Four days, 58 km, heavy packs, spectacular scenery – with barely a single complaint. Our Gold Duke of Edinburgh students recently completed an unforgettable qualifying journey on K’gari (Fraser Island), and the experience delivered far more than kilometres on a trail.
The journey took students from Kingfisher Bay to Lake McKenzie on Day 1, then through the breathtaking Pile Valley with its magnificent, supersized Satinay trees for night 2 at Central Station walkers camp, before continuing via Basin Lake and returning to Lake McKenzie for our 3rd night. The final 14km leg on the fourth day took students past the old Mackenzie Jetty and along the beach with views to the finish line at Kingfisher Bay, where we enjoyed the resort facilities for our debrief (and showers!).
There were plenty of opportunities for resilience along the way. On the very first day, one student’s shoes suffered a blow out, soon followed by her backpack about 7 km into the journey. She literally carried the pack for the remainder of the day while the group worked together to find a solution. Then, in what can only be described as divine provision, a tourist had left behind a pair of thongs, which turned out to be some of the most comfortable footwear imaginable for a multi-day hike! The students’ ability to adapt, encourage one another, and simply keep going was a wonderful example of next-level resilience.
While the weather threatened the success of the trip, the rain fell at convenient times and didn’t dampen the spirits or the adventure in the slightest. It even encouraged a much-appreciated sleep-in until 8 am on day three, with only the sounds of gentle snores and birds to be heard. Heavy packs certainly made the kilometres hard work, but remarkably, there were zero complaints and only positive ‘she’ll be right’ attitudes. There were, however, some valuable lessons about what not to take hiking next time – including 1 kg of milk powder for 2 people (enough to make 10 litres of milk), a 750g jar of Nutella and two litres of UHT milk! The weight adds up more quickly than they realised. Life lessons come in many forms!
The students also rose to the Duke of Ed MasterChef Challenge, competing to create the ultimate hiking meal. With not a packet of 2-minute noodles in sight, Connor C and Issy B were locked in a hot contest right up to the cook-off, with Izzy’s TVP Pad Thai narrowly taking the honours over Connor’s chorizo pasta.
Of course, the scenery and adventure provided some of the greatest rewards. After days of walking, the group had the beach at Lake McKenzie entirely to themselves, and an afternoon game of French cricket beside those crystal-clear waters, watching the sky change colour as the sun went down, will undoubtedly remain one of the group’s favourite memories.
Along the way, students developed resilience, independence, teamwork and confidence, discovering they were capable of more than they thought. Perhaps most importantly, they experienced the difference between ‘Type 1 fun ’-the easy, enjoyable moments – and ‘Type 2 fun ’-the challenges that aren’t always fun at the time, but become the stories, achievements and memories we treasure afterwards.
58 km. Four spectacular days. Appreciation of the environment. Countless laughs, challenges and memories to last a lifetime.
Tanya Cullen, Secondary Teacher + Duke of Ed Coordinator
For all the great photos please click HERE
