Year 9/10 Outdoor Environmental Science Camp

The Year 9/10 Outdoor and Environmental Studies elective group drove down to Nelson last week to begin the trip of a lifetime. Well…maybe the semester. 

We started our journey from Battersby campsite and started our 13.2km journey along the Great South West Walk. From Battersbys we walked on to Sapling Creek landing. Along the way we saw many examples of native wildlife including echidnas, wallabies and a great deal of bird life.

The purpose of our hike was to bring together all we had learned in class over the semester including biomes, navigating, Trangia cooking and practical skills such as hiking with a backpack, setting up a tent and minimal impact strategies.

We arrived at our campsite at Pattersons campsite around 4pm and were greeted by another school group from Brighton. The students set up camp and we soon had a campfire going. Some colourful and creative dinners were admired by everyone. After dinner we managed to see a koala mum and her baby. We HEARD her partner all night I think.

We set off for the Gorge lookout after breakfast on Tuesday and were rewarded by arguably the best views in Southwest Victoria. The Geology of southwest Victoria was shaped by two main factors: Changes in sea level and volcanic activity. 

Around 5-15 million years ago a shallow sea covered most of southwest Victoria. Over millions of years, dead marine creatures accumulated on the sea floor forming limestone. Around 2 million years ago uplifts saw the sea retreat, leaving behind the limestone plain that underlies much of south-western Victoria, visible in many places, including the Glenelg River.  The limestone cliffs along the gorge area on the Glenelg River are spectacular and well-worth a visit if you enjoy amazing scenery.

Our trusty bus-driver Gilly picked us up at the Gorge carpark and we set off for home, tired, a bit sore but much enriched from the journey. Our next adventure is paddleboarding at Lake Hamilton on Tuesday December 3rd. Many thanks to Molly O’Brien for her assistance on this camp.

Ms. Merrin Shannon

Outdoor and Environmental Studies Teacher