Published on: 31 July 2015



During the winter holidays, seven avid fishermen from Year 10 and 11 had the privilege of visiting the Montebello Islands, 1 280km north of Perth and 100km north west of Exmouth.

The group of fishermen included Jonah Allen (Year 11), Raiden Armstrong (Year 11), Robert Bartlett (Year 11), Jim Bastow Jnr (Year 10), Matt Hudson (Year 10), Dawson Minns (Year 10), Clarence Wang (Year 10), with Mr Jim Bastow Snr and Mr Joe Sterlini. Jonah Allen shares his memories of the tour:

Once aboard the luxury charter vessel Bluewater, we were treated like kings with a fully air-conditioned bunkhouse, restaurant quality meals and most importantly, a location right on the mark to catch a variety of prized table fish.

We visited the British atomic bomb test site of 1952, had 4-way hook-ups whilst trolling for mackerel, hand fed a giant groper at night, saw whales jump clear of the water and enjoyed spending time away from home with our mates in a pristine natural island archipelago, unspoiled by civilisation. On our return to Perth we had an icebox full of vacuum-sealed labeled fish fillets.

On behalf of all the boys who attended this tour, we would like to thank Mr Dominic Hodnett for the hard work and planning that made this a trip of a lifetime. Also, a massive thank you to Mr Joe Sterlini for being such a legend and putting up with us, even though we gave him a hard time when he pulled in the smallest fish of the day on consecutive occasions.

I strongly recommend the fishing tour, which will run again in 2017, to any boy who loves fishing and wants an unforgettable outdoor experience.