Island tour de fun

New friends: Pte Benjamin Kneen, Cpl Jason Feeney and Pte Dustin Lee chat to actress/model Annalise Braakensiek after their section had taken Annalise on a patrol.

Treaty: Cpl Jason Feeney with Witiyana Marika and Nicky Yunupingu. Photos by Sgt John Carroll

By Flg-Off Fiona Harris

A TOUR de Force has boosted the morale of soldiers deployed on Op Anode.

Indigenous super group Yothu Yindi was joined by comedian Chris Franklin, model/actress Annalise Braakensiek, the RAN Band and Australian Federal Police Rock Band Short Notice for a series of concerts to entertain the deployed military personnel and Australian Federal Police (AFP) participating in RAMSI late last month.

A hectic program faced the entertainers in the five days they spent in the Solomon Islands. Upon arrival at Guadalcanal Beach Resort – home of the deployed personnel – they checked into their tent lines and were issued with a stretcher and mozzie dome.

Day two saw Yothu Yindi perform for the students of the King George VI School in Honiara.

School Principal Mary Hana said this was the first time to her knowledge that an Australian indigenous group had come to the Solomon Islands. The students and teachers felt very privileged to have Yothu Yindi perform at their school.

Yothu Yindi’s lead singer, Mandawuy Yunupingu was the first qualified indigenous school principal in the Northern Territory. Performing at schools is something close to his heart.

Meanwhile back at the camp the rest of the performers were setting up the stage for an open-air concert for AFP and ADF personnel.

The commander of Task Force 635, Maj Jon Heap, said Tour de Force did a lot for the morale of troops.

“Certainly for the infantry platoons that are here coming up to the back end of their three-month deployment, this is a very good boost for their morale,” he said.

Dark clouds above threatened to spoil the outdoor concert but luckily the heavy rain stayed away.

Yothu Yindi were the main spectacle of the night. Covered in traditional body paint, band members fused traditional Aboriginal music and dances with modern rock, a combination that has given them worldwide recognition.

“The concert was very well received by all the PPF here and also the military and I know that the local community are looking forward to the open air concert down at the town grounds,” Maj Heap said after the event.

Sunday was a day of rest for the performers and time to reflect on the past few days.

Mr Franklin was busy organising another private show for the military who were out on a patrol and missed out on the concert for the troops.

Sunday night was going to be a casual jazz concert put on by the RAN Band at Guadalcanal Beach Resort for the ADF and PPF personnel but after the RAN Band finished their numbers, Yothu Yindi decided that they still had some petrol in the tank and went one more round for the troops.