Great Victorian Bike Ride
Great Victorian Bike Ride 2018
Last month I participated in the Great Victorian Bike Ride 2018, consisting of 541 kilometers from Bright to Benalla. It was an extreme learning curve, I learned so much about myself and my physical limits. I also learned about camping and keeping myself organised. I enjoyed getting to know and working with my team. It was just everything, incredibly full on and just so much fun.
When I first met our team, I was a bit unsure about how we would work together. On our training rides I felt a bit left out really, but once we were on the actual ride, I was touched by how the older kids didn’t ignore me. Everyone treated each other equally, we were a team!
One of the things that made it so enjoyable was the camaraderie of our team. We were all supportive of each other, cheering each other on and looking out for each other out on the road. We would always ride in groups, even singing together as we rode. Our riding usually finished before 12:30pm, the rest of the day would be chilling at camp and exploring town together. We would talk and play cards, and throw frisbees and the vortex. Unfortunately the frisbee got stuck in a tree. We tried to get it out with the vortex, but then the vortex got stuck. (We did get them out in the end, with the help of some very long poles). The group work wasn’t only within Koonung. Everyday all the school groups would work together to unload the massive trucks that carried our luggage. We would make long trains of people passing the bags along to get the bags off the trucks. And when we were done, everyone would cheer and clap for each other.
Each day was different, but usually it was 5:30 am starts (woken to the sound of noisy neighbours). We would pack up our tents and put our bags on the trucks and go to breakfast together. Following breakfast we would hit the road in two groups, fast and slow, and we would just fly. And mark my word, it was hard. Every day was hard, but we pushed through, as a team. We started together and finished together. When we made it to camp, there was always a mad rush to get a good campsite. Blair was our hero, sprinting ahead of the the riot of school groups, charging to get a good campsite for Koonung. We required a campsite that was big enough and close to facilities. After camp was set up we would go swimming, once in the Murray river (that was amazing), go to the library and charge our phones and buy food at the local bakery.
Before dinner there would be a team meeting where we all would gather in our campsite and discuss the day. Ms Jane and Paul would tell us about the next day's ride. The evenings were filled with movies, chatting and bottomless milo. Finally we crashed in our sleeping bags, totally exhausted.
A big thank you to Ms Jane for organising the opportunity for Koonung students to go on this camp, for keeping us in line and encouraging and teaching us all about group riding and the ways of the GVBR. To Blair Tink, thank you for designing our amazing jerseys. Thank you also to Paul for coming with us and bringing the vortex.
Many of us want to do the GVBR again next year, but unfortunately Ms Jane and Paul are unavailable to take us on this amazing camp. So we are hoping that other teachers will step up and lead us next year!
Katinka Schmid 7D
GVBR participant
KSC proudly wearing Reconciliation jerseys
What a great event the GVBR is – our students really loved it & felt proud to be wearing their Reconciliation jerseys, designed by our Noongar student Blair. They were glad to help out with your fundraising – hope you raised a good amount.
After our riders crossed the finish line in Benalla, they walked across to the Aboriginal garden and met with Chris Thorne who spoke with them about the garden as a place of reconciliation, learning and healing. I was part of that meeting too – it was a good way to finish the ride. The students have a lot to reflect on.
We’ve taken real steps forward as a school this year in building understanding of and respect for indigenous people and honesty about our shared heritage. We have replaced our one flagpole with three and now have the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait Islander flags flying every day. We have put together words for a plaque acknowledging the Wurundjeri people as the traditional custodians and met with Wurundjeri elders to have those words approved. We are exploring a relationship with the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School. The Grow Hope Foundation (chaired by Kyle Vander Kype) have been very supportive.
Marilyn Faithfull
Director of Learning - Data and Performance
NEWSFLASH
Keep an eye out for an article in an upcoming Whitehorse Leader newspaper, featuring KSC's involvement in the Great Victorian Bike Ride.