Outdoor Education Journals
LAKE MUNGO August 2012 Group Journal
MUNGO 2012
Selected snapshots from the group journal [not teacher edited] – landscape, culture, challenge, the universe, friendships…………a deep shared learning experience.
This was a multidisciplinary experience incorporating Outdoor Education, Global Relations, Astronomy, History, Art, Archaeology and Photography.
6 days camping hiking, mountainbiking and journeying through the arid outback NSW landscape. It was deemed by all an outstanding success.
Tour with young Aboriginal men – Brodie
The Aboriginal Tour we enjoyed at Lake Mungo was a great advertisement of Aboriginal-Non-Indigenous reconciliation and provided great insight into past, and perhaps present, Aboriginal culture. The whole meeting was devoid of any prejudice or negative motive. The young tour guides Leon and Robert each had a passion for both their ancestry and their occupation – a great mix between professionalism and cultural identity. The information, perspective and character of the two made the whole trip richer for all parties involved.
Astronomy – stars, galaxies, moon craters, shooting star – Nathan C
As for the night itself there were many highlights for the limited time that we were looking at celestial wonders such as a magnificent fireball that lasted for a few seconds and exploded into many smaller segments leaving a visible tail, craters and mountains on the moon and an distant galaxy that when the light we see now left it our solar system had not even been created.
Heather’s long long run – 34km
‘Where ever I went, I was RUNNING.’ –Forrest Gump (m.a.)
Heather: - My dad always says to me when I play footy whenever you’re scared or in doubt about anything or anyone just back yourself and go for it. Run and don’t look back.
Before the start of the trip I set a goal that I was going to run or cycle the entire 70km around, so on the first leg I ran about 15km and cycled most of it. On the second day I decided I was going to have a crack at running the whole 34km for the second leg. Before the first stop for about 4km through the beautiful trees and flower felt really good and relaxing and I was really keen to go the whole way. The next 5km to the sand dunes were amazing, I was running along with my head phones in singing at the top of my lungs and just admiring the beauty of my surroundings as well as the solitude, even as my legs started to burn. But the sand dunes were amazing walking over them and talking to the year 11 boys. Then after cycling back to the road I was off again for another 5km till I reached the top of this hill and the run down that was incredible, seeing the flat desert on one side then running around and seeing the sand dunes on the other side was beautiful. There was this long straight road that looked like it never ended with beautiful views on each side and the occasional Emu running across the track in front of me making me smile as well as the kangaroos hoping along the side of the track. The road felt like it went forever and the blister on my feet killed. But I finally made it to this old shack and waited for the 2 Nathans to catch up so we could go off for the final 2km. Nathan Kumar and Nathan Coleman ran with me till the no way sign 500m from the shed and then everyone went for the last leg as a group. N1 and I decided we were going to sprint for the last bit and the 3 of us took off with Caity driving close behind and reaching Peter at the finish line was an amazing feeling, even though he asked me to run back 20m so he could video it again. But hugging Nathan and shaking Peters hand really reinforced that I achieved something pretty cool and Peter shaking my hand and being proud of my achievement was really incredible for me. I was really proud that I worked hard to achieve something I set out to do and peter and Nathan and the team cheering me on was the best feeling after a long 34km.
The Power of Colour - Morgan
My uncle is an artist; my favourite paintings of his are gorgeous landscapes filled with brilliant and vibrant colour. He told me they were inspired by his extensive travels into the outback, where, away from all of the pollution of modern civilization, the dyes in the earth and sky can be seen in their full glory. He uses such vivid colours to convey his experience in this environment. So when I came to Mungo, I was ready to be enlightened. However, my first impression of the landscape was a motley mix of greys: blue-grey, grey-green, dirty-brown-grey. Still I persisted...and was rewarded, if not how I expected. I found the colour when I stopped expecting to find a rainbow of foliage around each bend, and looked instead to the hardy-if-harsh plants that were abundant. In the sullen green of the low plants I saw shades of purple and aqua blue. The tree bark was painted with black and white and beautiful variations of every colour in between. The bone-dry dirt was actually saturated with all the fiery colours in the sunset sky. When I was lucky, sunshine-yellow, violet, and bright-crisp-white punctuated and highlighted the world. And beneath all of that, there was a vitality to everything around me which imbued the habitat with a sense of exuberance no painter’s pallet could bestow.
ANON
This should make Lake Mungo – the most important anthropological site in Australia – the zenith of positive reconciliatory and scientific advancement and, potentially, great controversy. With only my limited – yet very joyous - experience at the Lake and punitive knowledge of Indigenous politics, I would have to agree with this.
Ellie
I don’t often think about the universe and I’m usually inside by the time the stars come out. But being outside so much this trip I’ve really being able to appreciate the beauty of it. Seeing Saturn and the stars through Nathans telescope was amazing, it’s hard to comprehend how far away they really are. To think that the light that we are seeing from them now happened millions of years ago and that something completely different could be happening there now, we could be looking at the light from a star that is already dead. It’s really difficult to imagine how big the universe is and how tiny we are in the universe; it’s really fascinating o think of how much could be happening out there that we might never know about.
The social aspect of this trip has been a massive highlight for me. On the bus trip and when riding/walking around the lake there has been plenty of time to talk and get to know new people or to just talk more with your friends. When we are out of school everyone just relaxes more and on this trip everyone has gotten on well together. I also really enjoyed the scenery. I love being in nature and away from people and buildings so I loved how you could look out at the lake bed and look for ages but see nothing but open space. It was a new type of environment that I haven’t experienced before and the history of the place just made it even more special. This trip has made me more conscious of aboriginal culture and how the land is so special to them, and how long they have been living here.
Brodie
My initial decision to come on the Mungo trip was not based on any outstanding motive. The general concept of the trip predominantly only appealed to my physical character. Three days of bushwalking, mountain biking and running through a rugged, relatively deserted plain appealed to my sense of adventure, enjoyment of physical exertion and appreciation of natural beauty. What I didn’t expect from Mungo was the development of relationships, group bonding and a deeper understanding of differences in opinion and the value of culture. A purely physical trip became a somewhat emotional and intellectual exercise.
Nathan C
Seldom do we think about the hardships and struggles of those before us, who tried as hard as they possibly could to give their children and families the best opportunities in life. In our current age of thought we worry and obsess over truly insignificant things. One comes to embrace and to understand these emotions only when they are exposed to something that is humbling and in a way very spiritual. I found this train of thought at Lake Mungo, looking upon remnants of a snack of mussels or fish, or perhaps a communal fireplace that dates from over 42,000 years ago. With a little bit of imagination, one can see people walking and eating around an ancient lake shore, teeming with mega fauna and life. Seeing images of people trying to explain the age of these artefacts is one thing but actually hearing from people who are direct relatives is really breathtaking.
I can honestly say that the entire trip was a highlight with no particular bit being any better than another. The entire trip was beautiful, almost magical.
I think that there are very few improvements that can be made to the trip; in fact i think that there are no real improvements to be made. I think this trip has been a unique opportunity for self discovery and new found friends, sure there was an opportunity to push yourself to your limits and beyond but I thought that meeting people you normally would never talk to, let alone be really good mates with. I think this particular opportunity has been appropriately seized, and rightfully so.
Nathan K
Lake Mungo, a place where time has been captured, secrets buried under the sand and clay and soil. It was a truly unique environment that takes you away. For me Leon and Robert gave me a great epiphany when these two young men took such pride in offering their culture and willingly reciting the story of their ancestors. It hit home quite hard when I realised I should be doing the same with myself. I realised that there should be no shame in taking pride in your culture. I came to realise more about aboriginal culture and saw how they have a huge track record in this country. Robert and Leon taught me some things about who I should be and how I need to be if I want to continue my own culture and have a story to tell for myself to other people. I really loved the beauty of landscape and to experience that by travelling by foot or by bike around the whole lake.
Naomi
On this trip I have gained a new understanding of time and the importance of culture. The idea that the remains of an Indigenous person were discovered ‘fossilised’ and have to be at least 42 000 years old is amazing. To me it brings my life into a new perspective, that there is so much time and I am not here for very much of it. This makes me appreciate what I have, the people in my life, and the opportunities I am given. The strong element of Indigenous culture throughout this excursion has also led me to be more interested in my own culture and background, and want to be proud of where I come from. I have also been able to see first-hand the incredible beauty that Earth creates. The sand dunes, bush land and canola fields are examples of the outstanding scenery we have seen on this trip. Overall this experience has been amazing, inspiring and impressive. It has encouraged me to think of new possibilities and to enjoy each day as it comes.
Kathryn
I have gained a stronger understanding of how vast and massive the universe and time is, through both the aboriginal tours and knowledge passed onto us from Robert and Leon and also learning more about astronomy and the stars and planets in the universe I found the experience was incredible. I have realised how insignificant our time on earth is and that 80 years within a lifetime is nothing in comparison to the over 40,000 years of history that Aboriginal people in Lake Mungo and Australia Generally have. Having seen a new landscape so different to that of Canberra I appreciate far more the amazing and wonderful things within the universe.
JAPAN SNOWBOARD AND SKI TRIP January 2011 Digital Journal
CONTENTS:
Niseko Day 1
Niseko Day 2
Niseko Days 3, 4, 5
 Team - Students
Boarding levels – Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Intermediate, Advanced, Elite
Gary Mills
Boarding level – advanced
Overseas travel experience – lots of experience
Looking forward to – going snowboarding in Japan and a night run.
Kieran Dixon
Boarding level - advanced
Overseas travel experience – yeh a fair bit
Looking forward to – snow
Braydon Locke
Boarding level - Intermediate
Overseas travel experience - New Caledonia, Fiji
Looking forward to – Sushi, The culture experience and the Powder Boarding
Lincoln Dummett
Boarding level – Advanced
Overseas travel experience – America and Canada
Looking forward to – The pow pow powder!!!!
Doug Walker
Boarding level - Intermediate
Overseas travel experience – None
Looking forward to – Being cold and the snow.
Joel Constance
Boarding level – intermediate/advanced
Overseas travel experience – some, no non-English speaking countries though
Looking forward to – Japan stuff, powder
Mat Nash
Boarding level – intermediate/advanced
Overseas travel experience – none
Looking forward to – lots of snow, a new culture and environment, and meeting and talking to new people.
Elise Jarosz
Boarding level - Intermediate
Overseas travel experience - None
Looking forward to – The whole experience of overseas travel and getting to snowboard in a different country.
Emma Heaney
Boarding level – Intermediate/advanced
Overseas travel experience - Fiji
Looking forward to – Snowboarding!!!!!
Keiran Walters
Skiing level - Advanced
Overseas travel experience – 2 NZ trips, 1 Thailand trip
Looking forward to – Skiing and being in another country.
Harry Enright
Skiing level – Intermediate.
Overseas travel experience – England in July 2010.
Looking forward to – Skiing some real snow and immersing myself in the culture.
Cale Robertson
Boarding level – Intermediate/Advanced
Overseas travel experience - None
Looking forward to – Snow / Overseas culture.
Mitch Easterby
Boarding level - Advanced
Overseas travel experience – travelled to New Zealand January 2010
Looking forward to – the culture, the experience of boarding on fresh POW!
Owen Carr
Boarding level – Intermediate
Overseas travel experience – Vietnam, England, Cambodia.
Looking forward to – The culture, exploring Niseko village and finding some deep powder.
Sophie Cools
Boarding level – beginner/intermediate
Overseas travel experience – New Zealand, Europe
Looking forward to – Spending the day in Tokyo, exploring Niseko and enjoying boarding time.
Alyssa Cooper
Boarding level – intermediate
Overseas travel experience – Travelled to Malaysia and New Zealand
Looking forward to – the experience of a new country. Seeing a new landscape and throwing snowballs at people :)
Tamara Roberts
Boarding level - beginner
Overseas travel experience – I've been to Canada and USA twice and New Zealand
Looking forward to – seeing something different and experiencing a new culture
Team - Staff
Ben Robertson
Boarding level – Intermediate/advanced
Overseas travel experience – New Zealand 2011
Looking forward to – World class snow and completely different culture and food
Sarah Luck
Boarding level - Intermediate
Overseas travel experience – Pacific Cruise 2004, New Zealand 2011
Looking forward to – Being in Japan!! I’m also really looking forward to shredding the awesome snow and experiencing a new culture. :)
Ryan Heaney
Boarding level -
Overseas travel experience -
Looking forward to –
Kathy Anderson
Boarding level -
Overseas travel experience -
Looking forward to –
Piper Solly
Boarding level - Intermediate
Overseas travel experience – Travelled to Malaysia in 2006, Japan 2009
Looking forward to – Getting to the snow, eating the food, experiencing the culture and having a fantastic time
Peter Blunt
Boarding level – Advanced Intermediate
Overseas travel experience – 2 years high school UK, 2 years teaching Tanzania Africa, climbing and hiking French and Italian Alps, 2 short work trips to New Mexico USA, 2 adventure trips New Zealand, 3 snowboarding trips to Japan, adventure trips Tasmania
Looking forward to – Staying at North Field Lodge, exploring Tokyo, beautiful snow, being in the magical village of Niseko, being part of a fab group, sharing special experiences with students and staff
North Field Lodge
Sunny and a great view of Yotei
Snowfall
Gondola and other lifts
First runs on beautiful snow
Boarding
Skiing
Best run
Onsen
North Field Lodge
Sophie Cools: So far Northfield is an awesome place to stay. The rooms are small and cosy, perfect for snuggling up in after a long day on the snow. The street the Lodge is in is beautiful; the snow is piled up high above the road and at night the lights glow from light posts and windows to create an eerie but magical atmosphere.
Breakfast is amazing, with the choice of fruit, yoghurt, cereal or bacon and eggs... The perfect fuel for hitting the slopes.
The small lounge room is definitely my favourite room, it’s quiet and removed from the main rooms making it the perfect spot to curl up and watch the snow falling outside the window.
Sunny and a great view of Yotei
Mitch Easterby: We woke to a blue bird, no clouds in sight. We arrived at the Gondola and headed to the top excited and ready to go. As we hopped out we saw the great Mt. Yotei in the distance. The size of this volcanic display is so different compared to our Australian landscape. Yotei was covered with clouds and seemed to be breathing them out of its mouth as there were no clouds besides the ones which engulfed the peak of Yotei. It was great to have the sun out to get out bearings of the resort, and to keep us warm, with good visibility....
Snowfall
Emma Heaney: The Snow is amazing! It is forever snowing but it’s always very light and dry. When it lands on your jacket, it’s sometimes still a perfectly tiny snowflake. After each run there is often a fresh coating of snow because the snowfall is so continuous. Tonight there is supposed to be an extra of 30cm to fall! The snowfall definitely adds to the fantastic beauty of Niseko.
Gondola and other lifts
Elise Jarosz: The lifts are really cool. I really like the gondola and how you get to sit inside. Perisher definitely needs to copy the idea for their resort. A lot of the lifts are like roller coasters because they go so fast then all of a sudden brake. But overall the chairlifts are pretty much the same as the Australian resorts.
First runs on beautiful snow
Owen Carr: The first thing you notice when you ski down the slopes is the quality of the snow and the fact there are no snow guns so you know it is all natural. Once you get comfortable in the powder you start exploring and then you find the fresh untouched stuff. This powder is so light and smooth and after the first time you ride in it you are forever searching for more.
Boarding
Piper Solly-Quick: Feeling the soft delicately light snow sliding under your board is such a beautiful feeling, one that will be remembered for a lifetime. It feels as though you are flying as you glide down the mountain through the fresh powder.
Skiing
Harry Enright: The skiing was incredible, from the moment my skis had made contact with the snow I knew I was in for an amazing day and from then on my smile just kept wider and wider. As you skiied along you could feel the soft crunch of the snow under your with not a trace of ice. What a GREAT day it’s been and it’s only the start.
Forecast 1m
First tracks on fresh snow
Yotei (volcano\
Lesson
Hanazono
First look at Strawberry Fields
Terrain Park
Onsen and Okonomiyaki
The Peak
Forecast 1m.
The eye of the storm that was forecast to deliver a dump of 1m of snow passed a few hundred kilometres to the north meaning we had a gorgeous sunny day.
First tracks on fresh snow
A small snowfall of about 10cm of light fluffy white stuff up high. A morning of fresh floating turns up high on the mountain with stunning scenery.
Yotei (volcano)
Probably thousands of photos of the volcano nearby. Beautiful.
Lesson
Tamara Roberts: I did a snowboarding lesson today and learnt how to turn and to link my turns. It was a private lesson that went from 1 till 3:30 and it was good to have someone spend the time with me and teach me how to do it properly without slowing the group down. So now I can so S turns.
Hanazono
Keiran Walters- For me Hanazono was pretty about the terrain parks. There were a few harder runs like “Strawberry Fields”, but for the most part the area had some great green runs and some awesome beginner terrain parks. Also the area had some really powdery tree runs which were challenging on my thin skis, but fun all the same. My personal highlight in the area was going on a jump and getting about 4 m of air :D.
First look at Strawberry Fields
A famous area in the resort. The elite boarders spent time there becoming familiarised with the landscape.
Terrain Park
Cale Robertson: Today was the second day of boarding and I’ve already found to terrain parks here in Niseko to be quite good and quite varied. The first park we tried was down the right of the Gondola run. It was pretty fun, consisting of two decent launches, the second of which was a lot more vert; along with a few nice boxes/rails and an awesome table that you can grind on the seats or top. The other terrain park(s) were located all around the Hanezono area, with a half-pipe (which was closed), two sets of really nice jumps/launches, and one beginner park featuring a few rollers, some nice easy rails, a pentagon hip transfer and a few nice larger jumps.
We hit up all the terrain parks quite a few times, most of us managing to pull off some nice airs or grabs. Only bad part about any of the parks was after doing a little filming and getting back to the lodge to see the video of me pulling off the best trick I did all day (pretty huge indy air) just randomly freeze about 5 second before my run, despite it showing the video still has longer to go.
Onsen and Okonomiyaki
Lincoln: There is no better way to end a day of snowboarding than to get into a hot pool of water surrounded by snow. An onsen is a traditional Japanese relaxing pass time, it involves sitting in 40 degree water with no clothes on. The onsen we went to tonight was much bigger than the one that is close to where we are staying but was much the same thing. You sit in the water and relax for as long as you want then there is a relaxing room which has two massage chairs and a massage bed that is provided for free, you feel so much better after getting out of the water. After we had our baths we headed to a place that served a dish called okonomiyaki which is kinda like a pancake with pieces of meat and veggies with shaved dried fish on top. It is served to you straight onto a hot plate which keeps you meal warm while you eat. Overall was a wonderful time out and a great cultural experience that I would recommended to anyone that has the chance in the future, I know that I will be back there asap for a nice massage :)
The Peak
Mat Nash: Today the weather was fantastic; mostly sunny and around -8C. Because the weather was so good, all the peaks around Niseko, Hirafu were clearly visible. After our trip to Hanazono, Pete decided to take a trip to the very peak of the mountain. Myself, Pete and Piper were the only three to go up there, and I feel sorry for everyone else as they missed out on an amazing sight. The surrounding mountains were like a photo on a postcard, untouched and uninhabitable. But it was really surprising and awesome to see groups of skiers and boarders heading out into the mountains. It was also really awesome to be able to see so far and be able to see the coast and ocean. I think that that was probably my highlight for the day. It was also really awesome to see the whole of the volcano and Kutchan and Niseko and all the surrounding area. I really wish a few more people had wanted to go up there, as it was awesome and they would have enjoyed it, if not then they would have enjoyed the waist deep powder we had on the way down.
Night skiing
A small group went out and had a fabulous time being almost the only group on the whole mountain under bright lights which make the boarding even better than during the day due to being able to pick up every small bump and dip in the snow shadows.
Yakoru onsen and Ramen
A group walked to the local onsen. Washed then soaked in their hot mineral pool outside. Some even got out, lay in the soft snow then slid back in. Followed up with a late ramen dinner fit for a king/queen in a little and very busy Japanese restaurant.
Night boarding the hoody in the pow
Annapurri
Dinner in the village
Kutchan
Japan snow
Frozen trees
Scenery
Life in North Field
The peak
Night boarding the hoody in the pow
Sophie: On Tuesday night I went out nightboarding for the first time with Pete, Kathy, Elise and Harry. We went up to the top of the hoody, which was a run I hadn’t done before. I was expecting to have to take it pretty slowly and do a lot of heel slipping, but within a couple of metres I was turning down the slope. It was the most incredible night I think I’ve ever had. Turning through the soft snow, down the valley lined by trees and lights was one of the most amazing experiences. We stuck on the hoody the whole night, going up and down and carving into the powder along the sides of the run. The combination of the fresh snow flakes, the beautiful soft snow on the run and the slender trees on either side of me gave me a feeling of complete confidence and freedom. The adrenaline was insane! I remember yelling and whooping as I started to turn faster and faster, feeling as though I didn’t even need to think about moving my edges – it was a new instinct. It was a feeling that I will never forget.
Annapurri
Joel: Annupurri is the 4th resort over from the Grand Hirafu. It has about 4 lifts, and the amount amazing the amount of terrain that can be ridden on is immense. This whole resort is the sort of place where you could ride all day and not ride the same run twice.
Our group found a amazing spot in the trees, where even after several days of boarding that would destroy perisher to ice blocks, there were several hidden stashes of powder and plenty of little hips and jumps to hit. Dodging bamboo and trees is amazing when you kick up powder and board through the dust cloud left behind.
Dinner in the village
Kutchan
Tamara: Kutchan it a cool small town that nice gift shops and like a wall mart shop. We caught the bus is and just walked up and down the main street, Sarah got herself a care bare suit its pink with a rainbow on it, after we did out shopping we went and a hot chocolate while waiting for the bus, it was really good hot chocolate then we go the bus back home, i almost missed it cuz i had to go to the bathroom.
Japan snow
Keiran: The four days that I’ve been snowboarding in Nesiko have been great. The snow is the obvious reason which has made it so good. Compared to Australian snow there is clearly alot more of it and the quality of it is much better. It’s nice to just be riding on natural snow instead of relying on snow guns and having the guns making noise and pumping snow into your face. The terrain is much better as well with heaps of nice long runs and lots of tree lines to take.
Compared to Colorado which is the only other place I’ve been snowboarding overseas, it’s nicer. The snow is pretty much the same in quality and abundance but the runs here seem less crowded then in Colorado.
Frozen trees
 Scenery
Life in North Field
The Peak
Emma Heaney: Climbing the Peak was tiring but beautiful. We got off the ‘Meat Hook’ and started trudging up with our boards. Halfway up, we ditched our boards, had a breather and continued up the peak. When we got to the top about 15 minutes after setting out, the view was amazing. We could see for miles and we could see the Japanese Sea and the Pacific Ocean on either sides. The surrounding peaks were stunning, some were pure white and some were covered in trees. We then walked back down to our boards and headed off to enjoy the rest of the day.
Piper: Today we walked up to the peak in search of some amazing views. After a smooth but windy ride up the meat hook we then took our boards off and began the ascent. The hike was a 15min up hill trek to the top. We had a few stops along the way to take some photos. Once we got ¾ of the way up we dropped our boards and hiked up the next little bit right to the very top. The views were amazing! It was so beautiful and well worth hiking up. There was 360 degree views of purely amazing scenery. We then boarded from where we left our boards all the way to the bottom of the gondola. It was loads of fun :)
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Niseko Day 1
