After 15 years of hosting our Rite Journey Abyss Solo Camp at Bindoon, this year marked a new chapter for CBC Fremantle, one that led us to the tranquil surrounds of Manjedal. Following many site visits and careful consideration, we found in Manjedal a truly special setting: a place where tall trees provide welcome shade, birdsong replaces technology, and time itself seemed to slow down. 
At the heart of The Rite Journey program lies The Abyss Solo Experience, a profound opportunity for each student to pause, reflect, and look inward. For 18 hours, our Year 9 boys are immersed in solitude. They can see their peers in the distance, but there is no conversation, no devices, no distractions, only the company of their own thoughts.
It is in this quiet space among the trees that our students begin to consider who they are, and who they wish to become. Free from the noise of daily life, they are invited to listen to nature, to their inner voice, and to that small, steady sense of purpose that begins to emerge in silence.
When the period of reflection ends, the boys shoulder their packs and set off on a 16-kilometre hike through Manjedal's bushland. Along the winding firetracks, they learn another lesson, that growth often comes through shared challenge.
If my feet hurt, so do everyone else's. If my pack feels heavy, so does everyone else's.
It's a simple truth, but a powerful one. That we are not at the centre of the universe; that others walk their own paths of struggle and endurance beside us; and that empathy, humility, and resilience are essential companions on the road to adulthood.
Throughout the journey, the environment itself becomes a teacher. A fallen tree becomes a metaphor for life's obstacles, the fears, doubts, or pressures that block our way and test our determination to keep moving forward. A steep hill offers a lesson in perseverance and perspective, reminding us that the climb, though hard, leads to growth and a new view of what's possible.
Among the tall, mature trees, another reflection unfolds: the wisdom of those who came before us. Just as younger trees grow strong under the shelter of older ones, our students are reminded of the mentors, teachers, and family members who guide them and of the day when they too will become like those sturdy trees, offering support and strength to others.
These quiet hours of solitude, the shared kilometres, and the symbolic lessons drawn from nature are more than just part of a camp experience. They mark a significant moment in each boy's Rite Journey, a crossing from boyhood to manhood, from dependence to self-awareness, from self-focus to service.
As one sits among the trees at Manjedal, listening to the breeze on the leaves and the movement of the birds, it is easy to see why this place provides the perfect setting for this experience. It is a setting that nurtures reflection, courage, and connection. The qualities that define not only The Rite Journey, but the lifelong journey of becoming a true CBC gentleman.
Mr Adryan Winnan
Head of Student Leadership and The Rite Journey