Thursday the 28th of July saw a full busload of sixty form four boys on their way to Great Zimbabwe at 5.30am. The journey of approximately 3 hours gave the boys an opportunity to answer a questionnaire about geographical landmarks and places of interest along the way, it was an exercise in awareness and the winner of the quiz was gastronomically rewarded.

The purpose of the field trip was to expose the students to various practical exercises that are often presented in paper four of their Cambridge Geography O-level examination. Paper four is the alternative to course work paper. The students were divided into four groups and after completing a general map worksheet about Lake Mutirikwi, Great Zimbabwe and the surrounding area, each group set off to complete various exercises within the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site. The exercises were designed and monitored by four members of the Geography Department:

Mr A. Moyo (H.O.D): A study of the sphere of influence of Great Zimbabwe and the Great Zimbabwe Hotel.
Mrs N. Heymans: A study of physical and biological weathering within the World Heritage Site and an investigation of infiltration rates within different soil types of the area.
Miss A. Watson: A study of soil erosion within the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage Site.
Mrs D. Kelly: An investigation and rating of the tourist information and facilities at the World Heritage Site.

Data from all of the groups was collected and assimilated by the teachers on their return to the College and every boy in forms 4A, 4B and 4C was given extension work to complete for each field study.

Once the field work had been completed, the boys were given an opportunity to explore the surrounds of the area. A climb to the top of the Hill Complex provided them with a sense of the extent of the area and the magnificence of the construction. Many boys commented on the Museum and the interest factor therein. Most of the boys had never been to Great Zimbabwe prior to this field trip and in addition to being a worthwhile practical geographical exercise the field trip gave them an opportunity to spend time at a site that is such an important part of our Zimbabwean heritage.