In preparation for our camp (practical assessment) we had a practice camp overnight on the 21st of September at school so we could make sure everything was prepared for the camp at Burra. After setting up our tents at school and making sure they were all in good condition, we did a 5km trek near The Rocks, arriving back at school just before sunset. We then set up the fire and cooked our spaghetti dinner.

As the date got closer to our camp to Burra, we gathered the hiking packs to put all of our gear in. As well as having the basic packing list, as a group, we also packed an emergency shelter, a medical kit and a satellite phone. On Day 1, we left school at 9:20am and arrived at Burra at 11:30am for a quick pit stop at the park before heading to the camp site, World’s End, Burra Gorge around lunchtime.  After we set up all of our tents, keeping in mind not to set them up under a gum tree, and had something to eat, we gathered around to talk about what to take on the walk and what roles we would have while walking. The first role is the navigator who looks at the map and makes sure we are going in the right direction and the other roles are the front and back marker, where no one can go in front of the front marker and no one can go behind the back leader. The markers help set the pace and make sure no one gets lost.

We walked all afternoon doing, 6km there and back, along the Heysen trail. Just before we turned around to go back to camp there was a hill where we stopped, which we climbed to look at the view before walking back down the hill and back to camp completing around 12km. We each had a ration, which included our dinner, breakfast and lunch that we cooked on the tangiers.

On Day 2 we left our camp site by 7:30am after we making our breakfasts and cleaning up around the campsite while Mrs Thiel and Tamelia organised what we were doing for the day. Once the campsite was clean we headed into Burra, where we went for a walk as a group and read some historical signs. We got to the main street and were given half an hour to do what we liked around the town, with most people heading to the bakery or Foodland for more food for the bus trip home. After this we met at the front of the Information Centre and got back on the bus to drive around and look at some historic sites. The first one we went to was the old Burra mine followed by the old railway station, which was our favourite as we went inside an old railway carriage and dressed like we were from that era. Inside the station we looked at an old giant wombat skull and an old model train. That was our last stop and we headed back to school.

Chloe, Tilly, and Zeanna