In response to an overwhelming demand for the Central Australia Tour this year and a shortage of buses in the Northern Territory to accommodate the interest we had, the College undertook requests from parents to explore an alternative interstate tour. As a result, 24 Year 10 students accompanied by six staff headed to Tasmania during the September holidays for a week focused on history, nature and new adventures.
The tour consisted of visiting historical sites such as Port Arthur and a replica of the famous hut used by Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson, and amazing hikes through beautiful natural bushland along the east coast of Tasmania.
Feedback from students such as the reflection from Chloe Baker below indicate that it was a great trip enjoyed by all. Many thanks to the dedicated staff for generously giving up their holiday break to allow the students to experience the time away.
After meeting up with Suze, our guide and driver extraordinaire, we dove straight into the history aspect by visiting the Cascade Women's Factory before even settling into our accommodation. The following day saw us atop windy and sunny Kumanyi and then, led by Andy, we walked around this amazing area, enjoying the picturesque views. Port Arthur and the ghost tour on a rainy Friday left a few feeling spooked and questioning whether they could have made it through the dog line and where would they have gone even if they had.
Setting out from Hobart on the Saturday, after attending the Salamanca Market, the group toured along the east coast via Bichon to Scamander and the amazing coastline, with some even getting up to enjoy the sunrise over the ocean. Miss Battersby and Mrs Morgan led a group on the challenging Wineglass Bay walk on Sunday, while others opted to join Mr and Mrs Rodgers and Mr Savage on a shorter loop. Freycinet National Park is certainly a very popular area with many groups walking on the day.
Launceston and Cataract Gorge was another opportunity to get out in nature and some even took the 1960s-style chairlift across the gorge. Ziplining was exciting for those who sailed 50m above the ground on seven different lines, culminating in 200m run above Piper's River. After this final day we boarded the Spirit of Tasmania for a night crossing, which was fortunately very smooth and uneventful.
The group were incredibly resourceful and showed amazing teamwork, organising and cooking for themselves on many days during the trip, and it ensured that everyone was able to enjoy this relaxing break.
The second day was better than the first, the third day was better than the second, and the fourth day was better than the third. This is how I felt about my trip to Tasmania. I absolutely loved it. Some highlights of the trip were the nature park where we got to feed the animals by hand, look at the baby Tassie devils and pat the wombat, Wineglass Bay, with long and short hikes, and, of course, having a legend of a bus driver, Suze. Another engaging experience was catching the Spirit of Tasmania home and experiencing what it is like going on a cruise ship overnight.
— Chloe Baker (Year 10 Green)
We started in Hobart where we enjoyed an incredible walk up Mt Wellington with stunning views. On Day 3 we got to experience the eerie sites of Port Arthur and learn about the history of Australian convicts. On Days 4 and 5 we stayed in the beautiful town of Scamander, where I enjoyed running along the beach in the morning with amazing views and incredible weather. The Tassie trip was amazing. The highlight was the singalong tunes on the bus where we had everyone singing, even the super cool bus driver, Suze.
— Kyan Ellis (Year 10 Purple)
