Land, water and air challenges - four unique ways to celebrate a centenary

When many Scout Groups celebrate their centenary, they have an open day or a dinner.

At 1st North Sydney Scout Group, they came up with the 4x100 Challenge.

The challenge was developed by the Group’s Venturer Scout Unit to go on four adventures or activities across 2026 – one per term – starting with a 100m abseil, followed by a 100km hike, 100km cycle, and 100km canoe trip.

Venturer Scout Kartika said they did the 100m abseil in in the Easter school holidays near Blackheath in the Blue Mountains.

“It was definitely a character growth opportunity, with all of us – including the adults we later learned – stretching our comfort zones. We had never done an abseil much more than 50m before,” she said.

“There were only a few Vennies, so we could take our time throughout the day and really soak in the experience! During the morning we warmed up on a few 10-15m walls, while the actual site was being prepared. Thankfully, the setup consisted of two ropes, so (fellow Venturer Scout) Raph and I could abseil at the same time. After stepping off the edge, we discovered the cliff we were abseiling was in fact a considerable overhang – something I had never done before and definitely wouldn’t recommend for anyone afraid of heights!

“Lowering yourself in mid-air is a pretty scary experience, especially for me as I was totally afraid of heights. I think I scared myself out of my fear!

“As we descended, Raph and I repeatedly expressed the need to vomit, the awful feeling of the harnesses digging into our thighs, the way every time we looked at the (incredible) view, we would get dizzy – and not to look down, which, of course, made the other look down. But when we got to the bottom after our first attempt, we were so proud! Raph convinced me to go back up – ‘you have to do it again otherwise you’ll be too scared, come on!’ – and so we clambered back up the mountain. 

“On our second attempt, we were a little more confident. We knew what was in store for us, which was both a blessing and a curse! Escape (The Piña Colada Song) definitely helped, and we had gotten halfway down the cliff, singing, when to our surprise, a pair of black cockatoos literally swooped us, leaving a trail of raucous cries. Definitely the highlight of the experience. We now want to do it all again!”

As Term 2 rolled around, the Venturer Scouts turned their sights on the hike, deciding to tackle a 100km section of the Larapinta Trail in the Northern Territory.

The Patrol of seven Venturer Scouts supported by eight adults enjoyed two days of leisure in Alice Springs before beginning the hike, with Uluru and King’s Canyon both on the itinerary, as well as an astronomy tour.

Raph said the hike included many costs – flights, accommodation, park fees, and insurance.

“It adds up really quickly, as we learnt in the couple of months before the trip,” he said.

“So we reached out and applied for the Dick and Pip Smith Leadership Through Adventure Fund to help with the costs of the trip,” Kartika added.

“Raph and I filled out the request, sent it through after a few back-and-forth conversations on the spreadsheet reviewing accommodation, and eventually received the grant – on my birthday!

“The funds basically covered half of each person’s cost, so like the transfers from the airport, the accommodation, the transport…”

“And the food drops!” Raph said. “Because obviously we can’t be hiking for seven days straight with all our meals due to the weight.”

After researching the trail, the Patrol decided on a 100km section between Simpson’s Gap and Ellery Creek. They were expecting a physically challenging hike but could not wait to see of the views.

“The MacDonnell Ranges are known to be one of the most beautiful places in Australia, so obviously we need to see it at its best, for bragging rights,” Kartika said before the trip.

“We’re definitely lucky to have the tools and super supportive adults that have helped plan the hike. They are just as hyped as we are! I think it’s good we have a wide range of people coming – it just means there’s more people to talk to and a huge diversity in skills.

“We just recruited as many people as we could for the hike, and it varies from my mum and our Vennie Leaders to older Scouts and even Raph’s older sister!”

After many days out on the trail, putting in a collective effort to get through each day, each mental challenge and discovery new things, was it all worth it?

For Kartika, the answer is yes. She described the hike as a pilgrimage that spiritually grounded the Patrol with the simple rhythm of waking up, walking, eating, resting. Disconnecting from everything else and enjoying their time together made it feel sincere and deeply meaningful.

“We honestly expected Alice Springs to be dry and desert-like, but it turned out to be the greenest it’s been in 50 years,” she said.

“The hike surprised us too – we thought it would be easy because we all had plenty of experience, but it ended up being way more mentally challenging than we expected. We had moments where pushing through felt really tough, but our resilience ended up shaping us in ways we didn’t see coming.

“We all enjoyed different parts of the hike. Raph especially loved the second day, after he and Eric pushed up the gruelling high route onto the Chewings (from Tangentyere Junction to Millers Flat) – they got to wander through this canyon-like creek that opened up into a stunning view.

“I can definitely say my favourite part was getting to Ellery Creek Big Hole and having a well-deserved swim! Cold, but the best “shower” I’ve ever had. Another one of our favourite things was how friendly everyone on the trail was. People were always willing to help or have a chat.”

But hiking the Larapinta is not just about the great views or challenging yourself – it is also an opportunity to learn something. For the Venturers from 1st North Sydney – and their Leaders – they learned they are much stronger and more capable than they realised.

“The Larapinta pushed us, with the heavy packs, exposed mountains and merciless sun, but every challenge showed us what we’re capable of,” Kartika said.

“The silence of the landscape was incredible. Simple things, like having a very tired dinner at the end of the day, became what we were most grateful for. Finishing the hike was quite sad, but we were proud and grateful with the realisation that we did such a hard thing together.”

This is not the end of the line for the Group’s centenary activities. The Venturer Scouts are now gearing up to do a 100km cycle in the Southern Highlands during the October school holidays, followed by a 100km canoe journey in December. Not to mention keeping the fun going into 2027 with plans for a snow trek and a rafting journey!