Year 9 Advance – Dukes Award Adventurous Journey

Student Reflections

On the 16th of May the Year 9 Advance class went to Riddles Creek for a two day camp. On the first day when we arrived and we set up our tents then started off on our hike around Mt Charlie. This hike was not too intense but it was just long enough to make us feel our backpacks. It was 10km and it took us around about 2 ½ hours as we had many breaks and walked at a pace that was comfortable for us. The hike itself wasn’t too bad in my opinion as we talked the whole time and our minds weren’t focusing on the pain but on the interesting topics we were speaking about. The highlight of the hike for me was when everyone ran up the massive mountain and then saw a kangaroo missing its head then all ran back screaming. Grace and I had no idea what they were on about, so we ran up the hill and then of course, predictably we rolled all the way down the hill! This was not the best idea as we had to walk another 5km after that and I felt pretty dizzy and tired from running up the hill, at least we won’t forget that!   

By Sarah Mollica 9E

Despite, the heavy backpacks, steep roads and short breaks, overall I really enjoyed the hike. It was exciting, being able to spend a day in the peaceful forest. It was a great learning experience for most people, I enjoyed being able to relax without worrying school work, which made me very happy. I loved everything about the trip, (except when I burnt myself), but one of the things that really stood out was the hike, it was a challenge for most of us, since we aren’t used to walking with heavy backpacks, and it was great exercise too! The campfire was really fun, it was nice roasting marshmallows. Next time, we go hiking I will try to pack more lightly. Overall, the Mt Charlie hike was a great experience for me, I got to do something I would never normally do, and it was great fun, I cannot wait until the next hike!   

By Amy Ha 9F

When we got to the Rowallan Camp site at Riddles Creek, I was amazed at how secluded and peaceful the area looked. It made me feel as if we were actually in the woods, in another country when in fact we were just an hour or two away from civilisation. That was definitely an aspect that I absolutely loved about this Term’s camp. Setting up our tents was quite fun and everyone had managed to get the job done quickly. This was a positive because it allowed us to have more time for the hike. The hike itself was amazing, even though it was quite challenging. I liked the open wide paddocks and the fresh breath of air we were able to breathe. It was all very refreshing. My favourite part of the camp was when we did orienteering and we were able to go off track, so we got to experience the actual woods and the reality of tree branches and sticks getting in the way of our pathway.  ByPhi-Phi Pham 9H

All in all, the camp was a lot of fun, the hike was amazing and orienteering was entertaining since my group could never actually stay together. I can’t wait for the next hike! Special thanks to Ms Mortimer, Mr McIntyre and Ms Borle for coming on the hike with us – it would not have been possible without you.   

By Habiba Habib 9H