Graphic House Writers Competition Winning Entries
Fri 12 Nov 2010
The 2010 Graphic House Writers Competition, part to the Big4 Adventure Reef Festival was a great success with many quality entries from schools across the Whitsunday area. The competition topics for this year were “Reef preservation” and “Our unique community”.
Funded by the Regional Arts and Development Fund a Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and the Whitsunday Regional Council partnership to support local arts and culture
1st PLACE WINNING ENTRY
“The Barrier Grief”
By Alyx Pritchard (age 11)
Whitsunday Christian College
“Beneath the clear blue sea
You’ll find a world brimming with life
But where would we all be
If our reef got into strife
There’d be no beautiful corals
No fish or whales or squid
Just miles of lifeless ocean
Because of what we did
We need to protect our playground
It’s easy if everyone helps
Don’t leave your rubbish around
Don’t touch the corals or kelps
When fishing don’t be greedy
Be careful with your oil
And stay out of the green zones
Or our paradise will surely spoil
Plastic bags and fishing line
Cans and all sorts of pollution
Instead of being part of the cause
Be part of the solution
Enjoy our reef for the years to come
For our kids and their kids too
There’s a lot of hard work but it can be done
And it starts with me and you”
2nd PLACE ENTRY
“Sea Birds”
By Yemima Ehrnst (age 12)
Cannonvale State School
"My life was wonderful, my world colourful and my fellow sea birds and I flourished. I used my excellent sight to find my plentiful food. I talked to other birds that flew further than the horizon. But that was many nights ago.
One morning , I was flying over my favorite reef when I saw a boat, bobbing on the surface. I didn't care for human activity, it usually involved a peculiar, little fish on a line that flew meters from the boat, then some brave (or stupid) fish nip at the smaller ones on the lines. But this was different. The boat cast a huge net into the ocean and when they hauled their catch of marine life, the humans showed no regards to species, size or age which surprised me. I saw them take young and old, sick and healthy, even families and schools of fish.
Other boats came to the reef. They fished and fished for days on end. My fellow sea birds and I gradually had to compete with each other for food. I couldn't understand what was happening to my once perfect reef but I believed humans were to blame. I had seen them ruining their own land and now they had decided to ruin the reef.
That evening, when I reached land, other sea birds told me of more human activity. They told me they saw machine monsters plowing a farm. Then from the air humans sprayed a fine mist on to the bare earth. Apparently this mist made the plants grow faster. There was also a river next to the farm. Some of the mist drifted in to the water. The other sea birds told me they worried the fish might die from the mist.
3rd PLACE ENTRY
"The World Beneath Me!"
By Teggun Orth (age 11)
Whitsunday Christian College
"Stealing chips from me
White wings are gliding above
Squawks like a baby
Tentacles feeling
Suction cups are sticking too
Black ink on my toes
Bubbles floating high
Fish are swimming everywhere
Reefs grow tall and strong
Bright colours shining
A plastic bag is floating
Watching sea life die
Causing all the trouble
People swimming round and round
Will we ever learn!!"
4th PLACE ENTRY
“Imagine”
By Rhylee Goodwin (age 12)
Cannonvale State School
Imagine feeling the sand between your toes as you walk to the endless sparkling ocean.
Imagine seeing beautiful monstrosities breach out of the water right before your very own eyes.
Imagine experiencing spectacular views and to get their enjoying a rain forest walk.
Imagine enjoying work on an evergreen farm instead of being stuck indoors with the company of endless paper work.
Imagine having a delicious dinner in a restaurant watching the sunset on a blanket of waves.
Imagine attending work or school and being greeted by kind and caring people.
Imagine waking up every morning and never frowning about your community.
Imagine living somewhere and all of these were in the same area.
Imagine living in a holiday.
Here, in the Whitsundays you don't have to Imagine.
