JOURNEY-BASED 5 Night PROGRAM
Forget one-size-fits-all—we work hand-in-hand with you and your school to create a journey that meets your students’ unique learning goals and physical abilities.
There are countless ways to facilitate different outcomes, and increase or decrease level of challenge, depending on your student’s needs. Additionally, different locations allow for different types of activities to be included.
Here we’ve outlined a sample program to give you an idea of what’s available.
DAY 1
Students arrive and are welcomed to the program with a gear issue and briefing. The instructor will check their gear and ensure all safety items have been packed. With packs on, the group sets off on their first hike, immersing themselves in the natural surroundings as they navigate to the first night’s campsite.
Once they arrive at their bush camp, students work together to set up their shelters and prepare a group meal. This hands-on experience encourages them to plan together and help one another as they tackle their first night in the wilderness.
Each student will be assigned a task for camp set up, from building the fire, setting up the bivvies, chopping the vegetables to cleaning the dishes, ensuring everyone pitches in to help the group.
DAY 2
Day 2 kicks off by doing a warm up game to stretch and wake up after the first night sleeping on their foam mats. After a brekky of fruit, mueslie and yogurt, the group packs up and heads off. The journey continues with a hike up and over the face of Mt Tennant, where the group’s endurance and teamwork are put to the test. Along the way, they’ll be rewarded with stunning views and the chance to reflect on the progress they’ve made.
By the afternoon, it’s decision-making time as the group surveys the valley below and works together to find the ideal campsite for the night. The process of planning and collaborating brings everyone closer, creating a shared sense of accomplishment while they settle into their campsite for the night.
DAY 3
Day 3 begins with the unmistakable calls of kookaburras, nature’s very own alarm clock. After packing up camp, they head off to their abseil session—a 15-metre granite outcrop in the middle of the National Park. As each student steps over the edge, they’ll confront their own internal boundaries, discovering reserves of courage and fortitude they didn’t know they had. It’s a powerful moment of personal growth, with the group cheering each other on every step (or rappel) of the way.
Following the abseil, the focus shifts to teamwork with a series of dynamic initiative activities, carefully chosen by the instructor to suit the group’s stage of development. Whether they’re building trust, strengthening communication, or finding their rhythm as a team, these activities are designed to spark those “aha” moments.
DAY 4
With the group growing in campcraft skills, the instructor tailors a hiking route that matches their ability and appetite for challenge. Navigation, meal preparation, and group leadership are now largely in the hands of the students, with minimal input from the teacher or instructor—proof of how far they’ve come in just a few days.
As the sun sets and the campfire crackles to life, the group gathers for a reflective conversation over steaming mugs of hot chocolate. The topic varies—sometimes exploring what leadership means, discussing barriers to achieving their goals back home, or delving into what they value most in life and how they prioritize it. These campfire chats provide a space for honest self-reflection and meaningful connection, rounding out another transformative day in the wild.
DAY 5
On Day 5, the students walk into Tharwa Campus nestled among the eucalypts and cockatoos. The vibes are high as they head straight into the final activity: the Giant’s Ladder. This 18-meter-tall high ropes challenge is a pair activity that requires them to rely on each other to jump, hop and climb between wooden rungs. The whole group is involved as the team belays each climber, ensuring everyone works together to support and assist.
The group have their final debrief by the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, with their feet in the water chatting about their experience and what they achieved. With the support of their peers and instructors, they analyse how they can continue to push themselves and apply the lessons they’ve learned to their everyday lives at home. Tired, muddy, and filled with unforgettable memories, students hop on the bus to head back home.
