Over 2024, the Three Rivers Girl Guides Unit worked to fundraise for our Tassie Adventure which would take place early January 2025. From Bunnings Sausage Sizzles to Lamb Tastings and High Teas, the Guides raised around nine thousand dollars!
We spent many meetings and sleepovers throughout the year planning and researching activities for the trip, and by November, we had an itinerary and budget in place. On Saturday 4 January 2025 the Three Rivers Girl Guides boarded the plane, excited for the Tasmanian adventure ahead.
We visited Tasmania for a week, where we stayed at two different Girl Guide campsites in Hobart and Launceston. For the first three nights we stayed at Orana, a local Girl Guide camp near Hobart, in glamping tents.
On the second day, we hiked up Mount Nelson and enjoyed the view of Tasmania’s coast while we ate our lunch, before heading off to the Cascades Female Factory. We learned about the history of Tasmanian female prisoners and the hardships experienced by not only the women, but also the children, who suffered under the harsh conditions of the labour and cell life. Later that day, our Unit met with the local Waverley District Guides and Leaders at Orana for a BBQ and a campfire, exchanging badges and gifts for one another. We taught our Perth versions of songs while they exposed us to some of their unique Tasmanian (and African!) Guide songs. After a long evening of singing by the fire, we closed the campfire and roasted some marshmallows while we conversed with the fellow Guides before parting ways.
The following day we had a day out at Port Arthur, where we gained more knowledge about convicts in Tasmania and broke off into patrols to explore the historical buildings and enrich our understanding of convict life. Afterwards, the Guides took a ferry to the Isle of the Dead and went on a guided tour of the small island containing the graves of the deceased prisoners. After a few stories (some being quite hilarious!), we headed back to Orana to get a good night’s rest before we would pack up the next day.
After we packed up, we drove 2.5 hours to Nindethana, another Girl Guide campsite, 20 minutes from Launceston. Along the way to Launceston, we stopped by the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary and went on a guided tour, where we saw native Australian and Tasmanian wildlife such as kangaroos, Tassie Devils, echidnas, wombats and much more. We also stopped in the town of Perth, Tasmania! As soon as we unpacked in Nindethana, we met with the local North Western Guides and Leaders to enjoy some tacos and homemade pavlova made by one of the leaders visiting us, afterward exchanging badges and gifts. The local Guides gifted us some of their homemade shortbread, along with handmade bracelets and cards.
On the 8th, we drove to Bridport and tried SUP Yoga for the first time with more local Guide Leaders, afterward visiting a lavender farm on the way back, where the Guides tried some fabulous lavender ice cream. We returned to Nindethana, which was followed by a well deserved rest in the afternoon.
The next day we drove to Cradle Mountain. We hiked around Dove Lake and had our lunch, enjoying the spectacular view of Cradle Mountain from the edge of the glassy lake. After another hike at Cradle Mountain, called Snake Hill, we headed back to the visitor centre and explored the shop after getting an ice cream to cool us down. We arrived back late afternoon to make dinner and have a quiz night before packing our bags ready to return to Hobart for the final night in Tasmania.
On the way back to Hobart, we went to the Treetops Adventure in Hollybank where the Guides got way out of their comfort zone, navigating high ropes courses through Tasmanian forest. From there we drove down to Hobart for the final night.
The following morning, we prepared our bags ready for the airport and headed to the Salamanca Markets, at the heart of Hobart beside the river Derwent. The markets were filled with rows of homemade goodies from jewellery to spoons to food, as well as a massive car show with a range of traditional cars. After the expedition to the Markets, where the Guides bought gifts and lunch, we went to the airport and flew home.
The 2025 Tassie Adventure couldn’t have happened without our fabulous volunteer leaders, Miranda and Sonya, for their contribution and planning towards making this amazing trip happen! Their work and dedication has not gone unnoticed, so on behalf of the Three Rivers Unit we would like to thank these two amazing women for their tremendous efforts and excellent commitment towards making us a memorable trip we won’t forget for our lifetime to come. We would also like to give a shout out to the two amazing volunteer leaders Ella, who became a leader on the trip, and Enfys, for agreeing to help out and take care of us during the trip. We wouldn’t have had such an wonderful experience without all these brilliant leaders.
Written by Heidi Yaeger and Samantha White from Three Rivers Girl Guides
