For many, it might sound like a cliché, but the Punmu immersion trip really is life changing. For the twelfth consecutive year, students from our Year 11 cohort headed north to a remote indigenous community in the Great Sandy Desert.

Being a service trip, the main aim is to provide as much assistance to the teachers and school as possible, through activities such as painting, cooking, cleaning and sorting. However, what sticks in our students’ memories most are the relationships they built with the children at the RAWA school.

Our girls quickly learnt to appreciate the connection the Martu People have with the land, especially important sites such as Punmu Hill and Wilarra Healing Springs. This was evident when we were invited to join in on the Lunki (pronounced Loongi) hunt, digging through tree roots to find tasty grubs to have for morning tea. We hope to continue this trip for many years to come and hope that the lessons our students learnt are lifelong.