THEY’RE coming back for another Easter invasion.
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And there’s hundreds of them.
It’s not the Easter Bunny we’re talking about here — it’s Scouts and their handlers.
Over the Easter break the Dragon Skin challenge returns to the Newnes State Forest with over 1000 young people — with several hundred more support staff — taking the challenge in a four-day outdoor event.
Dragon Skin is an annual four-day orienteering and initiative challenge completed by Venturer Scouts, Guides and Duke of Edinburgh participants aged 14½ to 18.
They will be supported by 700 adult members of Scouts Australia from all over NSW and the ACT with members travelling from as far as Albury and Byron Bay.
The young Aussies will spend four days and three nights from next Friday to Easter Monday in five to seven person teams navigating the bush terrain and completing a range of challenges set by the Scout organisers to earn points.
The team with the most points wins the event and takes home the coveted Dragon Skin.
The Scouts and their friends learn important teamwork skills in an environment designed to test their ingenuity, problem solving and survival skills.
These young Aussies are entirely self-sufficient and are required to carry all their own food, water and gear for the event.
At night time they converge at one of four locations in the bush known as Venturer Overnight Camps (VOCs).
This year’s night entertainment includes a live band, sets mixed by numerous local DJs, Poi performance art, high rope and flying fox activities and more.
Each year the Dragon Skin event is themed with all activities and challenges designed around it.
This year’s theme is “Lost Cities” and is inspired by the stories of both real and mystical lost cities and civilisations.
Members of the public are advised that access to some areas within Newnes State Forest will be restricted over Easter.
The Dragon Skin has focused on the Newnes forest and the Vulcan forest near Oberon several times over recent years.
Most of the visitors arrive each time by chartered train then travel in a fleet of buses to the camp site.