YEAR 10 CENTRAL AUSTRALIA CAMP

🌅Exploring the Red Centre

This year, on 4 May, 100 Year 10 students travelled to Central Australia. This was a five-day camp that allowed us to learn about the history and culture of the Outback.

After a 5:00 am start and a smooth plane ride, we landed in Central Australia. We set up our tents at the campsite and travelled to Uluru. We did a short walk around the base, and our bus drivers taught us about the cultural significance of Uluru in relation to the local Indigenous people. Lastly, we enjoyed an evening snack as we watched Uluru change colours at sunset.

The second day had a bright start at 5:30 am, as did every other morning. It began with a bus trip to Kata Tjuta, a rock formation not far from Uluru. We were lucky enough to complete a walk there and enjoy the marvellous view from the top! Afterwards, we returned to the campsite for a swim in the pool, a trip into town, and some of us even went on a helicopter ride! To wind down the night, we visited a lookout beneath the stars and enjoyed watching the red moon rise beside Uluru.

The next morning started with a three-hour bus ride to Kings Canyon. After arriving, we visited an Aboriginal community called Lila. There, we learnt about the land and culture of the local people. Our tour guides took us to a sacred waterhole and painting site and generously cooked kangaroo meat for us to try. We also enjoyed some dot-painting activities before cooling off with a refreshing Zooper Dooper! That night, we slept under the stars and enjoyed the beauty of nature.

Our next adventure was the hike around the rim of Kings Canyon. Early in the morning, we headed off on this fantastic journey, splitting into three groups to enjoy the walk. This was a huge highlight of the trip. Afterwards, we had a five-hour bus ride to Alice Springs, featuring a brief stop at Fooluru. At the Alice Springs caravan park, we enjoyed heated cabins, warm beds and delicious souvlakis for dinner.

In the morning, we had ham and cheese croissants for breakfast before making our way back onto the road. We stopped at John Flynn's Grave (the man featured on the $20 note), who was known for establishing programs designed to support people living in rural areas across Australia. We also visited Simpsons Gap. It was very cold and windy, so we quickly walked along the river, looking out for rock wallabies. Unfortunately, we did not see any rock wallabies! Afterwards, we travelled to the airport, where we flew via Sydney or Adelaide before catching our final flight home to Melbourne. We arrived back at school at around 10:00 pm.

Thank you to all the staff and students for making this such an amazing trip. It was a truly special experience and something none of us will ever forget!

Student Contributors

Year 10 Captains: Sigourney Crocker and Tahney Mitchell

Year 10 Vice Captain: Ari Cooper