A glorious time was had by Class 8 in the wilds of the Buchan Valley and the Snowy River area in Gunaikurnai Country. We weren’t perturbed in the least by a bit of rain, mud or cold: in fact we thrived on the challenge.

Over the course of five days away we rafted down the Snowy River, bouncing and splashing over rapids ably led by our trusty river guides. Occasionally a raft was held up on a rock amongst the raging white water but we were always equal to the challenge with enthusiasm and shouts of excitement as we pushed, prodded and wobbled our way free.

While some were rafting, others were exploring the incredible richness of the depths of the earth that limestone country offers. There are over 600 known caves in the Buchan area and we managed to explore several. The ‘show’ caves were an incredible spectacle of various formations, including stalactites and stalagmites formed in 380 million year old limestone. We heard stories of the early explorations of the caves where brave souls entered into the unknown with just a candle and a length of rope.

Meanwhile another group was exploring a ‘wild’ cave where there were no lights other than the head torches attached to our hard hats. Many students crawled and inched their way into various spaces, including the aptly named ‘letterbox’ which was not for the faint hearted. We also found colonies of bats and even spent some time in total darkness and silence.
We hiked to a rocky outcrop with an incredible view overlooking the Buchan Valley, some students even managed to brave a swim in the icy waters of the river, and a few students got to witness the Saturday afternoon spectacle of country football played on the local oval. Aside from all of this we cooked, explored the camp ground, startled or were startled by, numerous kangaroos and fought off many exuberant possums who were very keen on our food boxes.

It was a fantastic trip and was organised at very short notice since our Mutawintji trip had to be cancelled due to weather and road conditions. It is a testament to the skill, adaptability and determination of our outdoor ed staff of Daniel, Jarrah and Kim, that they could come up with such a fantastic trip at extremely short notice. They led us with humour, patience and care, and exemplified their versatility and talent in the outdoors. Thanks to Therese and Fred who helped out in so many ways. We also thank all Class 8 parents for being so understanding and supportive of the changes that were made so rapidly.

Ken Peney, Class 8 Teacher