LEARNING MATTERS

YEAR 12 GEOGRAPHY CAMP - TARRA BULGA NATIONAL PARK

All students have the opportunity to partake in fieldwork, and to enhance this opportunity McKinnon Year 12 students have been undertaking a 3 day camp to Tarra Bulga National Park in South Gippsland for over 12 years.  Clearly there must be something special about the place so here are the facts.

Students have to develop a data file much like a visual diary in art subjects.  This means students need to take a variety of photographs of the geographic characteristics of the park.  There is no shortage of magnificent vistas for the students to capture from the delicate dewy fern fronds to the towering mountain ash to the golden carpet of myrtle beech tree leaves, a cool temperate rainforest species.  This remnant forest has some trees that are over 1000 years old and mountain ash over 100 metres tall.

Along with photography they complete a range of walks through the park which cover the longer treks (up to 9 km) to shorter walks under the canopy of the ferns and myrtle beech.  The beauty and companionship help overcome the steepness, length and chill of the walks.  A talk is given by the Park Ranger which helps students to understand who is a typical visitor and what are the impacts on park management - a major aspect of their study.

The highlight of course, is really the time together sharing a real passion for this unique environment and Geography and the camp ground where we stay affords ample opportunity for that to take place.  Students are comfortably settled in cabins whilst there is an open sided shelter with an enormous stone fireplace that throws out plenty of much needed welcome heat as temperatures can drop to near freezing by morning.  This is the focus for much geographic discussion each night when we review our findings and reassure students of the hazards that may arise on some of the walks, none more worrying then the leeches on Diaper Track!  The shelter is also used for a slap up BBQ dinner with the requisite Chocolate Bavarian, a meeting place where playing cards or just sitting around chatting is a great way to finish off a day in this superb forest.  A place they will definitely remember fondly.

Margaret Bourke

Year 12 Geography