“You’re the boy that got the pig-nosed turtle!” guides exclaimed as they shook 17-year-old Wyatt’s hand. The bush telegraph travelling Kakadu.
It was a rare experience for Wyatt and his grandparents, not only are the creatures rare in themselves, but hooking one on a line is near unheard of, and that’s what made the adventure a dream come true. An adventure thanks to the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
For Wyatt, there’s no better place than the great outdoors. Fishing, camping, and four-wheel driving with his Nan, Susan, and Pa, Peter, are his favourite escapes from the challenges of daily life.
Born with Spina Bifida and diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, Wyatt has spent much of his life in and out of hospital undergoing surgeries and ongoing treatment. Despite these challenges, he is known for his happy, caring nature and love of adventure. His face especially lights up when the Supercars are on.
That’s why, when Starlight granted Wyatt a wish, a tailor-made adventure was crafted that ticked all the boxes – fishing, four-wheel-driving, a Yellow Water cruise, crocodiles, the best that Kakadu had to offer. And a bonus second adventure that would take the trio to Uluru for an unforgettable adventure in Australia’s heart.
“I enjoyed the fishing, the crocs, the buffalos, and the rock,” Wyatt stated.
As for the fishing story behind the turtle.
“I thought I caught a big barra as it pulled hard,” Wyatt said.
“It was a strange-looking thing, but exciting.
“Even the ranger couldn’t believe it,” Susan recalled, noting the turtle was quickly released back safely.
“Wherever we went afterwards, people wanted to shake Wyatt’s hand for catching it.”
A brief stopover in Brisbane between Kakadu and Uluru, saw Wyatt, Susan and Peter join Starlight and Virgin Australia in celebrating the milestone 15-year partnership between the two organisations, which has seen the airline help grant 3000 travel wishes.
The trio joined fellow Starlight Wish recipients Lucie and Willow and their families as games, food and entertainment were had in the Virgin Lounge with Captain Starlight before boarding a plane to Uluru for the five-day adventure.
From the wetlands of Kakadu to the red sands of Uluru, the family soaked in breathtaking experiences. A special highlight was the “Sunrise Journeys” experience at Uluru, where they sat wrapped in blankets with hot tea, watching the land come alive with colour and stories of Country. Later, the family joined other Starlight Wish recipients to walk through the Field of Light installation – thousands of glowing orbs spread across the desert night.
“The light shows at sunrise and sunset,” Wyatt said, were amongst some of his best memories, though there was no “favourite moment”.
“The best part was getting to know Lucie and Willow.”
For Susan she couldn’t be more proud of Wyatt.
“I’ve never seen him walk so far,” Susan said.
“At Uluru, he walked everywhere; he just kept walking with Lucie and Willow. I couldn’t believe it.”
“We had a ball,” Peter added.
“It’s something we would’ve put on our bucket list anyway, but sharing it with Wyatt was special.”
Not only did the adventure tick off a few new experiences for the trio, but it was also the first time in Wyatt’s life that he boarded a plane and soared into the skies.
“The best part was take-off and landing,” Wyatt said.
“Take off was fast, everything is so small from up there.”
The wish was supported by the Starlight team and Virgin crew, who ensured every detail was looked after from the moment they stepped out of the car right through to the moment they returned home again.
Back home in Leongatha, Wyatt is still buzzing from his adventure Sunday week ago.
For Book Week on Friday, Wyatt already had his costume pulled together: the Akubra hat and ranger’s shirt gifted to him at Uluru by Akubra, Parks Australia and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Visitor and Tourism Services, a book of his own adventure.
“At Starlight, we believe happiness matters. And our Wish granting partner Virgin Australia believes this too,” Starlight CEO Louise Baxter said.
“Virgin Australia’s incredible support has helped Starlight grant over 3000 seriously ill children their life-changing Starlight Wish. Giving them something positive to look forward to and lift their spirits when they are facing the most challenging times. Everyone at Virgin Australia, from the welcoming cabin crew, ground teams and those behind the scenes, go above and beyond to ensure Starlight
Wish children have a truly wonderful travel experience. We are so excited to celebrate our 15-year partnership right in the heart of Australia!”
Susan and Peter say they’ll be forever grateful for Wyatt’s wish.
“We can’t thank Starlight, the wish granting team, Virgin, and everyone involved enough. It was wonderful, a really amazing experience!”