It has been a week since we arrived back in Australia. A week since we arrived back from our travels to Timor.
We wonder what has changed for you.
We wonder what is the same.
Have you slipped back into old habits or has some of Timor stayed with you?
Traveling to Timor is different for everyone. Whilst we may share common experiences how we feel and what we do with this differs.
For many Timor is about connection, friendship and taking time to be in community.
So What?
Kantina Matak.
The Presidential Palace.
Atauro.
Dili.
Same.
CHEGA.
Santa Cruz.
Barry.
Brian.
Mario
The President.
Ana.
Bella.
Iram.
Sebastiao Gomes.
Roger East
Eco.
It is what we do with what we have learned that matters now. The small things. They matter.
Saying hello to people we meet.
Showing kindness and acceptance.
Taking time to not only listen but hear what others are saying.
Working together as one for the Common Good.
As we step into tomorrow we are reminded of the following: Never to. Not for. But with.
We look forward to time together after the break. Keep an eye out for an invite. Until then… talk with each other. Be kind. Be the best versions of yourselves.
We began our final full day in Timor with breakfast at 7. We were then picked up at 8:30 by the party bus to head to Dare Memorial School. We were greeted with smiling faces and excited kids.
They sang us a song hello my friend welcome, and then we sang together, B-I-N-G-O, the lion sleeps tonight and a Ram Sam Sam. We then sang riptide. It was a small school with three classrooms and one outdoor meeting space but lots of children.
Radford College has been coming to this school since 2009 were we share a strong connection with the community. The school is located on a hair pin corner on the side of the mountain and they are hoping to move to a new location 200 m down the mountain.
We split up between the classrooms and mingled with the children varying ages from 5 – 17. There was various things to do from drawing on chalk boards, colouring in, playing cards, playing with balls, playing music and talking.
We all made very special connections with the children and it was hard to say goodbye.
We will all cherish the connections we made today forever and hope that we can find ways to stay in touch with the people we have become closest to. The teachers at Dare hope that the connections we built will not be forgotten
We then had lunch at Pateo the Portuguese cafe and supermarket and everyone was very pleased with their meals. After lunch we wandered around the Tais markets, there were many many different shops. These all included Tias fabrics, bracelets, bags and so many other souvenirs many of which are made by the women at the tais markets themselves. Our party bus then dropped us back to the hotel where we began the arduous task of trying to fit everything back in our bags.
We enjoyed a sunset walk to the beach where everyone took plenty of photos and reflected on stories of the previous 10 days together.
Our final dinner together was at a restaurant called Pro Ema. Pro Ema is part of the social gastronomy movement, working to combat, hunger and malnutrition, through the complete utilisation of food and waste reduction. The desserts were beyond extraordinary ranging with flavours of red velvet and rich chocolate to flavours of coconut and fresh fruits.
After dinner we all received a tais diary as a small gift and a token of our travels and a place to collect all the memories we’ve made here in Timor-Leste.
Another big day in Timor that started with a very early morning. Waking up at 5am, we we’re picked up for a magnificent sunrise walk up to Cristo Rae a gift from Indonesia celebrating Timors independence. We all sat on a Rocky Mountain taking lots of photos of the beautiful sunrise and watching the waves crash on the shore from a far.
As we made our way down the mountain, we began to walk along a road by the beach, watching Timor wake up. We walked past fishermen and runners who were beginning their day. This delight of a morning continued as we made our way back to the troopies.
Although it was an early start, everyone was thrilled to continue the day’s activities embracing as many experiences as they could in Timor Leste.
After showers and breakfast we made our ways back to the troopies to travel to the Dare memorial school. We had a little let down when we found out that it was a pupil free day and had to quickly reschedule our day’s activities.
With a short lunch break at the Remixio waterfall, we heard stories and ventured around the beautiful landscape. Learning about the Japanese invasion in World War Two and how willingly the Timorese looked after the Australian soldiers in battle. Many of us felt moved hearing how the Timorese, although called creados (servants) by the Australian soldiers,were thought of as family and friends. Many built relationships that would last a lifetime in just twelve months.
We learnt that although many Timorese helped the Australians, during the danger of invasion, they were rejected transport on the boat back to Australia purely because they were black.
We followed the afternoon with a trip to Santa Cruz cemetery where we visited and paid our respects to the grave of Sebastian Gomez and Max Stahl. Learning about the peace protests and the massacre by the Indonesian army.
After this we travelled to the Resistance museum where we read stories and saw artefacts of clothing worn by the brave soldiers of Timor. This adventure lead us to reflect on our history and brought up many emotions.
Overall, our day was filled with both tears and laughter as everyone bonded over the stories of events of the past, reflecting on how to change the future. As we venture into the last full day in Timor, many of us will hold stories that will last a lifetime.
We began the day at 7:00am with a delightful breakfast ready for us, an opportunity for everyone to get together and discuss the day ahead. We had to be fully packed for the lengthy journey back to Dili by 9:30am, which was easier for some more than others due to organising the night before.
As 9:30 struck we gathered in the common area with our rooms clean. Once all the exciting chatter about the MAF planes dimmed down, the first two groups of 4 students was driven to the runway.
As the other 3 groups waited for the planes to return to Atauro, we shared singalongs on the ukulele and ball games on the sand. The MAF planes flew below the clouds allowing us to experience Atauro from above, with an ocean view where some lucky groups spotted whales.
Hour by hour as the planes arrived the first 4 groups walked down to a local café and supermarket for lunch, while the fifth and final group was boarding the plane.
Lunch at the café was a choose your own where partners split $10 to get a meal of their own. After a filling lunch they went to a homemade craft shop down the road, where many bracelets were purchased.
When the first four groups arrived back at the hotel they were greeted by the last four students excited to hear their stories. Shortly after everyone was together at the plaza hotel we got the chance to relax, with card games and colouring in at our friends rooms, before dinner at 7:00pm.
After dinner was finished and everyone was excited to head back to their rooms and get ready for the day ahead, we were informed about the early start we had the day ahead. We were all ready for the many activities prepared for Dili making it an enjoyable end to the day!
During our time in Atauro we had a visitor come to Barry’s place to tell us his inspiring story. Mario – also known as Super Mario – shared his experiences from childhood and hopes for the future.
Mario was born in Adara – a village on the other side of the island. Every day he would walk three and a half hours just to get to school and would then have to walk another three and a half hours to get back home. This journey was not an easy one it was a steep and rocky path leading up and down the mountain.
Mario wanted to study and go to university. His father really wanted him to stay home and work, but Mario was committed. So his dad worked incredibly hard, and his community chipped in so he could study marine biology in Indonesia.
After the course, he came back to Atauro and worked at Barry’s place. He raised money, and built his own resort, Mario’s place, in his village. He also built a house next to Barry’s Place, so students walking from Adara can sleep the night there instead of on the pier between school. He is now trying to build a school in Adara.
Mario’s story was incredibly interesting to hear. His hard work, resilience and hope for the future is truly inspiring.
When asked what Mario wanted for his sons he said the following:
‘I want my son to close the gap.
My dream is to have my son – Henrique – study in Australia.
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,
Today was a slower day than the others. We rose at 7am from our first night in the island. There was a variety of options for breakfast, including buns and spreads, eggs, sausages and more! Over breakfast we heard our plan for the day and prepared for our walk to the church.
We all gathered in the front of Barry’s place in our nicest clothes with the girls wearing skirts and boys wearing long pants – even Connor! Somehow we still felt underdressed as when we arrived at the church the kids were all in the nicest clothes.
Church was very different here in Timor. It began with everyone filling the room with their voices, singing with passion. As it was national children’s day, the children participated in everything. The bible and flag were marched in by the children. However at times it was a little challenging for us sitting in the audience because we couldn’t understand the Timorese language and it was extremely hot. We appreciated the passion and community expressed in the church. The spirit of relationship was palpable.
After lunch we met ‘Super Mario’ (those from the year three camp in 2017 were reunited with him). Mario was the funniest guy, full of smiles and laughter. We heard all his stories and his goal in life to support both his own children and other children of the community.
He lived on the far side of the island, so to get to school he had to walk for 3.5 hours (each way). He now is raising money to build a school there. After listening to him talk, we taught his son handball.
We then went for a swim on the beach right outside Barry’s place! The water was beautiful – bright blue and incredibly warm – and we played some markers up in the waves.
We were invited by the locals back into town to watch a kids talent show at 4pm. We were welcomed by handshakes from all the kids.
Lulu and Ava each made connections with the local children, with them sitting with us. It was an impressive set up, and it was great to meet more kids, though we didn’t realise that before the show there was 2 hours of prayer and song.
Unfortunately we had to leave early to get back to dinner, but we still had a great experience in the local community.
Dinner was a buffet of pumpkin soup, tofu, fish and more! The teachers sat on a table playing banana grams (Tracey won ahaha).
The day finished with groups splitting off to play games, with a surprise rat appearance! It was super scary, the group of five girls were screaming and woke up multiple other bungalows.
Today started with a very early wake up as we had to leave the Plaza Hotel at 5:45am in order to arrive at the ferry in time. We arrived first in line shortly after 6 o’clock and had a long wait at the dock to board the ferry which was due to leave at 9 o’clock. The ferry was very crowded and there was limited space on the boat. We chose to sit outside where we sat all together in a small space on the floor. We braced ourselves for a 3hr boat ride that did involve some sea sickness and uncomfortable moments, and although it was a challenging experience for us all, it brought us closer together and gave us a new perspective and experience.
As we pulled into Atauro Island we were all very eager get off the boat and to arrive at our accommodation which is called Barry’s place. Barry’s place is on the edge of the beach with beautiful landscaping and environmentally friendly facilities. All of the buildings are made from locally sourced grass and wood.
Upon arrival Barry introduced himself and we were served a delicious lunch with consisted of foods such as noodles, local fish, local vegetables, vegetable fritters and rice (a Timorese staple!). Some of us were even able to purchase a whole coconut alongside our meal to drink and eat.
We then went to the local markets. People purchased items such as bracelets, necklaces and baskets. Back at Barry’s place we were also able to purchase coconut bowls and handmade wooden goods made by the staff. It was here that Barry mentioned that we may have the opportunity to go to a community soccer match to spectate and play against the Timorese people. We all agreed that this would be an amazing opportunity, so we decided that we would go along in the afternoon.
We quickly got ready to go and play soccer and hopped into our transport – an anguna. The road we drove down was quite bumpy but everyone was filled with excitement. We arrived at the soccer field where we were welcomed to play in a match against some Timorese women.
The game was very hot but was super fun and everyone had a smile on their face. Although we were on different teams it felt as though we all made a strong connection with each other, bonding over our shared enjoyment of the game.
We watched a game after our first half and then we took to the field for our second half.
At the end of our game we all shook hands and gave each other hugs and had a group photo with the other team.
Kaiya, Connor and Santos said a special thank you and were presented with Timorese tais. Santos also presented one of the men’s soccer teams with some shin pads and socks that we had brought with us to continue to strengthen our relationship.
The little kids that were watching the games were eager to learn from us and play with us, so we taught them some dance moves and games.
On the ride back to Barry’s place we were all euphoric in discussing the amazing experience we had just had. Something as simple as a soccer match had turned into a much bigger metaphor for the connections we have made and are continuing to make in Timor.
We got back to Barry’s place and had dinner and then had reflection time with Barry. He told us about what drew him to Timor and why he wants to make a difference. This inspired a whole group conversation where we reflected on what we had learnt so far and how valuable these experiences have been.
Though today was full of ups and downs it has been one of the most empowering days in Timor so far. We can’t wait for what the rest of the trip brings
The day kicked off at 7am, where we had our breakfast at the Plaza Hotel before we embarked on our walk in the blazing Timor sun towards the Australian Embassy. After an hour or so of walking we reached our destination. We were warmly welcomed by speakers Gertrude’s da Silva, First Secretary Chad Clarke and Deputy Head of Mission Chargé d’ Affaires Edward Wilkinson. There we gained insight into the many NGO’s and organisations through the Embassy that assist in the development and education of Timor Leste. We all found it incredibly valuable, hearing the many commitments made by the Embassy including constructing more buildings and hopes to renovate the airport. Many of us were left inspired, curious about the opportunities to volunteer and contribute in these organisations in the near future.
Kantina Matak
We then walked over to our next destination: The Presidential Palace. We stopped by at Kantina Matak, hearing the many stories and the history of the place. It was very hopeful to hear that thousands of children, mothers and impoverished people were able to be fed and have full bellies. We engaged in many conversations with Bella and Ana in regards to the education and development of Timor and were greatly moved by their engagement with the community. After playing games with the kids there, we indulged in some delicious Portuguese Timorese fusion food. When the President of Timor casually strolled in. He welcomed us all warmly and we were able to discuss and ask him questions about his work and his life story, which greatly inspired all of us.
The opportunity to go to the palace in itself was incredible, however we got the opportunity to go inside.
RADFORD TIMOR TRAVELS 2025 