Promenading!

Mark Haebich 

Outdoor Education Coordinator

The Units 3&4 Outdoor and Environmental Studies (OES) class spent Week 5 of this term exploring the stunning environments and history of Wilsons Promontory National Park. 

While 'the Prom' itself does not have a Registered Aboriginal Party (or RAP), at the commencement of the program the students acknowledged the Bunurong, Boonwurrung and Gunai Kurnai peoples for their custodianship of the areas to the east and west of the Prom.

We were blessed with perfect bushwalking weather on this first outdoor program of the year, and students managed themselves wonderfully over the course of the remote and difficult route. Monday was used to investigate primary industry and tourism interactions on the Bunorung coast, with visits to a dairy farm outside of Fish Creek and a learn-to-surf experience supported by Offshore surf school at Sandy Point. Students catered for themselves in smaller groups and we enjoyed a lovely BBQ at Shallow Inlet, discussing the significance of this environment to the content coming up in studies in Unit 4. Monday night was spent at Stockyards campsite with a visit to the former homestead’s cemetery. This rounded out a full day with discussions around the Historical Relationships content of Unit 3. 

On Tuesday, a side jaunt up to Mt Oberon without packs was decided upon as student pairs took turns in facilitating discussions and making final decisions in half-day blocks for the roster that ran for the rest of the program. 

The group then set off on a 4 day/3 night bushwalk in relatively remote and rugged terrain covering over 60 kilometres. 

 Throughout, they still had the energy and focus to regularly discuss relevant content; role playing some of the key historical user groups and linking observations and questions to the 2019 exam. Highlights included some terrific feasts produced by the cooking groups, a trip to the southern most tip of the Australian landmass  - welcomed by a resident fur seal, and some beach time at Little Waterloo Bay.  We put down packs at the end of a long day and a blustery and wet final evening that tested student organisation and equipment. 

A visit to Wonthaggi and the Victorian Desalination Plant (also part of the Unit 4 study content) was enabled by a before sunrise start (!) and a very efficient pack-up and walk from Little Oberon Bay to Tidal River.

After the program was put into doubt by the recent snap lockdown, the group showed a high level of gratitude for the experience throughout - so much so that some students were pretty flat to be returning to the 'real' world on Friday.  

I would like to acknowledge the terrific work done by students throughout the trip supported most ably by Ms Sepp and her broad range of outdoor and environmental skills and knowledge.  This trip was a great start to Outdoor Education at BSC for 2021,  with many more programs to come for the students enrolled in Bushwhacked and OES Units 1&2 and Units 3& 4.