The Blue Mountains

On Friday morning we all met up at Central Station at about 0800 and bought our tickets, ready for our journey to Katoomba. I had been very organised and packed everything and made my lunch the night before, so luckily I didn't have to get up too early! As soon as we got on the train most people fell asleep straight away, catching up on some sleep lost due to our early start. The second half of the journey had some amazing views as we got out to the mountains. We are so lucky that we can get to such a beautiful area so quickly from the city.

Once we arrived at the station, we met Ian, Wayne and Nic and got on the coach to take us to Scenic World. My first impressions when we got there was that it was very touristy, but I had expected this for the first day. We split down into our three groups and found our group leaders. We got given our tickets and then went and queued for the train down. If I remember correctly, it used to be a mining train and is the steepest railway in the world! I ended up in the front row, so you could see straight down the track and it did  look very steep! 

World's steepest railway!

When we got to the bottom there was a mad rush as everyone tried to take photos, until we realised that it actually wasn't a very good photo spot. Whilst we waited for the other group, we wandered around the bottom and saw a replica of the old mines which was interesting. 

When everyone else had arrived at the bottom, we set off on our first hike. As we were walking along, Wayne was telling us about how the Aboriginal people would rub the bark of the trees and certain people would get energy from certain types of trees. So of course we all started rubbing the trees. I'm not sure if I felt any energy, but there were some really interesting different types, in particular one whose bark was very soft and thin and felt like paper.

Paper bark!

It was also interesting to see some of the native wildlife as we walked along. We were very lucky to see a liar bird, which apparently you don't see very often as they fly away so quickly. It gets its name because it imitates the noises which other birds make. I can't remember the name of it, but we also saw a little mouse on the path which ran along ahead of us for quite a long time. 

Soon it was time for lunch and so we waited for the other two groups and had lunch altogether. Whilst we ate, Ian gave us a lesson on how to go to the loo in the bush and how to use nature's own loo roll, a leaf! Although this was very amusing, it was also very important as we must always leave the bush how we found it and so we must make sure we don't leave any rubbish such as loo roll lying around. 

Once we had all finished lunch, we set off again. We had been warned that the next bit was going to be tough, we had to climb over 900 stairs to get up to the Three Sisters. On the way up the view kept getting more beautiful the higher we climbed so it made climbing the stairs worthwhile! Eventually we made it to the top and crossed the bridge to take some photos but it was so windy we quickly took our photos and then got straight off the bridge before we got blown away!

Looking back, it was actually no way near as hard as I expected it to be. I imagined we would be climbing up stairs for hours, but I don't think it even took us half an hour.  Everyone then headed down to the viewing point for the Three Sisters. I really enjoyed this as it reminded me of the Three Sisters in Canada which we used to see a lot when we went on holiday there, although the ones in Canada are much bigger! 

Group photo in front of the Three Sisters

 We then walked to the gondola which we got across the valley. The views were spectacular and it had a glass floor too so you could see down below. I am fine with heights, but some people found this very scary and understandably didn't want to stand on the glass bits. After a quick look in the gift shop, we got back on the coach to go and buy  our food for the weekend. 

Our cabin had not been organised and filled in the menu plan which Ian had asked us to, however once we were in the supermarket we quickly made a decision on what we wanted to eat. We bought all our food and then had time for a quick hot chocolate before the coach left again.

We arrived at our cabins which were much nicer than we expected. They were in a place called Megalong and so we had a really good view of the mountains all around. Once we had collected some wood for the fire and got that going we cooked our supper. After supper the plan was to sit round the camp fire but has it was too windy everyone came to our cabin instead.

The first thing Ian had us to was to go round the room and everyone say where they from, what their hobbies  were and what their strengths were. I really enjoyed this as it meant you got to know everyone's names and a little bit about what they liked to do. After this we played a few games and then everyone went to bed ready for an early start in the morning.

We got up nice and early to have breakfast and pack our bags for the day. We got on the coach and set off for our longest hike of the three days. After a quick loo stop in the car park, we made our way down to Evans lookout for a quick recap on how to use a compass.

Having a compass lesson

Once we had all worked out how to use the compass, we set off on our hike. Amy and I were the leaders for the first bit, so we took a bearing and led the group off. Once or twice we had to stop and check our bearing and the map, but other than that we managed to lead the group with no major dramas until we handed over to the next pair to lead the group.

The first part of the hike involved us going down into the valley. This was a nice gentle start, although as we kept reminding each other for every step we went down we had to come back up again! The landscape was a different at the beginning, lots of green ferns which made it seem quite like a rainforest.

The green ferns

After a while the path became slightly harder to follow, so the leaders asked the rest of the group. WE had discussed earlier how if someone was struggling with the map it was best to synergise (the 6th Habit) and ask the rest of the group in order to work out a solution. Eventually someone spotted some white arrows drawn onto the rocks and so we decided it would be best to follow them.

We stopped with the other groups for a snack, promised that our lunch stop was only another half an hour away where we could go for a swim too. Once we arrived at the lunch spot, we sat by ourselves to have a bit of a reflection on the day so far.

After our reflection, most of our group decided to go for a swim. As we began to wade in I realised that the easiest way to do it was just to jump in straight away, so I did! It was absolutely freezing but really nice and refreshing and it wasn't too bad once you were in. We took a few photos and then decided it was too cold so we got out and had lunch. 

Very cold and wet!

We then met the other group and sat in the sun to try and warm up a bit. We then set off for the uphill climb back to the top. We had a very long game of 20 questions which helped to pass the time. At another point we were unsure which way to go so we took a vote. The route we took turned out not to be the right one but it very quickly met up with the path we were meant to be on so all was good. A few people were starting to look a bit cold and tired but we kept each other going.

We met up with the other groups again at one of the huge waterfalls. It was amazing to stand right at the bottom and see how high it was. A couple of people climbed up onto the rocks to take some photos and then we continued on with a walk as we weren't too far from the top.

The next section of the walk was mostly under the waterfall which was very strange as it felt as if it was raining but it wasn't. There were a few sections where we got a little bit wet, but not enough to get our waterproofs out. 

Walking under the waterfall

Eventually we reached the top just as it was getting dark. As we got on the coach we discovered that the other group and picked up two tourists who were lost and we were giving them a lift back to the car park. This highlighted the importance to me of being prepared when you go on a hike. The men weren't carrying anything and only had a small bottle of water between them. If we hadn't picked them up they probably would have got into some serious problems.

After a long day, most people had a quick nap on the coach whilst we drove back to our cabins. It was time for supper when we got back, so two of us collected wood for the fire whilst the other two cooked the pizzas we had bought. Good teamwork! Then we went down to one of the other cabins as it was too cold for the camp fire again. 

First we went round and said our best and worst parts of the day which was interesting to hear what everyone else thought of the day. Then we moved onto our games, including Chubby Bunnies. 

Chubby bunnies....

On the final morning we got up early to pack away our things and clean up the cabin. As it was so cold we had moved all our mattresses in front of the fire so we had to put them all back on the beds. After a quick check from Ian, our cabin was clean so we went outside and waited for everyone else so we could get on the coach. 

Cabin 5 :)

Our first stop was conservation hut where we were going to start our hike. Everyone was feeling a bit stiff from the night before so we had a stretching session lead by Ian in the car park, much to everyone else's amusement! 

Morning stretch

We then made our way down towards Wentworth falls. The first section was a gentle hike with some spectacular views across the valleys. However it soon became much steeper and we had to go down some very steep ladders. We use the traffic light principal, assessing how dangerous the situation was. There were signs telling us to go down backwards so we made sure we did this in order to avoid any injuries. 

Amy going down one of the ladders

Eventually we reached the waterfall down at the bottom. I was very keen to go in so we went down to the edge and changed into our swimming stuff. We all ran in together and posed for a photo and then ran out again as it was very cold. Then some of the other group came down and I decided I wanted to go in again so this time I went right under the waterfall. I didn't realise how powerful the water was so I came out with a bit of a headache and a lot of brain freeze! We quickly put our clothes on so we could warm up again. 

As we set off it was uphill again so we warmed up very quickly. Nic then told us all to find a buddy and we had to look after each other for the rest of the day. I was with Justine who I hadn't really met before the trip so it was nice to get to know her. We also had to find out why our buddy was here and for them to tell us something they hadn't told the group yet. I find it really easy to get to know people when you are hiking together. Perhaps it is just being outdoors or maybe because there are no other distractions around you. 

We then reached another swimming pool which Nic had said was the nicest one. I decided I was going to go in as I probably would never get another chance so I jumped straight in and Jesse followed me in too. Everyone else rather wisely decided not to come in. Although it was again very cold, it was nice and refreshing and I love swimming outdoors.

First one in!

Cold but happy!

With only 20 minutes to go, we carried on our hike and very quickly warmed up again. At the top, there was a good viewing point where we stopped and shared what we had found out about our buddy. Then at the top we all rushed into the cafe to buy a celebratory ice cream. Whilst we waited for the other groups to arrive we had time to sit and reflect on our weekend.

It was such a good weekend. The scenery was amazing and the hiking wasn't too challenging but very enjoyable. As we stayed in the same three groups all weekend it allowed us to really get to know each other.  It also taught me a lot about myself, and reinforced how much I love being outdoors. I really enjoyed all the swimming in the waterfalls. 

We got the coach to the train station, where most people got the train straight back to Sydney but a few of us decided to wait a bit for another train and went to the pub for a well deserved drink in the sun.

End of a great weekend!

Writing this blog was a first for me, as I have never written a blog before. I know lots of people who do keep a blog and it is a great way of sharing what you are up to with other people. They are very simple to use and enable you to combine your photos, videos and text to share your experiences. I think it would benefit students who are being taught as most young people today are very up to date with all the latest technology and would find a blog a great way to find new information. 

There are a few negatives, for example the fact that it requires the use of a computer and internet which some people may not have access to. There is also the danger of things going wrong with technology and media but on the whole I have found it a very useful and easy way to share things with people. Now I have seen how easy it is to keep a blog, I might start to write one myself. Being away from friends and family for such a long times makes a blog a very easy way to keep in contact with people and let them know what you are up to. 

On Sunday 19th August, 2012 our EDUH4052 class embarked on our first field trip to the Royal National Park, just south of Sydney. After an early start we arrived  and were split into three smaller groups which was great as it allowed you to get to know everyone in the group. We started our walk and stopped occasionally whilst Ian pointed out different kinds of plants along the way.

We were encouraged to walk a mile in another persons shoes which meant walking each part of the walk with a different person. This allowed us to get to know each other better and in some cases meet new people who we had never spoken to before. This another benefit of the outdoors as there are no distractions such as phones and computers and so you get a real chance to talk to people and find out a bit more about them and their lives back home. We walked along the coastal path which had some amazing views so we had lots of opportunities to stop for photos including a group photo!

We continued walking and eventually we found Marley Beach where we had planned to have our lunch break. As we looked down towards Marley beach someone spotted a whale so we all stopped to watch it whilst people tried to take photos. 

At this point if you looked back you could just catch a glance of the city rising up above the hills in the distance. It was strange to be in such a beautiful remote area but still be able to see the city, reminding us that we weren't really that far away!

We stopped on the beach and caught up with the other group who were passing us in the opposite direction. After we had eaten we decided to go and explore the sand dunes behind so we took our shoes off and went over to the dunes. We climbed to the top of one of the bigger ones and then ran down the side which was fun! It was amazing to see all the different environments so close to each other. At some points the scenery was very coastal, sometime bushland and then it seemed as if we were in a desert!! 

Once we reached the end of the beach we put our shoes back on and and carried on walking. Once we had reached a very beautiful spot, Ian sent us off by ourselves to spend some time alone with our thoughts. We then recorded a video of how we were feeling at the time.

When I sat by myself and took the time to reflect on where I was and what I was doing it made me realise how lucky I am to be here. It is a beautiful part of the world and to have the opportunity to go out and explore new places is amazing! It was so nice to be away from all the business of everyday life and to have the time just to sit and think about nothing.

We have been looking at how exercise boosts brain activity in human brains. As we were walking through the National Park about how this is such a great discovery as I really enjoy exercise and so if it boosting my brain power then even better! Of course there are different kinds of exercise, and being outdoors made me realise how much I enjoy it and I should try and get outside as much as I can. Dr. John Medina wrote a book called Brain Rules, and in it he says "Exercise increases oxygen flow into the brain, which reduces brain-bound free radicals...an increase in oxygen is always accompanied by an uptick in mental sharpness."

There are various case studies which support this, for example the Napperville School District. It involved 19,000 students and they were given a choice of physical activities to do each day. Before the programme, 30% of the students were overweight and they had poor academic performance. However afterwards, only 3% were overweight and they were first in science and sixth in maths in the world!! This just shows the huge benefits of physical activity. 

Experiential Learning Cycles (ELCs) are models developed by John Dewey which help us to understand how the process of learning works. As this module is called “Learning in Outdoor Education” I want to see how this model applies to outdoor activities. There are nine ELC models and they have varying numbers of stages from one to six. A four stage model can be applied to outdoor activities and how we learn from it. The four stages are Experiencing, Reviewing, Concluding and Planning. The diagram below outlines the four stages.

By going on the field trip I experienced the outdoors and what effect it has on me. It is a good way to get away from the all the stresses of everyday life and a time to relax and just take in all the beautiful scenery around you. Writing this blog has enabled me to review and conclude from my experience of the outdoors. The final stage is planning, and I now feel prepared to plan for our next experience in the Blue Mountains!

There is a book called "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" by Stephen Covey. The seven habits are as follows:

1. Be Proactive

2.Begin With the End in Mind

3. Put First Things First

4. Think Win-Win

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

6. Synergise

7. Sharpen the Saw

All of these habit cans be applied when you are in the outdoors. For example synergy is very important, as working together can often improve your performance. During the walk we were each given a chance to lead the group but it was always best when we worked together as a time to try and work out the best route to take.

My overall experience from this field trip has made me realise how beneficial the outdoors can be to you in everyday life. Not only are there the physical benefits of exercise but it also has many mental benefits including boosting your brain power!