Queensland Government
Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services

Anita Paul (left), Tommy Wilson Junior and Allana Paul welcome 'Santa' to Mornington Island

Serious summer fun for everyone

Wondering how to fill in the long summer school holidays? In some of our more remote communities there will be no time for the kids to be bored — they’ll be swimming, dancing, carolling and playing a variety of sports. Be inspired by what the Hope Vale, Mornington Island and Palm Island communities have planned for the school holidays.

1. Splash out!

Head to your local pool for a cool-down and work-out at the same time. Not keen on swimming? Try aqua aerobics. It’s like dancing in the water. Great for those who haven’t exercised in a while or who are overweight. There’s less stress on the joints but the water provides resistance from all directions.

Hope Vale has a new $3.3 million swimming complex, complete with 25 m pool and toddler splash pool with water jets, built courtesy of the Queensland Government, Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council and Cape Flattery Silica Mines Pty Ltd.

2. Style-up and move — or make your own music

Palm Islanders broke a record in Queensland recently when 60 turned out for their PCYC’s first Zumba dance party — and they’ve been shakin’ their way to fitness ever since with hour-long non-stop dancing to Latin rhythms.

And have you heard The Little Homies from Mount Isa, winners of the 2010 Youth Week Live It Now competition? Lyrics to their hip hop track Get your head out of the can appear on page 17.

3. Embrace the spirit of Christmas

For the past two years, Mornington Island PCYC has run The Ten Days of Christmas from 22 until 31 December, early evening through to midnight. Community discos, open air movie nights, basketball, softball and touch footy competitions, carolling, culture evenings, Indigenous sports and social BBQs have encouraged good cheer. Just as importantly, the program’s resulted in less crime too. Not one case of break and enter, assault, sexual assault, offence against children or wilful damage was reported during Mornington’s Ten Days of Christmas in 2009. The Ten Days of Christmas is on again in 2010.

4. Rediscover traditional games

Dr Ken Edwards from the University of Southern Queensland is coaxing — or coaching — the comeback of traditional games. For 15 years, he’s travelled Australia, recording the games traditionally played by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He’s recorded the ‘how to’s in Yulunga: Traditional Indigenous Games (download it from www.ausport.gov.au).

Try the traditional variation of these activities:

  • Moka Bandi is the Cape Bedford version of observation game ‘I spy’.
  • Keen-tan, a jump-and-catch game of the Kalkadoon people, has a lot in common with netball, basketball and Aussie Rules.
  • Wana is like French cricket.
  • Koolchee is similar to ten-pin bowling.
  • Turi Turi is skipping rope.

5. Walk — and talk

We need 30 minutes a day physical activity for healthy living.

Can’t do that? Try 3 x 10 minutes!

6. Who’s my mob?

December and January are traditionally the months when people are most interested in finding out more about their heritage. Not sure where you come from or who’s your mob? See page 15 for tips on personal history searches.