YEAR 10 OES 

LESSONS FROM WERRIBEE GORGE 

Werribee Gorge is an incredible place. Geologists say that the 300m high walls of the gorge display five different types of rock ranging from granite and basalt volcanic rocks at the top and a range of sedimentary at the base. They believe the gorge itself was formed through glacial action, where millions of tons of ice flowed through the gorge cutting through the layers of rock leaving today, a tranquil space of beautifully clear water, arid woodlands, monumental rock formations and a home for a range of birds, marsupials and aquatic life. This was to be the location of the second day of our Western Gorges trip for Year 10 Outdoor and Environmental Studies earlier in March this year.

After leaving early on a Thursday morning in early Autumn we drove out to the You Yangs, a small granite range formed by an underwater volcano. Here we met some rock climbing guides from Geelong Adventure Centre to lead us in bouldering and roped climbing. The students met these challenges head on, many climbing safely to heights and attempting boulder problems they never imagined themselves reaching. To finish the day we hiked to the top of Flinders Peak, the highest point of the You Yangs range providing students with vast views and an opportunity to reflect on the day, the year and themselves. We then drove to our campsite at the Brisbane Ranges and stayed there overnight with the students cooking their meals and setting up a comfortable campsite. 

Our second day at Werribee Gorge was a classic blue skied day which provided the students with many opportunities for views across the western plains of western Melbourne and a perspective of an environment that was very different from the one at school. Although the name ‘Werribee Gorge’ suggests it might be close to Werribee itself it's much closer to Baachus Marsh and on the road to Ballarat. The hike included an 8km circuit involving some scrambling with fixed ropes set by Parks Victoria to safely guide hikers along the base of the gorge next to the Werribee River. All students, although tired, at the end of this day succeeded in meeting all the challenges that trip provided them with. 

In many ways these Year 10 students are emerging from teenagehood where they are beginning to learn to drive, take on a part-time or casual job and doing other adult things. However these are only the surface layers of adulthood for them, and becoming a impactful human that will go out into the world. For them, when the glacier of life and its challenges cuts through the different layers of their life and finds the real person deep within, what will be found? For me its challenges like these outdoor experiences of rock climbing and hiking where we see glimpses of this real person. These activities and experiences provide opportunities to develop character and prepare for glaciers to pass through their lives. 

It’s my prayer, that I will see these glimpses of their lives built on the deep sedimentary rocks. Like Jesus said, 

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-27