Bulletin

After months of meticulous planning and eager anticipation, Union High School’s, Grade 10 learners embarked on their much-awaited Odyssey on Friday, 13 September.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.

The school expresses immense gratitude to the generous landowners – Peter Plumstead, Dale and Kelly Jackson and Julian Murray – who graciously opened their pristine farms, allowing the learners to hike and camp in areas that few are fortunate enough to experience.

The adventure began as the Grade 10s were dropped off near Nieu-Bethesda.

Following a debriefing by co-organiser Mr David Langmead, they set off into the breathtaking Gats River Canyon, equipped with everything they would need for their wilderness survival. One learner captured the spirit of the trip perfectly, stating, “𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺…𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧!”

And indeed, this cohesive group was on a mission. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. The Gats River, flanked by stunning red cliffs and deep pools, left everyone in awe as they trekked approximately 20 kilometers to their campsite at Riverdene Farm.

Upon arrival, the learners quickly set up their tents and indulged in comforting 2-minute noodle meals, laughter and even a spirited game of spade cricket. Mr Hanno Sparrius surprised them with delicious curry vetkoek and as the sun dipped below the horizon, a serene sense of peace enveloped the campsite. The bonfire flickered warmly, casting an orange glow against the cliffs, while Celtis trees stood watch, adding to the magical ambiance. 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

As dawn broke, the chirping of birds roused the campers, prompting them to dismantle their tents, leaving no trace of their presence. An impromptu fire-starting challenge ensued, with the girls’ group claiming victory through their calm and logical approach. The trail called once more, leading them to the tranquil Schoonberg Pools campsite, where they would spend the next two nights. Here, the learners showcased their growing comfort with outdoor living, taking greater care in setting up campsites and campcraft. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙨, 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.

Thanks to Mr and Mrs Lemke, fresh supplies of raw chickens and bread flour arrived, enabling the learners to learn the art of bread-making and roasting chicken in the veld. Divided into new groups, they forged friendships and sang joyfully late into the night beneath the Southern Cross.

𝗜𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝟭𝟬𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Dropped alone in isolated spots, each learner received letters from loved ones and had the chance to pen a letter to their future selves. These hours of solitude offered a rare opportunity for reflection and when they reconvened, a contemplative atmosphere filled the campsite. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘺𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴.

That afternoon, the group embarked on a day hike to an impressive waterfall, which proved to be both technically challenging and rewarding. The 40-meter-high cascade welcomed them with refreshing waters and a picnic spread, making the effort worthwhile. Special thanks to Mr and Mrs Hope, who delivered food and birthday cupcakes to celebrate the occasion.

As the final day approached, the learners felt a bittersweet longing to leave Schoonberg, with many expressing a desire to linger a bit longer. The ascent out of the canyon was a challenging uphill trek, but the sight of the Magnum Farmhouse provided a welcome respite.

Spring’s arrival was evident, with green fields and budding willow trees creating a picturesque resting spot for their last night. Mr Pringle engaged the group with tales of Ulysses and his own epic odyssey, enriching the experience further.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹.At the summit, Mr Langmead encouraged them to leave behind any past hurt and pain. Many took this moment for quiet contemplation, while joy erupted when they spotted the buses in the distance.

The last stretch into town was filled with laughter, singing and celebration. As they arrived back at school, the Grade 10s were met with enthusiastic cheers and admiration. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘦, 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘖𝘥𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.

The success of the Odyssey would not have been possible without the support of many. We extend our 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘 to the landowners, those who accompanied the learners, the parents who delivered food to remote locations and the countless individuals who contributed in various capacities.

𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞𝗦 to Mr Pringle for his ongoing support, the UHS Development Trust for their financial backing and to Mr David Langmead for his unwavering commitment to making this dream a reality year after year.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗱𝘆𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲.

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