During the April school holidays students completed the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver Practice Adventurous Journeys. Year 9 Bronze girls completed a two-day hike and canoe expedition, hiking the Kiama Coast Walk and canoeing on the Minnamurra River. Year 10 Silver students completed a three-day hike and canoe in the beautiful Kangaroo Valley.
A sincere thank you to our supervising staff members who made these trips possible: Mr Michael Cunningham, Mr Francis Fu, Emilea Wallis (Class of 2025), Mr Greg Johns, Ms Brooke Vozzo, Mr Greg Macken, Mr Owen Vale and Ms Gabrielle Nicholson.
Congratulations to all girls for their participation!
Reflection written by Georgia Cordell, Year 9
Our recent trip to the South Coast for Bronze Duke of Ed was an unforgettable experience filled with adventure, laughter and new challenges. We experienced many new things like setting up tents, solving riddles together at night, which brought lots of laughter, and making dinner on a Trangia: Every moment helped to strengthen our bond as a group. The two days spent there we had amazing weather, and we were lucky enough to explore mangroves and paddle across clear blue water, which led to a few hilarious capsizes. We also enjoyed fun games on the canoes and a relaxing walk along the coastline taking in the scenery and watching water spray out a blowhole. Overall, the trip created unforgettable memories, bringing us closer as friends, and I am grateful for such a fun and rewarding experience.
Reflection written by Anisha Mellers, Year 10 – Duke of Edinburgh Junior Leader
Our Silver Duke of Ed practice journey was such an incredible experience that I will never forget. Hiking and canoeing through the gorgeous scenery of Kangaroo Valley made each day even more enjoyable. On Day One we hiked 5.8km to Griffin’s camp area, which was a beautiful spot. The area felt so untouched and tucked away from the rest of the valley. Night one was so much fun, using the Trangias to make dinner, as well as playing new camp games and riddles. We had our first yarning circle, which is a moment of reflection at the end of the day. This allowed for each group member to say how they are feeling and their highlights of the day. Day Two was an early start where we hiked about 11km to our canoeing spot. This hike was a challenge, but my group all worked together to keep up a positive attitude and maintain high spirits. Once we finished hiking, we loaded up our canoes and began a 7km paddle to our new camping grounds. I really enjoyed canoeing because of the spectacular views everywhere you look. We got to the new camping ground and settled in for the night. Playing games and cooking dinner are memories I’ll always remember. A highlight of mine was joining up with one of the other groups and playing an intense game of ‘Mafia’. On our final day of the trip, we packed up our things and continued canoeing to our final destination, Bendeela. Considering the massive three days we had, I am so proud of us for coming together and pushing through to the end. Overall, this trip was an amazing opportunity to push myself both physically and mentally, as well as building stronger friendships with all of the girls. I am already looking forward to the qualifying journey!
Upcoming Duke of Ed Events
Term 2
- Gold Pre-Trip Training Session #1 – Thursday 7 May 3:45pm – 5:30pm in Theatre
- Gold Pre-Trip Training Session #2 – Thursday 18 June 3:45pm – 5:30pm in Theatre
- Gold Northern Territory Trip – Monday 29 June to Friday 10 July
Term 3
- Gold Post-Trip Presentation Evening – Tuesday 4 August 6pm – 7pm in Theatre
- Silver Qualifying Adventurous Journey – Saturday 26 to Monday 28 September
- Bronze Qualifying Adventurous Journey – Friday 9 to Saturday 10 October
Pre-departure briefings for Bronze and Silver qualifying trips will be held in mid-late Term 3: Dates to be confirmed.
Ms Elle Carroll
Duke of Edinburgh Convenor
