2023 Great South West Journey

The Great South West Journey (GSWJ) continues to define the pinnacle outdoor education experience here at BGS. Pushing young minds to explore the world beyond their comfort zones.

The program doesn’t merely offer a physical challenge but emphasises the significance of forging connections, embracing discomfort, and the transformative power of communal living.

Some boys emerge immediately transformed—more confident, emotionally resilient, and attuned to their personal capabilities. For others this will come in time as they reflect back on their achievements.

As the journey came to an end, students Liam Jones and Luca Claret share their experiences, offering a glimpse into the highlights and challenges of the program. 

Liam Jones:

Highlights
As we are coming in on our final day, it’s raining heavily we have wet feet. We reached the peak of the mountain, it was another feeling really, making it all the way to camp.

Challenges
Breaking my comfort zones, dealing with the little things. Having an ocean of sand in my hiking boots. Pushing yourselves through the tiny moments that all add up and make you a better person.

To future students, don’t skip out on this program because you will regret it forever. It’s a challenging program being away from home, probably more mentally than physically but once you do it, it’s very rewarding and sets you up for life. The best part is finishing something and just being so incredibly proud of yourself.

Luca Claret:

Highlights
Making bonds with new people, coming into this camp we knew each other but we didn’t really know each other that well, then over the last 12 days we’ve become very close and comfortable talking to each other, being as a group and working together. I thought this was really good and something I never thought I could do.

Challenges
After you get to camp and you set up, dealing with being bored. 3-4 hours in the afternoon you’re just waiting around for dinner or something to happen. Everyone struggled with that because when you’re at home you would just go on your phone to pass the time but here you can’t do that, so a couple of us have struggled with that. To overcome that I just tried to keep myself busy and help people.

As the GSWJ wraps up its eighth year, it leaves in its wake a group of individuals forever changed by the challenges they faced, the bonds they forged, and the lessons they learned in the heart of the outdoors. The transformative power of outdoor education continues to shine through, moulding these students into resilient, adaptable, and interconnected young individuals prepared for the journey that lies ahead. Congratulations to the year 9s, teachers, outdoor educators and senior leadership team for an incredibly successful 2023 GSWJ.

View the GSWJ Gallery.