Read about a Duke of Edinburgh Award experience from a student on our signature 12 day Northern Territory immersion and experiential learning program.
In this blog post, past Duke of Ed student, Eryn, talks about the “best adventure of my life” on her Gold Adventurous Journey in the Northern Territory with Black Diamond Adventures and shares some of her favourite moments from the trip.
At the start of my Gold Duke of Ed, I was actually quite stressed. Going through the whole course, it looked like a big commitment, and I didn’t know if I was up to it or not. When Tyson and Connor first introduced themselves, and went deeper into the details of the trip, everything started to feel so real. You know when you get that feeling like ‘Oh. This is actually happening. I am actually doing this’. That’s what it felt like. But once they started to talk more about the nitty gritty details of the trip, it sounded much more exciting than I thought. From then on, all I could think about was our trip to the Northern Territory!
A wave of emotions flew through me when arriving in Alice Springs. The red sand, the hot, dry climate, the unfamiliar culture… It was very different from the coastal side of life, and took some time to get used to. But looking back now, and thinking of my time in Alice Springs, it gave me a better understanding of the different types of cultures and beliefs in Australia, and allowed me to appreciate this deeply. A great start to the trip!
Now, into the BIG stuff!
Every morning we woke up at the crack of dawn at 4:30am to see the sunrise. As an athlete, I wake up early in the morning to train, so this was ok for me. But I do remember laughing at some of my friends who walked around in their sleeping bags, not ready to get out of their sleeping bags yet.
However, these mornings were special for everyone. It is truly something that will forever have a special place in my heart. Watching the sunrise over Ayers Rock and through Kata Tjuta was a very special moment for me, and allowed me to fully immerse myself with my surroundings, and that of the Northern Territory. The deep oranges, pinks and reds swallowed the night sky, and created amazing artworks right in front of my eyes. It was so special. A memory that I will never, ever forget, and will forever be grateful for.
As well as the sunrises, our day hikes were pretty awesome too! Walking the Kings Canyon rim walk was my favourite day hike though. I remember looking out at the rock sculptures, forgetting I was on Earth. Even though my hike was two years ago, I just remember looking out, and thinking how lucky I was to live such a life not many people experience. I felt very grateful to say the least.
And before I knew it, it was Larapinta Day. The first day of our four day hike on the Larapinta Trail. The most rewarding thing I have ever done. Right from the get go, the scorching sun pounded on us, making our water almost boil from the heat! Only kidding, but it was very hot!
The days were hard I must admit. With steep climbs and battling against the heat, the Larapinta did not take it easy on us. However, Connor and Tyson helped us all fight through the pain with their riddles. Actually it didn’t really help me, it just made me annoyed because I could never figure out the answer, but it still took my mind off the pain a bit. We always finished the day off with a campfire and a yarn, to look back on our challenging yet rewarding days, and to be proud of what we had achieved.
Duke of Edinburgh Award Experience –> Enduring benefit
Now two years on, I can look back and think how lucky I was to be a part of such a journey. I can confidently say that the Gold Duke of Ed hike in Northern Territory was the best moment of my life, and an adventure I feel everyone should be able to experience even just once.
