Happy Valley Archery Park - Clarendon

With Helen Hann as your coach you really can't go wrong in what's called field archery. She's one of the best women competitors seen in South Australia, having dominated in this sport during the early nineties. But then again, the teacher can only do so much.

There's a real art to this form of archery. And on Helen's property you can take to the scrub, in fact 48 acres of heritage bushland just south of Happy Valley.

"Oh look at that, you got one"

Helen was a bit of a latecomer to the sport but certainly made up for lost time.

"And how did you get interested in this?"

"My husband said I didn't have the right temperament or something and I thought that was enough for me, a big challenge, I like a challenge, so I thought I'll show him!"

"And you certainly did that because you certainly won a few competitions in your time?"

"Yes, I came second in Australia and in South Australia - while I was competing no one beat me for seven years"

In fact the day Postcards caught up with Helen it was the first time she'd fired her bow in about a year, not that it s showed.

"Yes I probably can do it again"

It was the confidence of a champion and I was sure it would rum off on a willing pupil.

"Corner of the mouth, looking at the target, then pointing at the target and then let go" - the target hits high.

I suspect Helen's dog Patch must have seen that, because for the rest of the day he and his mate gave us a wide berth. You can spend up to a thousand dollars on a kit like this, which with its special gearing means people of all shapes, sizes and strengths can take to the sport.

And then again, you can opt for the more traditional approach like Alan who make his own long bows and certainly knows how to use them. For Helen, safety is paramount out here.

"When they shoot they can't go forward until everyone else has shot their arrow".

Three separate target courses - spread out through the scrub - means your group is on its own with plenty of time to master this very precise sport.

"Exactly the same, keep pointing at the target after you've shot"

"Oh good one"

Archery Park is located at the corner of Easton Road and Piggott Range Road at Clarendon, just south of Happy Valley. It's open on weekends from 10.00am to 5.00pm or by appointment. A day out with gear and instructions costs $12.00 dollars for adults and $10.00 for children.

For more infomation you can email info@postcards-sa.com.au