This year, we began our geography on the road camp with the story of the Yuin Abalone diver. When first diving for abalone, to the diver abalone are almost invisible. There on the rock shelves and reefs they disguise themselves, camouflaged with seaweeds and barnacles so they look like to stone they cling to. The diver, slowly moving through the cold southern sea must be patient and alert, they must look well at the underwater world surrounding them. The story says that once the diver sees the first abalone, a magic occurs. Suddenly they can see, as if emerging from nowhere, abalone everywhere.

Like divers, we set out on our camp with this story as our map, or our compass- what happens when we take time to look into the world around us, to listen, be curious, patiently offer our attention. What will reveal itself to us?

In term 1, we study of the living being of our planet and the many living biomes that thrive and survive within her arms. Here, on the road we experience the changes – where oceans have come and gone, where tides conceal worlds of biodiversity, of sacred mountains that lay down with wisdom in their breast. We walk quietly through the forest and breath in the living dance of oxygen, carbon, water and microbes, we sleep beside creeks that carve valleys, swim in pools warmed and mineral rich from the earth and stand in limestone caves built by time- one centimetre in a human lifetime. We travel up mountains lifted and churned from the earth’s crust. Wonder opens our hearts, and we receive the Earth as a treasure.

The other treasure we discovered – each other! We see each other, tender and strong, hilarious and serious, like seeing each other anew. With this a great companionship emerges a real sense of belonging to each other. That person that we perhaps don’t sit with in class, is the one who helps with the tent, makes you laugh like a kettle on the boil, or offers solace in a homesick moment. We see that each of us is pearl shell and rich life under our regular looking camouflage.

This camp we were fortunate to have Uncle Lex with us, he headed off one morning with some mates to dive, returning with a taste of the ocean for us. Abalone. Just a taste. But a doorway to a moment that connects us to land, sea and stories, to First Nations custodianship of Country, and to each other as we try something new together, and with a pause of gratitude and delight.

Sarah Daniel High School Geography Teacher

Sarah has a B. Arts (UN) and a Master of Teaching (UNE). She works both as a teacher and as student support throughout the school.
“One of the most exciting things when working to support students, is when they find something that they are passionate about, that they really connect to. Finding ways to support their engagement and the depth of their learning is incredibly rewarding. As a teacher, it is a pleasure to be working in an environment where creativity, critical thinking and a real sense of love for the world is valued and imbues all you do”.