Navy People: Gap year with a difference
6 December 2010
This time last year Karuah’s Rochelle Baker, then 18, decided to have a Gap Year with a difference.
The St Francis Xavier graduate farewelled her parents Ken and Deanna, waved goodbye to the family painting and building maintenance business, and headed off to spend a year in the Navy.
“I’d actually left school in ’08 and worked on a ferry part-time around the Tea Gardens, but I’d always been interested in defence so when the option came up I was there,” said Rochelle.
“Basic Navy training is at HMAS Cerberus — a big shore base near Melbourne. It was very challenging as we were jammed in at very close-quarters, just like at sea!
“But the rest of the year I got the chance to travel and see so much, from four months sea-time aboard HMAS Manoora, to experiencing the east coast from Hobart to Cairns.
“I was even part of an exercise with French forces in their colony of New Caledonia. For me there was definitely a language barrier, but it was interesting to be part of it.
“Now I’m spending my last Gap Year weeks at the Navy’s big Fleet Air Arm base at Nowra near Wollongong.
“I’ve made heaps of friends — people from completely different backgrounds. It certainly opened my eyes to what some people go through.
“For me the next step is to travel to more of Australia plus other parts of the world next year — that’s after my first beer back home at Karuah RSL.
“But when that’s over I’m already planning to re-enlist. The lifestyle is really good — and I love travelling for free.”
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