The alarm rang exactly at 0430 hours. I headed for my shower and preparing for what was ahead. We packed our own lunch and snacks. The transport is arriving at 0500 hours and dispatched as two unit of four in a separate automobile. The day ahead of us was much anticipated as an excited day. It was indeed a long journey, as we are going all the way to Ecuka for our warfare destination. All the way from Bundoora, to Hume highway through metropolitan ring road. Then through Northern ring road, to Echuka. Our warfare destination is at somewhere near mooma which is the Semoir paintball battlefield. Semoz Paintball is located just over the border in NSW. After we crosses the Echuka/Moama bridge, we continue out of Moama towards Deniliquin. After that travel for 12 km and crosses the railway line. We arrived at a rather off road dirt track Old Deniliquin Road which stretched 4 kilometer and stopped.

The warfare was supposed to be starting at 0900 hours but we are pretty late as we are kind of lost when finding our way here to the battlefield. We reached the battlefield at about 0930. Everyone started emerging from their vehicles onto the drop zone group by group. We went to the officer in charge to register and paid our entrance fees and bought our compulsory 100 ammo after changing into the military camouflage outfit. We are all also geared up with the mask and goggles to protect our heads and eyes from any injuries that might arise. The wait was unbearable as we are all excited about the warfare ahead of us. After signed the clearance for the weapons and ammo, we are then preceded to the armory to receive our weapon which is a semi automatic rifle powered by compressed CO2 gas canisters. I was given a number 56 ammo vault.

We are briefed about the dangers involved, the safety and the weapon handling at the practice zone. Everyone was so eager and look forward for what awaiting them. One division consists of 25 infantries which further divided to two clans. It is very obvious that all the guys that came with the big military truck grouped together. They are all strong and brave militia while living all the gals in one group. Needless to say, I am in the gals’ team as our self-appointed group leader is Carolyn.

We were brought to the first preliminary zone where there is heaps of barriers make out of woods. The experience of shooting someone with the paint loaded semi automatic rifle was overwhelming as soon as I started to shoot enemies especially in the very near distance. When you heard ah’ or ouch’, you can know for sure that is Caucasians while if you overheard aiyak’ or aah’, you can know for sure that you comrades got hit and need medics. Basically each battle is mission based such like capturing flags and bring it to the enemy barrel at the base. Defending or attacking a fortress. Some mission, each infantry are only given one life which mean if you get shot once, you are out. Some mission if you get shot, you must tag the barrel at the base before you can enter the battlefield again or get tagged by a comrade.

There is 10 different combats field and we only played about half of it. We only played the Board, Celtic Ruins, The fort, Hay Bales 1, Junk Yard and Search & destroy.
1. Board
2. Braveheart
3. Celtic Ruins
4. The fort
5. Hay Bales 1
6. Hay Bales 2
7. Junk Yard
8. Search & Destroy
9. Tyres
10. Wild West





We didn’t even win a single game as anticipated since we are the inferior group. Our group only reloaded once while the other group already reloaded at least 4 or 5 times. Since we are short on ammo, we have to be sparing on our ammunitions. It is so infuriating that I kept eating bullets. 人吃子彈, 我吃子彈。 I really ate bullets as I kept being shot on the mask and the paint splash inside my mask and it taste really bitter. We are already worn out before the break and our struggles end there.

Clock Wise: Carolyn, Me, Elaine, Suhaina & Yaamuna. *not in pic, chai yuen

Mr T, Sky and Me
Everyone was already tired from the paintball game and no one notice that on our way home, we went to a wrong direction. By the time we realized that we didn’t cross the Echuka / Moama bridges across the Murray River at the NSW border, we are already all the way up at Deniliquine, NSW. It is atleast 80km away from Echuka, while Melbourne is about 210 km away from Echuka. The journey to Echuka from Melbourne which supposed to be only 3 hours took us 4 hours. It is intriguing that the return journey which supposed to be shorter took us about 6 hours as we went to the wrong direction.