DARIA and the IDEA book ­one: the camp - by Heather A. Gordon

Daria already knows how this will go.

Four days at the Lake Bonney camp. No phones. No leaving. Stuck with people she doesn’t trust, doing activities that don’t matter. Fishing. Kayaking. Environmental work.

Just something to get through.

At FLO, she’s learned the system. Show up. Stay quiet. Don’t expect anything to change.

But the camp doesn’t unfold the way she expects.

Out on the lake, and along its edges, things begin to shift. Not through big moments or forced lessons, but through doing. Watching. Noticing. The way water moves. The way systems connect. The way small actions carry further than they should.

It’s not dramatic. It’s not instant. But it’s enough.

Back in the classroom, the feeling doesn’t disappear. It follows her. Builds. An idea begins to take shape, unfinished, uncertain, but hers.

Daria and the Idea: book one: the camp is a South Australian story about alternative education, quiet resilience, and the power of practical learning to spark change.

This is not a story about transformation.

It’s about the moment before it.

The moment you stop opting out.

Acknowledgement

Acknowledging working on Ngaiawang, Ngawait, Nganguruku, Erawirung, Ngintait, Ngaralte, Ngarkat Country in the Mid Murray region for the locations of this story and Ngadjuri, Peramangk, Kaurna Country in the Barossa region.

About the artwork

Nicola Kngwarraye Butler

“Nicola Kngwarraye Butler’s artwork for DARIA and the IDEA book one: the camp captures far more than a river scene. Through colour, texture and movement, Nicola stepped deeply into the heart of the story, understanding not only the activities of the camp, but also the emotional connection between children, river country and the creatures who live beneath the surface. Her portrayal of Clarke the Cod is especially striking, wise, watchful and full of quiet character, bringing Clarke to life in a way that feels both insightful and deeply respectful of the Murray River environment. Nicola’s art invites readers to pause, look closely and enter Daria’s world before the very first page is turned.” Heather Gordon May 2026

View Nicola’s art work here: Nicola Kngwarraye Butler