Geography's Big Week Out

Geography's Big Week Out – a jam-packed week of fun, friendship, with lots of hands-on geography fitted in there as well. It was held from 7 to 11 December 2009 at Perth and Rottnest Island. Taking part were sixteen student geographers from around Australia who had won their places through outstanding performances in the senior division of the National Geographic Channel Australian Geography Competition. On offer was selection in Australia's team to the 2010 International Geography Olympiad in Taiwan.

Everyone arrived by about Monday lunchtime. On the first day we arrived in Perth, after many long hours of travelling for most, we headed straight from the airport to Kings Park. This is the Botanical Gardens in Perth which is also used as a research facility which studies native plants. From one of the pavilions there is a great view over the City of Perth and South Perth, looking over Perth Waters all the way up to the Darling Scarp. It was here we constructed our first field sketch. With Mike as our guide and our new field books as our paper we sketched furiously before taking a tour of the park, with commentary from our local guide Patrick (ex GBWOuter). This was an interesting and exciting introduction to the city of Perth and the week ahead. Georgia

From Kings Park we went to our accommodation at Scarborough Beach. After our field sketching activity, we gathered to have our Aussie themed BBQ night. With our patriotic Australia flag tattoos, and with wallabies jerseys and cork hats in attendance (the staff were far more creative!), we cooked up a storm on the complimentary BBQs. It was a great opportunity to get to know each other, breaking the ice and setting the stage for a week of fun and adventure. Lizzie

Next morning we were off early to Rottnest Island where we hired bikes to get around. Cycling around Rottnest Island – what can I say, but to quote "it was only five minutes before I could really feel it". I personally suggest an inquest into the torture of innocent visitors through the means of hired bike seats! This said I think everyone will agree with me saying that, despite the pained limbs and other body parts, cycling was the only way to really see and experience Rottnest Island. This allowed us to just stop and take photos or just slow down to admire the view, usually consisting of turquoise water, spectacular formations weathered or eroded by the waves, and depending on the location not too many tourists. I believe I have to say that the sight of our group whizzing past on our very fast and cool red bikes (with a few others trying to be different) would have been a sight to behold. I'd also like to tactfully remind people that quokkas have no sense of self preservation!, hence the incident which resulted in a fight between quokka and bike (the quokka won). I have to also say that the time we spent on the bikes made for some interesting times, like Michael accidentally leading us to the right place for dinner, or Chris's wish to examine something in the dirt (at a very close distance!), or even the lesson that dead ends are a way of controlling damage done by humans (or the ooops! I forget there was a dead end and now we have to haul the bikes up the stairs incident). Ahh good times!!! Emily

Fieldwork on Rottnest started with using a GPS to record a dune blowout near Kingstown Barracks (where we stayed in 4 houses). Then we cycled to the "Settlement" – that's what the area on Rottnest with shops and restaurants is called. We observed the "urban" structure and also visited the Museum. The museum staff was helpful, but also unobtrusive, so we were able to do our own thing to get the information that we needed without feeling rushed or pressured into finishing it off. I was a bit surprised to find out that Rottnest was formerly a prison for Aboriginals, and this is a sad contrast to the way it is used now (for fun and recreation). We didn't get to spend much time in the museum, and I will definitely be going back there next time that I'm at Rottnest. Lara

After lunch we used a bus to get to the western end of the island (bit too far to cycle) and took GPS readings of another dune blowout. We got a really good overall impression of Rottnest on the bus tour on Tuesday afternoon. The driver had lots of really good information and the bus (if cramped) was far more comfortable than the seats of our bikes! We saw shipwrecks, osprey, quokkas, a square-round lighthouse and salt lakes. I think we also got a good feel for both the environmental problems evident on Rottnest as well as the efforts that are being made to overcome and improve them. Rottnest is such a beautiful place with a incredibly varied coast. This was exemplified on Cape Vlamingh, where we stopped to do field work including mapping the sheltered, white sand beach of Shell Bay beach and sketching the stacks present in the steeply cliffed Fish Hook Bay just around the headland. The wind here made our jobs fairly hard with papers flapping, but no one lost any work or their hats, though those of the group from a ‘warmer climate' (Queensland) complained about the (supposed) cold. We also experimented with exactly how much sand can get stuck to people's shoes from carrying a GPS around a dune blow out. The answer is a lot. We left rather a sand castle behind on the side of the road before climbing back in the bus! Bronnie We fitted in a swim before dinner, and then a fun quiz later that evening. After our lovely sleep and indulgent breakfast at the Kingstown Barracks, we mounted our bikes once again. Destination: The Rottnest Picture Theatre. This was a quaint little cinema, with canvas slung chairs, an ancient popcorn machine, and movies that the rest of Australia saw two years ago. But we weren't there to see a movie, we were there to LEARN. Natalie, from the Rottnest Island Authority, gave a presentation on the Island, its flora and fauna, economic history, and conservation/management strategies. She kept us interested, by involving us in her explanations with questions and prompts. I found this experience very enjoyable and beneficial (we were provided three pages to write notes, I used seven!!), especially in terms of the wildlife and how they coexist with people. Sophie

After the talk from the Education Officer, it was back on our bikes for fieldwork along the northeast coast of Rottnest. We started at the lighthouse at Bathurst Point and took some notes on Thompson Bay. I learned some interesting stuff from the teachers about Thompson Bay. Next we jumped on our bikes and cycled to the Basin. Regrettably we couldn't swim in the crystal clear water, after taking notes on how the bay is conserved. After the Basin, we cycled uphill to Longreach and Fays Bays, which looked just as nice as the Basin - still no swimming. The bays and cycling were some of the best parts of the trip. David In the afternoon it was back to the mainland. They started handing out sick bags on the ferry. We thought it must always this rough in the afternoons with the Fremantle Doctor (that's a wind if you are geographically challenged or not a cricket fan), but the locals told us later that it was the roughest crossing they had been on.

Wednesday afternoon after getting back from Rottenest we were thrown straight into a master chef style cooking competition. Kath put us all into 4 teams with each team cooking a specific cuisine – Moroccan, Thai, Indian or Italian. The Italians had the easiest choice making a delicious pizza and pasta. The Indians used their Bollywood charm and created a fantastic spicy authentic Indian meal. The Thai team, my team, had the most difficult task but ultimately succeeded in creating the best meal. Our rice pudding was second to none and everything was beautifully presented. Unfortunately the judges overlooked our cooking expertise and awarded the Moroccan team the winners for their authentic representation of Moroccan cuisine, which even I have to say was very appetizing. The vibe and tension that hung in the apartments was just sensational, as people raced around from room to room checking on multiple meals and making sure everything was cooked to perfection. I greatly enjoyed the experience and all my team co-operated and worked so well together. After all the hype and excitement of competition comes the cleaning up. This took for hours with some people doing more work then others. Thank you Lara for helping clean up the Thai team's kitchen even though you didn't make the mess. Overall it was a great bonding activity and everyone loved the rush and excitement it created. Baris

Thursday morning we used the computers at Wesley College for a GIS activity. We analysed the data we had collected using GPS on the dune blowouts, and compared it with data from earlier times to draw some conclusions about factors influencing the blowouts. The GPS and GIS (Geographical Information Systems) activities involving dune blowouts on Rottnest Island were a real highlight. It gave me an insight into a realistic and interesting geographical career option which is sure to become more prominent in the future. Andrew

Following the GIS activity, it was into Perth city for the Amazing Race. The Amazing Race through Perth was draining, fascinating, friendship building and very educational. My group leader, Cheryl, helped us a lot even though we were rude and ran off on her, trying to reach the next destination so we could be the first ones back but also to get all the answers. The Amazing Race focused mostly on redevelopment throughout Perth and whether this was beneficial or not, and also vertical and horizontal zonation in the CBD of Perth. Along with the questions, we had the choice to complete challenges for bonus points. This involved rubbings of things that you thought represented the whole area or making a video of lounging on the boardwalk of Point Fraser and making a fool of yourself! It was all rush and go to try to win and by the time we caught the bus back to the accommodation our legs were tired and we just wanted to get back to Scarborough and get into the pool and get out of the heat. A last burst of energy, running up the hill to see if we got there first, but unfortunately we didn't. In the evening we were told the results and our group was victorious! (more bonus points), thanks to some knowledgeable leaders and some perseverance by the group. The Amazing Race was a great way to learn, a very valuable experience and a different way to see Perth's changes and the government's plans to improve it. Chloe

Friday was the test – we have to have some way of picking the 4 members of our Olympiad team – and then there were the goodbyes from people who had quickly become friends. If there was one thing that I was most looking forward to on this trip, it was the awkward silences. And to my joy, they were certainly in abundance upon arriving at the Perth baggage claim. It was my first trip going without family or friends, so I was initially worried at the prospect of not knowing anyone. Thankfully, all sixteen of us were in the same boat, and with the help of our lovely teachers and our love of geography, we all became fast friends. For most of us, it was our first time in Western Australia, so together we discovered the city of Perth and the island of Rottnest. Through activities such as frolicking at the beach, to bike riding around quokkas, we all created friendships from literally all the corners of Australia. The friendships made on this trip were not only memorable, but are sure to be long-lasting. Kesh GBWO was led by a team of passionate, yet enjoyable figures from both Queensland and Western Australia. Each staff member will be greatly missed by those who enjoyed their time in WA, and those memories we shared will remain forever in our minds when we see a wave cut platform &ldots; The truly extraordinary leaders made GBWO 2009 so, so worth the long plane trip. Michael

The students who took part in Geography's Big Week Out were in Year 11 or lower, and achieved outstanding results in the senior division of the 2009 Competition. They were: Lara Bromfield, Shenton College, Perth David Brown, Mountain Creek State High School, Sunshine Coast Joshua Burton, Torrens Valley Christian School, Adelaide Samuel Buttenshaw, All Saints College St Mary's, Maitland Baris Dilaver, John Paul College, Kalgoorlie Elizabeth Hudson, Kambala, Sydney Bronwyn Jeynes, Bairnsdale Secondary College Sophie Miller, Tasmanian Academy Hellyer Campus, Burnie William Nash, Canberra Grammar School Christopher Phillips, Melbourne High School Keshini Preeyadarshanan, Canberra Girls' Grammar School Andrew Robertson, Normanhurst Boys High School, Sydney Chloe Selmes, MacKillop College, Bathurst Michael Short, Hutchins School, Hobart Georgia Taylor, St Margaret's Anglican Girls' School, Brisbane Emily Thoday-Kennedy, Modbury High School, Adelaide

The extraordinary leaders who were so appreciated by the students were: Kath Berg, Royal Geographical Society of Queensland Lidia DiGiuseppe, Geographical Association of Western Australia Mike Fazio, Geographical Association of Western Australia Allan Hallet, Geographical Association of Western Australia Trish Harris, Australian Geography Teachers' Association Phil Houweling, Geographical Association of Western Australia Patrick Mackenzie, past GBWOer Margaret McIvor, Australian Geography Teachers' Association Denise Moore, Geographical Association of Western Australia Cheryl O'Connell, Geographical Association of Western Australia Emmy Terry, Australian Geography Teachers' Association Sandra Tressider, Geographical Association of Western Australia Anne Tumak, Geographical Association of Western Australia

We'll leave it to Bronnie to sum up what everyone thought about GBWO. Attending Geography's Big Week Out was one of the most amazing things I've ever done! I loved Perth and Rottnest Island. The area was beautiful and a fantastic place to conduct field work. Sketching such a beautiful place is far more interesting than sketching school grounds! The activities were a lot of fun, even the ones that were hard work. The group that went was really fun and supportive: everyone worked really well together and helped each other out. I'm really glad to have met everyone there (staff and students) and hope to keep in touch with them all. The other thing that was great was that even though GBWO is a competition (at least to some degree) no one treated it like that. Everyone was there for the experience, not to try to get to the next level. I learned a lot of really useful stuff, both for my studies in geography next year and in many other things. I'm planning to cook Indian for my family like we did in the cook off, something I'd never eaten before. My geography teacher is very jealous, and I can't say I blame her! Can we all go back? Please? Bronnie Check out who has made the Olympiad team.

Many thanks to Anne Tumak for most of the photos.

Last updated 23 March 2010. For more information email admin@rgsq.org.au   Return to home