VCE (YEAR 11 - GEOGRAPHY)
Join our Education Officers at Puffing Billy Railway to investigate the characteristics of tourism in the Dandenong Ranges. Students will examine:
- The location of the railway, its interconnectedness, and the impact the railway has on people, places, and environments throughout its history.
- Issues and challenges to tourism in the local area and to the railway.
- The impact of Puffing Billy Railway on the local, regional, and national environments, economies, and cultures.
Through the lens of ethical tourism, students evaluate the effectiveness of measures taken at Puffing Billy Railway to enhance the positive or minimise the negative impact of the railway on the surrounding environment. They investigate the growth of tourism at Puffing Billy Railway and examine management and techniques being used to ensure Puffing Billy Railway is environmentally, socially, culturally, and economically sustainable.
Students will use fieldwork techniques to gain statistical data from multiple information sources including Puffing Billy Railway staff, volunteers, digital images, streamed videos, and presentations. Students can use this information to inform a fieldwork report back at school, analysing the impacts of tourism at Puffing Billy Railway.
Curriculum links
Teacher & Student Resources
Puffing Billy Railway offers a range of pre- and post-excursion curriculum-linked resources to support teaching and learning in the classroom and at home. All resources are based around the topics of Energy/Force/Motion, Past and Present, Design and Technology and Biodiversity.
Changing Places
Maps in Motion
Train of Thoughts
Interpretation of Data at the Railway
Destination Design
Sus-train-ability
Socio-cultural signals
Fieldwork Investigations
Teachers are welcome to download this workbook for the students to use while they are onsite at Puffing Billy Railway.
- Sustainable Tourism at the Railway Workbook | Download
Program details and information
Belgrave to Lakeside
| Fare type | One way ^ | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Kinder, P-10 students* | $31.40 | $37.70 |
| VCE students* | $45.35 | $55.25 |
| Adult* | $46.35 | $59.40 |
*These discounted rates only apply during school terms and are not available during school holidays or on public holidays.
^ Note: Single Journeys require bus pick up from Lakeside or Menzies Creek.
PLEASE NOTE
- Guided Programs are led by Education Officer and include:
- A Puffing Billy train journey.
- An educator-led, curriculum-aligned, education workshop.
- An exploration of the natural environment.
- The Additional Teacher/Leader Rate includes train fare plus guided program.
- SPECIAL NEEDS GROUPS – Additional Carers charged at student rates.
Please note: Rates are subject to change without notice.
| Group Type | Teacher/Leader to Student Ratio |
|---|---|
| Special Needs Groups | 1:1 |
| Early Years | 1:5 |
| Primary | 1:10 |
| Secondary | 1:10 |
| Tertiary | 1:20 |
| Group Type | Teacher/Leader to Student Ratio |
|---|---|
| Special Needs Groups | 1:1 |
| Early Years | 1:5 |
| Primary | 1:10 |
| Secondary | 1:10 |
| Tertiary | 1:20 |
-
DURATION
Half Day (approx. 10.30 am - 2.30 pm)
-
AVAILABILITY
Monday - Friday during the Victorian School Terms
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LOCATION
OPTION 1 | RETURN JOURNEY
Meet the Education Officer at Belgrave Station at 10:00am for an 11:00am departure (approx. 1-hour journey). Disembark at Lakeside Station at 11:55am. Enjoy lunch, the Lakeside Visitor Centre, an Educator led workshop and the natural surrounds. Board Puffing Billy at 2:15pm and return to Belgrave Station at approx. 3:10pm.ÂOPTION 2 | SINGLE JOURNEY
Meet the Education Officer at Belgrave Station at 10:00am for an 11:00am departure (approx. 1-hour journey). Disembark at Lakeside Station at 11:55am. Enjoy lunch, the Lakeside Visitor Centre, an Educator led workshop and the natural surrounds. Depart on your school bus from Lakeside at 2:15pm. Other options can be scheduled. according to Puffing Billy Railway timetable.
Enquiries
Enquire about our guided excursions via our online form.
Please contact the Education team for any further questions by emailing [email protected]Â or calling 03 9757 0700.
