The 2025 residential Explore Serve Journey program began with some beautiful warm coastal days combined with some wet and wild weather, which made for muddy mountain bike trails and lots of fun riding in the rain.

All our Year 9 girls participate in a 28-day residential program that sees them learn essential survival skills and go mountain biking, hiking, canoeing, camp solo, and participate in community service.

The Explore Serve Journey program is an intentionally designed sequence of experiences grounded in educational theory and research. It is a new initiative of the College to provide a peak experience to support and equip girls as they grow and transition from childhood to adulthood. 

Each of the three elements: Explore, Serve and Journey have been purposefully chosen. 

"Journeys, both in the physical and metaphorical sense, act as catalysts for personal development and transformation. 

"Metaphorical journeys are as essential as physical ones, as they challenge individuals to evolve and reevaluate their habits and perspectives. The concept of a "Rite of Passage" is a traditional means of aiding individuals in transitioning between life stages, a practice that has become increasingly scarce in modern Western culture.

"There are three distinct stages of a transformative experience: Separation, Transition, and Return. And the importance of allocating time for reflection and exploration during these stages cannot be underestimated.

"Such periods offer valuable growth opportunities. Slowing down is a means to form deeper connections with oneself and the environment and is a luxury in our fast-paced world.

"Having ample time permits individuals to make genuine choices and learn from unforeseen circumstances, even when they deviate from the planned path.  Authentic learning occurs when individuals engage in profound, unscripted experiences."

Ms Amanda Burney, has a Bachelor in Outdoor Education and a Master of Education (Social Ecology) and along with Miss Leahy, our School Chaplain, leads our Explore, Serve, Journey (ESJ) program that weaves together the strands of Outdoor Education Camps, Duke of Edinburgh Award, Service Learning and Pastoral Care from across our Pre-K to Year 12 all-girl campus. 

You can see the 2024 year 9 adventure HERE

You can see 2023 Year 9 adventure HERE