5 /6 Camp

Our 5 /6 students presented at assembly last week to share their camp experiences:

Betty: Introduction 

Last week the year 5/6 students went to Allambee camp for 3 days and 2 nights. The Year 5/6 students are now going to tell you all about it!

George: Bus Ride 

Stepping onto the bus, I was full of excitement and wondering what awesome adventures were waiting for us. The journey flew by because we had so much fun chatting and laughing together. At one point, all the boys started singing "Country Road" and "Sunroof" at the top of their lungs! As we finally neared the camp, everyone on the bus let out a massive, joyful cheer. It was the loudest, most energetic bus ride ever, and the perfect way to start our camp journey!

Emily: First Meeting 

When we finally arrived at Allambee Camp, we started with an introduction and an information walk. We were so excited to explore the grounds, especially when we spotted the awesome ga-ga ball pit! While the teachers were doing a safety training course, we met a camp leader named Jake and played heaps of fun games. The games were so high-energy that we were absolutely exhausted by the end of them! 

Namasvi: Groups 

To keep everything running smoothly, we were split into activity groups, cabin groups, and duty groups. For our main activities, we had three teams led by Mr. Van Boxtel, Ms. Tash, and Mr. Tran. We also had eight duty groups, from A to H, who helped out with all of our delicious camp meals. Different teachers assisted us each time, like Mr. Van Boxtel at breakfast, Mrs. Rashida at lunch, Mr. Tran at dinner, and Ms. Tash at supper. It took a lot of organisation, but switching between all these groups helped us work with everyone and make new friends!

Angelo: Initiative Course 

One of our first major teamwork challenges at camp was the Initiative Course. We worked together through different obstacles, starting with the low ropes where two spotters helped a teammate balance across the cables. Next up was a hilarious challenge called the Mincing Machine, where we had to carefully figure out how to get everyone over the top. Every single obstacle required us to communicate, solve problems, and help each other out. It was a fantastic way to test our brains and build our teamwork skills right from the start!

Cecilia: Flying Fox 

Another massive highlight of our time at Allambee Camp was definitely the Flying Fox! Standing at the top of the launch platform, your heart starts racing as you look out over the giant drop below. But the moment you step off the edge, all of your nerves completely vanish and turn into pure excitement. You zoom down the cable at top speed, feeling the wind in your face as you fly silently high above the trees. It was such a thrilling rush, and everyone waiting in line below couldn't wait for their turn to fly! 

Gianna: Giant Swing 

One of the most thrilling activities at Allambee Camp was definitely the Giant Swing! Once you are strapped into the harness, your teammates pull a rope to launch you higher and higher into the air. When the instructor shouts “3, 2, 1,” it’s up to you to pull the blue release rope and let yourself drop. My stomach dropped as I rushed through the air, and at first, I was absolutely terrified. But as I swung back and forth, the fear disappeared and I realized how much I loved it!

Aradhana: Hut Building 

One of our final activities at camp was the exciting hut building challenge. When we arrived at the site, everyone immediately started working hard, gathering branches and helping each other out. Even our group teacher, Mr. Van Boxtel, rolled up his sleeves to help us construct an awesome triangular prism hut. Once it was finished, we tested its strength and ended up breaking it down while playing a calm but hilarious silent game. It was a really fun, creative, and relaxed way to finish off a fantastic week of camp!

Odeleyah: Archery 

For archery, we split into different groups, and at first, the equipment looked pretty complicated! After the teacher showed us what to do, we put on arm guards to protect ourselves from the bowstring. Once we actually had a turn, everyone started to get the hang of it really quickly. During the session, I let Ms. Tash have a shot, and she scored two amazing bullseyes in a row! It was a fantastic activity for all the groups, and afterwards, we packed up and headed to morning tea.

Nuneet: Billy Cart 

One of the most action-packed activities at Allambee Camp was racing the billy carts! We had to work in teams, with one person steering the cart down the hill while others pushed. Steering was a lot harder than it looked, and you really had to focus on keeping your balance. There were plenty of wobbles, crashes, and laughs as we sped down the track and cheered each other on. It was an absolute blast, and it taught us a lot about teamwork, trust, and fast reflexes!

Skye: Geocaching 

For geocaching, we became real-life treasure hunters using GPS devices to navigate the camp. We were given coordinates and clues to track down hidden containers hidden all over the property. We had to work closely in our groups, searching through the bushes and trees to find the secret caches. It was like a giant, high-tech game of hide-and-seek that required teamwork and great problem-solving skills. Finding that final hidden container was the best feeling, and we had so much fun exploring together! 

Adonia: Vertical Challenge 

Next up is the Vertical Challenge, a famous high-ropes obstacle course dangling in the air! My group went first, and even though it looked scary, we trusted our harnessed gear and our amazing teammates. When Jake shouted, “Ready, Set, Go!”, Anabel and I scrambled up wobbly ladders, rock walls, and giant logs. We conquered our fears and reached the top in just 14 seconds while everyone cheered us on! It was an incredible activity about perseverance and having fun, and I would definitely do it again.

Riya: Free Time 

On our first day of camp, my cabin spent our free time unpacking and making our rooms cozy. Once we were settled, some of the girls headed outside to play an energetic game of ga-ga ball. Meanwhile, Odeleyah decided to cause some chaos by ding-dong ditching the girls in Cabin 19! The rest of us stayed safely inside, chatting, laughing, and hanging out in our rooms. It was the perfect, fun way to start our camp adventure and bond with our cabin mates.

Matheo: Bushwalking 

After eating dinner on our very first night, we all headed out into the dark for an exciting bushwalk. As we explored the trails, we spotted cool glowing fungi, a wild wombat, and even an old snake skin! Along the way, our camp instructor stopped us to play a fun listening game on a device. They would play a mysterious wildlife sound in the dark, and we had to work together to guess the animal. It was a bit spooky but incredibly fun to see what creatures come out at Allambee Camp after sunset! 

Eugene: Feeding the animals

During the bushwalk, we had the opportunity to feed the sheep and the alpaca. We fed the animals with toasted bread, but not the alpaca, because he was not interested in eating the toasted bread.

Saisha: Cabin 

When we first arrived, we were so excited to see that the cabins at Allambee Camp were really nice and cozy. The girls were split into three cabins and the boys were split into two, giving us plenty of space to unpack. On our very first night, there was a bit of extra excitement with some cheeky mystery knocking happening between the rooms! It turned into a funny game of trying to figure out which cabin was playing tricks on the others in the dark. Getting to hang out, laugh, and stay up chatting with our friends made cabin life one of the best parts of camp! 

Somiithran: Duty Group 

I was in one of the very last duty groups, which are the teams that help run the camp kitchen. If you get morning duty, you have to wake up early to set up the water and fill the cups with orange juice. Then you wait for the magic moment when the teachers finally let the rest of the hungry campers inside! Afternoon and dinner duties are pretty much the same, except you don't have to pour the morning juice. It was hard work, but it was great to team up and help take care of everyone at meal times. 

Lucas: Food 

At camp, we were fed many delicious foods. The first dinner we had was lasagne and salad. Ethan and I thought the food was delicious, and it stayed delicious for almost every meal except the second dinner, which was honey soy chicken. Many people thought it was delicious, but it did not suit my Asian taste buds. Even though I did not enjoy that meal as much, I still liked trying different foods at camp. Overall, the food was one of the best parts of the camp experience.

Janvi: Movie 

On the second night of camp, we all got comfy in our PJs with our pillows, blankets, and squishmallows. We headed to the hall to watch Baymax, but right in the middle of the movie, the power suddenly went out! Luckily, the teachers got the power back on, and Ms. Tash brought out delicious popcorn for supper. With only a quarter of the movie left, it stopped again, so we had to call it a night. Even though it didn't finish, we did a great job cleaning up the rubbish before heading back to bed.

Caesar: Bracelet/ Keychain- end of camp 

Once all of our main activities were finished, we got to make our very own camp bracelets and keychains. The camp staff gave us special colorful beads as rewards for participating and trying our best in each challenge. You could earn extra beads for doing your duty group, being brave enough to go first, or helping out a teacher. There were even rare beads for keeping your balance on the billy carts or hitting a perfect bullseye at archery! It was so much fun collecting them, and now we have a wonderful souvenir to remind us of all our achievements!

Anabel: My favourite part 

My absolute favorite part of camp was the vertical challenge, where we had to scale up a massive climbing wall. When it was my turn, I raced up the course alongside my twin sister, Adonia, finishing in an amazing 14 seconds! Fueled by pure determination to beat my twin, I scrambled to the top first and won our friendly race. We went third, and since no one before us had made it to the top, we were so proud to be the first ones to conquer the summit. Seeing us do it completely changed everyone's mindset, showing the whole group it wasn't impossible and inspiring them to reach the top too! 

Lianne: My favourite part

On Wednesday the 13th of May, we took an exciting one-and-a-half-hour bus ride to Allambee Camp. My absolute favorite part of camp was everything, because it pushed us out of our comfort zones and made us brave! I loved the flying fox and the giant swing, which were scary at first, but became so much fun on the second try. I also loved archery for improving our aim, and the billy carts, which taught me how to balance even when I fell off. Camp was an amazing experience that helped us try new things and feel really good about ourselves!