BIG GREEN GOES DOWN UNDER
On Sunday December 9, 2001, most Dartmouth students could either be
found huddled over desks in lecture halls, furiously completing their final
exams, or else in their rooms tirelessly belting out the last few pages
of research papers. But for ten members of the Dartmouth Men's Squash team,
finals period had by merciful necessity ended the previous day, and the
9th found us on our jolly way to Sydney, Australia, for nearly two weeks
of cultural confusion and exchange, adventure, and of course, some great
squash.
The cramped 13 hour flight was almost enough to make one long for the privations of a classroom desk and blue book exam, but as soon as we had landed and set foot in sunny Sydney all thoughts of snowy Hanover and classes instantaneously disappeared from our wearied minds. Instead, an entirely new world of spectacular beaches, exotic wildlife, friendly natives and fish and chip restaurants was opened up before us, and we wasted no time immersing ourselves (literally, since our first stop after settling into our cabins was the beach for a quick swim) in this unfamiliar but irresistible seaside paradise.
Our base of operations for the visit was the charming Eleanora Squash Club, where we would practice nearly every day. In addition to offering a half dozen international courts and a very short commute from our cabins, this club also had the distinction of owning the only squash video game any of us Dartmouth players had ever seen. For the curious, squash in two dimensions is uncannily like the real thing, only with fewer let and stroke calls (apparently interference is a three dimensional phenomenon).
Our first match took place at the intimidating Power House Club, also
outside Sydney, 
where the team acquitted itself quite well considering
our lingering jet lag. The next day we traveled into Sydney proper for
what would be the highlight of the trip, the scenic Harbour Bridge Climb.
This tour allows groups to climb up Sydney's Harbour Bridge all the way
to the very top, affording a truly amazing view of the city and harbor.
Much to my surprise everyone managed to survive the climb, and we spent
the rest of the day enjoying the city which we'd just overlooked from the
middle of the harbor.
Saturday morning, after a week of tough practices, fun matches and a liberal sampling of the local nightlife, we headed off for the nation's capital, Canberra. It was a fairly long drive, but after the grueling flight over, this trip was easy. Additionally, the drive gave us the chance to witness first hand the wild beauty and bucolic splendor that is Australia's "bush" country.
We found Canberra to be delightful, in sharp contrast to the unfounded reputation it receives from the rest of the country as being a sleepy town in which nothing happens. After some really good matches against a collection of young players, we hit the town to disprove the myth of "Canboring" and were not disappointed. The next day we fought off another round of fierce competitors at the squash club before doing a little sightseeing around the city. Our first stop was the Australian Institute of Sport, where we got a tour of the facilities led by an athlete actually training there. Then we descended on the Old Parliament Building, to receive a crash course in Australian political history.
The drive back to Sydney provided another memorable moment as we got
to see a kangaroo bound across the highway and disappear into the dense
brush alongside it. Later a teammate and I would get to see more kangaroos
(as well as wallabies, duck-billed platypuses and even a Tazmanian Devil)
at Sydney's 
Zoo, but nothing could compare with seeing this splendid
native animal in the wild.
Back around Sydney, we returned to the Eleanora Club for more training and matches, and our hosts were kind enough to host a BBQ for us one night. The highlight of this second (and regrettably last) week was our sailing expedition. Using money we'd raised through Dartmouth Squash t-shirt sales, we chartered a 38 foot sail boat to explore the pristine waters around the Narrabeen Preserve. Major props go out to those foolish but brave team members (James, Chris, and those two crazy Canadians Andre and Viper) who decided to swim to a rocky point on the shore from our anchored spot in the middle of the bay (it was a lot further than it looked). With the weather treating us to a particularly spectacular day, land-lovers and natural born mariners alike thoroughly enjoyed our day on the water.
The team's big brush with celebrity came during our last set of matches, again at the Power House Club, when our venerable coach John Power took on former world champion Michelle Martin (her first match back from maternity leave). Coach put up a valiant effort, but ultimately Michelle's world class experience and unmatchable racquet prowess proved too much for the wily old fox. Hopefully it was the first of many wins on her comeback trail. Michelle was also nice enough to stick around for a BBQ, giving us all the chance to meet her as well as her adorable infant child (a future world champion, I've no doubt).
But just when we all seemed to be getting the hang of meat pie restaurants and outback slang, it was time for us to say goodbye to the continent that had been so kind to us during our two week sojourn. With much reluctance we bid farewell to the land of koalas and Victoria Bitter, and braced ourselves for another full day of travel. For the five seniors on the trip, it was a fitting culmination of our three and a half years with the team, a reward for all our hard work and a last, great adventure together. For the two freshmen, on the other hand, it must have been one heck of an introduction to the Dartmouth Squash experience. And for the 04s, I guess it was just an amazing two weeks.
Highlights of the Week |
Head Coach: John Power
Assistant Coaches: Kirby Sinclair, Ken Cucuel
Address: 101 Alumni Gym -
Dartmouth College - Hanover, NH 03755 -
Phone: (603) 646-1495