for once, just taking it all in.

Day 6 – Camels, Chaos and Campfire Stars! The camel farm was a hit from the moment we arrived. Saddles galore, fascinating facts about how much weight these desert giants can haul (spoiler: a lot), and of course… the souvenir shopping frenzy! Bags were filled, wallets were lightened, and spirits were high. And let’s not forget the real show: the camels themselves. Some farted, some sneezed, and at least one belched a scent that could knock your hat off. Each had a personality – some were stubborn, others chilled – but we learned they’re all teenage camels, rescued from the wild and trained with care.

But what did the Cub Scouts think?

Favourite part of the trip?

Michael: The Field of Lights and bike ride around Uluru. I thought the Field of Lights was really, really pretty and wasn’t a long walk, but I also liked the bike ride because it was smoother and easier than doing the walk around Uluru.

Ted: The camel ride, because it was fun and relaxing.

Gabriella: The camel ride, because it was so much fun!

Nahla: The camel rides as it was really fun.

Most challenging part of the trip?

Michael: The walk around Uluru because it was so long.

Ted: Sharing cabins with other Cub Scouts who like to argue over everything.

Gabriella: Riding the bikes through the sandy parts around Uluru because it was hard to ride through and lots of kids fell off their bikes in these sections.

Nahla: Walking around Uluru on crutches (Nahla hurt her foot, had a visit to the health centre, X-rays, was bandaged up and had to use crutches to get around Uluru Base Walk. What a mission and what determination!)

Something you learned?

Michael: I learnt that camels have toes and not hooves and that it’s awkward when they go to sit down.

Ted: I learnt a lot about Uluru. I found the Aboriginal stories about the rock interesting.

Gabriella: I learnt that Aboriginal people used to live at Uluru and there are rock paintings in the caves showing you they used to live there. We were told the artworks were like being at school and learning. I also learnt that the word Kata Tjuta means Many Heads.

Nahla: Learning about the emu in the sky and that some of the stars in the sky are actually planets.