On the 13^th of May, 12 students headed out to start their Year 10 Survival Camp. On departure, students were divided into two teams for the duration of the camp, where they were required to complete various challenges.

 The first stop was the Mount Cameron Field Study Centre to drop off supplies before beginning our first day of the survival section. We were dropped in an unknown location and were required to locate various supplies that would be crucial to our survival over the coming days.

It was time to start our adventure, we had to navigate, and bush bash our way to our first campsite. Over hills, dried out wet areas and thick shrub using a compass and map. At campsite number one, we got a briefing on the site and started setting up camp for the evening.

 Once we had built our shelters, it was time for our first challenge! This was to start a fire and boil a billycan of water using a flint and steel. One team completed this easily, with the other group struggling. The winning team was rewarded for their efforts with additional supplies.  

The rest of the night was spent around the fire talking, bonding, and having a laugh while rationing our homemade survival bars. We headed off to our shelters with hope for a solid night’s sleep but unfortunately, we spent a large amount of time sliding down the hill then waking up and scooting back up to comfort.

We woke with the sun, and it was time to start day 2. We slowly rose and sat around the fire looking like ghosts after a restless night. Mr Le Fevre noticed we were lacking in energy and set us up for a game of Cha, Kar, Rah to lift our mood.

We started the walk on a road before cutting into the bush for some more bush bashing, this led us to a dried-out swamp. Mr Le Fevre said that this was the driest he has seen it, we got a photo on one of the trees before continuing. The dry track soon turned to squishy mud, some students went knee deep in mud and almost slipped over.

It was decided that it would be best to cut up into the bush before coming out on the other side. We stopped for a rest at the dam before we faced another challenge. We had to pump up an inflatable boat and row across to the other side with all our belongings.

Eli and Jake started the challenge but halfway across the lake the boat started to sink. This is when they realised that there was a small puncture in the boat. It was decided to call this challenge off for safety reasons.

 Instead, we did a team verse team challenge, the whole team was blindfolded apart for one person. You had to navigate down a track with our team winning once again. At the end of this challenge, we continued walking until our next challenge. Each team had to build a stretcher and carry equipment. The other team went for a somewhat sturdy but heavy set up, with our team going for sturdy but light.

We walked along a track which led to our second campsite. At the campsite we set up our shelters and had a fire, watching for leaches as this area was known for the slimy critters. The night was once again spent chatting by the fire, reflecting on the days adventures and having a laugh.

We were a bit slower waking for Day 3, the morning was fresh and our bodies sore. Before packing up and setting off on our final walk of the survival section back to the Field Study Centre, there was a race to the showers, our stash of proper food and fresh clothing.

We drove to Eddystone Point to do a solo beach walk. This required us to walk individually along a long stretch of beach and reflect on our Year 10 Survival Camp and life in general. This was followed by a gratitude circle, where we shared something positive and something we were appreciative of.

We walked back as a group and enjoyed some lunch on the beautiful beach and free time. It was a quiet bus ride to the Field Study Centre with many taking the opportunity to catch up on some sleep.

Once back we had some downtime, which included board games and chats. Before dinner we set out to complete the ‘spider web’ obstacle. This was a good team building task with positive connections and trust being involved. We then cooked a well-deserved dinner on Trangias, before cleaning up and finishing our board games.

To finish the evening, we watched our survival camp video which Miss Walker had put together and ‘The Lorax Project’ which was a documentary set in the Tasmanian wilderness. It was then time for bed. The girls were a little chattier than the boys but after a few laughs we set in for a solid sleep in a proper bed.

Our last morning, we packed, cleaned up and headed down to do some more team building activities to help build our communication and strength these included: The See Saw, The Wall and Cattle Grid. Our last activity for the week was the Beach Olympics.  Once again, we battled it out in our teams for the title. Unfortunately, it was a tie at the end of the challenge series.

We would like to give a huge thanks to Miss Walker, Mrs Tuffin and Mr Le Fevre for putting in the time and effort to make this camp happen. We will all remember this experience for years to come.

By Lily W and Savannah B