Year 9 Camp

'On 15-17 June, the Year 9's were given the opportunity to participate in a three day camp, based in the city. Throughout our city experience, we participated in a variety of different activities that further developed our understanding and perception of the city of Melbourne.

At 8:00am on a cold Wednesday morning, our Year 9 cohort gathered at Sunshine Station and made our way to CYC on Collins Street by train. After dropping off our luggage we made the journey to the Botanical Gardens. One of the first and most significant things we learnt about was our country and its connection to the Indigenous peoples of the Kulin nation. This activity consisted of us going to the Botanical Gardens and experiencing a traditional smoke ceremony, which is a gesture of goodwill that brings people together. Our experience in the Botanical Gardens allowed us to learn about the importance of nature as well as the purpose of Indigenous artefacts and their contribution to their land.

Following the connecting to country session we walked across to the Melbourne Cricket Ground where we took part in a tour of the stadium and also had the opportunity to engage in the interactive activities and sports museum. This tour allowed us to immerse ourselves in the heritage and global facilities and walk behind the scenes to learn about Melbourne's sporting culture while touring one of the world's most renowned stadiums.

On the night of day one, we had the opportunity to walk down the Crown Promenade to see the city at night. This was a great experience and we also spoiled ourselves with a delicious gelati on our walk.

Day two, we made the walk to Eureka Skydeck. We made the quick 38 second journey in the elevator to the 88th floor where we could see the city from different point of views. At the top of the Skydeck we began the Great Marian Race. The Great Marian Race required us to travel around the Melbourne CBD finding our teachers at checkpoints, solving questions, taking photos, recording videos and solving videos to gain points. This was such a fun experience as we were able to explore deeper into our independence as well as travel around the city with our groups. The effort everyone put into this day was what made it super fun, we all were so competitive as we wanted to win. The biggest challenge throughout the race would have had to be Melbourne's weather as it consistently rained and it was very cold.  

After a short rest back at CYC, we made the walk to Village Cinemas at Crown Complex. We were lucky enough to watch the Lightyear movie on its opening day. It was such a different experience having the whole cohort in the cinema as opposed to going with a few friends or family.

Day three, our final day. Half the cohort participated in the Golden Mile Heritage Walk of Melbourne. This walk allowed us to acknowledge the great history of Melbourne as well as explore further into certain topics such as the gold rush and the time before land was taken over by the British. On this walk, we travelled to destinations such as 333 Collins Street, 380 Collins Street and a few arcades on the way. The other half participated in a game of ten pin bowling at Strike. Following each session we swapped and participated in the other session.

Overall camp was such an amazing experience which allowed us to embrace and acknowledge the land we all call home. The accommodation was of a great standard providing delicious breakfasts and dinners. The day activities were very educational and extremely fun and the night activities gave us the opportunity to see the city all lit up. We had the opportunity to strengthen existing and build new friendships by having late night talks with our peers and participating in the Great Marian Race. A wonderful experience that we will talk about for the years to come.

Year 9 

Student Representative Council