Throughout this term, the Year 10 Outdoor Education class has been learning about different coastal environments and aquatic activities and they were lucky enough to head to the Surf Coast for an overnight camp on Thursday 5 March.
Here is a reflection from Jack Dowdle (Year 10 Jade):
On Thursday 5 March the Year 10 Outdoor Education classes embarked on a trip that would show them the wonders of the water. While on the bay cruise, we met John, the skipper. He explained to us that although the seafloor of Port Phillip may look somewhat like a marine desert, there is an abundance of life, which you must seek in order to find. This life was present in the form of brown, red and green algae along with various animals such as decorator crabs. We were also shown and given information on Australian fur seals and Australasian gannets.
We headed to the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre where we met Anne, who taught us so much about the ecosystems around Victoria and more specifically Port Phillip. I enjoyed examining organisms in the touch pond as it gave us a new perspective on what they really were. We then did our snorkelling expedition around Pope’s Eye and Chinaman’s hut in Port Phillip Bay. It was fantastic experiencing the elegance of marine organisms such as seaweeds, various fish types and seals. It enhanced our learning as we were able to see the plants and animals which he had been studying as theory in class. After snorkelling, we got on the bus and drove to our campsite in Torquay. We set up our tents and socialised before fish and chips for dinner, eaten on the headland above the beach.
On Day 2 we woke to the sound of howling winds. Our tents were packed up quickly as we were keen for breakfast. We started with a walk from Torquay to Jan Juc surf beach, up and over the headland. Afterwards, we squeezed into our wetsuits ready for the highly-anticipated surfing lesson. Although the surf was rough and unpredictable, we had lots of fun. After eating lunch we met our kayaking instructors. They taught us how to synchronise our paddling and work with our partner, with the objective of surfing waves in a kayak. This proved very challenging due to the inconsistency of waves and energy required to achieve this. We all managed at least one, though, and enjoyed our time. Sea kayaking concluded our camp; now it was time to drive the three hours back to school. I learnt so much from this camp, met new people and overall enjoyed every minute of it. I am very grateful for this experience.
(Please note: the photos included in this article were taken prior to the Federal Government's announcement on Sunday 15 March 2020 regarding social distancing.)
