by Asha S and Riley G, Year 10

This year, 43 Year 10 students and five staff had the opportunity to go on a tour of Central Australia. It was an amazing experience for all of us and we are so thankful for the many long lasting memories with our friends and peers!

At 6am on Saturday June 22 our bus departed Lilydale Heights College enroute to a caravan park in the South Australian town of Renmark, on the Murray River, where we pitched our tents for the first time. From there we travelled to the magnificent Flinders Ranges where we made camp for two nights and enjoyed amazing views and a hike through the Wilpena Pound National Park. In our next adventure we camped remotely in the bush under the stars and had an enormous bonfire with s’mores, as we battled bindiis and listened to music together. Yulara was our next destination, where we saw the vibrant red Uluru at sunset and stayed in a caravan park for two nights. Our experienced and knowledgeable tour guide Dylan showed us around Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park on our second day in Yulara. The Culture Centre nearby had lots of traditional Indigenous artworks and paintings, which we saw being created.

Next on our adventure was Kings Creek and Watarrka, where each of us completed the challenging but rewarding 6km Rim Walk around Kings Canyon, taking in the 360° panoramic views over the red sand dunes. Making our way towards Alice Springs, we saw Flynn’s Grave, ANZAC Hill and Simpson’s Gap. We were able to explore the town and do some souvenier shopping. We then visited and learnt about the ‘School of the Air’ where students in isolated areas get the chance to have an education. Afterwards, we got to have a hands-on experience with some reptiles with Rex the Reptile Man, which was definitely a highlight. Just ask Beau about his experience with Opal the python!

After packing up our tents for the last time, we headed to Coober Pedy where we had the unique experience of sleeping underground and touring the opal mines. We then started our express journey home, where we stopped in Adelaide for dinner and bumped into our Assistant Principal Mr Wright.

Overall, this was an incredible experience for all staff and students who were involved. We got to see so many new things and experience so much, as well as getting to learn about the history of Australia. Everyone had a great time!