Wanderee takes place in the Blue Mountains area of Mt Wilson / Mt Irvine. Scouts camp in and around a nut orchard at a picturesque area overlooking the Sydney Basin. This year activities are designed to ensure that the event is reflective of the New Youth Program.
About Wanderee
Wanderee is an opportunity for you to learn how to prepare for a bushwalk and successfully navigate a route that your Patrol has planned. You will navigate to Activity Point where you can undertake interesting/fun badge work. It is a Patrol based activity and all Scouts must be part of a Wanderee Registered Patrol.
Wanderee is held at Mount Irvine in the Blue Mountains and in the adjoining Wollemi National Park. As part of a Patrol you will camp for the duration of Wanderee at your designated “Sleep Point”. This is where you will pitch your tent and cook your meals for the duration of the camp.
Map Reading and Navigation training is a compulsory component of Wanderee. Once Leaders are satisfied that you can plan a hike, you undertake a “practice” hike with your Patrol to the Tessellated Pavements (to the north of Mt Irvine). At the “Pavements” you can observe aboriginal engravings. This is about a 2½ hour return hike.
Before departing for each day’s activities, your PL will submit a “Route Plan” showing which activities you plan to visit and details of the route you plan to follow. This Route Plan will be checked by a Leader and once given the OK; your Patrol is free to leave your Sleep Point. Your planned route is recorded and at each Activity Point there is a system in operation to track your progress throughout the day. You may need to walk for up to 1 to 1½ hours between Activity Points and typically you will be at an Activity Point for two hours. You will carry a Day Pack with your lunch and other necessary provisions for the day.
Activities you can undertake might include: Bushcraft; Emergencies; Construction; Fire Awareness and Campcraft. Your Patrol decides what Activity Points you want to visit and in what order. You are able to nominate the level you want to complete badge work. Leaders at the Activity Points will be prepared to accommodate all levels of the award scheme. There are many opportunities for Scouts to socialise and depending on the weather there is a campfire on the Saturday night.
An integral part of the program is the opportunity to provide some community service in appreciation for the landowners allowing us to use their farms. This year it is hoped that Scouts will participate in a program to help regeneration of the rainforest destroyed by recent bushfires.
Your Sleep Point will be located in a paddock on private land. Cooking is done at communal fire drums which afford good social interaction. In case of poor weather, a minimum of two kitchen/dining flys and BBQs will be provided. In addition, a central camp wash-up will be provided for use by all Scouts.
Each patrol is responsible providing it’s own food. Your Sleep Point and the more remote Activity Points will have an adequate number of portable toilets. There is a toilet at the Mt Irvine Community Hall and we also have access to toilets in private dwellings. COVID rules current at the time of the event will be adhered to. You should bring a spare pair of shoes that you do not mind getting wet, for example, Volley sandshoes. Spare socks should also be brought along. If the weather is forecast to be wet, gumboots could be a useful addition to your normal wet weather gear!
What about Refunds and Cancellations…
In the event of a person withdrawing from your Patrol after the closing date as listed in the information for Wanderee, refunds will not be made except in exceptional circumstances, and then only at the discretion of the Wanderee Co-ordinators. Arrangements should be made by the Patrol to substitute a new Patrol member and amending the Patrol registration of any updates to Patrol members. Withdrawing your registration before the closing date receives a total refund.
If the event is cancelled prior to the registration closing date, full refunds will be made. If the event is cancelled after the registration closing date, then the organisers will refund to applicants the maximum amount available after all non-cancellable expenses have been paid. Cancellations close to the event date would normally only be made due to severe weather conditions. In the event that a Total Fire Ban is in place over the area of the event, then the event would continue but with restricted cooking arrangements. In the event that there is an Extreme Fire Danger declared then the event would be cancelled.
Philip Cooper
Wanderee Coordinator
0404 801 220