Year 12 Outdoor and Environmental Studies: Bogong Camp
Monday 7th - Thursday 10th March
Dandenong High School
The Year 12 Outdoor and Environmental Studies class headed out for their first camp of the year to the Bogong High Plains, located near the Falls Creek Ski Resort in North-Eastern Victoria.
The purpose of the camp was to gather real world examples of the information studied in class, along with having some fun.
Starting out early on Monday, the group took many hours to reach their destination, stopping regularly on the way to visit hydro-electric power stations, waterfalls and other destinations on the way. The weather was great but as we drove up to the High Plains, the clouds rolled in. Setting up camp in the fog was an eerie experience but didn’t dampen the students’ enthusiasm.
Waking up the next day was a wet affair and our educational walk around Wallace’s Hut and Victoria’s first ski lodge left us educated, but cold. We were scheduled to go rock climbing, but the rain prevented that, leaving us with an abseil in the afternoon. Most students successfully negotiated the 15m drop, even with the terrible conditions.
Wednesday morning saw us packing up camp in preparation for a short, overnight hike to Tawonga Huts. As we drove to the start, the weather seemed to be getting worse, but we finally saw a patch of blue sky just before lunch, which fortunately developed into a sunny afternoon. We set up camp at Tawonga Huts and summited the nearby Mount Jaithmathang. The huts provided us with a warm fireplace and a chance to dry off overnight before returning to the bus the next day.
The final task was to complete a short Journal SAC before heading home for hot showers and comfortable beds. Overall, it was a challenging camp because of the weather, but a great learning experience for the group.
Mr Greaves
Yr 12 Outdoor and Environmental Studies teacher