Senior School Camps

Year 9 Camps

In the last week of their school year, Year 9 students headed out to various locations across Victoria to participate in a variety of different camps. Students had a choice of eight camps: Mountain Biking in Gippsland, Cycling along the Great Southern Rail Trail, Rock Climbing at Mount Arapiles, Caving, Canyoning and Abseiling at Mount Buffalo, Sea Kayaking on the Gippsland Lakes, Canoeing on Lake Eildon, and Hiking at Wollangarra, near Glenmaggie. With so many options, group sizes were smaller, rarely extending beyond twenty-five, facilitating a greater connection between students, staff, and activity leaders.

As each group set off, there was a buzz of excitement as students discussed what they would likely encounter during their time away. The experiences students had varied widely but, regardless of where they were, they all had opportunities to strengthen their relationships with peers, develop a connection with the natural environment, and learn about their own ability to cope in challenging and unfamiliar situations.

As buses returned to school on Friday, it was clear that each camp had been well received by teachers and students alike. Fun, challenging, tiring, frustrating, exciting, scary, and amazing were just some of the words used to describe their experiences.

Ms Kirsty McDougall

Head of Co-Curricular Activities

Central Australia Camp

After a few false starts and much anticipation, a group of students from Years 9, 10, and 11, along with staff members, set off on a journey of discovery to the very centre of our nation. This was a geographical area unknown to most of us prior to this trip, and nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to discover about our country, ourselves, and each other. Before we left, we were encouraged to ‘Look up!’ downing our devices for the eight days and instead gaze up at that vast, expansive Northern Territory sky. And what we encountered there, and along the many kilometres of red dirt travelled, more than made up for the lack of ‘entertainment’ provided by our phones.

We learnt about the history of Alice Springs, the mantle of safety dreamt by Reverend John Flynn – providing communication, health care, and spiritual nurturing to those in the outback. We saw firsthand how this is still vital for many people living in remote areas of Australia today when visiting The Flying Doctors Service and School of the Air. Many hours and kilometres led us from destination to destination – watching the endless horizon beyond. We slept under canvas under a night sky full of stars. We ate like kings, food prepared in a tiny trailer kitchen pulled behind our bus. We trekked through landscapes and canyons that words cannot describe and photos certainly don’t do justice. We paused by pools of stillness and reflection. We supported our peers when they struggled and rejoiced together with accomplishments. One particular highlight was our visit to the Wanmarra Aboriginal Community. Here we toiled with rakes and shovels and dirt and weeds. And we saw what a difference many hands and united hearts can make. We learnt first-hand about Aboriginal culture and their interconnection with land, family, and spirituality.

Perhaps the pinnacle was our final destination – Uluru. We spent hours gazing at this iconic rock through sunrise, full afternoon sun, and sunset. And the changes each minute took our breath away and created in us all a sense of awe.

We left feeling grateful: for the people who had made the trip possible, for the lessons we had learnt, the challenges we had accomplished, for the laughter shared, and for the growth made.

Mrs Janine de Paiva

Chaplain