The Archer

Here he is...our little archer! Harry started archery about 16 months ago. He is so taken with this sport and it's easy to see why it appeals to him so much. I'm half tempted to take it up myself! This week Harry is taking part in the Norfolk Island Archery Championships. Today was his second day and we tagged along to quietly cheer him on (and take photos of course).  I say quietly because this is a sport that takes great concentration, and we hardly dared to breathe whilst some of the archers were lining up their arrows!

The setting for this yearly event is magical and I could spend all day wandering around this part of Norfolk. It was great to be outdoors this morning, filling our lungs with fresh air and basking in some much needed sunshine. Till did very well to be still and quiet each time a member of Harry's group fired a shot. It was a big walk for little legs with some of the terrain proving to be extremely challenging (think muddy, slippery and steep slopes in parts).

This gives you an idea how dense some of the forest was!

Harry's task today was to shoot twenty 3D targets; ranging from a very large lion and bear, through to several turkeys and a skunk. Of course you don't just aim randomly at the animal, hoping to hit anywhere. Each 3D model is marked with a target (a series of very hard to see rings). The points earned relate directly to which ring your arrow lands in. It is harder than it looks! 

Today the "animals" were spread out over roughly 25 acres so the course took a few hours to complete. Some animals were placed in open fields, while others were nestled amongst trees in dense forest or hidden in grass close to creeks. There were some very challenging shots to be made, including a hyena placed precariously next to a large rock (a sure way to wreck an arrow is fire it into an unforgiving rock). Another tricky position was having to shoot a warthog that was positioned on the far side of a dam (I was imaging at least one arrow would have to be fished out!!!! But I was wrong). Harry did tremendously well throughout the course, especially considering he was performing in front of his family! He came home without having lost a single arrow.  Today Harry was placed in a group with three other experienced archers, one from NSW and two from QLD. Yesterday his group consisted of two WA residents and one NI local. One of the great things about participating in events such as these is the opportunity Harry gets to meet people from all parts of Australia and New Zealand. And certainly he has been witness to some very skilled archery too.