Top End Trip – As It Happened
Director of Student Wellbeing, Mr Exton, has kindly offered to supply a regular recap of the Top End Trip experience some of our students are currently on.
Day 1
MacKillop is a really peaceful place at 3:00am. We left on our adventure to the Top End with 11 students and three staff. Leaving Melbourne with a wind-chill factor of 1, we landed in Darwin to 31 degrees and cloudless skies.
Our first night was spent around a camp fire and in tents that allowed us to look up at the tranquil night sky. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH the serenity.
We already feel a million miles away from the daily grind, and the students already understand the great vastness of our country.
Day 2
Wildlife, wilderness and Wi-Fi were the highlights of the day. From the birds at the Territory Wildlife Park , the changing wilderness of Kakadu and the fact that we had enough Wi-Fi to send this amazing image of the East Alligator River towards dusk.
Be careful of the calm water, we have been told that up to 40 crocodiles lie beneath. Logan was tempted to test this theory for a reward we could not offer. Tomorrow we begin our community service at the heart of our trip looking to give to others.
Day 3
Today we started our community service project that really is the foundation of our Top End Trip. We have been charged with the responsibility of clearing a fruit plantation that will provide sustainable fruit supplies to the local indigenous community. The concept of being of service to people we have not met, knowing that the work we will be doing will make a real difference to them in the short and long term is the definition of paying it forward.
Ending the day with a river cruise, Indigenous cultural and rock art walk. The view we had at sunset makes you understand how ancient our land is and how spectacular the views are.
Day 4
We would like all of our students to leave their schooling with a sense of resilience and ingenuity. As we completed our community service today, we saw that in spades – getting a mower to start from scratch, to support and complete the plain hard yakka that all of the group put in over the last two days. This quote best summed up the experience ‘I am completely spent but let’s just get this done’.
The afternoon was rewarding in another way, as two young indigenous women shared the stories passed onto them through generations and allowed us to visit sites that most never get to see.
Off to our first natural swimming site on Saturday after experiencing the most amazing sunset over Kakadu.
Day 5
Being in the Northern Territory reinforces that Indigenous culture and connection to the land is alive, and being shared. We started the day by again gaining a greater understanding of the cultural history of Indigenous people, this time through rock art. The level of complexity that these paintings hold, tells us so much about Indigenous beliefs and totems.
Then, in the afternoon, we found our way to our first natural rock pool swim at Motorcar Falls. It was hard to believe that when we arrived it was the 14 of us swimming in a rock pool surrounded by 20 metre high cliffs and 40 metre deep crystal clear waters; it was as though we had just discovered this natural wonder.
As we had our first night without any power and internet, we sat around the campfire reflecting on our trip so far and sharing our favourite songs with our guide, Felix. This act of sharing really made us feel like ‘Brothers in Arms’.
Day 6
After sleeping under the stars, we were up early to travel from Kakadu National Park to Litchfield National Park, where we will spend our final three nights. The experience of swimming at Edith Falls was amazing, and again reinforced the natural beauty of the Top End.
As we travelled into Litchfield National Park, we passed through the community of Adelaide River. The national War Cemetery is the resting place of over 200 war veterans who lost their lives in the bombing of Northern Australia and in particular Darwin, where 200 soldiers and civilian lives where lost in February 1942 when more Japanese bombs were dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbor – a little known piece of Australia’s war history.
We finished the night with some karaoke, with us completing with a mighty rendition of Sweet Caroline.
Day 7
Day 7 was a day of termite mounds, amazing natural waterholes and our continued immersion in the cultural tradition of our First Nations people. We moved from Litchfield National Park back to the outskirts of Darwin on our second last night of the trip.
By now we are being exposed to the hidden talents of our students. The camp cooking skills of Matthew, the bush craft and Cain Toad catching ability of Ethan, the preoccupation of Logan and Callum to wrestling a crocodile, the amazing number of photos and videos that Jade can take in one day, and just how Kayden and Rohan just love a microphone when they get a chance.
Off to watch a few jumping crocodiles on day 7 we will make sure that the students keep their arms and legs in the boat
Day 8
Our last full day and night in the Top End. Completing our cultural experience we discovered that a few of us had the hidden talent of being able to play the digeridoo, who would’ve known!
Everywhere you go in the Top End, they tell you about crocodiles. Well, on our second-last day we really did discover the majestic power of this animal. At times we felt a little too close for comfort, but the overall the experience again reinforced the amazing natural biodiversity of the Top End.
As we shared our last dinner together on camp, we shared our reflections and gave thanks to each other for an experience that will be remembered by all. The joy in any trip like this, is in the things you learn, the experiences your share, and the friendships you make; we have had all of that, and more, on this trip.
Cold Melbourne beckons.
Day 9
We began Day 9 where we began in Darwin. Today was a little bit of scenery, a little bit of history and a little bit of fun. We toured around the beautiful Darwin coastline, before visiting the historically significant Fannie Bay Jail. In the afternoon we had a little time for shopping before having an amazing night at the Darwin Outdoor cinema watching a French Film call Tonni and taking in some tasty local cuisine.
Taking our final trip of the tour we arrived at Darwin Airport and bid farewell to our tour guide Felix, somebody that played such a important role in making the tour MEMORABLE
We arrived at Melbourne Airport around 6.00am, where our students said their goodbyes to Mr Arrowsmith for the last time. The great thing about the trip is that they will leave with memories that will go with them well past the time that they finish MacKillop, as will Mr Arrowsmith after his 33 years of dedicated service.
We arrived back at MacKillop just was the way we left: in the dark and with the temperature close to zero. However, we finish our trip with a great bond and fond memories (and looking for our beds after nine days of camping in the Top End).
Thanks to the College and the parents for all of the support.
