North East Wilderness Leadership Program

The Selection Process

"I had feelings of joy and excitement when I was picked, just to get up and go for it. I think this was because of the hard selection process. After doing the Bogong walk I was really hoping that I would be picked!"

"It was a good feeling to get selected. We had to attend a training day at the army which was tough. I then got this big letter at school. I was as happy as. It was a big thing to me."

Did you see being chosen for the camp as a type of reward or punishment? "When I started, in my mind it was a punishment but once I persisted with it I thought it was great!"

Has the camp made you respect people more, physically and emotionally?

“It has taught me that some people are more fragile than others and sometimes they need space. I also learnt that if you push people too hard they will crack.”

“It has mostly helped me respect my family more"

Has the program changed the way you think about yourself as a person? “Yes it has, I used to think that when anything hard came along I would try to get out of it.  Now I think back to the hard stuff that I have done and it makes things seem a lot easier.  So it has helped my work ethic.”

Post-Program Participant Testimonials

"Attending the program was a life-changing experience. I have improved my leadership skills a lot, especially with people younger than me. I am better at communicating with other people and I feel I grew up a lot."

"Don't stand back in life - go and have a go."

"To be honest, I thought it would be just another long walk, but it was much more than that. The first couple days were probably the hardest. We bonded in the first couple days when we realised we had to stick together and help each other out. I have learned how important it is to have other people around me. It is something I would definitely do again."

"I thought the best part was the start when we were at the Howmans Gap Alpine Centre, where we did rock climbing, flying fox and other activities. And I learned over the whole program that I can anything if I put my mind to it. I surprised myself, well and truly, and learnt a lot about co-operation inside a team."

"I am glad that I went because it was a good experience and I learnt a lot about teamwork and pushing through to overcome challenges."

"Meeting new people and hanging around with a good bunch of boys was the best part of the trip. I learnt to listen to other people before making up my mind. And doing the activities at Howmans Gap was awesome."

Parent Observations

Mother of Participant says "my son has since been a lot more enthusiastic about life. He seems to want to volunteer for a lot more things."

Parents say "They have noticed changes in their son and commented on it to each other. There hasn't been a huge amount, but every once in a while we get these flashes of brilliance, where he can see things that need doing and goes ahead and does them without being prompted."

Father of participant says "I think it was a great chance to do some peer group bonding and get away from all the rubbish that society has, like television and media and everything else, and get out there and have to rely on one another. Also the physical side of it, the exercise, and getting to know each other better, without the technology; the TV's, videos, phones and all the rest."

Mother of participant says "since the trip her son as matured noticeably."