As part of Southland Girls’ High School’s Education Outside the Classroom programme, Year 8 classes take part in a camp to Deep Cove at Doubtful Sound in Term 3.  Each camp will be for 4 days and 3 nights.  The students will be accommodated at the Deep Cove hostel and will participate in activities such as tramping, fishing, and outdoor appreciation.

Dates: Students will attend camp with their homeroom class. The dates for each class are:

• 8AZ = Mon Sept 9 to Thu Sept 12
• 8LM = Thu Sept 12 to Sun Sept 15
• 8LL = Sun Sept 15 to Wed Sept 18L
• 8SH = Wed Sept 18 to Sat Sept 21
• 8HK = Sat Sept 21 to Tue Sept 24
• 8ND = Tue Sept 24 to Fri Sept 27

Departure: Students must be at school to help with the loading of gear at 9:00am. The camp will be departing at 9:30 am.

Arrival: Arrive back at Southland Girls’ High School at approximately 2.30-3.00pm. We will do our best to keep whanau informed of our return time via the school’s social media

Transport: Getting to Deep Cove is a four-stage process:

• Bus from SGHS to Manapouri
• Boat from Manapouri to West Arm
• The Manapouri Power Station is not open for public tours
• Coach from West Arm to Deep Cove.

We can pick students up and drop them off along the way; there must be a parent present.

The route taken by the bus company is:

1. State Highway 6 from Invercargill to Dipton via Winton
2. Turn left onto Dipton-Castlerock Road
3. Turn Left onto State Highway 94 heading toward Te Anau
4. Rest & toilet stop at Mossburn, 15-20 minutes
5. Turn left at Hillside-Manapouri Road

If you want your child picked up and/or dropped off along the way, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher.

Supervision: Each class will be accompanied by two SGHS staff members. A qualified Outdoor Instructor will also accompany every camp as part of our Risk Management Policy.

Attendance: As with all camps at Southland Girls’ High School, Year 8 Camp to Deep Cove is optional. If your child does not attend camp she will be expected to attend school.

Activities: Our Year 8 Deep Cove Camps are a hostel based camp situated at the head of Doubtful Sound deep in Fiordland National Park. The primary activities are an introduction to tramping, environmental awareness and appreciation, and team-building. Each day the class will set off on one of the nearby, iconic, traditional walks returning to the hostel each day. Other highlights include fishing from the wharf and on the sound in dinghies, and evening group activities.

Costs: $450.00 per student – this covers transport, accommodation, food, instructors, necessary equipment, and other incidental costs. Full payment due by Friday 23 August 2024

Parental Help: Deep Cove camps have proven to be very popular with parents and we encourage you to attend. However there is a limit on how many we can take and this varies from class to class. If you are interested in going with your child’s homeroom class to Deep Cove please email your child’s homeroom teacher for information on how to register. The cost for parent help at Deep Cove is $335

Cellphone: In line with the governments away for the day policy students are not to bring cellphones with them on camp.   

Equipment List: Click HERE for the equipment list. Please take special note of the clothing and footwear requirements as these are necessary for the Fiordland Weather.

Further Info: Students will be provided with further information in Term 3 by their homeroom teachers around topics such as an overview of the camp, camp rules and duties, menu, and caring for the environment.

Please Note: School procedures is full payment must be received by the due date for your child to be eligible to attend camp. If the payment and permission form is not completed by the due date your child will be withdrawn from attending camp. Once payment has been made and camp has commenced there will be no refunds.  Please Note: All payments will be allocated to any unpaid fees and charges on your child’s account first.

All students attending school camp must complete permission and health form below before their camp

This event contains risks, including hypothermia and fall/trip related injuries. This will be managed through planning and communication, including use of personal protective equipment, instruction on safe techniques, and the choice of sites that give students a suitable level of challenge. This event is jointly managed by Adventure Southland and school staff who will manage risk and hazards according to the school’s safety management plan. Adventure Southland instructors are qualified and trained in the activities they lead and they follow best practices for all activities, as well as adding a critical layer of risk management. While risks can be maintained to acceptable levels they cannot be totally eliminated.  Some risk is retained for its learning and experiential value.

It is important for safety reasons that students follow instructions given to them by all staff and follow all appropriate school rules. Behaviour by students that is deemed dangerous and puts themselves and/or others at undue risk will result in them being removed from camp at your cost and restricted access to future opportunities.

If you have any questions about this activity or you wish to come in to school to see our safety management systems, feel free to contact our Teacher in Charge, Mr Luke Nickholds at 03 2116030 or email luke.nickholds@southlandgirls.school.nz.