Maritzburg College School Magazine Maritzburg College Magazine 2016 electronic | Page 82

OTHER ACTIVITIES
Following our rousing ordeal at Delville Wood, we made our way
southwards to the glorious ‘City of Lights’, gay Paree. The next couple
of days were a whirlwind of sightseeing and other activities, including
visits to the palace of Versailles (a lavishly opulent palace that makes dear
Nkandla appear to be a mere cattle shed in comparison), the Eiffel Tower,
Montmartre and the Louvre, where many of us were very pleased to finally
set our eyes on Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, and a stroll down the Champs
Elysees. As we were about to take off from Charles de Gaulle Airport later
on Bastille Day, we were all horrified to hear of the bloody attack that had
only minutes earlier taken place in the southern seaside town of Nice. Only
later were we to discover that our good friend, and soon-to-be-returning
colleague, Richard Moolman, was involved in that tragic affair.
Some 20 hours later we arrived back in Durban, exhausted but exhilarated
by a once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable tour of profound meaning and
significance. My personal thanks go to Mr Andre Leroy in particular, for
his tremendous efficiency and energy, as well as all the tourists, who not
only behaved in an exemplary fashion (the boys) but were merry, friendly
and ideal companions (my good friends, the adults!). Large amounts of
preparation and fundraising were involved in the tour, and all the tourists
were hugely indebted to especially Mark Botha and Estelle Coetzee of
Travel & Sport, based in Pretoria, who were a constant source of friendly
advice and help. ‘Thank you!’
Mr M Marwick
Beneath the dome of the Hôtel des Invalides, the tourists contemplate their
last night out in Paris with some enthusiasm.
Land Rover 4X4 Schools’ World Championships
Our trip to London for the Land Rover 4X4 Schools’ World Championships
was, without a doubt, the experience of a lifetime. As we were flying
overseas for the first time, the flight felt longer than it should have,
and there seemed to be more time for the three of us to banter amongst
ourselves. When we landed in London we felt as though we were in a
different world.
Day 1: For our first trip on the Tube we headed straight into London to the
London Eye. Being afraid of heights, we were so mesmerised by the city
itself that we didn’t even consider how high we were above the ground.
After this amazing experience we took the train to Coventry, through
some of the most beautiful countryside that England has to offer. Another
wonderful aspect of Coventry was that we were still wandering around at
10 pm in near daylight.
Day 2: At breakfast we met the different teams against which we would be
competing. For many of them this was their second world championship.
We first went to the Coventry Guild Hall where we were addressed by the
Mayor of Coventry and we were able to meet him in person. After this we
toured the hall and Coventry Cathedral. Later we had the opportunity of
visiting Anne Hathaway’s cottage. Here we participated in some archery
and watched traditional Shakespearian stories acted out by very talented
actors. Once back at the hotel, it was time for us to set up our Pit display
before working on the final touches of our presentation.
Day 3: This was competition day and there was no time for rest. If we
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weren’t running around making sure our presentations were in order, or
touching up our Pit display, then we were gathering information on the
other teams. The whole experience was a wakeup call for us. In many
of the other countries they have technology clubs where they complete
technology as an extra-mural activity, meaning that they pay undivided
attention to the projects at hand and have full support from their schools.
We were nervous about the day, but decided that it was no good stressing
about it. We pushed through our presentations, our interviews and driving
our car.
Once the day was done, it was time for a quick reflection and a good
shower before prize-giving. You could feel the tension in the air. We knew
that we had limited odds of receiving a podium position, but we did give
our all on the day. Against all odds we were called up for the Judges
Special Award for Combining Engineering with the Environment. We went
to bed very pleased with ourselves.
Day 4: Today was the day that we, Team Rhino, were going to see the
rest of London. We started by taking a tour around St Pauls Cathedral. We
were blown away by the designs that were put in place over 400 years
ago. The next trip was to the Coventry Gardens where we watched street
performers and visited true English souvenir stalls. Our final trip was a walk
to Tower Bridge. After a long day we headed back to the hotel ready for an
early morning start for our journey back to South Africa.
B Roets and M Cornelius