Year 12 PROPEL students recently returned from their field study trip to Tasmania. The field trip is the heart of their integrated unit EcoVantage: Tasmania, where students have the opportunity to participate in focusing on sustainable tourism, conservation and wellbeing. The excursion is designed to support students in developing professional scientific travel magazine editions, incorporating firsthand research, photography, and data collection, whilst promoting learning across English Studies, Mathematics, and Work Studies. Students explored Tasmania’s natural landscapes, investigated selected tourist features, and gathered information for their writing and publication work. This immersive learning experience allowed students to apply research and writing skills in a real-world setting while working collaboratively as a team. Working through The Lift Project this term, the field trip was an opportunity to put into practice some of the key strategies involved in promoting wellbeing.
Leaving school at 2am on Friday morning was an early start, but the early flight meant landing in Launceston by 8am with the whole day ahead. After a stop to purchase food, Cradle Mountain National Park was the destination for the first 3 nights. Chilly temperatures and clear skies welcomed the group, and the fun of setting up tents and camping mattresses was experienced by all (some for the first time). Students were responsible for planning, budgeting, buying and preparing their own food, which can be an adventure in itself. Spending Saturday hiking some of the longer and more difficult trails was rewarded with beautiful views and team bonding time. The wildlife spotted in the National Park included a Tassie devil, tiger snakes, pademelons, wombats, wallabies, possums, eagles, and a variety of other birds. A late night trip into the National Park to go stargazing proved extra rewarding with the Aurora Australis becoming visible. Other highlights from the first few days included a visit to some stunning caves, encounters at a wildlife park and time spent watching Little Penguins come ashore to nest.
Day 4 saw the team drive across the scenic Central Plateau to Hobart, with a foggy trip up to Mt Wellington. Although there wasn’t much visible from the top, the cloud cover added a shroud of mystery and adventure, and made for some great photos.
Day 5 brought a drive up the east coast to the Bay of Fires region, where the granite boulders and white sandy beaches were a stark contrast to the alpine regions encountered previously.
Day 6 was the final camp pack up, trying to fit everything back into suitcases and eating the remaining ecclectic selection of food. A short drive into Launceston followed by a visit to Cataract Gorge, City Park and Grindelwald meant that the final day passed by quickly and it was time to return the van and start the journey home.
We are grateful for a safe journey, excellent weather, time spent learning together and the individual and group challenges that were overcome. Each person learned more about themselves, their team mates, God and the world He created. It was a whirlwind few days, with lasting memories made. Now the hard working begins - using all the learning and data to complete the integrated assessment task!
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