Earlier this year, the Balclutha Volunteer Fire Brigade waterways team made history by winning a national title at this year's Waterway Challenge.
Nathan Davey, Craig Botting, Mark Proctor and Jason Watt, coached by Terry Michie, beat 20 other teams in the United Fire Brigades Association (UFBA) contest in Cromwell in March.
It was the first time a Balclutha team had won a national title and 39 years since a South Island team had won the event, Mr Michie said. Gore won in 1974.
The waterway challenge is a hose-running competition designed to test firefighters' core skills.
The win meant Balclutha and Silverdale (four-man teams) will represent New Zealand in the Australian waterway championships in Tasmania this weekend. Darfield and Tairua will represent the country in the two-man team competition.
Mr Michie said the team had been doing extra training in preparation, and would spend tomorrow getting to grips with the different equipment used in Australia.
''The guys are pretty keen to give it their best shot. Everyone is excited.''
They will compete against 27 other teams, in Launceston, Tasmania.
The past six months had also been spent fundraising for the trip. Some funding has come from the Fire Service, he said.
The team had been together for five years and had won the Otago-Southland provincial waterway competition for two successive years.
The team is due back in Balclutha the following weekend.
