Transcript:

Good evening. My name’s Jennifer Hill and I’d like to welcome you all to this introductory session on Survival of the Fittest. Due to last-minute changes, you may have found it a bit difficult to find this meeting hall. We apologise, but ... consider it your first survival test! As you know, the real survival begins on Friday night at 5 p.m., but tonight we’re meeting together for the first time for three main reasons: 1) to give you a bit more information about the survival weekend; 2) so that you can ask any last-minute questions; and finally, to give us all a chance to get to know each other.

So, you’ve all been sent information about the course, and many of you will already have corresponded with myself or my colleague David and have a pretty good idea of what’s in store. It is, as you know, a three-day programme. We’ll be arriving back in Sydney at about 3 p.m. on Monday, exhausted but satisfied!

In the literature you’ve received, there are several items that we request that you bring with you. Since these are quite crucial, I’d like to briefly mention them again. Please do bring a warm sweater – even though it’s summer, it can get quite cool in the mountains. Also, it’s essential that you bring strong walking boots, as well as a pair of trainers that you don’t mind getting wet.

Having said that, you will be carrying your backpacks for several hours a day so it’s important not to overload them with extra clothing and non-essential items, such as your favourite novel. And there are no shops or cafés in the wilderness to spend your cash on, so you can leave your wallets behind.

You don’t need to bring sleeping bags or tents – we provide those. We also provide all food and water for the three-day trip, and cooking facilities. So there won’t be too much to carry!

Finally, please make sure if you haven’t yet returned your health information form, that you complete it now and give it to me or one of the other instructors. We have spare copies here for anybody who needs them. It is critical that we are aware of any health issues or allergies that you might have to ensure that your health is sufficient to participate in this programme and that our staff are briefed on any physical limitations or special dietary requirements. All our instructors receive rigorous first-aid training and carry emergency medical supplies, so be rest assured that you are in safe hands.

Now, that’s all the last-minute info from me, but what about you? Does anyone have any questions they’d like to ask?