Our Year 10 Outdoor Education students headed down to Queenscliff and Torquay for their Surf Camp from Thursday 3 March to Friday 4 March. Students had the opportunity to put into practice the learnings that we had covered in class over the first month of school. Topics included users and uses of the coast, various coastal environments, the flora and fauna in these environments along with ecological aspects.
Here are some student reflections of their experiences on camp and what a fantastic time they had:
Outdoor Ed Surf Camp was a highlight of my whole time at MLMC. Our camp included a range of different activities from visiting the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre to surfing the waves at Torquay. My favourite part was the sea kayaking. It was a bit hard to paddle all the way out in the ocean and try to turn the kayak into a wave quick enough, but once you caught a wave it was so much fun gliding through the water. I really enjoyed spending Thursday afternoon at the beach. Everyone was swimming, playing cricket and just having fun.
— Sophie Vos (Year 10 Orange)
I learnt a lot during Surf Camp including the different types of sea creatures and animals found in different types of ecosystems such as saltwater and freshwater. It was a very interesting experience as we were able to learn in a different environment rather than in a classroom. Learning about the types of animals and ecosystems helped us to understand more about flora and fauna that we have looked at in class.
— Alana Lewis (Year 10 Gold)
Camping at Torquay was challenging, different and ultimately one of the best experiences I have had. I learnt things that I would use in the future like how to get out of a rip and a whale doesn't have teeth. My favourite activity by far was kayaking. It felt both dangerous and exciting at the same time. I am so grateful for all of the teachers who chose to give us the opportunity to go on this camp.
— Jena Schaak (Year 10 White)
Camp at Torquay was a really fun and rewarding experience after all the hard work in class. Unfortunately, on the first day there was too much wind so we had to miss out on a few activities but we still got to discover the different fish and marine wildlife and even got to touch some fish and crabs in the open pool. The next day was my favourite when we surfed and sea kayaked through the waves. Torquay camp was the best camp I've ever been on!
— Lenni Roach (Year 10 Silver)
Some of the things we learnt were some interesting facts in the information centre, and also learning about the rips in both the surfing and sea kayaking lesson. It was great just to be able to have a good time while spending some time with mates. Some of my favourite moments were the surfing lesson and getting smashed in the sea kayaking.
— Natasha Harrison (Year 10 Silver)
This camp was immaculate. The activities, the people and the beach was just an absolute vibe. Going on the kayaks were also pretty awesome as you got to row with one of your mates and chase some waves and even capsizing your kayak was fun. Surfing was also great and even though it takes a few tries to ride a wave, it was one of the best feelings to stand up on the board and take flight on the top of a wave. The fish and chips were top notch.
— Nicholas Lantouris (Year 10 Red)
