We are thrilled to share the exciting adventures of our Year 10 Outdoor Education students who had their Surf Camp to Queenscliff and Torquay on 19-20 October. This trip saw our students embracing the power of the ocean, as they participated in snorkelling, surfing, and sea kayaking. The students' enthusiasm and energy were truly infectious, and they represented the College with terrific behaviour.
We extend our thanks to the staff who accompanied our students, ensuring their safety and guiding them through this fantastic learning experience. Equally, we want to thank our students for their enthusiastic participation, making this Surf Camp an unforgettable, educational, and enjoyable adventure. We are proud of their accomplishments.
Below are some student reflections about their experiences:
I felt that the camp was a very good experience, as me and my family don’t go down to coastal areas very often, so being able to snorkel and surf was amazing. But the sea kayaking was a very different experience, as I have not done anything like that before. We had a blast, even though we got smashed by waves consistently, this made sure that we constantly communicated to try and stay on the kayak.
— Noah G (Year 10 Gold)
What an amazing camp, travelling to Queenscliff for a great opportunity to snorkel with seals. Snorkelling with the seals was an experience I never thought we would have. The struggles some people had with the wet suits made many giggle. After lunch and a walk around Queenscliff we set off to Torquay, where we set up our tents. While waiting for the other group we went for a swim at the surf beach. As the sun went down, we all started to get ready for the dinner that the teachers had made us. There was another early morning ahead, as we jumped back into the wet suits and geared up to catch some waves on a kayak. After having lunch, our last camp activity was surfing. What another amazing experience. We learned how to catch a wave and have fun.
— Isabellah C (Year 10 Jade)
We all had an amazing time at Surf Camp being able to participate in many activities like snorkelling with seals and seeing lots of amazing marine life up close. I learned how to equalise pressure when duck diving under water. Later we went for a swim because the weather was too good to be wasted. We went swimming at Torquay. On our last day we went out in the sea in sea kayaks, smashing through waves and catching some waves, with some of us being capsized and flipped over by the waves. After kayaking, we met with the surf instructors and had a quick surfing lesson on the shore, then some general safety and out we went to the water, with everyone catching waves and surfing. I had a great time with all my friends.
— Remy C (Year 10 Orange)
Most people on the camp had not done snorkelling, sea kayaking and surfing before. Those who had, had not done it for a long time. The Surf Camp was also a way to test our skills and knowledge gained from theory in class, such as the coastal assignment, and lessons in the pool at Monbulk. I learnt how to properly surf with a surfboard.
— Ashton E (Year 10 Bronze)
My highlight was sea kayaking. It was quite simple to understand and was really fun hitting the waves. The funniest part was when Remy and I tried to catch a wave and it dunked us and threw us over, and the kayak went with the wave so we had to swim to get it. The surf instructors helped me by pushing me with the wave and directed me when to stand up. It was one of the best school camps I've done and I would definitely recommend it to others.
— Max M (Year 10 Green)
My highlight was snorkelling with the seals at Queenscliff. We were extremely lucky with the weather the entire trip. Our instructor, Nae, taught us how to safely dive backwards off the boat and showed us a few different species of marine life, including a sea star. The seals were amazing to swim with and we were encouraged to duck dive around them so they would play with us. I found the camp very enjoyable and my experiences are something I will never forget.
— Brooke T (Year 10 White)
