GROUPS & ACTIVITIES Outdoor Education
YEAR 9 ACTIVITY WEEK The Year 9 outdoor activity week was a different format this year, held over three two-day blocks from 23–24 November and 27–30 November. The week was organised by Horizons Unlimited, an outdoor adventure group provider, FACT – First Aid and CPR Training, and the Tuˉhaitara Coastal Park. Each block was split into two days of activities for each third of the year group (surfing/ stand-up paddle board and service/ first aid) and an overnight tramp in the Craigieburn area. The tramp involved half the boys heading from Cave Stream to Mistletoe Shelter, and the other half starting in the reverse direction to Cave Stream. The tramp covers more than 20km, including multiple river crossings, forest trails, and
some decent hill climbs. They then go through Cave Stream at the start or end of each trip. The tramping programme is designed to set the expectations of the Bronze Adventurous Journey tramps in Year 10 and, hopefully, lead to more boys later completing their Silver and Gold Adventurous Journeys. The tramp can go towards evidence for a Black and White level of the Discovery and Challenge section of the College Diploma. Sadly, for some boys the programme was truncated because of the weather. The river in Cave Stream was too high to allow some boys that experience because of safety concerns. In the first week, there was rain and snow, which meant some groups missed the scree climb and took the wet-weather
track instead. They needed to shelter in the Craigieburn Enviro Lodge instead of in a tent to avoid the weather. However, two rounds experienced the full overnight programme. The three two-day option will be reviewed against a two three-day format for 2024. In my opinion, it was a good Outdoor Education experience. It is about using the outdoors to learn more about yourself and the unexpected power of nature. This includes finding strengths you do not know you have. I saw boys develop as leaders (and followers), with limits tested and new limits found. The sub-goal for the Year 9 camps is also to start preparing boys for the Year 10 Immerse & Inspire
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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