Laura Hall's holidays mightn't have been as relaxing as many of her school-mates, but she still loved every minute of them.
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The McCarthy student spent most of the break in Darwin, playing for NSW at the National Under 15 Hockey Championships.
The second nationals the 13-year-old has been involved in, she said it was a "really good" experience; from a hockey perspective and just whole the trip itself.
The first time she's ever been to Darwin, when not playing they did a lot of the tourist things like going for bushwalks, swimming in waterfalls and seeing crocodiles. She even got to see some of the famous jumping crocodiles.
Of course the hockey was the main reason she was there, and Hall didn't return empty-handed with her NSW State side claiming the bronze after a dramatic play-off win over Queensland Gold.
"We went into shoot-outs, and won on the last shot (before it went into a sudden death shoot-out)," she said.
Always tension-filled, Hall said she was able to watch the shoot-out but some of her team-mates couldn't bare to.
They prevailed in the end 3-2, the game reverting to a shoot-out after it was 0-all at full-time.
They had finished second behind the Gold in their pool after going down to them in their final round game.
"We lost 2-nil but it was an even game," Hall said.
But it meant they had to play eventual champions Queensland Maroon in their semi-final. Beaten 6-1, Hall didn't feel the scoreline was a true reflection of the game.
They had their share of the play, Queensland just had some very good strikers and were able to finish better.
Stepping up from the under 13s last year, as one of the younger players in the side she said it was "a bit more nerve-racking".
The hockey too was a bit more intense.
The weather in Darwin was also a lot different to Hobart. Last year often having to rug up in jackets before and after games, it was the complete opposite.
"It (the weather) was crazy. It was so hot and humid," Hall said.
Playing predominantly as a mid-fielder but also sliding up to striker occasionally, she was happy with how she played.
After a deserved few days rest she will be back into it, her focus turning to the local competition, which she plays for Tudor Wests in, and the under 15s state championships in June.
That will be the start of the process for making the state side, which will next year change to under 16s.
She has also been selected in the McCarthy under 16s team for the Combined Catholic Colleges carnival.
Hall wasn't the only Tamworth talent on NSW duties with Ollie Burrows playing with the Blues boys side. They finished seventh.
