Former Gloucester High School student, Hayley Johns decided to set herself a challenge, heading out to sea for the very first time.

It all started while she was flicking through Facebook and she came across an advertisement for the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme. So, she applied.

Sometimes it’s little decisions that can change someone’s life; Hayley had never been on a sailboat and her only experience on the water was taking a Sydney ferry during a school excursion. 

So, applying to take part in a program, where she would be stuck out at sea for 11 days was well out of her comfort zone, but she did it and she wants to encourage others to do the same.

She got accepted and before she knew it, she was on a plane to Mackay to catch the boat with 23 other young adventurers aged between 16 and 23 years.

For Hayley, the whole experience was new, with the plane ride being the first time she had travelled on her own.

The experience, she said, was “challenging but rewarding.”

On July 20, Hayley boarded the STS Young Endeavour and set sail toward Airlie Beach.

Along the way, they stopped at many islands in the Whitsundays, taking time off the ship to swim and snorkel (another new experience for Hayley).

While on the ship, Hayley learned all about how the sail and maintain a ship. 

“It was all about personal development,” she said. “I gave everything a good.”

Hayley explained how one of her jobs was to climb the mast to make sure everything was good; an experience she really enjoyed.

Sometimes she was woken up in the middle of the night with a voice coming through the load speaker.

“’All hands on deck’, it said,” she laughed.

“We’ve have to get up and help turn the ship so we wouldn’t hit an island.”

On one of the last days, the running of the ship was handed over to the young endveaours and they were given a list of challenges for the day.

“I was in the galley,” she explained. 

“There were a heap of old bananas there, so I made banana bread.”

“Everyone keep saying how good it was.”

“I don’t cook,” she laughed. “So they must have been hungry.”

The sailing conditions were pretty ideal with only one rough night during the journey from Mackay to Airlie Beach. 

“I found it very peaceful at night,” she said.

Hayley admits that she prefers to have her feet on solid ground but she is really happy she’s had this amazing experience.

“It was about trying something different,” Hayley explained. 

“Pushing myself outside my comfort zone and challenging myself.”

“I encourage anyone, between the age of 16 and 23, to go for it.”

Hayley returned to solid soil on July 30 and finished her journey with a flight back to Sydney.

The Young Endeavour Youth Scheme is a not for profit organisation which provides young Australians with a unique, challenging and inspirational experience at sea. 

To sail with Young Endeavour you can apply online and enter the ballot. The ballot opens twice each year, in January and August

Further information regarding the scheme can be found on the website: https://youngendeavour.gov.au/.