Year 6 Aquatics Camp 

Aquatics Camp by the year 6's

Aquatics Camp 2024

At the end of Wednesday, we were exhausted but we still had one more activity to do, small boat handling. We got to drive a power boat! Before we went out onto the river we had to talk about the boat and find all the safety equipment in it. When we went out onto the river I was the first person in my group to get to drive, I was terrified because all he had told us was how to turn the motor on. Then I finally mastered it. When we had all had a turn of driving around straight, in a circle, and in an 8 we went back to land. And now I know how to drive a power boat!

By Elodie Price

Aquatics camp

My favourite thing an Aquatics Camp was the knee boarding. You got pulled by a boat but I was nervous because you might fall off because the boats goes super fast. At the end the driver gives the signal and you have to let go and swim to the shore. When everyone had a single turn and then we had a go at doubles. I went with Harriet. Together you twist around and go fast and the boat and water sound sooooo loud and your ears tickle a lot. I wasn’t confident to start with but my friends Lena and Nilah helped me.  Afterwards I felt energetic and proud that I had tried knee boarding.  Sammy Cristofali

Knee Boarding

I slowly stepped into the river, while my body was trembling, feeling so worried that I might fall off the knee board while the boat going fast, but I had to be gritty and brave. I kneeled down and whoosh! It was so exhilarating and so fun. Then we did it in pairs, first I was with Elodie and she looked like she was really concentrating because she had fallen off first time but this time she mastered it. Then I was with Isla and she knew how to turn too and Isla was turning VERY close to me and we almost crashed, but it was ok. I got off the board and I thought “Why was I worried?  Knee boarding is fun. “ By Ivy Kruckemeyer

Knee Boarding

As I watched Anji zoom out on a knee board, my nerves started jangling. That would be me in about two minutes, so I went and grabbed the other knee board to get myself ready. I sat on my knee board, Rob threw me the handle and started the boat, zooming out and suddenly I jolted forwards, going so fast the scenery blurred past. I slowly straightened my arms, and realised that I was knee boarding! I was grinning so much that my face hurt, and by the time I let go of the handle at the end, I felt like a natural. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done and it showed how having grit can pay off. Ada Brodie -Tyrrell

Aquatics camp 2024-Knee boarding

I tip toed into the water, my whole-body quivering with fear. I was terrified because I was about to do knee boarding for the first time and I thought I was going to go flying off the board. I hopped onto the board, put the strap over my knee and held on as if my life depended on it. Suddenly the boat started up and I sped across the water it was scary and exciting all in one! Once everyone mastered doing it we got to do it in doubles! 

 By: Kayla Sparrow                   

Aquatics camp year 6  - Small Boat Handling

We were all so tired, we had one last activity to master. We had to go through a few rules and find all the safety items. Our instructor drove far down the Murray before we started handling the boat. Driving the boat was self-explanatory, we had to yank a large handle to put the boat in the right gear, and all we had to do was turn the throttle and pull it left or right depending on which way we were turning. At first all we were doing was going in basically a straight line with a few turns both left and right, but then after we had to make the figure 8. Everyone was able to make the figure 8 easily. Then our instructor took over and made the figure 8 within seconds. Then we drove back. 

By Chloe Crabb                 

Aquatics Camp Catamarans

SPLASH! Riding the Catamarans was so fun and exciting! It was very complicated, but in the end, it got way easier. The jobs we did on the catamaran were the skipper, who steered the catamaran, the crew who was the one who put out the extra sail to make it go faster, and then someone pulled the black rope to make it go faster or slower. Our team worked really well together and it was great activity to work on our teamwork. It was extremely cool and interesting learning and also sailing the boat as the skipper, and it was one of the best times of my life!   Ben Sanders                                 

 Catamarans                                        

Imagine you’re on a catamaran, talking with your friends while racing another boat. That’s exactly what I got to do at Murray Bridge. On Wednesday, me (Anji) , Edith, Ada, Stephanie, Ben and Tyson went sailing on a catamaran. Our instructor, Rob taught us how to steer the catamaran and make it go faster. He also spilt us into 2 groups, and I was with Edith and Ada. Edith`s job was to pull a black rope to make us go faster, and Ada`s job was to steer the boat. While we were sailing, sometimes I would pretend to throw my shoe over board! We also had a friendly race with the other team (we just won). It was great fun and I wish I could do it again.  Anji Henschke.

Aquatics Camp

After the epic knee boarding, it was time for my favorite activity, kayaking. We had an interesting demonstration on how to paddle and then, we were off! We were kayaking on the Murray River!  Most of the time we just paddling on the Murray River, until, our instructors gave us three options:

1: Just keep paddling around.

2: Sit right at the front of the kayak.

3: Stand on the part where you had to sit.

I didn’t like the idea of potentiality falling into the water, so I stuck to option 1. I had to distance from those who had chosen option three.  By Elsa Marsland.

Aquatics camp (kayak) Tuesday 8th February

 AQUATICS! Wednesday 7th of February we started doing the activities. Early in the morning, we had to be ready and all packed up between 8:30 to 9. My group was called Group One. In my group was Harriet, Sammy, Kyle, Hamish, Lena and me, Nilah. Our first activity was kayaking. I was glad because I that we were doing an activity that we would not get wet because I was half asleep. But sadly, I was wrong. Because I was behind lots of people and they were splashing me while paddling. Luckily it only got on me legs and that’s easy to dry. Over all kayaking was AMAZING!!!!! Nilah Lochhead. 

Year 6 Aquatics Camp

On Tuesday to Wednesday we went camping near the Murray River. On Wednesday we completed a series of water activities. My favourite activity was small boat handling, where we were taught how to drive a boat. At first, I was really nervous but after a while I started to have some fun. We learnt the donut which is where you drive in a circle and eventually drive back over your own waves. We learnt that if you’re going to be on the Murray River you need to bring safety gear. I think the aquatic’s camp will be one of the highlights of this year. Lena Bailey.

Kayaks

Splash! Mine and Elodie’s kayak hit the Murray River. I was having second thoughts about the double kayak, but, I was excited about getting on a kayak again. I carefully slid the paddle across the water, making sure that my right hand was on the bump in the paddle. We followed the other kids across the water, turning around to go a different direction. Only paddling on the left paddle. It was a nice day to go kayaking, sunny and bright. I could hear the pelicans honking wildly. 

‘’No, girls. You’re doing it wrong. One of you needs to paddle a negative stroke,’’ said Justin, the instructor.

‘’Elodie can paddle forwards, while Ila can paddle backwards on the side you want to turn on,’’ exclaimed Justin.

‘’Ok’’ We say. We gave it a go. It seemed to work. This was our groups second activity of the day. Before, we had knee boarding. We paddled across the river, following several other kayaks, using our new method of turning on a double kayak. We paddled for about five minutes along the river until the instructors said we were going to form a raft. The instructors explained that a raft was something where we all connected our rafts together using our hands. They said it was good practice learning how to get in the position easily, despite how hard it really was. Then we discussed how to stay safe when on a kayak. For example, if you where going by yourself on a kayak, you need to be aware of lots of things such as: weather, equipment and time. Altogether this spells out WET. Later, we set up two challenges. One was to sit at the very edge of the kayak and the other was to stand up on our kayaks! I wobbled and almost fell off but luckily, I did not fall in. Ila Sanders.              

Aquatics Camp Sleeping

It was my first time sleeping in a tent, it was exciting, but then, at bedtime, it was late on a Tuesday night, I couldn’t sleep because I was so homesick. I cuddled my toy water dragon tight. I moved around in my sleeping bag and all I could think about was my empty room and my toy dachshund and my toy otter wondering where I was, on my bed all alone. I shed a few tears, I tried to close my eyes but it wouldn’t work, then I looked at my drawing of them, then I decided to read, then I realised I couldn’t see what I was reading, and then I  finally I closed my eyes and went to sleep. I showed a lot of grit. 

Stephanie Pollifrone              

Aquatics camp knee boarding

On Wednesday week 2 I climbed into the speed boat, with the rest of my group and went about a kilometre down the river Murray and started knee boarding. Knee boarding works by tying a rope with a handle on it and sitting on a board that has a knee shape on it and you are being pulled by a boat ( you are not going too fast). and you can shout with joy. The start is a bit bumpy but you will soon enjoy yourself. When it was my turn to go, I fell off right at the start. I was just unlucky but I showed grit and got back on the board and enjoyed myself. Overall, the knee boarding was fun, splashy and exiting! Harriet Marsland.                                                                      

 Aquatics camp - Catamarans

I was so excited to go on the catamarans! We had to learn how to do it. We had to learn all the names of the items on the catamaran. Unfortunately, there was no wind so we couldn’t go anywhere. So, the instructor towed us down the river and then let us go. On the way back, we caught a lot of wind and Kyle was a really good driver because he knew how to control the boat. He knew when to swap to the other side when he had too. We had a lot of fun. Hamish Charlton. 

Year  6 Camp

At Murryland Aquatics camp Anji and I shared a tent. It was a big tent and very comfortable.  In the morning the sides and floor where very wet and it got a bit cold. Some people slept in swags. We were up around 6am and it was still dark and there was mist over the water.  Chastity Robertson.

Sleeping at the Murray

Imagine, your sleeping right next to the Murray in nothing but canvas and sleeping bags in what feels like negative 3 degrees on the cold, hard ground. Yes, our night at the Murray was cold. It was so cold; several people woke up and had to go put on several more layers. However, the clear view of the bright starry sky definitely made up for the cold and mild discomfort many experienced. The swags and tents were close enough together that you could speak to your friends in a whisper voice and be heard, but far enough apart to still give us room to properly breathe.  Edith Comey.