Teen Hike 20-22 January 2025 Monday to Wednesday.

Monday to Wednesday.

Know any teenagers that would benefit from a few days hiking through the base of the Barrington Tops?

Then great if you can let them know about this two night hike starting from Wangat Lodge. Finishing at ‘Faraway’. The distances will be fairly short overall, the terrain will have some challenges and the places we will go, are terrific.

Immersed in the majestic Barrington Tops Wilderness Teens will experience spectacular views, pristine waterfalls and swimming holes and the joy of camping with a small group of peers. It will be an opportunity to try new things and practice skills such as packing, hiking, navigation, tying knots, erecting tarps, building a fire, cooking, bird language, plant identification and carving.

Indirectly they will also flex and develop their leadership and teamwork skills such as self-confidence, overcoming challenges, initiative, resilience, working cooperatively with others and effective communication. While there will be epic challenges to overcome there will also be some time out to relax, play, have fun, and share stories and games around the campfire.

Most importantly by the end of the hike teens will have made new friends, will feel part of a team, will have ascended beyond their limits and will hopefully be beaming with a sense of accomplishment and a few more bush skills up their sleeve.

Hiking pack, raincoat, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, water bottles (2L capacity), snacks.

A detailed packing list will be provided when you sign up.

Let us know if any hiking gear is needed – as we can provide tents or hire other equipment.

Arrival

This hike is running off the back of our Wild Village Camp at Wangat Lodge so some Teens may continue their stay directly from the camp. Teens can also arrive on the Monday.

For those joining on the Monday, they can either be dropped off directly at Wangat Lodge at 1pm or they can catch the train to Dungog and we will organise a pick-up from the station.

After 1pm, we will gather, meet and greet, sort out gear and food and then start the hike. The first day is a short walk with a swim opportunity on the way.

Day 2

We hike through tall forest and rainforest with plenty of opportunity for exploring, swimming, games, practicing bush skills to finish with a cosy camp spot near a waterfall. We finish with an evening around the fire, cooking, chatting and maybe do a night challenge or game depending on the energy of the group.

Day 3

We have a short hike out after a morning swim to finish by 11am. Those catching the train, will be dropped off. Others can be picked up on site at 11am or picked up from Dungog around 12pm.

Start: Wangat Lodge, 1938 Chichester Dam Road Bandon Grove

Finish: 253 Wangat Trig Road, Bandon Grove.

Note: This is screen free fun as I am sure soo many Teens are sick of having to chat with their friends through a screen :). Phones and devices will be put in a safe and returned at the end of the hike. We will have a camera for taking photos.

Why only 2 nights? We would like this hike to be accessible for people of all abilities so we thought we would start with something simple and short, that is still challenging and fun. Happy to run longer programs in the future if there is an interest.