Sailing Around Up North
What better way to spend your holidays than sailing around the waters of Shark Bay? That’s exactly how our Year 11 Outdoor Education class spent part of their holidays. The group travelled to Denham for the annual Sea Trek. The group was extremely fortunate to be able to get away, with a COVID lockdown going into place just before departing!Â
 The girls had a fantastic time! They developed their sailing skills, forged beautiful friendships, spent time enjoying the outdoors, set up camp in stunning remote beach locations, and laughed lots!
What is a sea trek?
For those who are not familiar with what a sea trek entails, the girls are in small boats with crews of three to four people. They sail or motor (depending on the wind and weather forecast) throughout the day, exploring the beautiful lagoons, bays and beaches. They then anchor at a chosen beach campsite each afternoon to set up camp, cook a satisfying dinner, take turns in leading the nightly debrief, complete their daily journal entries, and then jump into tents for a well-earned rest!Â
Each night, the students must also complete a night watch shift, where they keep an eye on the boats to ensure they have a full fleet the next day. These shifts run from 8.00 pm all the way through to 6.00 am.
Each day there is a lead boat. The crew on this boat are in charge of route planning, navigating, group tasks, radio communication, and safety briefs etc. Communicating over the radio is a new skill to master and lots of fun.
This year, the girls even had the opportunity to go on a sailing adventure without the sea trek support boat. They had their radios with them in case of emergencies, and the staff felt so proud to be able to give them this freedom.
The Sea Trek was a fantastic experience for all involved.Â
Sea Trek was my favourite camp in the Outdoor Ed program so far. I learnt a lot about myself and got to know my classmates better, and made new friends. The best part of the trip was exploring Dolphins Graveyard and gaining confidence in my sailing skills. I am really excited for the rest of the year in Outdoor Ed.  Tanayah Reynolds
Sea Trek was so much fun, and I have not stopped talking about it at home. My favourite part was when we were allowed to adventure by ourselves in Big Lagoon. Jessica Phillips
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Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
