Experiencing the best of Australian Life.
At Black Diamond Adventures we are passionate about Australia, the country we live in, the Traditional Owners, the people who have shaped it, and providing genuine Australian experiences to the next generation.
Alongside other objectives, our educational and adventure programs are designed to increase participants’ sense of being Australian. We do this by providing opportunities and uplifting experiences that are the birthrights of all Australians. You may learn to crack a stockwhip, play the didgeridoo or bake Australia’s best bush damper in a traditional camp oven.
In doing so, we tap into our history, geography, identity and ethos to better understand what it means to be Australian. It is important to us that we recognise the sad truths of our country’s past and move towards reconciliation by celebrating the culture of our First Nation people. We are forever learning more about the oldest living culture on earth. Where possible, we like to respectfully share what we know with our students. This may be through didgeridoo demonstrations, traditional bush food, Aboriginal art or having guest country people join our programs.
What creates this focus is the Australian life experiences our founder (Rob Mann) had growing up – it was his experience living and travelling across remote parts of the Northern Territory that drove a deeper connection to the land, Aboriginal Culture and himself. It is this connection that we seek to foster in our participants through providing uniquely Australian experiences that are part of our heritage.
EXPERIENCE THE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA
Few people realise that European settlers in Australia would not have survived without the wisdom and assistance of our Aboriginal First Nations people. In our unforgiving climate, they helped drovers and stockmen establish a livelihood. Our sense of mateship was developed by helping our neighbours survive on the land.
Our programs delve into this history and as a way of bringing it to life we impart bush lore, have the full bush camp experience, and teach participants how to crack a stockman’s whip. It might surprise you that it’s one of the most popular aspects of our courses. We invite students to become curious and respectful of our Indigenous culture and heritage through a range of traditional activities including, the didgeridoo (yidaki), painting and symbols, dreamtime stories and stories of hardships faced by the oldest living culture on earth.
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHY EXPOSURE
To fully appreciate the diversity and richness of Australia requires an understanding of the land and the vastness of our continent. We run programs in a multitude of locations in order to give our students as much exposure as possible to the Australian landscape and its related heritage.
Australia’s first national park, south of Sydney – the Royal National Park – was the second such park to be declared in the world, after Yellowstone National Park in the USA. It’s one of 900 national parks and reserves within the state.
The NSW South coast has many great surfing beaches and camping sites complete with resident wallabies and wombats.
Jervis Bay is said to have the whitest sand in the world and teems with marine life including whales on migration.
The red dirt of the Australian Outback comes to life when we walk the Larapinta Trail that starts in Alice Springs and heads West into the MacDonnell ranges.
These are just three of the many geographies we can explore with students.
UNDERSTAND AUSTRALIAN IDENTITY
By understanding these elements and the challenges we’ve overcome as a nation, we have a greater understanding of what shapes the Australian character – where our sense of having a fair go, of helping the underdog, of being there for your mates, of our larrikin spirit comes from. Our shared history and environment have also shaped our resourcefulness and resilience.
This enables a conversation as to what is the Australian character.
Providing educational opportunities for participants to work together to overcome challenges, to help each other out, to be resourceful, to be there for one another – and to provide context as to why we do this – helps create an understanding of our national identity – and each individual’s identity.
Black Diamond Adventures is proud to offer exciting outdoor education programs that reveal the truth about our history and cultivates a sense of Australian identity and resourcefulness through unique content, to the next generation.
CONNECTION
Connection to country is an Indigenous concept where Indigenous Australians identify with the area they and their ancestors were born and grew up in. It is part of their identity. For reconciliation to truly take place, we believe all non-indigenous Australians must understand and partake in this concept to also form a connection to country. The landscapes that surrounds us will inadvertently shape our identity.
In the last 40 years, due to rapid urbanisations, it has become increasingly difficult for many Australians to feel a connection to the land. Young people seemingly have less opportunities to be exposed to the country in the way their parents and grandparents were. It is something important that is missing from our lives. For new Australians this sense of disassociation is even more pressing.
Through our uniquely Australian camp experiences we want to help all Australians feel like they belong more, and have a stronger connection to our country and each other.
When I was in high school I wish I had known that there are many ways to learn, and being at school was just one way. Often it is the lessons we learn outside the school room that are the most valuable
– Elizabeth Broderick –
