The young women and men, all aged 15 to 18 years, were selected to participate in Peer Group Mentor training, for a South Australian charitable organisation, Operation Flinders Foundation, a world leading wilderness adventure program for young offenders and young people at risk.

Peer Group Mentors are graduates of the Operation Flinders program. Following further training, such as the Kangaroo Island trip, Peer Group Mentors help other ‘first-timers’ who are going through what they once did.

Kylie Pointon, Operation Flinders ‘New Directions’ Manager was one of three adults who accompanied the group of 17 on their action packed trek to the top of Prospect Hill, to Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch, Kelly Hill Caves, sand boarding at the Little Sahara and kayaking along the Harriet River. The group also spent one night camping on a private property at Cape Hart.

“Usually Peer Group Mentors would do their training in the Flinders Ranges, but this time we decided to come to the island because there were two volunteer graduates from KI, and also to reward our volunteers by giving them a chance to work on their leadership skills in a region of South Australia they had never visited before,” Ms Pointon said.

The two day Kangaroo Island trip, 23 to 25 January, allowed the group to spend some intensive time together while developing inter-personal skills, personal responsibility and learning to look out for the well being of the whole group.

Set up in 1991 by Pamela Murray-White, a teacher and former army officer, Operation Flinders was honoured in 2008 as one of only six out of 67 national project entries to win an award for Australian Crime and Violence Prevention.

“Our time on the island was a very positive experience and we are grateful to the people of Kangaroo Island for helping us visit those amazing sites and to Sealink for subsidising our fares,” Ms Pointon said.