Atauro’s Reef – Monday 30 June

By Kaiya & Olivia S

It was a cracking start to the day, with a breakfast overlooking a beautiful sunrise.

We had all waited in anticipation about whether the conditions were good enough to go snorkeling. We received the exciting news and everyone was immediately running to go get ready.

For some, it was the first time snorkeling so there were some nerves throughout the group. We chucked on our flippers and goggles from Barry and went down to the beach to board local fishermen’s boats.

The journey out to the reef was a little rough and we felt every single wave, but it was such an amazing experience. The reefs are one of the most biodiverse in the world, popping with colour, wildlife and even fire coral. When we came in we conversed about what we saw and compared experiences, before having lunch. 

After lunch, we were picked up by four Tuk Tuks to take us to the small village of Vila.

Most of us had never been in a Tuk Tuk before, so this was a new shared experience for all of us. We were squeezed in, sitting shoulder to shoulder with each other.

Although they didn’t move very fast, every bump and pot hole in the road was definitely felt. The scenery on the drive was beautiful, with views of the ocean and mountains visible simultaneously.

We arrived at the village of Vila and visited a store named Biojoia de Ataúro that was run by women who are hearing impaired. The store sold a variety of hand-made jewellery such as, woven bracelets, seeded necklaces and other handcrafted items.

Just across the road was another store called Boneca, which is a rag-doll born on the island of exile, that crossed seas and borders to travel the world. Boneca is “a factory of shared knowledge”, where women are empowered to find their space, dignity and economic independence. The store contains “knowledge of fulfilled dreams and dreams yet to be fulfilled.” The toys were mostly crafted with a mixture of tais, and we were amazed by the intricacy and beauty of their products.

We climbed back into the tuk tuks, to visit Atauro’s AHHA school.

At the AHHA school, we were welcomed by the teachers and students and invited to sit down. To start, we were buddied with a student to introduce ourselves and begin making connections.

What started with one on one conversations turned into small group games. A soccer game was started between the students at AHHA and Radford.

With much help from Santos on the defensive side of the game and Mr Mordike scoring two goals himself, we were able to compete. After an intense rivalry, we came together to play some games with the whole group.

The teacher at AHHA taught us all a new game, which involved racing each other for chairs and a lot of laughter. To calm everyone down after the intense game, we combined to sing a beautiful chapel song that both schools know and love. They sang us the national anthem of Timor Leste, and although we didn’t know the translation, the words and sound still held a lot of meaning. We got challenged to sing our Australian in return, and it was a lovely way to share parts of our different cultures.

We then had a group photo and shared numbers, handshakes and hugs. It was hard to say goodbye, but the personal bonds, and whole school connections made on this school visit are long lasting, making the perfect end to day nine.

Opportunities arise in small situations,

A simple chat , a trip away.

To be able to take the opportunities,

One must be willing to explore.

Explore the possibility of the present,

While staying away from the future.

One must not regret what should’ve happened,

and see the possibility of what could happen,

and one must never let the pressure of expectations,

stop opportunity from being taken.