Duke of Edinburgh Practice Journey | Grampians National Park
On May 4th, fifteen Year 10 students completed their Duke of Edinburgh Practice Journey in the Grampians National Park. Students completed a 3-day, 2-night expedition, which included camping and hiking around the National Park. Students were required to complete all the planning tasks for this trip which included organising activities, food, equipment and route planning. Highlights of the trip included the spectacular Mackenzie Falls, the Pinnacle Walk, the Grampians ‘Grand Canyon’, star gazing, singing campfire songs, and animal watching. Students were able to gain many skills on this trip which will assist them in completing their Qualifying Trip in Wilsons Promontory National Park later this year.
Ms. Talia Hobbs, Duke of Ed Coordinator
“Tempestuous, demanding, yet rewarding, just some of the ways to describe our Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh camp 2022. Early in the morning on Wednesday 4th of May, we embarked on our adventurous journey, gradually making our way to the Grampians National Park. Along our expedition, we faced many challenges; testing our perseverance and exceeding our limitations. Particularly, during our 5-hour hike, amongst the natural landscape of the Grampians, we were continually confronted by both physical and mental hardships. One step after the other, reaching The Pinnacle Lookout seemed like a never-ending obstacle. As we reached the top, with our breaths coming out as puffs, the view engulfed us in pure serenity. The descent was much quicker, and as we reached back to our campsite, we prepared ourselves for a sub-zero night. We sang songs and made s'mores around a crackling fire, sharing riddles and immersing ourselves in the moment. We then wiggled into our sleeping bags and slept, sometimes waking in the night to be ambushed by our dear friend ‘Hendricks’, the wallaby. In the morning we woke to ice on our tents and prepared for our drive home. On reflection, our experience was truly once in a lifetime: creating memories, building friendships and overcoming the challenges that we set for ourselves, together.”
Mary M and Ramya R