RAF Music Services
Operation Longlook 2007
Operation Longlook 2007
Each year Royal Air Force Music Services and The Royal Australian Air Force Bands exchange Senior Non-Commissioned Officers in an effort to help each other improve their working practices. What follows is an account of Chf Tech Daz Carters four month visit to Australia in the summer of 2007.
Chief Technician Daz Carter
It was with much excitement and anticipation of what lay ahead for all of us that the contingent of Longlook 07 arrived at Sydney airport on 19th April. I was met by the familiar face of Sgt Andrew Boyle of the RAAF Air Command Band whom I had hosted on Longlook 05 at the Band of the RAF College, Cranwell who was reciprocating the favour for my visit. For the next 4 months I would be living at RAAF Richmond about one and half hours west of Sydney, performing with and observing the way RAAF Military musicians work and sampling the wonderful delights Australia had to offer. The first few days were spent getting to know my new work colleagues and working out my schedule for the next 4 months. The Command Band are currently drawing down to closure at the end of 2007 when they will amalgamate with the RAAF Central Band from Melbourne, therefore I would during my visit spend time with both bands.
My first engagement was the Anzac Day celebration parade through the city centre of Sydney. The day is a huge bank holiday in Australia and the streets were jam packed. This was my first exposure to the legendary friendliness and hospitality of the Australian people who cheered and clapped fervently all the participants despite the torrential rain that fell all day!! I found my uniform to be a bit of a magnet having been asked many times during the day and subsequently throughout my time here who I was and what was I doing in OZ.
The band were trying as much as possible to put me on jobs that would take me around the country so that I could experience the culture, sights and atmosphere of everything on offer. I had planned to drive to most places before I arrived until reality dawned that the state of New South Wales alone was around 4 times as big as the UK!!
My first away day was to the Northern Territories, Darwin in late April. The flight alone was 7 hours on a RAAF Hercules across the massive expanse of the outback passing over Ulhuru (Ayers Rock) and the odd farm in and amongst the bush. The temperature and humidity were the first noticeable changes from Richmond where I had left the odd rain shower, cold mornings and warmish days around 15-20 degrees. It was now entering the Winter season but Darwin still topped 35 degrees with 90% humidity and I was out there on parade!!, mad dogs and Englishmen as they say. Needless to say after an hour I was rather sweaty, hot and thirsty and in need of that other great Aussie passion an ice cold beer. It was a truly memorable moment watching the sunset from Mindal Beach in shorts and t-shirt as winter began in the Southern Hemisphere.
I had no pre-conceived plans for sightseeing but wanted to try and grab as many opportunities to travel (by plane) as possible. I was extremely pleased to note before I came on the exchange that Australia was Motor sport and Rugby League mad, therefore enabling me to continue my passionate hobbies while away. During May I decided to travel up to Brisbane to see some Stock Car racing and take in the city sights over a long weekend and thoroughly enjoyed another different but equally mesmerizing place. Everywhere seemed to be so chilled out and friendly, they say here “no worries” and that really rings true wherever you go.
This freedom to travel at reasonable rates wet my appetite for more adventure and only a few weeks later in early June I decided to visit the Island of Tasmania, staying in Hobart for 3 days and Port Arthur for a day. The sheer beauty of the island is awe inspiring. Mountains, lakes and history surround your every move. I particularly enjoyed my visit to Port Arthur an ex convict penal colony that despite it’s troubled past was an enchanting place full of character and mystery. (Below)
Back at work I was performing with small Jazz combos, Dance Band and Concert Band on engagements in and around the Sydney area including St Andrews Cathedral deep in the heart of the city where I was pleased to welcome some fellow longlookers to the concert. In between times I had also helped out the Central Band on a recruit graduation parade in Adelaide the city of cathedrals and subsequently added yet another state to my sightseeing credentials. By early July I had been to several NRL matches adopting the Western Suburb Tigers (Wests) as my team. One of my sporting highlights was to attend the second State of Origin Test between New South Wales and Queensland at the Olympic Stadium, Sydney where unfortunately NSW lost the series. The atmosphere of over 85,000 people baying for blood was truly unforgettable and an experience that is a must for any sports fan.
Late June/ early July saw my departure down to RAAF Laverton, Melbourne the home of the RAAF Central Band for a 2 and a half week visit. The band set up was slightly different here working in smaller ensembles and performing ceremonial parades at RAAF graduations countrywide. I visited Adelaide again for another Recruit Parade and Brisbane for the annual Reserve Forces Day celebration Parade and also took the opportunity to perform with the pop band “Force 10”at the Laverton Officers Mess Ball.
Taking a chance to explore the city I found many fabulous museums/galleries and of course the more sinister Old Melbourne Gaol the place where the infamous outlaw Ned Kelly was hung. A day trip to the fabulous Phillip Island resort proved an unforgettable experience. The Grand Prix track (motorbikes)/Koala Park/Seal Centre and the unmissable Penguins parading at sunset are permanently etched into my memory as is the great ocean road and the 12 apostles a natural phenomenon caused by the wave erosion of the cliffs over hundreds of years I had the pleasure of visiting with friends from work.
Soon it was time to return to Richmond for my final few weeks and on my return I decided to visit the City of Katoomba in the Blue Mountain Range around an hour from the RAAF base. Yet again I was astounded by the natural beauty surrounding me at every turn, remote valleys and escarpments hardly touched by man, railways carved into mountain sides with sheer drops everywhere, cable cars from valley floors to peaks around 1250m high made for 2 days of non stop exploring. I did manage to achieve one ambition that up until this point on the exchange had eluded me which was to drive the famous Mount Panorama Racetrack at Bathurst home of the 1000km V8 Touring Car race a must for petrol heads.
Back with the Air Command Band I reprised my role in the pop band this time for the Richmond Sgts Mess Ball (above), another great night had by all lead into my last action packed week. I was determined to visit Western Australia the only state I had not yet managed to get to and, by a stroke of luck my old acquaintances the Central Band were performing a Pilots Graduation Parade at RAAF Pearce that very week hence mission accomplished. Having used up virtually every superlative regarding this vast country I’ll just say that Perth was everything I hoped it would be and slightly warmer to boot. My last engagement was performing at a joint concert with the New South Wales Police Band, again at St Andrews Cathedral in central Sydney. Over 4 months of wonderful memories, experiences and achievements had gone by so quickly, yet all of them felt so fresh in my mind and not a day had gone by without something to remember and a story to tell. If you haven’t experienced Australia on the Longlook exchange then I recommend you take the next available opportunity to do so because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that’s too good to miss.