World Challenge Borneo 2012

World Challenge is the original school expedition company who has over 7,000 students travelling on expeditions every year. Experienced teams embark on challenging expeditions around the world and young people have the opportunity to achieve personal and team goals and develop valuable skills such as teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and communication. Through teaching life skills and expanding minds outside the classroom, World Challenge expeditions provide a life-changing experience! In 2011 students at John Forrest were offered the opportunity to embark on a World Challenge tour of their choosing. The thrill of the opportunity saw over thirty students show an interest and meetings were organised to provide detailed information. Students and parents became aware at this point of the enormity of the preparation and the personal sacrifice that would be required to be a willing and contributing member of the team and the decision was made to go to Borneo. Six stu- dents (Amelia Trenaman, Callum O'Neill, Stephen Re, Bryn Roughan, Daniel Skafte and Brett Starling) have now fully committed to the tour and over an eighteen month period have been part of expedition planning sessions, fundraising events and a two day training expedition to develop expedition skills, ensuring that all participants will be prepared for the real thing. Students are required to raise $6,100 to cover the cost of equipment and associated costs of travelling abroad and our students have also committed to go beyond this amount so that they can contribute funds towards the project phase of the journey. Students leave for Borneo on 24 November for 30 days and the tour consists of four phases:

Acclimatisation

Students will arrive in the town of Miri and then travel to Lambir Hills National Park to allow for climate conditioning. They will then move on to the caves at Niah National Park, Borneo's most famous and impressive natural attraction.

Community Project

Students will be immersed in Malaysian culture and participate in community projects in the Kelabit Highlands based around the township of Bario.

Trekking

Students will experience the natural environment of the country through trekking along a remote highland adventure trail, the Kelabit Highlands. They will experience untouched natural jungle, sleeping in hammocks and extreme humidity, walking for over six hours per day for five days. They will also trek to the base of Mt Kinabalu and climb to the peak at 4095m above sea level. Altitude acclimatisation will be essential and the change in temperature from the jungle to mountain top is said to be quite remarkable!

Rest and Recreation

Students will visit Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Orangutan is literally translated to 'man of the wild' - perhaps this is why the students chose Borneo for their World Challenge! Students will also spend time at Sandakan Memorial Park learning about the POWs held there in the 1940s and will then head to Kota Kinabalu to buy a few Christmas gifts before flying home to Australia.