Duke of Edinburgh Qualifying Journey
Earlier this Term, forty Year 10 students and five staff members embarked on the Duke of Edinburgh Qualifying Journey to Wilson’s Prom with Semester 1 classes. Students spent 3 days and 2 nights exploring everything the National park has to offer including the walking trails, flora and fauna, natural environments and even a jet boat tour around the Prom. Please see below two student reflections of the three days.
Ms. Talia Hobbs and Mr. Hayden McLennan
Term 4 marked our 2nd and final adventurous journey of the year, the qualifying journey for the Duke of Edinburgh award. This time, it was no longer an experience new to most of us, rather a familiar idea.
Before we embarked on our drive in 2 minibuses towards the Wilsons’ Promontory, we were delayed on our first obstacle, a flat tire.. This however, pushed us to be creative with recreational activities such as playing with the frisbee and footy we brought with us, as well as group activity games which likewise, got us through the down time we had during our time at camp.
At last, we were all set and ready to go, but because of the change in schedules, it pushed us to be more aware of our time, and promoted us to overcome our challenges we were bound to face as efficiently as possible.
The first one was definitely embarking on our long hike along Whiskey Bay and Squeaky Beach to our campgrounds. This was a major aspect of our journey that forced each and one of us out of our comfort zones as we not only had to carry our heavy and full packs on our backs through steep hills and rocky paths, but we also had to navigate our way without the help of any teachers. Through this, there were a few hiccups here and there with the mixup of maps, but as a class we were able to overcome our problems through teamwork and initiative.
This sentiment of teamwork echoed in our remaining hikes - with the successful completion of the Lilly Pilly Gully walk and hike across Mt Oberon. We bittersweetly traversed across the breathtaking terrain that Wilson’s Prom had to offer in our last camp together as classes. In the evening we headed down to the beach to catch the last rays of the sunset.
Overcoming such obstacles was met with a reward and some might say the ultimate highlight of camp, food. Throughout the entirety of camp, it allowed us to realise how much satisfaction a balanced, and nutritious meal brought to us after such hardworking achievements. There were some interesting choices for food in the practice journey, but that was a practice for a reason, the food on this journey was based on experience and if we do say so ourselves, were pretty delicious.
We ended the whole journey on highs (and lows) as the boats rocked and crashed amidst the raging sea waves. It was exhilarating to say the least, but while some left with smiles on their faces, others left with a quenching stomach and a plastic bag in hand. But the scenery in the sea was unimaginable, and an experience of a lifetime.
Ultimately these experiences accumulated into an unforgettable Qualifying Journey - one with lots of photos, laughter shared and memories made.
Naomi Y (10J) & Yiluo H (10K)