CAIRNS 2024
Far North Queensland Trip 2024
Students of Wyndham College embraced the opportunity to connect with the wider community of North Queensland. The recent expedition allowed HSC students of Visual Arts/Photography/Design, Science and Social Sciences to document their investigation of community and culture. Their experiences connected all students with cross curriculum priorities of sustainability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture as well as individual growth in intercultural understanding and personal and social capability.
Day 1 - 49 excited Wyndham students gather at Sydney Airport for their afternoon flight to Cairns. Touchdown in Cairns welcomed us with humidity, a welcome Dessert Bar and a quick orientation before settling into 4 star accommodation (with many students taking a dip in the tropical pools.)
Day 2 - It was an early start for all adventurers. The first stop was Paronella Park. Students were immersed in an angelic rainforest-like estate. The property included upwards of 7000 tropical plants that included beautiful bamboo. Post park, we headed to Mena Creek Hotel for a chicken schnitzel and hot chips. Once recharged, we were off to the Cairns aquarium. There we saw our first sighting of a Maori Wrasse…a precursor to what was to come on the reef.
Day 3 - A slightly rocky boat ride to the beautiful Great Barrier Reef. Snorkelling here was unlike any other, many species of marine life were seen, reef sharks and stingrays, including the very anticipated Maori Wrasse - Wally. Students spent the day on the Reef Magic pontoon scuba diving with a local marine biologist who answered all questions about the deep blue sea and the reefs natural surroundings.
Day 4 - A day jam packed with trains, buses, skyrail cable cars and an amphibious truck. Students began the morning travelling on the Kuranda Scenic Tour travelling 300m above sea level to the local town to find local artefacts and quirky lunch snacks. Loaded with camera equipment, students were hands-on with over 3000 butterflies at Kurranda’s butterfly sanctuary and Rainforest Station’s interactive wildlife park followed by the famous Army Duck adventure ride. An amphibious truck which powered through the local rainforest and waterways on a mission to find the Cairns most endangered plant species including the ‘Gympie Gympie’ plant.
Day 5 - Turtles, beach, snorkelling. That is a perfect day on Green Island. With the best ever weather, students had the day to explore and experience island-like living. Many chose to snorkel, where they saw beautiful, big sea turtles. Others chose to walk around the island, they found seashells and treasure that had been washed up by the ocean. The whole group however saw many crocodiles in Marineland Melanesia along with the world's largest collection of Polynesian artefacts. To end the day, teachers treated the adventurers to a much needed pizza night and a well deserved night to relax and enjoy their last evening in Cairns.
Day 6 - Big crocs, small crocs and all crocs in between! Our first stop was Mossman Gorge where we saw picturesque scenes of the Daintree rainforest, home to the Yallanji mob of North Queensland. Students photographed rocky freshwater river systems and hiked through their last tropical rainforest for the day. Our last adventure, but definitely not least, was Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, and students were first in for a crocodile feeding show. We saw many sunbaking, some swimming and others keen for chicken on a stick. Finally, we made our way back to Sydney, tired, happy and full of knowledge and learning experiences.
Daniel Repeti & Jennie Cooper - Visual Arts and Photography Teachers
Anjani Bachu - Social Sciences Head Teacher (Rel)
Student Feedback:
“Best experience I’ve ever had in my life! The Cairns trip just makes me want to travel the world.” Avneet Sharma
“It was a once in a lifetime trip with exposure to new experiences which I would love to repeat! I was in awe of the ancient rainforests!” Hannah Brinsdon
“Learning about the Yallanji community and experiencing these places opened my eyes to a different rich culture and new ideas.” Skyla Tynan
“It was very interesting to see and discover the many different environments and the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef. I learned that I like travel and it's inspired me to travel more and see the world. The trip made me consider different possibilities for my life after school.”Taliyah Strachan