Borneo Trip 2025

Fifty-plus students from inner-city Melbourne traversing the untamed jungles of Borneo… what could go wrong?

Well, nothing really, if you discount the heat exhaustion and mild stomach ailments that hampered a small contingent over the 16 days they were away.

This was truly a trip of a lifetime for our Year 10 and 11 students, a school trip with both purpose and vision. The goal was to visit Sabah, on the island of Borneo, a part of the world not often considered by many travellers. But it was to be more than a trip. The organising company, World Challenge, had presented the idea to our school over a year ago, and to our surprise, there was serious interest. More than 60 families wanted to know more. A year later, 60 members of our Northcote High community, divided into three groups, were leaving Tullamarine Airport with loaded packs and many questions that would soon be answered.

So, what did we do for 16 days? The idea was that our Northcote High students would be encouraged to make their own decisions, take on leadership roles, organise themselves, and understand how they, and our economic systems, impact developing communities. Alongside these educational priorities, they also engaged in hiking, reforestation, snorkelling, connecting with locals, sightseeing, seeing orangutans, and sampling local food. It was an amazing experience.

At every step along the way, our students showed the people of Sabah courtesy and respect. They danced with them, worked beside them, and threw themselves wholeheartedly into sustainability initiatives designed to help local communities combat pollution, market pressures, and the displacement of wildlife.

With lifelong friendships forged, not only among students but also with their teachers and guides, the trip was an outstanding success. No one returned home unchanged. Many of our students will now see the world through a new lens, and the lessons they learned will stay with them forever.

The school would like to thank World Challenge, the supervising teachers and organisers, the people of Sabah, and the students themselves for creating this rich and unforgettable learning experience.