The Enchanted Forest
We went on a bush hike/camp as part of some pupils’ Duke of Ed Gold Award. The original plan was to to go up into The Grampians National Park (about an hour or so north from here) but the weather has been too hot & the bush fire risks were too great. Anyway we started from Portland on the coast, about an hour west of Warrnambool.
Within minutes we came across a young Echidna & a Koala randomly hugging a tree with a beautiful beach scener behind. I’d only previously seen koalas in national parks and densly forested areas, not on the side of a sandy beach on a hot sunny day.
We strolled (more like slugged in super-hot sweltering sun) with our backpacks (packed far too heavy for the expedition but that was simply our own daftfault so we paid the price for that one – my back is still a bit achy!) through a delightful bit of coastal foliage called ‘The Enchanted Forest’ which ran alongside the sandy beach for about a kilometre (for you English lot, that’s about half a mile). The shady spots were welcomed reprieves from the sun. Every few kilometres or so there were scenic viewing platforms which provided good rest-stops to put ones feet up and have a quick snooze…
We also stopped at a lighthouse where there was a full production crew filming some feature-length Australian film – I can’t remember what it was going to be called but its based on some people living on an island in the 1920s? It seems they didn’t need any extras.
Are Snails Ticklish?
…If someone would have told me the day I unexpectly come back to school (from a bush hiking camp which finished early) that I’d be spending the day with kids and snails I would have thought it a joke. However…I came back from the Duke of Ed camp (2 days early) to find that my class had brought in a load of snails to school. Why? I’m not quite sure! I was taking the register when I asked Sophie ‘What’s that under your table?’. She replied “I’ve brought in snails”. The room went deadly silent whilst they awaited my response – so the only natural thing for me to do was ask the class “Who else has snails? If you’d like to bring them to the carpet, we’ll take a look”. Next thing I know virtually all the class bring out little tubs from their school bags, their lockers, even their pencilcases and a pocket! By golly, there were loads of them crawling around the place! So, there & then I realised my impromptu return to school and the lessons I had planned for the day had gone out of the window – a day of snails it was to be!
Either way this was not an opportunity to miss, so we put all 40 or so snails inside a transparent tub (which is normally used for the lunch orders) that needed air holes cut into it. The class observed the snails eating coloured paper and seeing how the coloured paper shows up their digestive system. The kids researched questions such as ‘how can you tell if a snail is a boy or girl?’, ‘do snails feel?’, ‘can snails walk?’ etc. Most importantly they leant the practical answer to ‘are snails ticklish?’. Laney overcame her squirmish side and picked up a snail and gently tickled its’ underside for about 20 minutes. She was very brave and I am very proud of her – especially for not making a fuss when it decided to go loo on her finger.
Grade 3-4 went onto design race tracks with loop-the loops, tunnels and all sorts to race snails with each other and observed their new swrily friends movement habits and that they move quicker than they would have given them credit for. Lots of laughs with the racing!
This day was a great for many of the kids who initially admitted having no care for snails to ending up having a deeper appreciating and understanding of them. Even though the snails were exciting to have in the classroom we started to understand that they do not belong in a hot classroom. It’s ok to observe them for a little while but they belong back outdoors where they came from. At the end of the day we released them, along with a little ‘goodbye’ ceremony under a nice shady tree at the end of the school field. I am especially impressed with the kid’s decision to take it upon themselves to babysit the snails during recess and lunch play from any nosey visitors.
They accepted the need to release the snails, even though they would have liked to have kept them. I believe only one of them successfully managed to sneak one out at the end of the day. So, whilst I am still amused at what a bizarre day we ended up having, I was impressed with how the kids took responsibility for their learning and utilised so many skills (especially scientific ones). What a funny bunch they are!
Venturer Scout Camp at Mount Eccles National Park
With 6 teenage Venturer (Explorer) Scouts, Jon & I loaded them up in Caitlin’s dad’s 4×4 and drove the hour & half to Mount Eccles National Park for an overnight camp and day hike around the local volcanic plains. The kiddy-winks were leading the expedition as part of their Venturer Skills Award so they had to plan it, organise it, cater food (for us two as well) etc. We had great fun arriving in the dark at about 9pm on the Friday evening to the sound of screaming kids running around in the pitchblack shining torches everywhere. It would seem that the random night we chose to go to Mt Eccles was the same weekend that the Cubs from Hawkesdale
Cubs group were there too. So, what makes this an interesting fact? I teach them all that’s what! Half of my Grade 3-4 class were there including some younger ones from the Grades Prep-1 & 2-3 classes which I also teach in one lesson a day – these poor blighters just can’t escape me! I announced that ‘I could hear children’ and a dozen or so kids came running out of the darkness and screaming towards us. A lovely welcome we received from them and they put us Venturers to shame by helping put up our tents, provided torch light and a mallet for the tent pegs. We subsequently ran into them on several occasions during a night expedition and during our day hike the next day inside the lava canal and caves (produced naturally from the ancient volcanic eruptions). We had lunch with the littlies inside the caves. Otherwise us older folk set off with Venturers music blasting out, hence we didn’t see any wildlife during this trip. During the night however we had a visit from a few possoms scoping out the area for potential treats & the lionous roar of two koalas having a hoo-haa (fight) outside our tents at silly-o-clock in the night. A few sugar-gliders could be heard flying overhead alongside the odd maniacal laugh of kookaburras. In the wee mists of the morning in the break of dawn there was no hint of the nocturnal noises and goings-on from the local native animals.
For brekky we appreciated a munch on a few Gruffalos and hashbrowns kindly cooked for us under duress by the Venturers – someone forgot the real milk and brought soy milk (yuk) instead so cereals were eaten dry. By the time we got up the Cubs were up, breakfasted and long gone to their daytime activities. On the hike we strolled for a few hours through the national park and grateful for a bit of overcast clouds because that sun gets very hot when it peeks out from behind a tree. We halted for a pitstop in Smokos Cave where I discovered to my disgust a leech had attached itself to my ankle – my 1st ever time. Luckily Michy had some salt to put on it. This thing left a hole in my leg that bleed solid for 3 hours leaving me a little fuzzy by the end of the trip. Extra luckily was the Venturers had to do some 1st aid scenarios along the trek as part of their award; so when we got up the top of Mount Eccles a couple of hours later they very kindly administered 1st aid for a real reason. Which means I was treated like a 5 year old being fussed around whilst my foot was mopped up and re-bandaged. After an impromptu food fight we then headed on back, so all’s well that ends well….& when I downloaded the photos from my camera all was revealed when a few extra shots were there – which explains where my camera had disappeared too briefly on the Saturday morning during breakfast! Mentioning no names Michael & Jen Jen! 
Cycling & Camping on the Ballarat to Skipton Rail Trail
27th – 29th October 2009
Out & about with Grade 9-10 pupils from Hawkedsale College. This week we went away cycling and camping for 3 days. The sun was shining, the bikes were peddling and the mozzies were out in full force! We drove to Lake Wenderee in Ballarat (about 2 hours north of Warrnambool) and began the long descent south-westward. Day one was a gentle get-into-the-rhythm-of-having-an-achy-backside-from-too-much-cycling routine whilst remembering to drink gallons of water and apply tons of suncream. A BBQ rewarded us as the end of our day which included snags and burgers for the kiddy-winks and prime steak for the staff (as it should be). The night was spent at a campsite in Smythsdale, ensuring the luxury of shower facilities whilst fighting off the biting bugs. Day two we made headway towards a small town called Lynton and enabled a few offroad and scrabbling activities. The delightfully excessively energetic teens had time-trials riding around an old rail bridge circuit and running up steep-sided-loose-soil-steep ridges (with bikes in tow) racing against each other. A few sliding-down-on-backsides resulted in some impressive scrapes & grazes! The prizes for best efforts involved unlimited access to pizza eating that evening for tea. The final day three involved the longest ride (about 20km) which sounds ok. However in mid 30 degree heat alongside tiring sugar-filled teenagers made for an interesting day! A few cases of dehydration from lack of water, suncream and hats as well as too much lolly eating ensured a few unplanned stops on the drive home. These pale-faced individuals will hopefully feel better soon!
European Week in Grade 3-4
- raw onion or garlic anyone? are you brave enough to have a munch?
G’day or Gudentag?
This week in Grade 3-4 we have been travelling around Europe learning about some of these countries traditions, national sports and most importantly their native food! Of course we’ve been stuffing our faces (one young man comes to mind after polishing off most of the Italian spaghetti) tasting some interesting delicacies. Coming soon from the kiddies, a reccount of munching on French raw onion and melted Belgian chocolate – which would you prefer?
The Great South West Walk – with Hawkesdale College
We have been bush hiking/camping for 3 days with a bunch of Year 10 pupils from Hawkesdale College. They study ‘Advanced Outdoor Education’. Jon was allowed to come to which was cool.Fully kitted up and having to hike with all our equipment we did part of the ‘South West Walk’ (http://www.greatsouthwestwalk.com/track/gsswmap.jpg – click on this map and it gets bigger). We started off at the kiosk at Cape Bridgewater, walked along the coast and past the seal colony which was cool. The seals were just bobbing around in the water. The coast is very cliffy but can be climbed from the miles of sandy beaches. We camped the first night at The Springs Camp which is in the cliff top, very stunning scenery (like most of the beachy/coastal photos we have sent before). Jon spotted pod of half a dozen killer orca whales just of the beach which was super cool! Never seen them in the wild before so another experience to tick off the list. 2nd day we hiked along the coast and had lunch at the Bridgewater Lakes which were just beautiful and then hiked inland through Mount Richmond National Park (http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=157 ) then camped 2nd night at Tarragal Camp which is in the heart of a big forest. We learnt what its like to camp among Koalas, who may look cute, fluffy & docile in the daytime just sitting up in trees eating and sleeping but noooo not at night. They roar like mountain lions and one scared the whatsits out of me when I it woke me up roaring outside my tent (because I had daftly forgot to put our food rubbish bag away, it was left just outside the tent door). I sat bolt upright, shot my hand outside the tent and pulled the garbage in the tent. Surprisingly the koala scuttled off not long afterwards. 3rd day we hiked up to the top of Mount Richmond (not that big). Whilst the students had to cater for themselves for food, cooking on their little camping cookers heating up noodles, stuffing their faces with sweets and whatever esle they brought, Us adults had prime steak, veges & mash which was very yummy. Ive never eaten so much like a king on camp!