Questions for discussion
Episode 27
th
16 September 2014
Arnhem Insight
1. Where is Arnhem Land?
2. Which famous National Park is in Arnhem Land?
3. How many people live in Arnhem Land?
4. How long is the Prime Minister staying there?
5. Explain why the Prime Minister is staying in Arnhem Land.
6. Which Indigenous instrument came from Arnhem Land?
7. Jake’s class is called Nguykal, Nguykal. What does it mean?
8. Why did the kids give up swimming?
9. What’s the Yolngu word for canoe?
10. Who are the ‘elder mob men’ that Billy’s talking about?
Check out the BtN Arnhem Insight resource on the Teachers page
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
Alcohol Damage
1. What was the main point of the Alcohol Damage story?
2. What is alcohol?
3. Why do you think people drink alcohol?
4. How does alcohol affect a person’s body?
5. How can alcohol affect a person’s behaviour?
6. Why do experts say that alcohol is bad for a developing brain?
7. Damage to the hippocampus makes it harder to...
8. Damage to the prefrontal cortex can affect...
9. Drinking over a long period of time can NOT cause cancer. True or False.
10. Apart from the brain, what other parts of the body are affected by alcohol damage?
Check out the BtN Alcohol Damage resource on the Teachers page
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.htm
Vote in the BtN poll. Go to http://www.abc.net.au/btn/polls.htm
Palau Fishing
1. Where is Palau? Locate it using Google Maps.
2. What does the Palau government want to do?
3. Palau is made up of ___________ tiny islands.
4. Finish the following sentence: A lot of people from Palau earn money from...
5. How many people live in Palau?
6. Why is tuna fishing important to the people from Palau?
1
7. What do you think is meant by the statement “In Palau fishing is a way of life.”?
8. What does Oreall’s dad teach Oreall and other fishermen? Explain.
9. The tuna fish can weigh anywhere between 25 and _______ kilos.
10. Name one of the tuna species that is now under threat due to overfishing.
Do the quiz on the BtN website http://www.abc.net.au/btn/quiz.htm
Declan’s Story
1. When did Declan first hear that he has Aspergers?
2. Aspergers is not a disease. True or False.
3. Which is one of the scariest things for Declan to deal with?
4. Where does Declan go to school?
5. How does Declan make things easier for himself?
6. Which things does Declan like about having Aspergers?
7. What is Declan good at?
8. What has Declan created? Describe it in detail.
9. Why did Declan decide to learn about geography?
10. Name three things you learnt about Aspergers from Declan’s story.
Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.
Wood Sport
1. How old is Daniel?
2. What are the main attributes of a good woodchopper?
3. Which is another word for woodchopper?
a. Axechopper
b. Axeman
c.
Woodaxe
4. In which Aussie state is wood chopping said to have first started?
5. Explain how wood chopping came about?
6. How many world championships has Daniel’s dad won?
7. When did Daniel start competing?
8. Which event in wood chopping does Daniel do well in?
9. How many boards do you use in this event?
10. In which world title did Daniel make the final this year?
Write a message about the story and post it in the comments section on the story page.
2
Episode 27
th
16 September 2014
Activity
Arnhem Insight
Key Learning
Students will develop a deeper understanding of life in Arnhem Land and explore dreaming stories
from the area.
The Australian Curriculum
Health and Physical Education/Personal, Social and
Community Health/Contributing to healthy and active
communities
Research own heritage and cultural identities, and explore
strategies to respect and value diversity Years 3 & 4
Civics and Citizenship/Knowledge and
Understanding/Citizenship, diversity and identity
How groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Peoples, express their particular identities, how this influences
their perceptions of others, and others’ perception of them
Year 7
Discussion Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Where is Arnhem Land?
Which famous National Park is in Arnhem Land?
How many people live in Arnhem Land?
How long is the Prime Minister staying there?
Explain why the Prime Minister is staying in Arnhem Land.
Which indigenous instrument came from Arnhem Land?
Jake’s class is called Nguykal, Nguykal. What does it mean?
Why did the kids give up swimming?
What’s the Yolngu word for canoe?
Who are the ‘elder mob men’ that Billy’s talking about?
Activities
Discuss the Arnhem Insight story with students. What did the story teach them about life in Arnhem
Land?
What are some traditional Yolngu words the kids in the story talked about?
Arnhem Land
Students find out more about Arnhem Land using the following questions to guide their research.


Where is Arnhem Land? Locate it using Google Maps.
Describe the location of Arnhem Land in relation to Darwin.
3



What is the area (sq km) of Arnhem Land?
What is the climate and geography of Arnhem Land? Find images of some geographical
features.
How did the region get its name?

What are some interesting facts about Arnhem Land?
Glossary
Students will explore dreaming stories from Arnhem Land. Before they do this, ask them to compile a
glossary of words from Arnhem Land. They can add to the list below.
Billabong
Corroboree
Moeity
Skin Name
Yirritja
Dhuwa
Didgeridoo
Students choose at least three words from the glossary and illustrate them.
Dreaming Stories from Arnhem Land
Dust Echoes is series of animated dreaming stories from Central Arnhem Land. Students choose a
dreaming story from the collection to explore in more detail
http://www.abc.net.au/dustechoes/dustEchoesFlash.htm
Dreaming stories
Whirlpool
Mermaid story
Brolga
Morning Star
Namorrodor
The Curse
Moon Man
The Be
Spear
Wagalak Sisters
Bat & Butterfly
Mimis
4
Exploring a Dreaming Story
What do Aboriginal Dreaming stories tell us?
What is the story about?
What are the main themes in the story?
What does the story help you understand
about Aboriginal people’s lives?
How did the story make you feel?
Further activities
Students can check their understanding of
the story by completing the quiz. Go to the
`Take the quiz’ section on the story that they
chose.
Students can create their own version of the
story. Go to the `Mash it up’ section.
Evaluate
Students will reflect on their learning
 I learned that...
 I enjoyed/did not enjoy...
 I want to know more about...
 I was surprised to discover that...
 Related Research Links
ABC News – PM visiting Arnhem Land
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-13/abbott-to-camp-in-arnhem-land/5741340
ABC News – Abbott's Top End trip: Prime Minister Tony Abbott to focus on jobs in Arnhem Land
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-15/prime-minister-to-focus-on-jobs-in-arnhem-land/5743334
ABC - Dust Echoes
http://www.abc.net.au/dustechoes/dustEchoesFlash.htm
East Arnhem Regional Council - Yirrkala
http://www.eastarnhem.nt.gov.au/yirrkala/
5
Episode 27
th
16 September 2014
Activity
Alcohol Damage
Key Learning
Students will investigate the effects of alcohol on the brain and other parts of the body.
The Australian Curriculum
Health and Physical Education/Personal, Social and
Community Health/Being healthy, safe and active
Plan and practise strategies to promote health, safety and
wellbeing Years 5 & 6
Health and Physical Education/Personal, Social and
Community Health/Communicating and interacting for
health and wellbeing
Recognise how media and important people in the
community influence personal attitudes, beliefs, decisions
and behaviours Years 5 & 6
Investigate and select strategies to promote health, safety and
wellbeing Years 7 & 8
Discussion Questions
1. What was the main point of the Alcohol Damage story?
2. What is alcohol?
3. Why do you think people drink alcohol?
4. How does alcohol affect a person’s body?
5. How can alcohol affect a person’s behaviour?
6. Why do experts say that alcohol is bad for a developing brain?
7. Damage to the hippocampus makes it harder to...
8. Damage to the prefrontal cortex can affect...
9. Drinking over a long period of time can NOT cause cancer. True or False.
10. Apart from the brain, what other parts of the body are affected by alcohol damage?
Activities
Pre-Viewing activity
Ask students to make some predictions about what the BtN Alcohol Damage story might be about
before they watch the story. They can compare their predictions after viewing the story. Discuss the
similarities and differences. Watch the BtN story again and ask students to record as many key words
as they can. Students then clarify their understanding of the key words by writing down what they
think the word means. Swap definitions with a partner and ask them to add to or change the definition.
Check them using a dictionary or other source.
6
The effects of alcohol
Discuss with students the issues raised in the BtN Alcohol story. Ask them to think about why they
think people drink alcohol.
Class brainstorm – How does alcohol affect our bodies? Record students’ responses.
Research Questions
 What is alcohol?
 Alcohol is a depressant. What does that mean?
 How might a person’s behaviour change when they drink alcohol?
 What are the short-term effects of drinking alcohol?
 What can be the long-term effects of alcohol on the body?
 What effect does alcohol have on the brain?
 What areas of the brain does alcohol affect?
 How does drinking affect a teenage brain versus an adult brain?
How does alcohol affect the brain?
Working in pairs, students investigate the
parts of the brain affected by alcohol. Go
to
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/resources/teach
er/episode/20140916-alcoholdamage.pdf
to download the pdf. There are links at the
end of this activity sheet to help students
with their research.
7
What other body parts does alcohol affect?
Students investigate other parts of the
body, other than the brain, that are
affected by alcohol. Go to
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/resources/teach
er/episode/20140916-alcoholdamage.pdf
to download the pdf. There are links at the
end of this activity sheet to help students
with their research. Encourage students to
share their learning with other students.
Further investigation: What are some other negative effects of drinking alcohol?
Reflection
In groups, students discuss:
 What they have learned about the effects of alcohol.
 Whether their views about alcohol have changed.
 Related Research Links
Behind the News – Alcohol Damage
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2003295.htm
ABC News – Teenagers given alcohol by their parents more likely to be heavier drinkers, study says
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-08/teens-given-alcohol-by-parents-drink-more-study/5726532
Too Smart to Start – Alcohol and the Developing Brain
http://www.toosmarttostart.samhsa.gov/families/facts/brain.aspx
Alcohol, Think Again - Impact of Alcohol on the Developing Brain
http://alcoholthinkagain.com.au/Parents-Young-People/Alcohol-and-the-Developing-Brain/Impact-ofAlcohol-on-the-developing-brain
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development - Alcohol and Adolescent Development
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/health/factsheet12011.pdf
8
BtN: Episode 27 Transcript 16/9/14
Coming up

The PM visits Arnhem Land for a week. We get some local kids to show us
around.

Rookie reporter Declan gives us a personal insight into life with Aspergers.

And meet the son trying to beat his world champion dad in wood chopping.
Hi I'm Nathan and you're watching Behind the News. We've got a huge show coming
up. But first let's kick off with this week's headlines.
The Wire
The Aussie government has announced it's sending troops to the Middle East to help
fight against extremist group, Islamic State.
IS has taken over several cities in Iraq and Syria, and it's killed many innocent
people.
Last month the US sent fighter planes to attack IS fighters.
But the US and the Iraqi government have asked for more help.
Around 600 Aussie soldiers will train and advise but not fight directly.
While Australian fighter jets will carry out air strikes.
Back home Australia is now officially on a high level of terror alert.
That doesn't mean there will be an attack it just means our spy agencies now think
there's a high risk.
And they want the government and the public to be extra careful.
It'll mean more security at airports, military bases, public buildings and big public
events like sports matches.
And Prime Minister Tony Abbott is currently in Arnhem Land in the Northern
Territory.
9
He's staying with indigenous communities for a week.
Something he promised to do after last year's election.
The PM has already been meeting locals, visiting businesses, even planting trees.
He says the visit is about listening to the community's needs and he plans to do it
each year.
Arnhem Insight
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: Now as you saw there Prime Minister Tony Abbott is currently living and
working in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. But what sort of things will he
see while there? We got some kids from Yirrkala School in Arnhem Land to show us.
Here’s Tash with their story.
BILLY, STUDENT: Good afternoon, this is Yirrkala Community School.
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Yirrkala is in Arnhem Land in the Northern
Territory. Arnhem Land is known for its tropical wilderness and beautiful beaches
and it's also where the didgeridoo came from! Indigenous people have lived here for
tens-of-thousands of years.
There are 15 schools in Arnhem Land, including Yirrkala, where these guys go.
GAWUKAWU, STUDENT: This is all the students in Jake's class. Our class is called
Nguykal, Nguykal means King Fish.
These are totems that hang in their classroom. They're symbols that are given to kids
by their family. They connect them with their ancestors and their land.
GAWUKAWU: This one, my totem. (TEACHER: Snake?) yeah.
GAWUKAWU: This is our music room. (TEACHER: Come and show us!)
There's even a school garden, where they grow their own vegetables.
BILLY: This is basketball in Yirrkala, I mean Yirrkala basketball and we're just going
to have shots. Let's go! Oh, got it in!
BILLY: We used to swim after school, but now we gave up because there was, we saw
a crocodile, big crocodile here! They're making a bus stop, new bus stop there, look!
New bus stop and on the other side, as you can see on the left side, hospital. Yirrkala
clinic. My Grandfather and all the other elder mob men, they built this church a long
time ago. Yeah look, it says my name. This is a playground. This place is called Rika
Park.
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Learning about the traditions of their ancestors is an important part of life for the
kids here.
GAWUKAWU: This is for eyes, eyes. (TEACHER: Medicine?) If you get sore, you use
this.
BILLY: It's used for your throat when you get sick.
GAWUKAWU: This canoe from a long time.
TEACHER: What's the Yolngu word for canoe?
STUDENTS: Lipalipa.
Sometimes the boys get together with others from Yirrkala to perform traditional
dances too. It's clear these guys love living here!
LUKE, STUDENT: Nice community, good people and nice beaches.
Quiz 1
Presenter: Now let's go to a quiz.
What was Arnhem Land named after?
A local indigenous word for beach (Beach)
A city in the Netherlands (City)
Or a British ship captain (Ship Captain)
The answer - A city in the Netherlands.
It was named by the captain of a ship from the Dutch East India Company that sailed
into the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1623. Okay moving on now.
Alcohol Damage
Reporter: Matt Holbrook
INTRO: And a new study has found that kids who are given alcohol by their
parents are more likely to become heavy drinkers later in life. But there are many
other reasons why kids shouldn't go near alcohol too. Here's Matt with one of the
biggest.
As we grow up, our bodies change. Some of those changes are pretty obvious, but
others we can't see. Like the changes that happen to our brains!
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This is Brian, he's a growing brain. Hi Brian! During his teenage years, Brian's
growing constantly. That makes him smarter, but it also leaves him vulnerable. So
what would happen if Brian was exposed to alcohol?
Alcohol is a drug, and in large amounts, it can be really dangerous. Too much can
even kill you. When alcohol enters the body, it quickly finds its way into the blood
stream, and is pumped throughout the body, and towards Brian, the growing brain.
Brian's made up of billions of tiny nerve cells, which send messages around the body,
telling us things like how to move, what to say and what to do, and alcohol interferes
with those messages. Sorry Brian!
On the outside, the effects are obvious. Alcohol hinders your ability to think, speak,
and see things properly. You might not be able to walk, you might feel sick, and worst
of all, you might make bad decisions, which is why people are more likely to get into
fights or have accidents when they drink.
While some alcohol can be OK for adults, it's a different story for teens. And one of
the big reasons why is because of Brian. Experts say drinking alcohol can hurt two
important areas of Brian, which during his teenage years, are going through an
incredibly important stage of development.
The hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. Damage to the hippocampus makes it
harder to store memories and learn new things, while damage to the prefrontal
cortex can affect your decision-making abilities. That's not good news for Brian as he
grows up. But there are lots of other reasons to be careful with alcohol, too.
Over a long period of time, drinking can cause liver damage, stomach problems, and
heart disease, and even cause certain types of cancer.
It's pretty clear that alcohol is a real risk to teens, and adults need to be responsible
with it, too. And for now at least, saying no to alcohol is the best way to keep Brian
happy.
Online Poll
Okay in that story we talked about the damage alcohol can do to a growing brain. But
your brain actually keeps growing right up until your mid twenties.
So that leads us to this week's poll. Should Australia's drinking age be raised?
Let us know what you think!
12
Last week, we asked you if Australia's national flag should ever change. After a huge
response most of you went with no, the flag should stay just as it is. As always, thanks
for voting.
Aspergers
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: Next, you're going to meet a kid who sees the world a little bit differently to
most other kids. That's because he has Aspergers. His name is Declan. And this is
his story.
DECLAN, ROOKIE REPORTER: Aspergers is a word you might not have seen before.
It describes people who think a bit different, feel a bit different and act a bit different
to other people.
And it describes me.
It's not bad, it's just different.
And today I'm going to tell you why.
DECLAN: Hello, my name is Declan Crowley. I have two siblings, one brother, one
sister. They're both younger. I am 14 years old, am in year 8, go to school at
Collingwood College and am here today on BtN to tell you what it's like to be like me.
This is me. Well, a drawing of me.
In it I'm happy, but I didn't used to be.
DECLAN: I first heard that I had Aspergers when I was nine or ten, around that age.
And I had big problems with being like other kids, being jealous of them and trying
to be just like them. I had so much trouble with that and I thought being very, very
different was bad and that I had to be like everyone else.
When I learnt about Aspergers I was like 'I want to be normal', I thought that was a
bad thing I thought that meant my brain was sick and stuff like that, but now I realise
that it's a perfect condition, it's pretty good.
Aspergers is not a disease, so you can't catch it.
Kids like me have it from birth.
It has something to do with my genes.
They change how my brain works.
It's doesn't make my brain work any worse.
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Sometimes, it works better.
But mostly, it just makes me react differently to some situations, than you might.
DECLAN: One of the scariest things for me to deal with is when things change.
People with Aspergers are not good with change. Things changing in their daily
routine, the disruption can be really tough, it can take a long time to become part of
the routine.
Making Aspergers easier is by making myself follow a straightforward routine.
Whether it's waking up in the morning, having breakfast, having fish and chips every
Friday and even wearing the same sort of tops like chequered shirts every day.
Making friendships is very difficult with me because since I have Aspergers and form
of autism, I don't really like strangers very much and don't really like big crowds.
Basically I don't really like to be in groups. I like instead of saying come here you two,
I like saying come here Declan, come here. Come here Freddie. And I also don't like
playing with other kids because I think it's tough and discomforting. I like being by
myself.
But there are times when I have to be around other kids, like when I go to school.
Luckily, most of them understand me.
This is my school Collingwood College and as you can see it's very artsy, and I'm very
artsy, I like drawing pictures and Collingwood College is very artsy and not very
sporty so it really is win-win for me.
DECLAN'S DAD: What do you think of Declan?
STUDENT: He's really good! He's funny! He's such an amazing student at
Collingwood College!
STUDENT: Dec is a really cool guy, he's actually super nice. We all know he has
Aspergers which we take into consideration when he takes jokes really seriously. And
we understand.
DECLAN: I'm going to music now, I'm on my way to music! And you can see some of
my class behind me. This is Travis the music teacher, I'm reporting for BtN!
TRAVIS: Hello BtN!
So far, I've told you some of the hard parts about having Aspergers.
But there are good bits too; bits that I like.
One thing I like to do is drawing. Not only am I good at doing little caricatures, but I
also like creating art on the computer.
14
I made this graphic novel not for a competition, but for fun, when I found an original
idea to make spark and cocky, the bug paramedics. It's a graphic novel I made about
these two bug friends who are next door neighbours and they want to become
paramedics and they enter a competition to become them and learn to be them.
Another thing that's good about me is that I'm often known for having good
geography compared to other kids. When I was 8 and about to go overseas, I learnt
geography by myself I taught myself geography, knowing where all the countries are
like I always knew where Australia was since I was very little but I started to know
where China was, where Japan was, where the UK was, where France was, where
South Africa was and where they all are located. However it took me a while to locate
the Czech Republic and I still don’t quite know where Lithuania is.
I also enjoy things other kids do, like time with my friends.
They know me really well and appreciate me for exactly who I am.
CONNOR: Well he sort of brought out my creative side if that makes sense. Like
seeing him be creative you think yeah I want to try to be creative like him. Like
drawing for instance, when I saw him draw I thought I'd give it a go, and ever since I
saw him drawing a little more than before I met him.
MICHAEL: For other Aussie kids who have a friend with Aspergers or know someone
with Aspergers, just get to know them because Declan has made me a better person
because he's made me more considerate, more well mannered, yeah he's just a really
good friend and I'm glad I met him and I'm glad I’m friends with him.
SARAH: We're always going to be there for Declan.
CONNER: Kids with Aspergers are creative fun - good to be around.
DECLAN: Now let me talk about what it's like having Aspergers today and how it's
different from the past. Now, instead of being scared about going to doctor’s
appointments, I feel kind of proud that there are people out there to help me become
a better person and deal with Aspergers more easily than in the past. Nowadays I also
try to control my behaviour and try to not go cuckoo all the time to get my own way.
But most of all, I'm proud of who I am and what I'm going to achieve in the future.
And that's the story of what it's like to be me.
Presenter: Thanks Declan. Okay for our next story we're going fishing. But first to a
quiz.
Quiz 2
How many species of fish are there?
1,000
15
10,000
30,000
The answer is - 30,000
Palau Fishing
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: Our next story is all about Oreall and his dad who are from the tiny island
nation of Palau. They love fishing but lately Oreall's noticed that it's getting harder
to catch anything. But his dad's hoping to do something about it. Here's Emma with
the story.
EMMA DAVIS, REPORTER: In Palau, fishing is a way of life. Just ask Oreall! He's
out here trying to catch some dinner with his dad, but that's getting harder and
harder to do!
OREALL: "There used to be a lot of fish here when I was young, but now they're
running out, fast."
Palau is here. Can't see it? How about now? It's made up of 250 tiny islands and a
whole lot of ocean! Around 21 thousand people live here and a lot of them earn
money from tourism. People come from all over the world to see things like jellyfish,
sharks and turtles!
But another thing that's a big earner for the people of Palau is tuna fishing! Out on
the ocean, big fishing boats scoop up massive hauls of tuna and bring it back to be
sorted! Each fish can weigh anywhere between 25 and 70 kilos! But the people of
Palau have started noticing a problem. The fishing industry has gotten so big lately
that a couple of tuna species are starting to disappear!
NANNETTE MALSOL, PALAU FISHERIES: "Bigeye is becoming threatened and so
we have to start taking care of the Bigeye."
But people have been fishing here for ages so why are the fish disappearing now?
Well out in the ocean around Palau some fishing companies are now using some
pretty fancy technology, like this. It's called a fish aggregating device. It attracts
schools of fish so fishing boats can scoop up many more than before. That's helping
some boats take more than they're allowed to, which is illegal. So the Palau marine
police patrol the waters trying to find any trawlers that are breaking the rules.
16
That's what Oreall's dad does, when he's not teaching Oreall to fish, and his job is
very important to him.
JIM, OREALL'S DAD: "I grew up as a fisherman, I spent a lot of my time in the
water, and to grow up and work on the Remeliik protecting our waters is everything
to me."
Back on their boat, Oreall's dad teaches Oreall the same lessons he teaches fishing
boats; that sustainable fishing is important.
JIM, OREALL'S DAD: "Oh that's a coral trout man, that's a good fish."
JIM, OREALL'S DAD: "They're having a baby now so we cannot collect them. It's all
in conservation. Throw it back in the water."
If everyone in Palau follows the same lessons as Oreall and his dad, there should be a
lot more fish for everyone in the future.
The Score
Okay now to sport.
Here's a wrap of the big results you need to know.
The US has won the basketball world cup in Spain after a 129 to 92 win over Serbia.
The US didn't drop a single game during the tournament.
And have now won back to back world titles.
Meanwhile, France won the bronze medal game in a nail-biter against Lithuania.
To the AFL finals now and it was a week of upsets.
Both the Cats and the Dockers had a second chance to make it through to the
prelims.
But things didn't go to plan for either team.
North Melbourne got up over Geelong by 6 points.
While Port came from behind to win by 22.
17
The finals are also underway in the NRL.
Canterbury smashed Melbourne 28 to 4 in their elimination final.
While the Cowboys won their elimination game against the Broncos.
South Sydney won their qualifying final against Manly and Penrith just got over the
Roosters 19 to 18.
And in soccer
The W League season's kicked off for another year.
Canberra United had a big win over the Western Sydney Wanderers 4 to 1.
Michelle Heyman led the way with two goals in the first half.
Wood Sport
Reporter: Emma Davis
INTRO: Finally today. Imagine competing against your dad for an Australian title.
That's what 17 year old wood chopper Daniel Gurr faced when he went head to
head with his dad, a 16 time world champion! Emma was there to find out who
won.
Whether chopping, sawing, climbing or throwing, wood sports always require serious
strength and perfect timing, and Daniel Gurr has both! He's 17 years old and well on
his way to becoming a champion axeman!
Some say the sport of wood-chopping first started more than 100 years ago when two
guys from Tassie had a bet about who could chop down a tree the fastest! Fast
forward to today and there are national and international championships involving
axemen and women from all over the world! Daniel's dad is a particularly good
woodchopper, in fact he's won 16 world championships! So Daniel's been around the
sport since he was born!
DANIEL GURR: Ever since I was little I've had an axe in my hand and I never
wanted to go without my axe and yeah I've been the same ever since.
He started competing when he was five and now, 12 years later, he's doing pretty
well!
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DANIEL GURR: I made the final of the world title tree felling in Sydney and that was
a big achievement for me so hopefully I can keep improving and keep getting higher
places in these big championships.
There are a lot of different categories in wood chopping and one that Daniel does a
particularly good job in is Tree Felling!
DANIEL GURR: OK tree felling is an event where it takes a lot of skill and endurance
and you use three boards and you put a pocket in the tree, put the board in and
repeat the process three times up one side of the tree then take all the boards out and
repeat the process up the back side of the tree and complete the log on top.
Right now he's getting ready to compete in the Tree Felling Australasian
Championship and he'll be competing against his dad! Dad won this time, but it
won't be long until Daniel knocks his dad off top spot.
Presenter: Congrats anyway Daniel!
Closer
And that brings us to the end of the show! Thanks for watching and please remember
to go onto our website after this to vote in our drinking age poll. And we'll see you
after the holidays! Bye for now!
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