In class we learned how to operate compasses and maps, and also what certain symbols meant on the maps. I didn't take things as seriously as I probably should have. I knew the basics so I figured I would be fine for the trip anyway. There were three groups of students scheduled for three different trips. Our group was the last trip to go to Meebunn-Bia. This had its ups and downs. We were able to ask people a lot of questions regarding what types of food to bring, or what clothes to wear, but we also heard the bad things about the trip. We pretty much knew what was going to happen to us before we got there. We found out there was a lot of high ropes courses, and a lot of hiking to do. After hearing all the stories, I was even more frightened to get on the bus and actually go camping in the middle of the bush.
Day One: My roommates and I woke up around 5:30 am on Wednesday morning to our fire alarm going off for no reason at all. Yes, it was a little scary because that was the time our alarm clocks were set for. All three of us were heading for the same camping trip which was nice because we knew people before we went. We all took nice long showers that morning because we knew we wouldn't be able to shower for a couple days. Everyone got to the bus around 6:45am and we headed off with a 2.5 hour bus ride to the middle of no where! I was still definitely a little nervous for what to expect. Once we first got to Meebunn-Bia we were introduced to our instructors Tony and Tanya. At first, I thought they were way to upbeat for how early in the morning it was. They made us play a couple of icebreaker games to start the morning off. The games were really weird, and to be honest, I still don't see how they make much sense, but in the end it was really fun. Everyone kind of let loose and it was a good start to our adventure.
We started our way up the mountain and hiked for a couple minutes and we stopped and played some more games that helped build some trust with others in our group. We all seemed to get along well and trust didn't seem to be an issue with anyone which was great. After, we began to hike uphill some more and we stopped to take a break. Now, this break has a twist to it. Our instructor told us to look to the right and all I saw was the steepest mountain with lots of rocks, trees and bushes. He then simply said that we were going to climb up it and would eat lunch once we got there. Every single person in the group thought he was either joking, or they had a blank stare on their face. He was serious, so all of us with our packs on had to literally crawl up the mountain. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. We had to climb over dead trees, push ourselves up onto huge boulders, and try not to slip on loose rocks below us. Looking backwards was not an option because we were so high up from the ground and if one person fell, everyone behind them would too. I was completely out of breath once I got to the top of the mountain, but the view was absolutely incredible. You could see so many mountains off in the distance and it was a beautiful day to top it off. Lunch was well worth the hike that’s for sure.
Once we got to our camp site after hiking all day, we built our tents. The first night we were given four little poles and one big one and also two tarps. Our tent had to open ends, so any critter could get in whenever they felt like it. There were rumors that possums were the biggest deal at these camp sites and will come into your tent no matter if you like it or not. We tried forgetting about that and said we’d worry about it when it got close to bed time. The first day we were able to try out some of the high ropes courses, and also do the zip line. We wore harnesses and helmets with carabineers attached to the harness to attach us to the wires. I was a little nervous for it because I had a hard time trusting one little metal carabineer to hold me up in the air. I started out on the easiest rope course and I managed to do fine. I pushed myself to do the zip line before trying any other rope courses. The zip line ran a pretty far distance, and we had to climb a little ladder up a really tall tree to start. I was more nervous climbing up the ladder than actually jumping off the tree. It was an amazing experience because it was something I have always wanted to do, and now I am able to cross that off my bucket list! So I was very pleased that I got the opportunity to try it out, and I actually loved it. When it was time to go to sleep, I was really paranoid that a possum was for sure going to come into our tent. I didn’t get much sleep that night at all because of that, and also the loud snoring that was happening around us didn’t help.
Day Two: We got up around 6:00am and had to start on our navigation course after brekky. We were divided up into teams and had to walk around the mountains with only a compass and a map. Our goal was to make it to 15 different locations, and spot the red and yellow can at each place. It sounded easier than it truly was. We had to the find the bearing at each can, which was pretty easy, but spotting the cans seemed to be the hard part. In most areas, we were walking in the complete bush, no paths or anything. I can’t even begin to say how many spider webs and spiders we saw throughout the time in the bush, or how many times I fell. We were walking up and down hills, and even walking in the middle of creeks. The weather was really hot that day which made the navigation course even harder than it was. We were all so tired because we didn’t get much sleep the night before, hiking, and just running around really wore us out. After finding each can, it was a great feeling because we knew we were doing the right thing. The navigation course was really long, and took a couple hours to finish. We saw a couple wild kangaroos on the way back though which was exciting!
Later on during the day we started our hike back down the mountain and to our next campsite. I lost track of how many miles it actually was. We got to the halfway mark and our instructors told us the rest of the hike was all up hill. I was already extremely exhausted from the day before, plus all of that morning. I knew there was no way out of it, so I just sucked it up and told myself I could do it. While hiking, I had never felt so sick in my life. I was over working what my body could actually handle. I had a huge pack on my back, sore everything, my heart was beating so fast, and I could barely move. After taking a ton of breaks, I found myself finally at the top of the mountain. We got to our campsite a little before the sun set. We then again set up our tents and got our things ready for dinner. Before we ate, we all went up a nearby mountain to watch the sunset. This was my favorite part of the entire trip at Meebunn-Bia. It was gorgeous.
Day Three: The final morning of our trip, we woke up around 5:45am, I wish I was kidding, to see the sun rise. At first I did not want to get out of bed, but I knew this view would be a once in a lifetime chance. The sun rise was a gorgeous view, but the clouds kind of kept us from seeing the whole thing.
Another thing about this second campsite was the fact that the bathroom was definitely...no bathroom whatsoever. It was an A shape frame that looked like they just attached some pieces of wood and metal together to hold it up. It also had no front door, just one little piece of cloth to shut you out from the world. It was very interesting and disgusting.
The last set of things we did on our trip was the two person high ropes course, and the free fall. I decided to get the most challenging one over with first which was the free fall. We had to climb up a tree that was about forty feet in the air, and then jump off of it. It doesn't sound as scary as it really is. While watching the first people climb up and jump off didn't seem so terrifying until I was actually climbing up the little ladder I thought my heart was going to fly out of my chest. I shouldn't of looked down once I got to the top but of course I did.
The free fall was definitely a very challenging thing for me, but i'm glad I pushed myself to do it. I probably would never have done something like that back home. The two person rope course was also super challenging. Brooke and I were paired up and we had one little rope that held us together. It took a lot of communication and encouragement to make it through this course. I honestly did not think I could make it through the entire thing. My muscles in every part of my body were shaking and I felt so weak, but for some reason I pushed myself towards the end to finish the course. It was probably the hardest thing I accomplished during the whole trip. It did feel amazing to ring that bell at the end of the high ropes course though!
Looking back on the trip, i'm glad I had the opportunity to be apart of it. At first, I was really hesitant about going and kept telling myself I would just hate every minute of it. During the trip I tried to tell myself that every thing was fine and that I would survive in the end. I really challenged myself throughout the whole trip. Simply by sleeping in an open tent and all the way to the zip line and free fall. I'll admit I was very happy to be going home by the end of the trip. I think three days in the bush was enough for me for a while! My body was very happy once I showered and got some rest in once I got back.
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