On Thursday 19 April, students participating in the Duke of Edinburgh course set off on their adventurous journey of a two-day hike to the Murrindindi Ranges. We packed our backpacks with a trangia stove, clothing, tent, water and, most importantly, food. This was when we realised that we had more than enough to eat — it looked like we were going on a one-week journey, not a two-day trip!
We left school and drove to Murrindindi where we were took part in some community service work with a local Landcare group. The work involved nailing nesting boxes to trees for possums and birds to live in and removing weeds. After we did this, we drove to the first camp ground to have lunch and get ready for the hike, we hauled our heavy packs on our back and began our 8km walk. We were the leaders of this walk, which meant we were at the front of the group, setting the pace and we had to stop at each junction to make sure everyone was there. We all had a number from 1 to 22 and had to call it out in order at each stop.
We walked along a track with trees, bushes and shrubbery surrounding us on either side for roughly 3km until we reached a junction where we stopped to eat. We then left our backpacks and walked up a steep rocky path that we were told led to a waterfall. The walk was difficult but we were motivated by the sound of rushing water. After we crossed some rocky steps, boulders and tree roots, we could finally see the falls, but only slightly. This was when we decided to walk up three sets of long stairs to the lookout deck, but it turned out that there was no waterfall at all due to the lack of rain. Instead we had a magnificent view of deep green mountain ranges. After taking a few more photos, we were walking back down the steep hill, which was considerably easier than walking up it.
A while later we reached the campsite and did a few survival activities including how to find, collect and filter water and how to make a stretcher. We then set up our tent (with a struggle), got relatively comfy and made our pasta dinner and played games around the campfire. Although we probably did not get enough sleep that night, they were some of the best moments that we will never forget. The next morning we got up early as we had a lot to do. We had to cook and eat breakfast, clean the dishes, brush our teeth, get changed into hiking clothes, fill our drink bottles, pack our bags and pack away our tent. It was a long process but we were back on our hike by 9am.
The walk was level and easy, especially with a lighter pack because we had eaten most of our food. That was until we reached the beginning of the 3km incline that would take us from the bottom to the top of the mountain. We reluctantly started up the hill making sure to look out for everyone, we kept close together and were encouraging everyone as best as we could. We stopped a few times to catch our breath and had a drink before we got to the top. We had so many thoughts going through our head ‘I don't think I can make it’, ‘I need a drink’, ‘my legs hurt’, ‘I need to stop’ but those negative thoughts were replaced by laughter and jokes and reassurance from everyone else in the group. It’s safe to say, looking back down the hill that we had just walked up, that it was one of the most amazing and empowering moments we had ever felt. WE MADE IT!!
However, this was not the end, we still had a while to go to reach the last campground where the bus was parked. The path was narrow and we had to watch out for tree branches which were swinging left, right and centre. We were all in single file but we played as many games as we could think of and told many stories. We began to hear the sound of rushing water again and got excited. We were just around the corner of the cascades. The water got louder and louder, it roared in our ears, but when we finally saw them it was beautiful. The water flowed over rocks and under a bridge. The mixture of the calming water and the protective trees created a tranquil experience for us all.
We continued our journey up a slight hill as we stared in awe at the beautiful cascades. We were so close to the end, yet it felt so far. We would climb up one rocky set of mismatched steps after another, hoping that the next bend would be our final destination. Everyone was guessing the distance that we had left to walk until finally a gravel road came into sight and we saw our ride home. Everyone ‘sprinted’ towards the park across the road but it was hard with sore legs and massive packs on our backs. Although the thought of going home and snuggling up in our PJs in our nice warm beds was exciting, it wasn't enough to stop the feeling of sadness and the thought that this amazing experience will be over. We learnt many new things, made new friends and now have heaps of memories that will never be forgotten.
