Yr 11 Biology Camp 1

On Monday 1st and Wednesday 3rd March, some of our very own students headed down to Queenscliff to hone their skills as ecologists! On the first day, there were two main activities on offer. Students were placed in groups to either enjoy an exciting boat ride, or an exploratory wander through the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre. 

On the boat ride, students were thoroughly soaked with both water and wonder as they held squishy anemones, marvelled at beautiful seahorses and even spotted some spectacular seals! In the aquarium, students interacted with abalones, hermit crabs and snails before watching some phenomenal feeding behaviours and feeling some bombastic baleen (the part of a whale’s mouth that filters out the krill)!

That night, students settled in at the Whitehall Guesthouse before sampling the region’s culinary delights at the town’s restaurants, cafés and fish & chipperies. With a successfully timed return to the guesthouse, students relaxed differently. Some decided to watch movies, some played ping pong, some engaged in a friendly game of cards and others decided that a good chat in their room was all that was needed. Whatever their pleasure, we all hit the hay and rose before the sun to eat breakfast, pack our things and get out to the rocky shore of Barwon Heads.

Our daring scientists faced a bit of wind as they held their data sheets tightly, observing the changes in the numbers and types of organisms that were found at different points along the shoreline. After leaving the shore, students engaged in some more academic adventuring. Students who went on the boat during the first day explored the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre, while students who had already explored the centre were unable to take a trip on the water, due to the choppy conditions. Instead, these students were taken for a tour of the coastline where they were given some opportunities to show what they had learnt.

After lunch at Queenscliff, the groups headed back to school with some very impressed teachers. Even though everyone was exhausted after this massive trip, everyone’s willingness to engage and learn while we were on it was brilliant to see. Mr Harris and Ms Waser would like to send a special thanks to our students, as well as Ms Sealie, Mr Hubbard and Mr Campanella, who gave their time and energy to make this camp as wonderful as it was educational.

Christopher Harris

Biology - Wanganui Campus