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HRH visits his old school, Geelong Grammar, in Melbourne

3rd March 2005

The Prince of Wales enjoyed a game of air hockey with pupils as he reminisced about his schooldays during a visit to Geelong Grammar, near Melbourne.

In 1966, The Prince spent two terms at the remote outback Timbertop School, an annexe of Geelong Grammar.

His Royal Highness returned during his five-day visit to Australia to help the school celebrate its 150th anniversary.

Pupils were encouraged to take on a number of character-building activities at Timbertop which is set in the mountains, more than 100 miles north-east of Melbourne.

The Prince jokingly reminisced over his teenage experiences deep in the Australian bush.

Every weekend, the pupils went on camping expeditions, once walking 70 miles through the hills in three days, labouring under the punishing sun by day and shivering in a sleeping bag at night.

His Royal Highness said: “Seventy mile hikes - it was hell in those days - blood-soaked shirt from the rucksack on my back. I‘m not making this up. But I loved it.”

The Prince, during a toast, told guests at the school that he had little time to reflect while on his adventure.

“All I can recollect is thinking ‘I‘m bloody well bushed,” he said.

His Royal Highness learned how to throw a boomerang on a farm, once hitting himself on the head, slipping and landing in a cow pat.

During the visit, The Prince was reunited with his roommate of 30 years ago, Stuart McGregor. When they met they were both 17 and acted as mentors to the younger pupils.

Mr McGregor said: “Timbertop was a very invigorating place ... everyone was pushed.”

The Prince went on the exchange programme while taking a break from Gordonstoun, ahead of his A levels.

The Prince visited the main Geelong School, where he was today, several times for tutorials.

Byron Frost, 17, who attends the school, showed The Prince around Cuthbertson, one of the boys boarding houses, where His Royal Highness briefly stayed.

Byron said: “He remembered there was a veranda, where there is now a wall, and they used to sleep out in the open. He said how sometimes it was a hard place.”

During his visit, The Prince enthusiastically took part in a game of table air hockey with pupils, cheering when he scored a goal and exclaiming: “Anybody else want a challenge?”