NATIONALS 2026 – SUNSHINE COAST QLD

On Thursday, 4th June, some of The Rockets left for sunny Queensland (some drove up earlier) to attend the 37th National Tenpin Bowling Championship for Persons with a Disability, which was held at Suncity Tenpin Alexandra Headlands.

We flew into Brisbane and drove 104 km to the Sunshine Coast as this airport does not cater for 25-seater buses. 

Our accommodation was at the beautiful Novotel Twin Waters resort, about 15 minutes from the bowling alley.

Wildlife was abundant!

As were the areas to relax!

Friday 5th June saw us bowl a Singles and Doubles.  

Due to the alley's smaller size, bowling took longer than expected.  We travelled to the Events Centre in Caloundra for a pre-show dinner, then attended the “Dolly I Love You” show.  Much foot tapping and singing along occurred.

Saturday 6th, we bowled later due to the Opening Ceremony at the Alley. Lesley, along with some other volunteers, was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of valuable contributions to the sport of Tenpin Bowling in the International Volunteer Year. 

Sunday 7th was our first and only full day of bowling – 3 series.  Very tiring for the bowlers (and parents). We started at 8.00am and got out of the alley at about 5.00pm – long day.

Monday 8th was our “free day”. It had been raining the previous night, so we thought our entertainment options might “go down the drain”.  However, Lesley assured us that she had spoken to “higher authorities” (fingers crossed) and it would clear!  

Miracle – we woke up Monday morning and it was cloudy but no rain.  We travelled to Australia Zoo and the sun came out.  We saw the tiger show, many animals and witnessed the crocodile show at the World Famous Crocoseum. Lunch was at the Crikey Café before we headed back to the accommodation.

Tuesday the 9th was once again wet.  

We bowled a Singles and Doubles with plans for the evening in doubt.  

We had a 1-hour Sunset Canal Cruise booked, and just as we arrived, the sun came out.  We cruised up and down the waterway, spotting multimillion-dollar properties, and even saw the Irwin residence with their boat, Croc One, parked out front. Our Celebration Dinner was next to the canal overlooking the water. 

Wednesday 10th saw us back in Sydney.

As for the bowling, there were some great results and congratulations to all the bowlers.

Each bowler's top score is listed below:

Candice – 133

Dom – 107

Emma C – 157

Emma M – 176 and scored a turkey

Lauren – 149

Natham – 204 and scored a turkey

Tim - 180

WELL DONE ROCKETS

 

THANK YOU BENDIGO BANK - GALSTON

Many thanks to Bendigo Bank Galston for their sponsorship for assisting The Rockets to attend the 2026 National Championships for Persons with a Disability in Suncity, Queensland.

Without this support, many of our bowlers would not be able to attend competitions.

THANK YOU BENDIGO BANK GALSTON.

CONGRATULATIONS LAUREN

 

Congratulations, Lauren, on winning a GOLD MEDAL in B Grade Singles at the 34th National Tenpin Bowling Championship for Persons with a Disability, held in Tuggeranong, Canberra, last month.

Lauren just missed out on a medal in B Grade All Events, where she came 4th.

Emma Matthews also bowled well, coming 5th in B Grade Singles.

 

WELL DONE, ALL ROCKETS BOWLERS--YOU'VE MADE US PROUD.

Canberra Nationals 2024

On Tuesday, 4th June, 19 people ventured to Canberra to participate in the National Championships.

The bowlers were off to a slow start, understandably so, seeing as they had not bowled since April, but then they picked up the pace.

And it was cold.

On Wednesday, Candice bowled a series of 18 pins over average.

Thursday saw Lauren bowl 28 over, Tim – 25, Emma M – 24, Natham – 19.

On Friday, Amy bowled 18 over, Lauren 18, Gerry 16, Natham 15, with a turkey in a game of 160, and Tim scored a turkey in a game of 122. Seeing we had a long break between squads, we visited Questacon, and some of us went for a long walk to stretch our legs.

On Saturday, we had a later start, so members had a sleep-in except for those who went to the spa and went for a walk. 

Scores are as follows: Lauren was 44 pins over average, including a turkey, in a game of 163; Emma M was 16 over; Natham was 15 over with a turkey in a game of 165; and Adam had a turkey in a game of 188.

Overall, our bowlers did very well and now looking forward to visiting Perth in 2025.

Illawarra Star Strikers Challenge

Hi there, everybody.

On Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of March 2024, Adam, Amy, Candice, Emma C, Emma M, Patrick and Tim ventured down to Warilla to play in the Illawarra Star Strikers Challenge.

In the Singles, Emma M scored 21 pins over average for the series, Adam 20 pins over and Amy 20 pins over.

Emma M scored 21 pins over average in the Doubles for the series.

In the Teams, Adam scored 31 pins over average for the series with a turkey in a game of 213, Adam again scored 25 pins over with a turkey in a game of 195, and Amy scored 15 pins over with a turkey in a game of 158.

FINAL RESULTS

FEMALE ALL EVENTS

B Grade – 1st Emma Matthews

                2nd Amy McFadden

C Grade – 2nd Candice Lundie

FEMALE SINGLES

B Grade –  1st Emma Matthews

2nd Amy McFadden

                3rd Emma Matthews

CLEAN SWEEP!!!

MALE ALL EVENTS

A Grade – 1st Adam Mandarano

C Grade – 3rd Tim Wilson

MALE SINGLES

A Grade – 1st Adam Mandarano

                2nd Adam Mandarano

MIXED DOUBLES

B Grade – 3rd Emma Matthews, Kyle Rauch (Illawarra)

MIXED TEAMS

B Grade – 1st Emma Matthews, Michael Parkes (Illawarra), Chris Parkes (Illawarra)

                3rd Amy McFadden, Emma Matthews, Michael Parkes (Illawarra)

Well done, everyone; awards will be presented when next at Rooty Hill.

2013 Rockets Presentation Evening

Saturday, 25th November 2023, saw The Rockets wine and dine at Magpies Waitara for their Presentation Evening. 

The menu comprised roast pork and crackling, satay chicken, honey mustard beef, vegetable and salad dishes and finished off with pavlova and profiteroles. 

The bowlers had a wonderful time dressing up in hats, glasses, and hula skirts (thanks, Lucy, for the outfits) for the photo booth and sang along with the jukebox and karaoke. 

Bowlers were presented with their trophies and a Bowlers Survival Kit, which comprised a grip sack, chocolate bar, body freshener, workout towel and a gift card enclosed in a handmade “purse” (thanks, Jo). 

The parents did not miss out this year – they were presented with a Parents Survival Kit with many amusing items. 

The 2024 Committee was presented, and the Clark Award was won by Amy, with Natham second and Lauren third. All positions were tightly contested, some bowlers only separated by a point or two. 

The Committee would like to wish all our Members a very Happy Christmas and a safe New Year. 

See you in January 2024. 

Orange Disability Results

Yeah, we got medals...

ORANGE CITY DISABILITY CHAMPIONSHIPS – 14th October 2023

Congratulations to Emma M, who obtained 3rd place in B Grade Female Singles and B Grade Female All Events and to Adam, who achieved 1st place in Classic Singles and 2nd in Classic All Events. 

The Rockets bowled exceptionally well despite a very difficult lane draw and placement!

Well Done!