There were 11 CanTeen members from the ACT and southern NSW on this year’s Narooma respite trip that saw the young people between ages of 12 and 25 learning about fishing and hopping on a boat to head out to Montague Island.

This was about the 20^th year that the Narooma Sport and Gamefishing Club hosted the CanTeen kids, opening up their clubhouse and providing club members to teach the kids about fishing. Also involved were Fishcare volunteers Mal and Anika Campbell.

Narooma Charters donated the trip out to Montague Island on Saturday afternoon while Island View Beach Resort provided the accommodation for the CanTeen participants. Woolworths Narooma provided food for the lunch.

CanTeen programs officer Chaylee Brikcius thanked the fishing club and the Narooma community for being so generous.

“This is our favourite week of the year and we are extremely grateful for what Narooma Sport and Gamefishing Club does for us each year,” she said.

CanTeen the organisation provided respite and support for those between the ages of 12 and 25 who are being impacted on by cancer.

This includes young people either receiving treatment or recovering from treatment, young people who have siblings with cancer and also young people whose parents had died from cancer or who receiving treatment.

This year’s participants came from all those categories and were all in need of the rest and relaxation the respite trip provided, Ms Brikcius said.

Click here to see last year’s CanTeen visit

Here is a trip report by publicity officer Jan Hemmingsen:

Again it has been my pleasure and privilege to spend a weekend with a group of delightful and friendly young people from CanTeen. 

The Narooma Sport and Gamefishing have been hosting CanTeen for about 20 years and I have been involved in the last five.

I would like to thank first of all the ladies from the club for providing all the fantastic meals, well done ladies and also the volunteers who showed them how to fish on the jetties around Fosters bay and out on the Barbeque boats on Sunday.

I would  also like to thank Woolworths for providing some of the food and the Uniting Drop-in Centre for their generous donation to our plan B to take them to the cinema if the weather prevented them from a trip out to Montague Island. 

A big thanks to Narooma Charters for providing the boat and crew for the trip to  Montague, and the two guides from Parks and Wildlife for making it a very informative trip.

They liked seeing the young birds and even a penguin.  And last but not least thanks to Narooma Marina and Bill Dudley for providing the Barbeque Boats and also thanks to Ian “Hoots” Cowie for taking Hayden out for his prize fish.  As usual the accommodation was provided free of charge at the Island View park, greatly appreciated!

Several fish were caught and released, some small snapper, bream, tailor, barracouta even an octopus that one of the girls caught , which caused great excitement when it attached itself to the boat! 

But the prize of the day must go to Hayden Krause from Wagga Wagga for landing a 68cm flathead, his first fish ever caught!  

The big girl was released back into the water after a photo but two smaller fish went home for dinner.

Some of the young ladies decided go on the boats and not fish until Bernard Jackson provided his “ladies tackle box “consisting of a small black box with handmade jewellery in it as a prize.  Needless to say  those lines could not go over the side fast enough.

Members please note Christmas is fast approaching and places for the party on December 9 are filling up fast.

End of the week eat-in was well attended and everybody enjoying an egg and bacon roll.

As usual the Narooma Sport and Gamefishing Club rooms, situated on the inlet near the restaurants, will be open for fish stories, drinks and snacks from 4pm till 9pm on Friday.

Visitors are most welcome to come along and have a chat with the members. – Jan Hemmingsen