Year 11 Retreat

The Year 11 Retreat, held at Attunga, in the absolutely breathtaking Southern Highlands, was truly a wonderful experience which fostered endless laughs, unbreakable bonds and memories that will never leave me.

Settling back into school after the holidays and after a term of extremely stressful exams, the Retreat was an amazing opportunity to just take a moment of pause in the busy school term, to leave our phones and worries behind and to relax and spend time all together while being immersed in the serene Australian landscape.

One of the most notable memories was the excessive number of meals we were served; in fact, one day we ate breakfast, first morning tea, second morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, dessert and supper.  May might say the camp put the ‘eat’ in retrEAT.

On the first night we had a bonfire where many of the musically talented girls in our year group played the guitar while we all sang in unison – that night created an unparalleled feeling of cohesion amongst us and really made me realise how grateful I am to be able to spend my high school days with such a lively, caring and supportive cohort. Across both days there were a wide range of activities that we participated in from the absolutely terrifying flying fox that spanned across rolling valleys to the landscape painting where we had the privilege of capturing the beauty of our environment in a creative way. But what I enjoyed most was the two daily hours of free time to explore the camp and connections within ourselves. I remember going on a walk with one of my best friends and noticed girls sitting on the front porch giving each other henna tattoos, girls writing each other gratitude notes, girls playing volleyball together and girls sitting in the hot tub chatting.

Seeing everyone come together while doing the things they loved was so heartwarming and allowed us to deepen our connections with each other which is vital in our senior years of high school. Between the immoderate cardio Ms Wymer made us do, which she disguised as ‘barn dancing’ and witnessing the entire year group belt Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’’ led by Mr Massey, it was such a special experience that we will all cherish forever. 

Giulia Peroni
Year 11