Last weekend (Feb 1-3) and the previous weekend (Jan 24-26) a number of grade 10 students embarked on their International Award Silver Level Adventurous Journey, the goal being to kayak down the Ping River over 3 days, with a minimum of 7 hours activity each day.

The Adventurous Journey is all about getting out and doing something unfamiliar, in a challenging environment with a clear purpose. More than any other section of International Award, the Adventurous Journey is about team work and social connection.

At the heart of the Adventurous Journey is the opportunity for students to engage in activities that require determination, physical effort, perseverance, problem solving and cooperation – It is a key part of the senior school extra curriculum, and assists heavily in the development of students that fulfill the Prem mission & vision.

There is no doubt, the weekend can be hard for some, however, it is hoped that when undertaking the AJ, students will feel rewarded with a unique, challenging and memorable experience.

Over the three-day period, all the students involved showed excellent levels of resilience and team work. Not only did they kayak down difficult parts of the river, negotiating low water levels (at times having to get out and drag their kayaks across the river bed), they also prepared & cooked their own food, set up their own campground and camped out in the cold winter temperatures.

Completing the International Award, is a great achievement for any student and with the Silver Level coming to the end for many grade 10 students, we look forward to welcoming our inaugural intake for the Gold Award.

Massive thanks to all the students for their efforts, conduct and dedication over the 2 weekends, and huge thanks also go to Ajarns Liz, Sarah, Max, Simon, Bruce, Skye and the awesome VSP staff.

Aj.Mark