Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Silver and Gold Adventurous Journeys

Over the holidays, 13 Silver and 11 Gold students participated in an Adventurous Journey as part of their Award. The Adventurous Journey is an experience into unfamiliar places to explore and learn the skills to comfortably travel in the outdoors. The girls who attended the camps were challenged and pushed outside of their comfort zones.

The Silver DOE Journey explored the Royal National Park and Heathcote National Park just outside of Sydney. The students caught trains to the start of the hike and developed some skills in Navigation and route findings. A part of the DOE journey is that students take it in turns to lead a part of the journey by navigation, making choices on lunch stops and practicing leadership skills for the day. The students work in a leadership team each day.

Silver Adventurous Journey

The Silver DOE Journey camped by Uloola Falls on the first day after walking 10kms of undulating single track and rocky slopes. It wasn’t an easy day underfoot and the challenges were rewarded with a quiet lunch spot by the waterfalls on Kangaroo Creek.

 On the second day, the group walked the Uloola fire-trail towards Waterfall before returning to the bush to camp by the quiet Kingfisher Pools – a scenic rocky pool that is fed by a waterfall. The beauty of the Heathcote National Park is found in the unique pools and streams that flow through the area and it was a pleasure for the group to experience this quiet place.

On our last day of the journey, the group walked a challenging single track and along the Pipeline Trail heading north towards Heathcote Station. As the group walked along the Pipeline Trail, we were (again, more lovely water views!) lucky to walk by the Woronora River and enjoy the views of the pools along the way. The leaders navigated very well and had planned their route with detail, which paid off with great decision making and smoothness of the day. With tired eyes and legs, the group safely arrived at Heathcote Station to travel back to Santa Sabina College.

The Silver Adventurous Journey was a great opportunity for the girls to experience the challenges of the trail and an actual hike (compared to their Bronze Virtual Exploration). I wish to thank Ms. El Azzi for coming on the journey, she was a valuable group member, and the girls appreciate your support on their journey – Thank you!

The next Silver Adventurous Journey will take place from 5 – 7 October and details will be released shortly.

Gold Adventurous Journey

The Gold Adventurous Journey took place from 14 – 17 July in the Budawangs National Park. The Budawangs National Park is located three hours from Sydney and inland of Batemans Bay. It is a truly wilderness area that is a hidden gem of NSW bushwalking with wide open plains, unique rock features and towering rocky mountains. It is a unique area of the NSW but holds some resemblance to the sandstone cliffs of the Blue Mountains and other coastal National Parks.

On our arrival at Wog Wog Campground, the students were outside of their comfort zone and ready for the challenge of the trail ahead.

The group walked into our first campsite by a small stream and setup for a clear night under the Milky Way. On the first day, the group had been getting use to their packs again, after 6 months since their last hike. The flow of the journey was starting to take place.

As the group woke up, a thin layer of frost was on our tents – evidence of the cold night we had! The group left the comfort of the trees and travelled onto the rocky outcrops of the Budawangs. With Corang Peak in the distance, the girls undertook a great day of navigating and appreciated the beauty of the place around them. The highlight of the day was the visit to Corang Arch – a standing rocky arch way that was not to be missed! The group walked a strong 12kms and the leaders faced some challenges with navigation and timing that they did very well to overcome. As we arrived at Burrembeet Brook, we set up for a warmer night.

The third day was unique as the group left their heavy backpacks behind and we travelled for a day-hike towards the heart of the Budawangs – Mt. Cole, Shrouded Gods mountain, Seven Gods Pinnacle, views out of the Hollands Gorge and over the Flying Fox Gully. Today was the challenging day of the hike, yet the most memorable.

Good days in the bush are hard work, but always worth the view. Memories are formed on the longer days where challenges are met and a greater sense of self-transcendence can be found. This unique landscape and the girls coming together to genuinely support each other through challenges was wonderful the witness. The girls formed a strong bond and encouraged each other as the day went on.

At the turn-around point for our day hike, the girls were rewarded with an exceptional view overlooking the Hollands Gorge. It was great to witness the enthusiasm of the group as they appreciated the views around them.

As the group returned to camp, we shuffled our site into a nearby camping cave, to be protected from the winds blowing over our heads. The girls settled in for their final night around the campfire and the Budawangs.

On our final day, the group awoke early and made our way back along the trail, returning to the bus. The group walked very strongly and supported each other again in challenging windy conditions.

Overall, the Gold Adventurous Journey was a great opportunity for students to be brought out outside of their comfort zones, experience the Budawangs and continue with the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Journey.

What’s next?

So what’s next for the current Gold Award students? The Overland Track in Tasmania in January 2023. The trip is a six-day journey along one of Australia’s best hiking trails. It will be a journey never to forget and experience not to be missed.

Chris Walker
Outdoor Education Coordinator