DoE Gold Practice Journey

DoE Gold Practice Journey

The final frontier, Gold brings together all your hard work, persistence and dedication from Bronze and Silver. Tapping into your adventurous spirit on a whole new level, it will be up to you and your teammates to plan and lead an extended expedition in its entirety. Are you ready for the challenge?

The stepping-stone to the qualifying journey, the Gold practice journey is a three-day, two-night adventure in New Zealand. Bound to push you further than ever before with new challenges and terrain at every turn, the Gold practice journey tests all the knowledge you’ve acquired so far. Your experience from Bronze and Silver will be like second nature to you, so expect these to shine through. But the new Gold training skills will need flexing, so don’t miss this opportunity. Tune in, stay focused, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a confident adventurer and ready for your final expedition.

The result of hard work, persistence and dedication. Welcome to the final and best chapter of The Duke of Edinburgh Award. Participants will plan and lead the expedition in its entirety. Take on the role of leadership and responsibility to get out on adventures at a whole new level.

To see us in action, click here 

16+ years old

Pre-requisites: Silver Qualifier

Dates and locations: You choose

Duration: Four days / three nights.

Other Adventurous Journeys

Occasionally, a significant expedition or exploration involving extra innovation, creativity and challenge may take place. In such circumstances, the advice and agreement of a Group’s or Unit’s Operating Authority is required to proceed. The only additional stipulation is that all participants must be aged 18 or over. It is also the case that significant Adventurous Journeys - such as scaling a Himalayan peak - would require the advice and assistance, usually at cost, of an external provider such as a reliable expedition company.

Examples of explorations and expeditions

• Exploring the natural world: glaciation, erosion, geology, coastal
studies, river valleys, plant studies, bird studies or animal studies,
insect studies
• Exploring historic land use: prehistoric man, historical periods
• Exploring human impact: visitor pressure in national parks,
pollution monitoring, surveys of numbers of walkers in remote areas
• Carrying out health surveys or health education in remote areas
• Completing a demanding journey by foot, cycle or canoe/ kayak
• Investigating group dynamics in challenging conditions
• Kayaking the entire navigable stretch of a river

• Extensive sail across an ocean
• Climbing an Alpine, Himalayan or other high mountainous peak
• Cycling from one end of a country to another or from coast to coast

Gold adventurous journey practice topics:

• Environmental care:
  • Water Code (DOC),
  • The spirit and content of the High Country Recreational Users Code.
• Leadership:
  • Control and responsibility,
  • Search and rescue structure and practices [land or marine]
• Trip planning:
  • Planning a trip of three or more nights’ duration, to include some areas above bushline,
  • Safety Management and Expedition forms,
  • Understanding weather maps.
• Clothing:
  • Clothing and foot wear for snow conditions.
• Equipment:
  • Equipment for snow country,
  • Packing for longer expeditions and snow country,
  • Use of mountain radios.
• Stoves and fuels:
  • Lighting a stove in adverse weather conditions,
  • Lighting an emergency fire.
• Food:
  • The importance of adequate eating on arduous expeditions; know food to include, and choose emergency rations,
  • Cooking in adverse weather conditions (snow, rain).
• Campcraft:
  • Camping in exposed areas above bushline and in snow.
• Map reading:
  • Further training and practice in advanced map work appropriate to the journey to be undertaken.
• Compass use:
  • Finding location using 3 bearings,
  • Understanding of direction finding at night.
• Route finding:
  • Using animal tracks in the bush,
  • Travel above bushline on tussock, screes and snow.
• Water safety:
  • Advanced mutual support crossing methods,
  • How to recover if swept away.
• Survival / loss of route:
  • An overnight camp in an improvised shelter.
• Outdoor first aid:
  • CPR – adult, child, infant,
  • Recognition and treatment of dehydration, muscle cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, hypothermia, frostnip,
  • Common patient carries eg, two and four hand seat, use of sleeping mats,
  • The evacuation of patients with serious injuries
• Explorations:
  • Observation, survey and recording techniques applicable to final venture,
  • Use of related equipment.

Where necessary, two levels can be on the same journey, provided each participant meets the minimum requirement for the higher Award level.

All practice and qualifying journeys at all levels should be on tracks that have not been used for a previous journey.

How to sign off completed Adventurous Journeys using ORB

Firstly access the Online Record Book (ORB), here

Then, follow the sign-off information, here

Apply for NCEA credits while doing your Duke of Edinburgh Award

GOLD AWARD - NZQA Unit Standards Level 3
• Communicate with people from other cultures – 2 credits (1304, v.9)
• Speak to a known audience in a predictable situation – 3 credits (1307, v.8)
• Read texts to research information – 4 credits (2990, v.7)
• Contribute within a team or group which has an objective – 3 credits (9681, v.7)
• Give feedback on performance in the workplace – 3 credits (9705, v.7)
• Listen actively to gain information in an interactive situation – 3 credits (11097, v.5)

Includes:

One staff

Staff carry:

• First Aid Kit
• Personal Locator Beacon (PLB)
• Emergency shelter
• Repair kit

Excludes:

Transport

Check out our booking tab, click the book now button or fill an enquiry here.

No details found.

Clothing and Equipment list for the Duke of Edinburgh Award

First Aid kit

Pack

Pack liner

Pack rain cover

Day pack / mission bag

Sleeping bag

Sleeping bag liner

Sleeping mat

Matches/lighter

Cutlery

Knife / multi tool / swiss army knife

Tent / Shelter / Fly / Bivouac

Poles

Wind and Waterproof Jacket

Wind and Waterproof Pants

Insulation (fleece, down, synthetic)

Bottom layer (polypropylene)

Vest

Beanie

Wide brimmed leather hat

Neck scarf

Cooker and fuel

Compass

Map

Boots, gaiters, camp shoes

Socks

Watch

Binoculars

Torch

Pot

All of the above is available to rent / hire or buy