Year 9/10 Outdoor Education Camp

By Natasha Eshuis

For three days, 17 students from the Year 9/10 Outdoor Education class ventured out to the remote region of the Mitchell River in East Gippsland, Victoria. Mitchell River National Park has impressive river scenery, serene rainforest gullies, rugged landscapes and some of Victoria’s more unusual vegetation communities. From open forest to remote river gorges, the park is home to a vast array of indigenous flora and fauna. Some students described the trip, ‘as the best experience of their life’ and others stated, ‘it was worth feeling so tired for.’ For me personally, it was an excellent opportunity to be reminded and to remind students of what really are the important things in life.

As we glided down the pristine waters of the Mitchell, we questioned our impact on the earth and our purpose to protect the land God created, so that other generations could enjoy it in years to come too. The days were filled with singing, laughter, swimming (some falling out, to then swim) and some hard work paddling the long pools between rapids. The nights were filled with reflections around the camp fire; from what was the most enjoyable part of the day to where do we find our hope and strength in life.

Overall, despite the crazy weather back here at Melbourne and only 3-4km from where we were, we thank God for his protection and the opportunity to learn about hydrology, Aboriginal traditional owners of the land, and each other as individuals.