THE tom toms were pounding across Tea Gardens last week when a flotilla of jet skis came ashore on the banks of Marine Drive in Anzac Park.

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But it wasn’t an invasion, simply a lunch stop for 115 riders taking part in the Variety Club’s annual Jet Trek.

The Yamaha Variety Jet Trek is held each year to raise funds to empower children who are sick, disadvantaged or who have special needs to live, laugh and learn.

But the Trek is not for the faint-hearted.

The riders were on day two of a 600 kilometre journey from Sydney to Yamba when they stopped off in Tea Gardens.

Mat Brown has taken part in 15 jet treks.

“It’s a great bunch of people, you get to make life-long friends at the same time raising money for kids, it’s a win win for everyone,” Mat told News Of The Area.

Mat is definitely a jet ski junkie.

“The week before we did 12 hundred kilometres, Melbourne to Sydney, now we’ve done the whole of the east coast of Australia.”

“It’s great fun, you hurt, but the comradery is terrific, no one gets left behind.”

Staff from the Palm Lake Resort were also on hand to support fellow worker Perry Rissman.

“This is my fourth one, and it’s a bit cold and miserable out there.”

On land, it takes more than a hundred volunteers to keep the jet ski riders on the water.

But whether on land or on the water it’s not cheap to take part.

Everyone has to raise a minimum of $2,500 just to enter the trek.

When News Of The Area caught up with the riders last week they’d already raised well over $300,000 for Variety.

That will be added to the $1,450,00 raised since the trek’s inception 20 years ago.

By Margie TIERNEY