Education

‘Dig the Tropic’ – an exciting destination suitable for groups, where students are able to visit geo-tourism attractions, and get their ‘hands on’ experience at a number of unique locations. The region offers numerous opportunities to get-up-close with the natural environment, uncover the fascinating geological history of this ancient land, and enjoy modern facilities suitable for group needs & budgets.

Reasons why you should make the trip with your Students

Top 3 unique ‘Dig’ things to do with student groups:

  • ‘Dig’ for Dinosaurs: Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways (via Winton) and the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, Winton

  • Opal and sapphire fossicking: Opalton, and Rubyvale in the Sapphire Gemfields

  • Ancient underground caves exploration: Capricorn Caves

Destination‟s benefits for student groups:

  • Unique attractions, fascinating destination, and topics suitable for school and university subjects

  • Easy to access by land – bus, private vehicles, mostly sealed roads, no traffic problems

  • Safe destination for students – wide-open spaces, no “distractions” (ie. no large city locations); easy to facilitate supervision

  • Suitable accommodation options for group needs Services, accommodation and tour attraction costs are suitable for groups on a limited budget

Curriculum Topics

Dig the Tropic is a world leader in geo-tourism – defined as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents”. This means, not only will Dig the Tropic offer a great school and student group destination, it will also provide educational outcomes to complement primary and high school curriculums and university courses in the fields of the geo-sciences, social sciences, history, the natural environment, and „people and places‟ subjects.

Suggested educational topics or projects include:

  • Geology – the formation of local fossils, opals and gemstones; where they are found

  • Science/s – geography of the unique National Parks in the region

  • Palaeontology

  • Dinosaurs – the rise and fall of Winton’s dinosaurs

  • Volcanos – volcanic plugs and lava flows/eruptions in the region

  • Ancient cave systems – Mt Etna Caves National Park, Capricorn Caves

  • History – historical and geological time-line; Teutonic Plates;

  • Tropic of Capricorn

  • Flora and Fauna – National Parks (birds, reptiles, insects, mammals, marsupials; vegetation)

  • Unique geographic sites – Great Barrier Reef, Capricorn Caves, Carnarvon Gorge; how they were formed; discovery and history of major geographic sites

  • Indigenous history – local sites and Aboriginal history; Dreamtime stories (Blackdown Tableland National Park), Carnarvon Gorge

  • The Great Artesian Basin – geo-history of the Artesian basin and the formation of ‘jump-ups’.