Memories of Leavers, Almost 20 Years On.

Earlier this week there was a photo in The West Australian of a group of "leavers" at Rottnest Island.  Not much new there, except for the fact that they were on an exceptionally large Sunseeker motor yacht.  And there were several designer clad girls on the front who looked like Paris Hilton.  But with better hair.  My instant thought was - yep, the first thing I would do if I had a very expensive boat is lend it to a bunch of seventeen year olds...  And then I had a few memories of my own end of high school celebrations.

I went to Rottnest Island at the end of Year 12, sometime in the early 1990s.  It wasn't called "leavers" or "schoolies" then.  It was just called "going to Rottnest at the end of Year 12".

I stayed with a group of friends, not in a yacht unfortunately, but rather in a skanky Rottnest Island Authority rental.  We had to chain our fridge door closed so no one nicked our booze.  I took a whole 6 pack of Strongbow Cider.  Strongbow Sweet Cider.  Special. ( In retrospect the chain was probably superfluous.  Not even a school leaver would steal Strongbow Sweet.)

My wardrobe consisted of two pairs of shorts from Katies and three T-shirts from Sussans.  I don't think I owned sunglasses, let alone Prada ones.  For those who did have sunglasses, Oakley Frogskins were the pinnacle of fashion greatness.

The height of sophistication was sneeking into the pub.  Admittedly that wasn't that hard , as you just snuck down the beach and jumped over the wall while the solo bouncer was checking someone else's ID.

My Idea Of A Designer Label At Seventeen

We drank "cocktails" we made from Brownes Choc Milk and Kahlua.  Even now my stomach turns at the smell of Kahlua.

The coolest outfit I wore the whole week was a poncho. I had made it out of an army blanket with a hole cut in the middle.  It was my Mexican outfit and I wore it to drink Tequila slammers.  Interestingly I can still stomach Tequila easily (but then I never ate the worm).

We listened to the Hoodoo Gurus, The Violent Femmes and a decent amount of Madonna.  Eighties music didn't count as retro then.

I can't remember anyone having designer clothes, designer boats or designer drugs.  No designer anything really.

I was feeling a bit bemused by the whole motor launch concept and then I bumped into a local girl who was just back from Rottnest.  She had sprained her arm.  She had absolutely no memory of how.  So obviously some things haven't changed...