Kosi to Coast returns

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This year was the 30th year that St Michael's has teamed with the Outdoor Education Group (OEG) to offer the Mt Kosciuszko to coast expedition (more familiarly known as Kosi), with the first set of Kosi students setting out on their expedition in 1991. The milestone of the 30th expedition was much anticipated after being postponed for two years due to the adverse circumstances of lockdowns. And so in 2022 students had the remarkable experience of following in the steps of 30 different cohorts of previous students. We treaded in our snowshoes through the powdery snow of Kosciuszko National Park before switching to hiking boots to tackle the treacherous hills of the Alpine National Park, and then, to finalise the journey, paddled through the gorge of the Snowy River. At 6.30am on 10 September, we arrived at the Bailey Room where we were greeted by the cheerful and optimistic welcome from Mrs Jones, our stomachs full of nerves and excitement ready to set out for our 20-day adventure. The expedition begun at Perisher Valley where skiers were the last signs of civilisation, and ski lifts the last infrastructure, we would encounter for the next three weeks. Three days in and we were already faced with our biggest challenge of the journey, 70km/h winds. The temperature was well into the negatives, and equipment was flying away as we struggled to keep ourselves standing. This day unfortunately was to be our ‘Kosi summit’ day and so we were hit with our second disheartening challenge of the trip, accepting that we would not be able to summit. Many more challenges came our way but so did many more smiles as our resilience grew and before we knew it, we had made it through four snow days and six days of hiking. A total of 140 km completed by foot accompanied by 13 days of spectacular sights that we will never forget. On day 13, we were introduced to our raft guide Jen. This marked the beginning of our river component of the journey. Jen often sung us songs around the campfire, “Listen closely to the lyrics of this one,” she would say, before singing us ‘Price Tag’ by Jessie J. It was a song we had all heard a million times before. “Can we all slow down and enjoy right now? Guarantee we’ll be feeling alright,” this line stuck with us the most as it summed up our rafting experience well. We all got to slow down, rest our knees and ankle, enjoy the moment while really appreciating and taking in the nature that surrounded us. Rafting also got the adrenaline flowing as we travelled down the white-water rapids of the Snowy River. Above all, the rafting component gave us the opportunity to really get to know each other and develop friendships. Before we knew it our alarm went off at 3.30am for ‘Marlo day’. Despite an early wake up to avoid the coastal headwinds in our canoes, unluckily the headwinds still got the better of us. The final challenge to face, two paddles forward and the wind would push us two steps back, almost as if we were on a treadmill. After an exhausting seven more hours of paddling, we made it to Marlo. Filled with accomplishment, we ran into the beautiful blue waters of Marlo beach. We finished with a pub feed to treat ourselves and one last night under the tarp before we said our goodbyes. An incredible experience where we learnt so much about ourselves and how to push past our limits. Kosi to Coast really brought out the best in each and every student and we formed so many friendships that will remain with us for life. The expedition taught us many lessons and we gained a new appreciation for the little things, whether it be a break in the storm, songs by the campfire or friends by our side.

1. Year 11 students on the Kosi to Coast trip 2. Students climb the summit of Mount Kosciuszko