Student News
Year 12, 2023
Our year 12's last week had a lot of fun dressing up each day with a different theme.
Namaste Nepal!
with Year 10 student Zoe Gray
Zoe recently returned from Nepal as part of the Future Makers extension program.
Welcome home Zoe! Tell us all about your trip.
It was amazing - a really great experience. We flew into Kathmandu after a 5 hour stop-over in Hong Kong and spent the first 3 days exploring the city of Kathmandu. I loved how old everything was - the history of the place and the culture and religion. We then went trekking and volunteerin
1st impression?
It was so hot and humid when we arrived. The air felt thick and heavy.
Where did you stay?
I stayed in a homestay for 3 nights in the city of Dhulikhel, just out of Kathmandu.
What did you eat?
A lot of dhal bhat - which is lentils and rice and is the national dish of Nepal. I also drank a lot of chiya masala (milky tea).
Best experience?
On the last night at our homestay we danced on their rooftop to Nepalese songs and we also taught them the Nutbush dance!
I loved getting to know the students from KUHS - Kathmandu University High School. It was actually really hard saying goodbye to them - many tears were shed.
Where did you go next?
We then went trekking in the Solu-Khumbo region and volunteered at a dental clinic in a remote village named Sero.
What duties did you perform at the clinic?
We cleaned, prepared the tools, made dental molds and greeted the patients.
So tell us, did you carry your own bags on the trek?
No! We had porters who carried our bags and gear which felt so strange at first, but was so handy with the altitude. We joked that we were "trekking in luxury"! We felt a bit guilty, but it is a paying job for the porters so it was good to contribute to that.
Were they porters or sherpas?
Sherpas are actually an ethnic group. Where we were trekking- our porters and guides weren't Sherpas. In the Everest area, most porters are Sherpas. We formed some really good relationships with our porters and guides - they were so great.
Did you experience any altitude sickness? How high did you go?
We trekked up to Pikey Peak which has an altitude of 4065m and we definitely felt more puffed and bit light headed.
Did you go anywhere near Mount Everest?
No. but one day the clouds cleared and we had a magnificent view of Mount Everest and the Himalayas.
Did you have to carry bottled water?
We used steri-pens to disinfect our drinking water as it was considered safer than bottled water.
Bus travel
Coming back from trekking we travelled 15 hours on an old bus on a narrow, windy road - buses would honk as they went around corners to warn vehicles coming the other way!
Learning experiences
The Nepalese people were so open and interested in everything and optimistic and happy. I leant a lot about the differences in the standard of living between Australia and Nepal. 81% of the country is Hindu and 8% Buddhist with the remaining 11% a variety of religions.
Would you like to return one day to Nepal?
Absolutely - I'd love to! I didn't want to leave!
