Duke Of Edinburgh

Chasing the Duke's Gold on Abel Tasman's Golden Sand

The Duke of Edinburgh's Hillary Award programme is a challenge that pushes young people to their limits and recognises their achievements. It is comprised of three levels and four sections: skills, voluntary service, physical recreation, and adventurous journey. Queen Margaret College had 110 students participating in 2021 across all three levels – a remarkably high percentage of the student body and a testament to the adventurous and community-minded spirit at QMC.

Year 12 student, Iris Ma, is completing the Gold level and shares her experience of the tramps she participated in this year.

Ten students embarked on two enthralling tramps as part of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh programme during the April and October school holidays. Our practice tramp was the comfortable yet exciting Queen Charlotte Track. Some memorable moments included staying in a quaint and unique backpackers, which used to be an aquarium, and spending heaps of time on the beach while visiting nearby lodges and shops. We had great weather and we finished the trip with a sunny afternoon exploring all the shops and views Picton has to offer.

As for our qualifying trip, our original plan was to tramp on Great Barrier Island; however, due to the recent COVID-19 developments, we changed plans and decided to return to the beautiful Abel Tasman. On this trip, we were accompanied by a friendly group from Whitby Collegiate who initiated a friendly race to each night's accommodation but ultimately fell short of their expectations. I also found that our tramping pace as a group dramatically increased on this trip due to our previous experience, meaning we were able to power through each day in record time and relax early in the afternoon. Although the sky decided to rain the one and only night we stayed in tents (which unfortunately resulted in some leaks and soggy clothing), we generally had great weather. We had a fantastic time swimming at all the beautiful beaches and taking in the breathtaking views.

Overall, I am proud of how much we've achieved as a group this year and how far our abilities and team spirit have come. The adventurous journey is only a small part of Duke of Edinburgh, but it has certainly been the most enjoyable. We've learnt so much over these journeys and are now all incredibly skilled at chasing away pesky weka!

Iris Ma Year 12