It will be a blast from the past for a group of travelling surf lifesavers next week and brushing up on classroom etiquette will be mandatory as they prepare to take the message of beach safety to regional NSW.
Almost 9,000 NSW country primary school students will get a taste of the beach in a fun and innovative manner as the 24th edition of the highly popular ‘Beach to Bush’ program gets underway.
This year the five-day annual program features 16 volunteer lifesavers who will leave the familiarity of the beach for a road trip to remember as they move through regional areas around the state to deliver their important safety messages.
From the biggest school on tour; Orange Public School boasting 662 students, to the smallest; Bribbaree Public School numbering just a dozen pupils the philosophy on beach education remains the same.
Over the years thousands of regional kids have been introduced to the basics of surf education and given tips on how to stay safe at the beach, and with many having only limited exposure to the ocean, it’s important that they are given this information ahead of the summer holidays.
Volunteer presenters come from a diverse range of surf clubs across NSW from as far as Brunswick on the Far North Coast and Broulee in the south. Although their experiences may be different they all share a passion for Surf Life Saving and are looking forward to sharing their knowledge while out on the road.
Surf Life Saving NSW Beach to Bush spokesperson Patria Harris is anticipating this year’s program to be bigger and better than ever.
“Beach to Bush has proved to be an effective educational program over many years, and I know it is something that sparks the imagination of both the presenters, and of course the children who get to hear from them,” Patria Harris said.
“Going on tour allows them to travel far beyond the beach to share their love and passion of lifesaving while also helping to spread the message of surf safety to the next generation.
“As a lifesaving community we passionately believe in educating all children equally, regardless of geography, and this will continue to be an important part of our strategy to keep everyone safe at the beach,” she said.
Some of the topics that will be covered during the presentations includes the role of the lifesaver, how to spot a rip current, what to do if you get into trouble at the beach and the different types of marine life that can be found along the coast.
The Beach To Bush Program, supported by ClubsNSW and the NSW Cancer Institute, is the largest and most innovative surf safety education program in Australia, having reached more than 270,000 primary school students since it began in 1994.
2017 Beach To Bush Tour Locations:
Tour 1: Tamworth to Weilmoringle
Tour 2: Canberra
Tour 3: Deniliquin to Jerilderie
Tour 4: Dubbo
Tour 5: Orange
Tour 6: Armidale to Gunnedah
Tour 7: Yass
Friday 17 November 2017