Duke of Edinburgh's Award (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter chookyn
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eternalparadise
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sweetorture
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eternalparadise said:
OMG there's sooooo many Places:
*Mt Kuring-gai national park
*Blue mountains (i went in winter god i had to walk up a WATERFALL!! no kidding...checked every 2 steps whether i have leeches up my ankles...LOL.... a guy ended up with a leech up his bum crack!!!!! ROFL)
*CENTRAL COAST (don't noe the exact name but u have to take a ferrY to bundeena and the coastal walk was FANTASTIC! i literally walked 3 mountains and across 2 beaches...it was my FIRST expedition...and i nearly died...BUT THE VIEW IS SOOOO WORTH IT!)
*Crosslands(its a christian camp site yet u can do canoeing there for e a whole day...FUN!)
*ANYWHRE AND EVERYWHERE! (OZ has so many bush u can camp newhere...)
I loved the expedition and wow it really made me love the outdoors...it also made me very fit as i have to walk a freaking up to 20km a day! with 15kg load off my back!
And now me and some of me besties are so addicted we organise our own without teachers or adults! last time 10 guys and 4 girls went for a 3-day hike and we ran out of water! LOL we had to drink pond (after we boiled it of course XD)...NOW we girls are planning a road trip up NSW coast after hsc staying in tents et motels!!! DoE realli make u independent!!!
GO FOR IT!
flipsyde
Shutup!...that's why
I've done it! I recommend it ITSTOTALLY WORTH IT!!!
I have my Gold. I started at Bronze and it wasnt much extra on what I already did. I already played a sport and worked as a volunteer at Taronga Zoo. For my rec activity I went on the Young Endevour (y). The only thing I really did differently to what I normally did in life was the camps. They can usually be arranged through your school or through places like camp Somerset.
The camping is AWESOME, however, I dont reccommend doing the canoe camps as your things get really wet etc. Do the hiking camp, but make sure you do some practice walking around woth your camping bag etc, make sure you have a good rusksack (sp?).
I had to skip my silver award, becasue I wanted to get it done before I finished highschool I would have had it doen only that on my way to my pratice silver camp (you have to do a practice and a real camp) we were in a car accident. A car ran up the back of us on the left hand side of the car... where I was and I had a neck injury... so I couldnt do the camp. For my Gold practice ( I had to do 2 practices cos I skipped silver award) I was REALLY sick with a bacterial infection in my lungs, but I continued. For the real camp I tore a ligament in my ankle, I walked it for 5 days though, I didnt know it was torn. The guy infront of me wal walking and slipped and almost fell down a gully (he wouldnt have died, but hurt himself really badly, so I grabbed his bag and stopped him from falling. I thought Id only twisted my ankle badly). Because I kept wealking on it Id torn it by the last day, but there was no way I was giving up on the last day.
You lear sooooo much and make a whole bunch of friends out of it. I loved it and dot regret doing it at all... it builds character and knowing now what it is and involves, I would have regretted not being apart of it. I hope my stories^^^ didnt scare you. If you wanna know more PM me and I'd be glad to help you out
.
Cheers
I have my Gold. I started at Bronze and it wasnt much extra on what I already did. I already played a sport and worked as a volunteer at Taronga Zoo. For my rec activity I went on the Young Endevour (y). The only thing I really did differently to what I normally did in life was the camps. They can usually be arranged through your school or through places like camp Somerset.
The camping is AWESOME, however, I dont reccommend doing the canoe camps as your things get really wet etc. Do the hiking camp, but make sure you do some practice walking around woth your camping bag etc, make sure you have a good rusksack (sp?).
I had to skip my silver award, becasue I wanted to get it done before I finished highschool I would have had it doen only that on my way to my pratice silver camp (you have to do a practice and a real camp) we were in a car accident. A car ran up the back of us on the left hand side of the car... where I was and I had a neck injury... so I couldnt do the camp. For my Gold practice ( I had to do 2 practices cos I skipped silver award) I was REALLY sick with a bacterial infection in my lungs, but I continued. For the real camp I tore a ligament in my ankle, I walked it for 5 days though, I didnt know it was torn. The guy infront of me wal walking and slipped and almost fell down a gully (he wouldnt have died, but hurt himself really badly, so I grabbed his bag and stopped him from falling. I thought Id only twisted my ankle badly). Because I kept wealking on it Id torn it by the last day, but there was no way I was giving up on the last day.
You lear sooooo much and make a whole bunch of friends out of it. I loved it and dot regret doing it at all... it builds character and knowing now what it is and involves, I would have regretted not being apart of it. I hope my stories^^^ didnt scare you. If you wanna know more PM me and I'd be glad to help you out
.Cheers
sweetorture
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FLIPSYDE - you volunteered at Taronga zoo? HOW?? For me the hardest part bout DoE is finding community work...i had to resort to 'school musical' as a community - dunno but that strangely counts (like HOW?!)
So...long story short...how can i get a stint at taronga zoo? (ps i <3 animals)
So...long story short...how can i get a stint at taronga zoo? (ps i <3 animals)
EraserDust
Member
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- 2006
I've also completed Gold award, it is very worthwhile!
Camps were the best! Most memorable moment was going to Pink Lakes for a week, trekking around there. It also encouraged me to take up the drums, and help out at the local library (not as lame as it sounds). I'll admit that I used my school sport, and some of the school camps as part of it. LOL
I agree with flipsyde, it is totally worth it!!
Camps were the best! Most memorable moment was going to Pink Lakes for a week, trekking around there. It also encouraged me to take up the drums, and help out at the local library (not as lame as it sounds). I'll admit that I used my school sport, and some of the school camps as part of it. LOL
I agree with flipsyde, it is totally worth it!!
whitey89
New Member
Would not recomend going straight to Gold cause you have to do more hours for everything. I got my bronze, silver and gold in the space of two years, so gold at the start of yr11.
I didnt find it much of a challenge, im also involved with doing my Queens Scout, now there is an award that will get you off your backside. 16 different parts as apposed to DofE's 5.
People also get away with the easiest expeditions, i set out with 4 of my mates compleing kanagra walls to katoomba, frenchmans cap (Tas), 6" Track (numerous times), Mt Solitary, Kedumba Valley, Blue gum (numerous times), various state forests (volcan, jenolan, belongalo, wingello), parts of the great north walk and many more. Some people did a gold walk on the tracks i did my prac bronze on! its rediculous!!
Also if your going to do stuff do something challenging like canyoning, abseiling, rockclimbing ect... You never do any of this in DofE i experienced at my school, they would barly let us out on an expedition with out taking EPIRBS and mobiles i said screw that.
Well ive had my winge, hmm that felt good.
So if you need any advice on walks areound NSW talk to me, or abseiling, canyoning, caoneing, mtn biking ect...
a final word if your into the outdoors
JOIN VENTURERS
I didnt find it much of a challenge, im also involved with doing my Queens Scout, now there is an award that will get you off your backside. 16 different parts as apposed to DofE's 5.
People also get away with the easiest expeditions, i set out with 4 of my mates compleing kanagra walls to katoomba, frenchmans cap (Tas), 6" Track (numerous times), Mt Solitary, Kedumba Valley, Blue gum (numerous times), various state forests (volcan, jenolan, belongalo, wingello), parts of the great north walk and many more. Some people did a gold walk on the tracks i did my prac bronze on! its rediculous!!
Also if your going to do stuff do something challenging like canyoning, abseiling, rockclimbing ect... You never do any of this in DofE i experienced at my school, they would barly let us out on an expedition with out taking EPIRBS and mobiles i said screw that.
Well ive had my winge, hmm that felt good.
So if you need any advice on walks areound NSW talk to me, or abseiling, canyoning, caoneing, mtn biking ect...
a final word if your into the outdoors
JOIN VENTURERS
Black Hawker
Member
Just finised of my Silver Qualfying expedition. For my first practise journey we went to Glenbook (Blue Mountains National Park) - it was easy. Our 2nd practise was from Kedumba Valley (Wenworth Falls) to Katoomba via Mount Solitary - was the best because it was really challenging and had really great sceneries. Our qualfying one was at Royal National Park around Waterfall.
BlackDragon
Active Member
its compulsary at our school. every single person, starting in year 8, progresses from their bronze to gold.
whitey89
New Member
Solitary the suicidal way (from wenty) or the sane way (from katoomba) solitary is an awesome walk, beautiful scenery and you get to camp in a cave. Royal NP is piss easy, would not recomend it, if you climbed solitary you will find this a breeze!! Kedumba Valley is nice as well. Some parts are restriced but screw that, we still walked through there.Black Hawker said:
Black Hawker
Member
Suicidial way. We went up the side that is 750m high and very steep. It was challenging but worth it for the scenery. Do you know what was worst. I had to climb up it with a sprain ankle, but was lucky to survive it. Some of the other groups (we had 6) got the easier one way. Did you sign the guest book?whitey89 said:
Royal NP was easy as you said - compared to Mt Solitary. I even wrote it in my log that it was way too easy for a qualfying expedition.
whitey89
New Member
Yeah we signed the log book, we got up there late arvo. Did you have fun rolling boulders? Every boldour we found we would dislodge and roll down the hill to see how many trees we could demolish. We took out some pretty big trees. We did this again on the Kanagra hike but one hit my mate and his leg got screwed, all good now lol, was pretty funny.Black Hawker said:
Got anymore hikes planned?
Black Hawker
Member
Did you let the other people get up before you did that?whitey89 said:
Well, next one would be in Gold, if I'm going to do it. Should I do it? Give me ideas and comments whoever has done it.
Tiffanys
Executed member
I'm on my gold but i havent handed in my silver walk reports yet and i dont want to write them.is someone doing a gold walk somewhere near sydney? i wanna get one down so i can use my practiz es my final.
christmasbeetle
Member
It's great fun
I've finished Bronze and Silver, and have about five months left of Service before I've finished Gold.
Plus it's the greatest feeling once you've finished an award
I've finished Bronze and Silver, and have about five months left of Service before I've finished Gold.
Plus it's the greatest feeling once you've finished an award
satie
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I am about 2 weeks away from finishing my gold. OMG Duke of Ed is fantastic. We went down to Tassie and walked the Overland Track. That was amazing...Black Hawker did you end up going on the Penrith Tassie Trip? Anyway, Tassie was fantastic, we went in April, and got 8 days of sunshine in a row. Very lucky as there is only on average a week of sunshine in April. If anyone is looking for a place to go, if you can go along the Overland. It is spectacular and...having trouble getting words out.
High points...eating pancakes on Mt. Ossa, high mountain in Tassie, meeting all the other walkers along the way, finally working out how to work the tent platforms, the boat ride across Lake St. Clair and spending 5 hours playing cards at the Lake St. Clair tourist centre, eating hot chips and having an entire area to outselves because we smelt so bad (god, I felt bad for the bus driver, who had to spend 3 hours in an enclosed space with us).
What were everyone else's trips and what were the high points?
High points...eating pancakes on Mt. Ossa, high mountain in Tassie, meeting all the other walkers along the way, finally working out how to work the tent platforms, the boat ride across Lake St. Clair and spending 5 hours playing cards at the Lake St. Clair tourist centre, eating hot chips and having an entire area to outselves because we smelt so bad (god, I felt bad for the bus driver, who had to spend 3 hours in an enclosed space with us).
What were everyone else's trips and what were the high points?