A group of 14 students in Years 11 and 12 who are participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award took the opportunity to hike in Lamington National Park last week. We enjoyed the morning of the first-day hiking in three smaller groups and enjoyed the cool of the rainforest. A bit of time to cool off in a waterfall was a welcome relief. With 5km of walking to go, the rain started. It was with great relief for each group when they arrived at the Binna Burra campsite and took advantage of the undercover BBQ area to set up their tents and get some dinner cooked. The rain remained constant throughout the night and the challenge was met by all. Not long after waking up on Tuesday morning, we received a break from the rain which enabled everyone to get packed up and prepare for the day’s hike. A change was made to our initial plan and we enjoyed the views from Coomera Falls lookout. The rain had fed the main waterfalls as well as many smaller ones around the cliffs we could see. As the week progressed the weather improved but we had to keep changing our plans due to track closures. We enjoyed some great views and all were glad that they had spent what was meant to be the first week of classes taking on one of the challenges that form part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Thank you to Mrs Tattersall for organising this hike for us and Jason Tyndall & Mike Tattersall for giving up their time to help us.

The Award is voluntary and participants can uniquely design their Award program. The non-competitive nature along with the balance of activities means that the Award is achievable for all. Participants can progress at their own pace and enjoy a variety of activities whilst inspiring others and persisting to achieve their individual goals.  This provides young people in Years 9 – 12 with a great opportunity for personal and social development.

For further information about the Award see Learning@Redlands or contact Rachel Tattersall (outdoored@redlands.qld.edu.au).