DAHN DAHN DARN

What a trip, what a shoot. The 45 people from the Australian team left from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. We all met in Singapore where we finished the trip together. It looked great in Changie Airport with all these green and gold uniforms floating
around as we waited for the second leg of the journey. (Word of advice if you are travelling overseas by plane and you are booked on a 747 Jumbo - refuse to go) compared to the later model planes as the 380 Air Bus that are out there, the 747 Jumbo is like flying in a sardine can. Enough of that crap.

The Australian team were one of the first teams to arrive in Dahn and after our Queensland contingent scouted the town, a pub was found that sort of became base for the Aussies (well the Queenslanders thought so). These guys thought that this would be the place to party at the end of the shoot. (We found out later that the closing party of this event was not going to be anywhere but done at the WIFAC centre). But that is another story.

So anyway after we were settled in to our accommodation and found where we were going to be shooting and where the practice ranges were (and where the watering holes were) we spent the next few days practicing to get acclimatised to our new environment.

The Opening ceremony was a blast. All the teams assembled at one end of the town and marched through the streets of the town to the WIFAC Centre. The streets were packed with locals and visitors alike waving flags, applauding and when the Aussie team reached the part of the march where the announcer was introducing the teams they started playing “I Come From The Land Down Under “It was just brilliant. Once the shoot was declared open and a few beers were had we were ready to shoot. In amongst the whole afternoon were regular cries of AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE OH, OH, OH as the team were getting into the swing of things.

I felt a little bit sorry for the Juniors and Cubs as they were going to have to shoot the same range for five days, I think it had something to do with the fact that because of the access spectators had to the courses, it was a bit dangerous, whereas the course that was set up for the kids had restricted access (I’m not 100% sure but I think that was why), but for us adults we were not going to see the same range again.

Day one of the shoot field round, we being the Adult Male Bowhunter Compound and twelve other divisions shot the Blue Range (Hochstein) which was approximately twelve kilometres long and WOW what a setup. Talk about gruelling. Personally I have not shot any course here in Australia that would go close to these courses in Dahn. The up and down shots we had were something you really had to see to believe. The photo’s I took really don’t do the angles justice. Day one finished and scores were in, the old legs were feeling the results of the steep first day. But a few beers numbed the pain a little.

Day two hunter round, the Green Range (Mighty Castle) the scenery alone from the castle was unbelievable and even though we had only four targets to shoot there (these being 15/14 walk up) where we didn’t actually move but they had staggered two butts. One set of bugs eyes, one 45yard from one of the highest parts of the ruin back down to a level below and spectators everywhere was just mind blowing. The easiest shot there would have had to have been the 15/14 walk up, one of the few flat shots there was the whole five days. About 3 or 4 targets out of the castle was a 65yard up hill and it was at such an angle that you had to cut at least 10 yards off it or your arrow would smash into the rock wall behind the butt. Day two down and the legs and feet were getting ready to leave me and come home; I was starting to think, man am I ever going to make it for another 3 days. Again back at the hostel a few more beers dinner and a few more beers and it was time for bed.

Day three, the Yellow Range (Silent Valley) the animal round and we had moved to the first of the three ranges that were only about 500 metres from the hostel ( in other words it was within walking distance) something I really needed after the first two days of shooting. These coloured pictures were very different to our normal animal pictures in ABA and for anyone who went to Orange this year got to see some of these. A lot of credit needs to go the range captain and organisers as the range we were on, they tried to put each target up where the back drop matched the picture, a couple of examples were there was a picture of a black bear climbing a tree so they attached the butt with the picture to a tree so it actually looked like the bear was climbing the tree. If the picture had a lot of rocks in the background they set the butt up in the rocks and so on. This just added to the overall affect of the whole week. The end of day three and it was back to the hostel or done to the WIFAC centre for more beers then dinner and more beers and bed. Before I go onto day four the last thing unless I imagined it the silent valley was actually silent, I remember seeing birds flying around but they weren’t making any noise (a bit scary aye!)

Day four, the White Range (Observation Rock) and it was back to a field round and at this stage the old legs were still sore but it was getting better and they weren’t complaining too much. I knew I had no hope of catching the leaders in our division by now, but then again I didn’t think I really had any chance anyway. This was the third day of shooting with the same people and we were getting on really well, 3 Germans and 3 Aussies, there was no shortage of shitbeing put on anyone who deserved that just needed to be done to amuse ourselves. The Germans have got a weird sense of humour like us. Even though bright red tape was put in place to stop walkers from going on certain tracks that the ranges were set up on we had the incident where (there were 6 in our group) we had all just finished shooting a 45 yard sightly uphill shot and it would not have been 15 seconds after the last arrow was shot at the target when a group of hikers came over the crest of the hill directly behind our target and were heading along the track which we were on. I didn’t understand what one of the German archers in our group said to them, but by the looks on these people’s faces it wasn’t “how are you are you enjoying yourselves”. That was a bit scary really. I asked Hubert after they left what was said and most of it I am not allowed to write in this due to the fact that kids might be reading, but basically they saw the tape and thought it would be OK to just slip under it and keep walking. I think they were related to Stg. Shultz (Hogan’s Heroes) the idiots. Day four finished and it was back the hostel and or pub for a few more beers. By now I think you get the idea that the beer over there was pretty good. The food wasn’t bad either.

Day five and the second round of the Hunter, Red Range (Schiller’s Arch). The most memorable shot on this range I think was on target one 70 yard walk up up hill and I mean up hill. During the course of the day our group was having a rest and lunch near this target and I was able to watch some of the Long bows in action and honestly when they shot this it looked like their arrow went up as far as it could and then looked like it just fell into the target. Great entertainment I thought. Could have watched it for hours, um not really. As we went around on this day everyone kept saying only 26 left, only 14 left, only 5 left and may I say the time there went so quick that I was starting to feel a bit sad that in a couple of hours or less this shoot was over. One thing that seems to have come out of this and that was after five days of walking and shooting these courses my body and legs were telling me that we should have had 5 days warm up because I was feeling that I was now ready to start shooting (BUGGER) ITS ALL OVER. We went to a banquet that night and of course had a few beers and I think a few more. The WIFAC centre was really coming to life that night as all the archers were there as well as tourists enjoying themselves.

The only thing left now was the Medal and Closing Ceremony. Australia won it’s fare share of medals in a lot of divisions, for E Branch Ella Hartcher did us proud bynot only winning GOLD but breaking 2 world records in the process in her division. Congratulation Ella. Liam Mowbray also needs to be congratulated on his SILVER Medal in his division of 43 shooters, Liam that was awesome. Once again I have been able to experience the camaraderie, family type attitude and atmosphere of people in this sport of archery, even at this level. This type of behaviour re-enforces why I like archery so much. It was great watching people from different countries hugging new friends that they had made as well as concreting old friendships as well swapping of shirts and things to remember each other by “BRILLIANT”.