Description
This Double Gold Duke of Ed Adventurous Journey completes both your practice and qualifying journeys over 6 days, 5 nights.
That’s right, due to the challenges we’re all facing with COVID-19, the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has deemed a Gold Practice Journey may be undertaken over 1 night 2 days if all these criteria are met:
- Demonstrated competence by the group in the mode of travel and the environment (location) and conditions (time of year)
- Demonstrated overnight simple self-catering/camping experience
- Demonstrated positive team dynamics
- Agreed to by the Adventurous Journey Assessor
- Approved by the Award Leader IN ADVANCE. This is very important! Your Award Leader might like to read this information on the Duke of Ed Australia website before approving your journey.
Download the itinerary for more information.
The registration fee for your Gold Duke of Ed Adventurous Journey includes:
- Two fully supervised hikes: Practice and Qualifying
- Maps & compass for use during the hike – and instruction how to use them
- Group emergency communications
- Camping fees
- National park fees
You need to bring all the gear you require for the entire journey. The registration fee for your journey DOES NOT include:
- Tent
- Sleeping bag and mat
- Stove and food
- Backpack
- Other personal items.
Price: $660
Length: 6 Days / 5 Nights
Distance: 76km
Location: Sydney
2020 Available Dates:
- 13-18 December NEW DATES!
- 17-22 December NEW DATES!
- 19-24 December FULLY BOOKED
Download Itinerary
Practice Journey
Day 1: Thornleigh Station to Tunks Ridge Campsite
Distance: 14km.
Grading: Moderate, some hard
GPS coordinates of campsite: -33.678726, 151.081433
There is a little bit of up and down today but nothing too difficult, including a detour around the shooting range at Hornsby. There is no water at the campsite so you will need to carry it all day or refill at the creek crossing before the last climb. Water needs to be purified. There are no toilets at this campsite and all waste needs to be buried.
Day 2: Tunks Ridge Campsite to Crosslands Campsite
Distance: 10km.
Grading: Moderate
GPS coordinates of campsite: -33.625640, 151.113588
We drop down into Galston Gorge where we can probably refill water (needs to be purified). We continue onto Crosslands Campsite: a big grassy expanse on Berowra Creek with toilets, drinking water and fireplaces. Swimming is also permitted.
Your practice journey ends here with a period of reflection. You can implement learnings from your practice journey into your qualifying journey and demonstrate the required competencies as outlined in your handbook. Participants can be picked up from here if they are unable to complete the qualifying journey.
Qualifying Journey
Day 1: Crosslands to Berowra Heights (Turner Rd Campsite)
Distance: 10km.
Grading: Moderate, some hard.
GPS coordinates of campsite: -33.593828,151.135238
We’ll refill water at camp in the morning and stop at Berowra Waters to refill water and use the toilets at lunch. The bush campsite is an hour or two past Berowra Waters after a steep up and down and does not have water. Participants will need to carry water for the afternoon and evening of Day 3 and the morning of Day 4. There are no toilets at this campsite and all waste needs to be buried.
Day 2: Berowra Heights to Brooklyn Dam
Distance: 17km.
Grading: Hard
GPS coordinates of campsite: -33.554702, 151.207155
This is the longest, steepest and hardest day. Drinking water is available at Cowan station an hour or two after leaving camp. There is a dam near Brooklyn where you can swim and refill water, if necessary. Water needs to be purified. There are no toilets at this campsite and all waste needs to be buried.
Day 3: Brooklyn Dam to Mt Wondabyne
Distance: 15km
Grading: Hard
GPS coordinates of campsite: -33.496059, 151.274536
After a short walk to Brooklyn where we can use the toilet and refill water, we’ll catch a ferry across the Hawkesbury River to Little Wobby and reenter the bush at Patonga. We can either camp beside Mt Wondabyne and enjoy 360° views of the sunset / sunrise or continue a bit further to Kariong Brook Falls, it’s up to you as a group. There is creek water a short distance past both campsites but none at the actual campsites. There are no toilets and all waste needs to be buried.
Day 4: Mt Wondabyne to Wondabyne Station
Distance: 10km
Grading: Hard
Kariong Brook Falls offers a great spot to enjoy an Aussie bush waterhole in the morning but, as with all waterways, it’s at the bottom of a gully. Climbing the hill out of this will get the blood pumping before dropping downhill again to Wondabyne Station.
Please bring $4.30 in cash for the ferry. It does not accept Opal Card.
SUPERVISORS
Supervisors are qualified in First Aid, have Working with Children clearance and carry emergency communication equipment. They all adhere to the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Volunteer Code of Conduct.
MEETING PLACE
Thornleigh Station
The Esplanade
Thornleigh NSW 2120
GPS: -33.731714, 151.078044
There is a park on the western side of the station. We will meet in the park, under the trees.
MEETING TIME
9:00am
END POINT
Wondabyne Station
Wondabyne is the only train station in Australia that does not have road access.
GPS: -33.492224, 151.256939
END TIME
Between 12pm and 2pm, depending on group decisions
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
We recommend you use public transport to travel to and from your adventurous journey. We have designed this route specifically for this purpose. Check https://transportnsw.info/ for train times to Sydney or Central Coast and Newcastle.
DRINKING WATER
We recommend drinking 3 litres of water per day plus 1 litre to cook with at night. 1 litre of water weighs 1 kg. Please keep this in mind when packing. You can adjust this after the first day depending on your water intake. Tap water is available at camp on Day 2, lunch on Day 3, early morning Days 4 and 5 (Day 3 of qualifying). We anticipate creek or dam water being available every day, but this is never certain. Water from creeks or dams needs to be treated.
CREEK CROSSINGS
Creek crossings occur every day but the water level should be low enough to keep your feet dry. Supervisors will make decisions on creek crossings in the field.
TOILETS
Flush toilets are available at our campsite on the second night, lunch on Day 3 and the morning of Day 5 (Day 3 of qualifying). At all other times toilet waste must be buried and you will need to bring a trowel for this purpose.

Why Outward Bound
Outward Bound is the leading provider of experiential and outdoor education programs for youth and adults. Regardless of who you are or where you are from, there is an Outward Bound program that is right for you.
Outward Bound exists to empower people to discover, develop and achieve their full potential as individuals and future leaders.
Outward Bound empowers school students, communities and young professionals to reach beyond their limits through exhilarating outdoor education programs that take participants to a place apart and challenge them to reach their full potential. They return with a new outlook on life and the world. Over 350,000 Australians (school students, professionals, community partners and individuals) have completed a challenging outdoor program in stunning locations across Australia since 1956.
In harnessing people’s strengths, we aim to develop the most positive elements of the human character consistent with our core values of integrity, responsibility, resilience, compassion, service and human potential.
At Outward Bound we take safety seriously
We endeavour to provide a safe but challenging environment for our participants. We believe that people grow and learn by taking a controlled level of risk in the outdoor learning environment.
As leaders in the Outdoor education field, we have developed, over 60 years, a comprehensive risk management system. This includes:
- Policies and procedures for the safe running and management of programs in line with the Australian Adventure Activity standards.
- Conducting annual internal audits, bi annual external audits, staff appraisals, staff training and bi monthly safety reviews.
- A comprehensive incident and near miss database (one of the best in the business) which allows us to track trends and work towards reducing the likelihood of accidents. This is greatly assisted by each participant completing a thorough medical & dietary form, before they arrive.
- A coordinated risk management plan that includes hiring procedures, written field operational standards and guidelines, operational training, program structure, reflection, evaluation and organizational culture.
- A dedicated manager responsible for Health, Safety and Risk.
Our safety record is extremely good, and we expect this will remain so due to robust policies, responsible management and continuous improvement.
