From the departure at Sydney’s domestic terminal to the nights under the Outback sky, their journey was filled with awe-inspiring landscapes, cultural insights and team-building activities.
The Red Earth Immersion Program aims to connect students with the heart of Australia, offering them a unique opportunity to engage with Indigenous cultures, explore remote landscapes and foster personal growth. By participating in immersive experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of the cultural heritage, traditions and daily lives of First Nations communities.
The program encourages teamwork, resilience and a broader perspective on life, helping students develop a greater appreciation for Australia’s diverse cultural and natural environment. This unique program is a key component of IGS’s integrated cultural learning, particularly for students looking to explore Aboriginal studies in later years.
Each day brought new challenges and discoveries, documented vividly by the students. Here are some highlights from their expedition, showcasing the spirit of exploration and learning that defined their time on this remarkable trip.
Check out the gallery and read their personal blogs.
Day 1 – Yulara
Group 1
We touched down in Yulara Airport, red dirt and shrubs as far as the eye can see. We were greeted by two Red Earth instructors who started by teaching us a few words in Pitjantjatjara language, such as “Palya”, which can mean either “Hello”, “Goodbye” or “Thank you”. Travelling by bus, we began our journey to Uluru where we were given a tour by an Anungu woman named Cecilia, and a translator named Miles. They told us the stories behind the physical formations of Uluru.
-Elliot Foxlee
After landing at Yulara Airport we made our way towards Uluru where we were greeted by Cecelias, who is an Anungu woman. She taught us about Uluru’s history and told us her stories. We learned words in Pitjantjatjara language. Palya is a word which means ‘hello’, ‘thank you’ or ‘goodbye’. Wati means ‘man’ and ‘minyma’ means woman. We set up our camp where we will later sleep under the bright stars. We made our way to the lookout where there was a vast review of the setting sun and the blue and orange colours in the sky that were reflected on Uluru.
-Katya Roseverne
After we landed in Yulara airport we got onto our bus “the red centre explorer” with our driver Anna and drove to Uluru where Cecelia and Miles told us the story “Kuniya” and about how the indigenous people interacted with Uluru. We got back on the bus again and arrived at our campsite. We set up our swags and then watched the sunset at a lookout with an amazing view. We also learnt some words in the local Indigenous language, e.g “Palya” which is used as a greeting and also as a way to say yes or ok.
-Zoe James-Brown
We all woke up bright and early to get on the long flight to Yulara airport. We looked out at the beautiful Uluru and the outback surrounding it. We walked a small way around Uluru, where we learnt some words in the local Indigenous language and learned stories about Uluru and the history behind it. The campsite was where we learned about how the camping would work and we were left surrounded by the dry air and the red dirt. We walked to the lookout and watched the sunset over Uluru, the colours and surrounding bush were breathtaking.
-Lucy Sulan
Group 2
We assembled at Sydney’s treacherous domestic terminal brimming with anticipation for the expedition ahead. Arthur and Scotty were the first victims of Airport Security. To sooth our woes we indulged in a pre-flight feed. With full bellies we rushed onto the plane and got as comfy as you can… on a plane.
We talked all the way over till we saw the great Uluru; breathtaking, an absolute gob dropper. We landed, grabbed our stuff and had a group photo in the heat. Once aboard our mighty Tonka truck steed we went to the Uluru cultural centre. We peeped around TRYING to stay quiet.
On the return trip to our camp we rounded Uluṟu’s base and took it all in. From there it was all cruisey, setting up our swags to face the starry night, making a delicious burger dinner and finally settling up around the campfire settling down for the night.
Day 2 – Kurku – The Journey Begins
Group 1
We woke up in a field of stars slightly earlier than the sun, feeling awed by the environment. We left Aṉangu country while most of us napped on the bus, leaving behind the dusty environment for a greener one. We watched as the sun rose and we said our goodbyes to Uluru until the end of our trip. We kept spirits high by singing along to our perfectly pre-made playlist. After many long hours of driving, we stopped for a bathroom break and were pleasantly surprised with a group of emus. We continued on until we reached our lunch spot, the site of the Finke River.
It was an educational and inspiring environment where we stretched our legs and ate our sandwiches. We continued on for a few more hours until we reached Alice Springs where we were greeted by gorgeous views of the plateau from Anzac hill. We listened intently to the Welcome to Country and learnt about the environment surrounding us.
We stopped at the Telegraph Station to stretch our legs before getting back on the bus for another two and a half hour drive. We had a very bumpy ride, but we were distracted by the bushland waving at us through the windows and the towering mountains watching over us. We finally arrived at the Atnarpa Homeland to be greeted by a superb sunset and a Welcome to Country from the Traditional Owners. We ended the day by basking under the unbelievable sea of stars while eating our chicken stir fry.
Today was a long travel day but that does not mean it was filled with boredom, today was about the journey not the destination and we managed to stay positive throughout the whole drive.
– Artie, Sam M, Alma, Isla and Connor
Group 2
We awoke to a dazzling dawn and marched up to a nearby lookout to watch the golden sunrise shine onto Uluru and light up the sky with a red undertone. A pallet of milky cereal awaited us as we were fuelled for our journey to the first homeland. Thanks to our champion bus driver Andrew, we bumped through sealed and unsealed roads of the Northern Territory to the eclectic soundtrack of Talking Heads, Solange and SZA.
We had a quick stop off at the Mt. Connor lookout, where a sea of salt captured our eyes from afar. We ventured on through the desert, the roads becoming less and less frequented as we progressed. Life is a Highway was hummed, indicating the group’s acclimatisation into adventure mode. The cabin of the bus was lively with music and singing, interrupted with the occasional scolding from the teachers when we got too loud.
Eventually, the smooth paved road turned away to a rough, red dirt track, and we stopped to gather firewood at half an hour to our destination. As we continued our journey to the treasured destination, we were forced to find other modes of entertainment such as: sleeping, drawing and journaling due to the tragic death of the speaker. Upon reaching Kurku, our group’s first homeland, we introduced ourselves to our warm and inviting hosts John and Paul whose hospitality was evidenced through broad smiles and a welcome to country/cleansing smoke ceremony.
Shortly after we set up our cosy swags and all settled in. The twins saved the day by cooking up everyone melty cheese toasties to ease the afternoon fatigue and energising us for the evening to come. We washed off and the cookers started cooking up a feast of chicken stir fry while the others had cosy conversations and fun games by the fire. After eating our delicious meals together we began writing this blog. Enjoy!
Day 3 – Kurku – Bacon, Bugs, Bushwalks and Spag Bol
Group 1
We woke up to a chilly morning with a beautiful sunrise and the birds chirping. After a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs, we started our journey through the bush by foot. As we walked through the bush we learned of the various bush foods like the mulga tree that was used to make spears, clapping sticks and digging sticks. There was also bush coconut, bananas and passion fruit which was delectable. The traditional owner Kylie showed us her old house and explained the history of the previous station owners and the reason behind some of the architecture. We went to a riverbed near the property and were explained how Aboriginal people were able to find clean water.
After the intriguing walk we sat under the shade and engaged in some water colour painting, led by Mikayla, Kayla and Kiara. Each painting captured the breathtaking landscape on the Atnarpa like the trees, mountains and bush. This calming activity helped us take in the beauty of the landscape.
From the water colouring we moved to creating bush medicine with Chante and Isabella where we grinded up Aromofula with coconut oil and beeswax-to make a green paste that was cooked above the fire and poured into containers to take home with us. The bush medicine is useful for arthritis, bruising and open wounds.
Our next immersive activity was jewellery making in the river where we pierced cumquat seeds, bean tree seeds, gum nuts with pieces of wire that were heated by the coals of handmade fires. However, it proved to be more difficult than we thought, so we didn’t successfully finish them besides a few seeds.
We came back to cold showers and played frisbee with the local kids. Afterwards, we journeyed to a fire where we learnt how to prepare kangaroo tails by singeing the fur and scraping the remains off.
Today was a really eventful and enriching day. We learned more about the land and the properties it possesses. We learned about the importance of the traditional customs and practices of the land and understood the importance of the land to the traditional owners.
Group 2
This morning, we woke up to the wonderful smell of bacon, eggs and crispy toast cooked on the fire. With our bellies full, our day bags packed, shovels and saws in hand and curiosity on our minds we ventured off into the bush. We stopped at a couple places to cut some wood that we would later use to make clap sticks then continued further into the wild as John led us to the witchetty grub headquarters. We hacked at trees for an hour before John led us to an area that was full of grubs. They were nestled in the roots of trees, feeding on the wood and soaking up the nutrients deep within the ground.
Chenelle ate a whole one raw, and Henry seemed to have a sixth sense for finding grubs pulling at least 5 out of the ground. Once we had found enough to share around, we cooked them up in the ashes from a fire made by John and indulged in the beautiful bug that tasted like egg yolk. We walked back to camp for some yummy ham, cheese and tomato toasties cooked on the fire, then we sat in a rectangle and carved our clapping sticks with the helpful words of wisdom from John. We used an axe to take off the bark and then sanded down the timber.
As the day started to wind-down and the sun started to set, some of the crew went to get firewood for the cool nights ahead, while the rest of the gang played some cards and the cooking group cheffed up some delicious spag bol. To end the busy, but fun day we all sat around the fire to enjoy the awesome dinner before playing a wonderful game of spotlight. Now we are writing this blog.
Day 4 – Rodna
Group 1
We woke up at 6:00 for a 7:00 am sunrise. We trekked up the path that the school before us built and peacefully watched the sun peak above the mountainous landscape in silence. We farewelled Kylie and her family and got onto the bus for a 2 hour journey to telegraph station, where we stopped for our pre-made sandwich lunch.
Then after that we drove for another 30 minutes to the site of John Flynn’s grave. We learnt about his efforts to bring safety to outback Australia through what is now the Royal Flying Doctors Service. We drove for another hour and a half before arriving at the Hermannsberg historical centre. There we visited a souvenir shop where we admired local artwork that depicted landscapes through dot painting, as well as watercolour paintings and prints of Albert Namatjira’s paintings.
We met Benji, the traditional owner of Rodna, and followed him along a very rocky and bumpy four-wheel drive road. During the drive we saw a cobblestone riverbed, an old, abandoned car and noticed changes in the landscape, like more water in the river beds and more greenery. Benji introduced us to the facilities at Rodna and then we went off exploring. We looked at the rusted cars, found the skeletal remains of what might be a lizard, played some card games and had a dance party.
Later Gavin and Jen arrived with the swags and we started getting the camp set up. Sam G started an excellent fire. We are excited to eat our dinner around it and hear some stories from Benji.
Day 5 – Rodna
Group 1
We woke up to meet the end of a vibrant orange sunrise after being awoken by a particularly noisy bird. The morning was slow with our excitement building for the day ahead. Our breakfast was delicious avocado toast with feta. As we did our final preparations for the walk, we were all looking forward to hearing Benji’s stories and seeing the landscape we are fortunate to be staying in.
After morning, we went on a 7 km hike. People were torn between being too hot and too cold. It was a lovely hike to get to a beautiful gorge. We were blessed with views of cliffs as high as the eye could see, filled with luscious greenery. The walk filled our shoes with coarse, rough sand as we learnt about stories from the past. We ate morning tea on the edge of the Finke River and we felt a sense of calm washing over us as we chatted and ate a healthy meal. We continued our hike as we gathered firewood for a welcome to country ceremony once we reached the gorge.
Whilst on our walk to get to our spot for the afternoon we had some stops along the way and Benji, a traditional custodian of the land, told us lots of information as well as some stories about the surrounding area and landscapes. One of the stories was about the wild dog, Benji’s totem, at one of the stops, Rodna, which is a place along the Finke River (the oldest in the world). Rodna means “Dog’s jawbone” and the homeland is named after this sacred place.
After a long journey through the bush, we feasted our eyes on a 500 million year old river. It stretched as far as the eye could see, while being surrounded by red, rocky mountain ranges on both sides. We were greeted by a smoking ceremony given to us by Benji. Once we finished, a few of us attempted to go swimming in the river, until we were hit with the fact that as hot as it may be, cold water and wind is too much for anybody to handle. We were in a part of Earth unaltered by society. It was a true privilege to have been invited by Benji, onto this sacred land, where we were taught of the rich history of his culture. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Before jumping onto the bus to get home, Benji told us about the seven dancing sisters and the trip they made from the stars, onto the earth and all throughout Australia. Once we got back, everyone settled into a relaxing afternoon, with fruit salad and a couple of games of Black Jack. Dinner was made, a delicious meal of sausages and salad. Then we all gathered around the fire to listen to Benji and ask him questions about the Dreamtime stories and the history behind the land. Then everyone said goodnight and settled into bed, excited for the next day. After hearing these stories today, we gained a greater appreciation for the intricacies of these stories and their connection to the landscape along with the people on it.