Dodging the nets for a feed at DI Point

[malby]

In case any of you missed this update I posted in the news section about 1.5 weeks back I thought I'd pop it up here for a read:

I just got back from Double Island Point where I took a group of 'at risk' boys from a school on the Brissy Northside up for 3 days camping and fishing. See http://www.su-connect.org.au/ for details of the program I help run.

On the way up we dropped in at one of the tackle shops at Tewantin to buy some pillies and asked how things were up at Teewah. The response was not promising. The owner told us that Pro Netters had been working the beach several days last week with their mullet gill nets. He explained that their method was to drive along the beach with a net attached to the bull bar and the other end of the gill net was attached to a jet boat that shot out though the waves and circled around and back to the shore for a haul. This was then done over and over down the beach wherever they could spot the schools. Sounded very effective and so instead of buying a 4 kg I backed off and got a 2kg block of pilchards as I was a tad concerned.

The DI lagoon I knew was already buggered by these guys from doing their hauling and now it sounded like Teewah was gone too!

So how the heck am I going to get these boys onto a fish up here I wondered??

Well first we tried some prime beach gutters using pippies in the hope of snaring a dart as that normally works. Well straight up that was a total fail with almost no touches on fresh pippies.

So knowing the lagoon is out and now Teewah I was only left with DI Point itself as netting is banned within 500mtrs of the rocks as its a Dugong habitat area?! Hooray at least something is protected and we may have a show!!

Not happy about this idea as its more dangerous and meant I could not allow boys to cast (due to getting snagged) or get near the edge of the rocks etc.

But onto some safer rocks we went in a reasonably low swell (about 2 foot) and on Thursday arvo we managed about 6 Tailor with only one going legal at 42cm but there was plenty of smiles from the lads as they landed their first fighting Tailor. An awesome moment and one I'm sure many of you can still remember.

Next morning we went out further due to a high tide forcing us off the close in rocks and though we only caught 1 more Tailor that day we managed to get 2 more small groups of boys (one boy at a time and carefully/closely monitored) on to a heap of dart (good ones over 40cm in many cases), a few Tarwine, 1 keeper bream and one nice whiting. In all we would have landed over 40 fish that day with about 20 being keepers (though we only kept about 10-15 for a feed).

Conditions out there with a howling southerly (at our back) were amazing and we watched as Dolphins, Eagles, Sea Birds and Turtles came by and all said gidday. Gotta love our Country that we can still get out and enjoy stuff like this and expose the next generation to the joys of fishing and our coastal environment.

All in all the trip was saved but we fished hard all day last Friday out at one of the best rock spots DI Point has to offer and all we got was 1 Tailor for our troubles (though we did focus on dart once we realised they were there). Saw some guys tossing lures and Pillies further out where its more risky and they got a few more but nothing of size.

The last night around the camp fire was precious. Most of these boys have tough life circumstances and several said that the fishing was the highlight of their camp and half had never caught a fish let alone eating them fresh around the fire. They loved it and we now have some new addicts that will potentially join web sites like this in future years and have an alternative to computer games, gangs and drugs.

How good is this job?

Cheers,

Mal

[cobiaman]

Thats an awesome job you do malby, you should be proud!

[thelump]

Well done Mal. Good to know there are people like you in this world mate. Those kids will not forget that time spent on those rocks.

[kingcray]

great stuff mal!! all the best mate
Dean

[Schulzy]

Well done mate! Must be an awesome job.

[malby]

Thanks so much guys for all of your encouragement hey!

Its much appreciated and if I was to 'just look at the pay packet' I would give it away.

The thing is it's all about helping young blokes who are trapped by some problem or other in their life. Some have no Dad, some have learning difficulties, some have ADHD, Aspergers syndrome or and sometimes they are just flat out depressed about something or other of significance in their lives. Stats tell us that 1 in 4 people these days will have a mental health issue in their life at some stage and for many of these guys they are carrying issues that you wouldn't wish on your enemies.

Can I just put in a plug for school chaplains here:

Full credit to the Chaplains at the local state Primary or High school they come from as in many cases they are the real hero's here.

They walk through life with these boys (and girls) week in and week out providing support, encouragement and giving these boys a crack at a well deserved future.

School Chaplains are paid diddly and do their job because they care about people and its usually them (and their Local Chaplaincy Committee) that raises the $6000 (Primary) OR $9000 (High schools) shortfall (between what our organization, SU fund raises - currently most of this coming from the State level RSL club) any way they can.

After all of this they back up by coming away on our camps and giving the kids and us their best even when their often exhausted before they get there.

If you can ever get behind your local school chaplain can I just encourage you to put a plug in for them or help them out when you hear they are fundraising (as they 'all do' to make up the shortfall in their pay packets - and some are totally community funded and have to raise the lot!).

If you want to know more about the work of Chappies go here: http://www.suqld.org.au/

Again thanks so much for your support guys as without it I would not have any fishing equipment for these kids and 'many people' on this web site have made that happen as have TT Lures/Zmann, Platypus fishing lines, Easy Cast cast nets, Wilson and Sandgate Tackle world and others,

Cheers to you all! You're a great bunch!!

Mal

[MacDougall]

I actually put together a plan to do something similar to what you do but just never cracked on with it. Can you tell us the story about the org, how it came about and can I help?

[malby]

I actually put together a plan to do something similar to what you do but just never cracked on with it. Can you tell us the story about the org, how it came about and can I help?

Good on you MacDougall.

Re the org we are called SU Queensland and from the web site:

About Us

SU QLD’s vision is to bring hope to a young generation through its school chaplaincy service, as well as through its camping, community outreach and At-Risk Youth programs.

Through positive and supportive relationships, SU QLD helps young people with everyday life issues, as well as the more critical ones like substance abuse, relationship issues, family breakdown, depression and low self-esteem.

SU QLD is an interdenominational Christian organisation which has worked in schools for 80 years, and has successfully employed chaplains with Education Queensland endorsement since 1990. SU QLD is officially endorsed by Education Queensland as an accredited employing authority for school chaplains, and appoints, trains and supports State school chaplains.
We aim to bring hope to a young generation through Chaplaincy, Camps, Resources and Training of Youth Workers.


I'm guessing you do not mean 'how SU Qld' came about?


If what you are asking is how the Connect program came about I cannot tell you as it has been going for 11 plus years and I think started up in Townsville.


I can tell you that a bloke named Roy Divine who now lives on the southside of Brissy started Connect and here is his blurb from the Connect web site:

As a program that teaches leadership and life skills, it is important that the Connect Program is led by someone with outstanding skills in these areas. Roy Devine is just that man. As the Connect Facilitator, Roy has more than 15 years’ experience in working with young people in adventure-based programs.
As well as experience serving in the Australian Army, Roy holds a Bachelor of Ministry degree from Queensland Baptist College of Ministries and a Masters degree in Outdoor Education from Griffith University. He is also continuing post-graduate research into adventure-based learning.
Under Roy’s valuable leadership, countless youth workers, teachers and adult mentors also work as part of the Connect team.



Roy still leads the southside Connect program which is going great guns with plenty of schools keen to get on board.


I am involved with the northside program and we are just in our second year but have been getting some good runs on the board and making some solid progress.


Regarding getting invloved one of the best things you could do is to go onto the build the future web site which outlines ways people can get involved through:


1. sponsorship
2. volunteering or

3. in kind support


Go to: http://buildthefuture.org.au/get-involved/


From what I can see one of the biggest areas we now need help in is with our 4 wheel drive vehicles


1. by way of servicing them
2. by helping us rust proof them
3. by helping us to get them either cheap or free in the first place as these are our greatest cost.


I guess the other area we need help with is in fundraising to help our schools and Chaplains to make the program affordable as very few schools have spare money floating about in their budgets and thus in most cases Chaplains and their committees raise the funding shortfall.


Again go onto the build the future web site as there is lots of good suggestions for how you can help out even by attending some of their events which are fundraisers for Connect.


See also:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxT0c...layer_embedded


All the best and thanks for your interest,


Mal

Ps. If you want some names and numbers of who to contact re helping out the following is found on the contact us section of the Build the future foundation web site:

For information on Build The Future initiatives, including tickets for the Cocktail Function, please contact:

Peter Luckmann
0410 451 171
07 3351 0888