Year 9 Camps

Surf Camp Torquay 

Last week, our students had an unforgettable adventure, enjoying the perfect mix of outdoor activities, teamwork, and fun in the sun!

We set off early Monday morning, filled with excitement for the week ahead. Upon arriving at camp, students quickly got to work setting up their inflatable tents—a fun task that set the tone for the week. The first session kicked off with sea kayaking, where students were taught to navigate through the waves and, most importantly, try to stay on their boats! The day wrapped up with a peaceful coastal sunset walk at Jan Juc, offering stunning views and time to unwind.

After an energizing breakfast, the group geared up for their first surf session. Instructors guided students through the steps of standing up on the board. Later, the adventure continued with a mountain bike ride through the beautiful Anglesea bushland. 

Wednesday morning brought another surf session where students took their skills to the next level, tackling bigger waves. Almost everyone managed to stand up, including a few of the teachers, much to everyone’s delight! The afternoon was spent playing beach games like volleyball and capture the flag, with students showing their competitive spirit and teamwork. After dinner, the group settled in for a movie night, watching Surf's Up—a very fitting choice!

Thursday began with a scenic coastal walk and some time watching surfers from a lookout point, offering inspiration for the final surf session in the afternoon. This time, the group combined with the Anglesea camp group, and everyone impressed with their ability to catch bigger waves and stand up, showcasing the progress they made throughout the week. The evening was spent enjoying fish and chips on the Torquay foreshore beach, reflecting on the week’s successes and achievements as the sun set.

On Friday morning, it was time to pack up the campsite. Before heading home, the group enjoyed some shopping at Torquay’s surf outlet stores, picking up mementos of their incredible week.

All the students were able to set and achieve their own personal goals, as well as meeting and spending time with other students and staff. It was a fantastic way to spend the last week of school, with everyone having a truly memorable week. 

Clara Kay

Camp Leader

Horse Riding Camp

Year 9 Horse Camp was an absolute delight this year. With only 14 students everyone was able to get to know each other and build friendships with those they had never spoken with before. We were lucky enough to head on our trail rides each day as a large group and explore the wider area of Billabong Ranch and even see parts of the Goulburn River. Over the course of the week the students, and us, learnt how to groom and saddle, steer our horses using reigns and master the raising trot. 

We had perfect weather, just shy of 30 degrees, each day which allowed us to learn how to make damper of a campfire, roll our way through a commando course, jump on haybales during the day and go on spectacular bush walks, watch a stockman show and a movie on a big screen in the evenings. 

The students had a fun time in the camp, with us being lucky enough to be the only school there. Their only downfall was the amount of flies and dust they encountered each day, however some didn’t seem to care too much. 

The camp staff were lovely, with students forming a great bond with Zoe and Sarah who often played I-Spy along the trails and being another friendly face to speak with each day. The students even managed to help Zoe celebrate her birthday by yelling Happy Birthday over her fence at her house while they were on a trail ride. 

The bus ride home sure was quiet after such a long fun week but all the students, and us, are very glad we went. 

Amber Thomson & Clara Ranellone

Camp Leaders

Camp Arapiles

I was lucky enough to attend Year 9 Rock climbing and Hiking camp. We started the day by getting to school by 6:45am and left at 7am. We drove to Mount Zero and hiked up the mountain where we took some awesome photos. We then drove to Natimuk caravan park where we unloaded the tents, set them up then enjoyed yummy burgers for dinner. Days 2 and 3 we spent Rock Climbing and Abseiling at Arapiles. We started by hiking up to the climbing locations and from there, there was a massive cave climb that you can jump out of and swing around in the air! For lunch, we hiked up to the top of the mountain and ate wraps that we pre made in the morning. The view from the top was incredible. At the end of Day 3 we drove to the Grampians to see the sun set over the valley. 

Day 4 was full of walks and hikes I even made a new friend called Henry the crow! Our first was the Pinnacles and then after lunch we hiked 5km return to see Mackenzies waterfalls. For dinner we had yummy loaded baked and jelly and custard for dessert. Day 5 we woke up, packed up camp and had pancakes for breakfast. We stopped off at some indigenous sites to view ancient Rock paintings including the only existing painting of Bunjil. On the way home you might be surprised that we ate lunch at Macca's in Ararat. We arrived back to school after our big adventure at around 5pm. ~ James Atkinson

On Monday the 9th of December we got to school for an early start at 6:45am. After approximately 3 and a half hours of driving we stopped at Mount Zero for our first hike which was very rocky and fully of hills. After the hike we then drove to the location of our camp which was Natimuk Lake Caravan Park. We then set up camp, had dinner and prepared for a good night’s rest. 

Tuesday, we spent the day rock climbing at Mount Arapiles where we got to try a variety of different climbs, one of which resulted in us harnessing out of a cave. We went for a small walk to have a look at Mitre Rock to end the day where we saw some wildlife and plenty of skinks. 

Wednesday we then drove to Mount Arapiles where we rock climbed and abseiled, which was particularly challenging, where everyone on camp started to quickly bond and be supportive and encouraging to each other. After a tiring day we went to a summit lookout in the Grampians to watch the sunset from high up in the mountains and saw some spectacular views. 

Thursday was an early morning to start our first hike where we saw some incredible views from the Pinnacles overlooking Halls Gap. We then had the opportunity to see an amazing waterfall over Mackenzie River after another long walk. 

On the last day we packed up camp early and started our bus trip home where we saw Indigenous paintings which were believed to be thousands of years old which was extremely interesting. We then went back on the bus and stopped at Maccas for a delicious lunch before arriving back at school safely after a fantastic camp.

On behalf of all the campers I would like to say a massive thank you to Mr Kos, Ms Steen, and Gemma for being extremely supportive and encouraging, along with making camp such a wonderful experience. ~Tiana Robinson

Base Camp Coolamatong