Author: Tracey Markovic

By Devyani and Medha

On Friday while visiting Kantina Matak we were visited by His Excellency José Manuel Ramos-Horta. We had the privilege to sit with him while finishing our lunch, while he spoke with us, we all asked our urging questions he responded with a tale or two. Many which commemorated his generosity towards Timor. Teaching us about the inside scoops of living in Timor from his jokes and stories.

One memorable moment was when one of the students asked him, if he wanted to be president when he was younger? The president swiftly responded, saying he never wanted to be a president but instead an assistant truck driver, to smoke a cigarettes and look cool.

After all our questions were answered, he began asking us about our aspirations and desires for after school. He patiently listened to a few students and Responded with inspiring advice for us to take back home.

After sharing a picture, we began a tour of the presidential palace. From the outdoor pool to the hall where the pope visited last year.

By Mischa & Natalie

The morning started early as we had to leave from Same – prepared for our 4 hour drive back down the mountain.

Along the way, we stopped at Projecto Montanha in Aileu– a small and beautiful place – where the Timorese people were able to show off their handmade crafts. From crochet sheep and blankets to paper mache magnets of Timor, their gift shop seemed to be full to the brim with delicate and stunning pieces.

We think we speak for everyone when we say our families’ will be looking forward to seeing our new gifts. We also ate lunch here, having lasagne and rice with fried chicken.

We departed from Aileu after lunch and it was smooth sailing until there was a nail in the tyre.

We watched our drivers and support crew change our tyre without us even needing to leave the vehicle and before we knew it, we were back on the road in the busy afternoon Dili traffic. We ate some strawberry wafers and learnt about cermai – a little fruit that the kids on the side of the road were eating.

We headed to the CHEGA museum, which we had missed on Monday because of the rearrangement of flights.

This museum is dedicated to learning about the Timorese Resistance against the Indonesian invasion and occupation. The museum was previously the site of a prison where the Indonesian military kept the Timorese people from the resistance group. They had 9 exhibitions that told the stories of hundreds of Timorese people – men, women and children – during, and after their captures. No words could be used to describe the confronting emotions felt by everyone and the memories of our visit to this museum will remain with us when we are back in Australia.

Outside the museum we were given tais by Santos, which was a very important and sentimental moment signifying a deeper connection and walking alongside the Timorese.

We returned to Ventura Cafe for a wholesome meal before walking home and heading to bed.

By Ana & Lulu

Woken up at dawn by the very vocal roosters we embarked on a little stroll to watch the sunrise, greeting locals as they started their day. Although our sunrise was frosted over by clouds, we got to experience some tropical rain, something unusual for these Radford Timor trips. We made our way back to the hotel with grumbling stomachs and were very pleased with the fresh bread rolls and bananas awaiting us.

After our interactions yesterday we were all eager to get on the party bus and head back to the school. We started the school day with classes in English grammar. It was such a great experience because it allowed us to learn English from a different perspective. We even got a few grammar tips that helped us to understand things we didn’t before.

Following our lovely morning we headed back to the hotel for a delightful lunch. We then caught the bus back to the school and ran lots of activities that we had prepared. All of us enjoyed connecting with the students as we taught them games such as Uno and origami.

We later joined together to learn songs and share experiences with one another, finishing off the afternoon with a reflection circle, we shared highlights from the past two days at the school giving thanks to the wonderfull people who made us feel so welcome. It was so special to see and experience the connections that were formed in such a short amount of time, with our main connection being our shared love for learning.

While no one wanted to say goodbye we all found comfort in exchanging phone numbers, lots of hugs and signs of affection. We shared our favorate sing-along “Riptide” and the AHHA students returned the gift with their beautiful singing (they are so much better than us). Overall, the day was tiring yet left us with connections that will last a lifetime.

-Lulu & Ana

By Olivia E & Ella

We woke up bright and early in Dili for breakfast at our hotel (The Plaza), and got to choose from an array of fried rice and sausage with some of the strangest orange juice.

Shortly after we started the 5 hour drive to Same, half of us is in a highly decorated bus unlike anything we’d seen, and the other half in a troopie. There is no other way to describe the roads but as extremely bumpy. Half way through our makeshift rollercoaster we were pried from our travel calm induced comas to make a quick stop at the galleries where we were treated to some very refreshing drinks. Then it was back on the bus to make it to our destination of Brian’s place in Same, which has one of the nicest pools in the country. We were then kindly treated to an in house lunch, which was delicious and needed for the fuel for the activities ahead.

After lunch, we headed down to the AHHA school in Same, to make connections with the students. Granted at first all would agree it was a little bit awkward as we were all a bit shy to the new people. Safe to say that didn’t last long as we quickly came to bond and make connections through games and conversations, so we are highly excited to come back tomorrow and continue where we left off. We then headed back to the hotel and it was a small bliss for the group to be able to take a swim in the legendary pool after an extremely hot day. Followed by a delicious dinner and reflection, we started to prepare our activities for the next day.

Boxing

After our delicious dinner at the Ventura cafe, we walked 80m to a boxing gym where we were welcomed in to the boxing studio near our dinner place where we introduced to the coach and the boxers. The gym was equipped with hanging punching bags and a boxing ring. They were very excited to meet us and they were very welcoming. They told us about their back stories and how they made a positive shift from gang violence to mixed martial arts. We got heaps of pictures and selfies with them, and we learnt about some of their student who exceeded to an international level representing Timor-Leste,

Ventura Cafe with Ecko

After our brief stop at the beach for sunset we took a walk to our dinner location next the the boxing gym. The cafe was among plants and we could feel nature’s presence. We then endeavoured in a delightful meal at Ventura cafe ran by Ecko. We were offered a variety of meals ranging from cheeseburgers to chickpea curries. All the food was delicious and we are eager to go back. Ventura cafe is in front of the game with their recycling and they hope to influence other cafes and restaurants in Dili. They recycle materials and transform them into tiles and furniture!

By Connor and Poppy

Well… after cancelled flights, more conversations before 4am than anyone should ever have…changes to our itinerary, three flights, (one in the opposite direction to our destination) an overnight stay in Darwin and 22 hours we have arrived in Dili!

Some extra special thank you’s to some special humans we have met who have made our travel possible.

To Sam from Qantas

We ‘met’ Sam just after 8am Sunday morning. Sam answered the phone when we called to seek help after three other Qantas staff couldn’t help us. With about 14 phone calls totaling over 5 hours Sam worked hard helping us to ensure flights, accommodation, transfers and meals were lined up when getting all of our Qantas ‘ducks in a row’ proved more challenging than expected.

To Terry from Qantas at Canberra airport. Thank you for your kindness and understanding when checking all 24 of us in!

To Dean. Oh my! How to describe Dean? From the moment we sat in our seats from Canberra to Melbourne we were in good hands. He provided good humor, laughs, smiles and of course… cheese and crackers! As we were landing he knelt down beside Tracey and Tina’s seats and gave us a bag. A ‘Care Package’ he called it! It was filled to the brim with rice snacks and of course more cheese and crackers that you could imagine!

To ‘Mr Hungry Jacks’ – we aren’t sure of your name but this one seems appropriate. Thank you. We arrived and the store was closing. You saw us and said you could remain open so some of us could eat. You didn’t have to but you did. We were so grateful.

To Nora and Joel from customer service Melbourne – you saw us (and heard us) from a mile away! Thank you for you good humor and positivity at the end of what had been quite a long day for some.

To our travellers. It’s been a pretty big 36 hours and we are just starting out on our adventures in Timor. Thank you for your resilience and willingness to adapt and pivot when needed. We welcome the next two weeks with you.

Before embarking on our exciting journey to Timor-Leste, our student group gathered for a special meal filled with laughter, connection, and cultural learning.

It was a wonderful opportunity to bond as a team while enjoying delicious food and getting a taste of the experiences that await us.

Together, we learned some basic Tetum phrases and shared songs that we’ll share during our travels, sparking excitement and curiosity about the culture we’ll soon be immersed in.

Through stories and shared enthusiasm, the evening helped us begin building a deeper understanding of the people and traditions of Timor-Leste—and we can’t wait to learn even more once we arrive

We are thrilled to share that the countdown is officially on for our upcoming journey to Timor Leste!

Our student group is buzzing with anticipation as we prepare to embark on this meaningful experience. There is a wonderful energy growing – a mix of excitement, curiosity, and reflection – as we get ready to immerse ourselves in a new culture, form new friendships, and reconnect with old acquaintances who have become part of our extended community.

This trip is about more than travel. It is a chance for our students to step beyond the classroom and engage deeply with the world. It’s about connection – the kind that happens when we sit together, listen, share stories, and learn from one another. The relationships we’ve built over the years with our Timorese friends are strong and lasting, and we look forward to strengthening them further on this visit.

Our itinerary is filled with rich opportunities for cultural exchange, service, and growth. Whether it’s playing a game of soccer or volleyball with local students, helping out in community, or simply sharing a meal and conversation, we know that these small moments will leave a big impact.

As we head into this next chapter of our partnership with the people of Timor Leste, we do so with hearts open and minds ready to learn.

We thank you for your support in helping make this journey possible and can’t wait to keep you updated along the way!