Year 9 Camp Reflections

Camp was fantastic. Two of the most interesting activities were raft building and mountain biking. Raft building was a great time to work together as a team to put together something that would float for at least a little while, and we did achieve that, sort of. Our raft slowly collapsed from back to front, but some of us managed to make it to the other side. We all had varying successes on building these but enjoyed paddling around in the canoes afterwards just as much, or even more. Mountain biking was new for a lot of people, and easy for others. Regardless of skill level, it was a good opportunity to learn a new skill and learn from the slips and falls of ourselves and each other. It was also just fun to go riding down tracks going fast with friends.

Isaac Armstrong (9.9)

Abseiling was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me and was the first time for many people. Most people agree that it's a lot easier than it looks, and it doesn't look as tall as it is, until you're on top of the rock just about to go off the edge. Controlling yourself off the edge is not something you'd get on your first few steps. Overall, Abseiling is an experience that no one would've wanted to miss on Year 9 Camp. The Duke of Edinburgh groups were the only ones who went tenting this year. For some, it was a new experience and for most, it was just another trip in the backyard. Everyone has learnt something from tenting on this camp, perhaps not putting anything too close to the walls or it may get wet from the condensation, or perhaps it was not to put your tent in a ditch, especially in the rainy weather. I'm sure I can speak for everyone by saying that everyone was happy to be back in their own beds after camp.

Daniel Leong (9.10)

One part of Year 9 camp was going on a long hike, that we had to complete in order to receive our Duke of Edinburgh award. The hike took my group around four and a half hours to complete, from Camp Charnwood to Camp Nillahcootie, and it challenged us all. The first part was very steep uphill, then the rest was all downhill. We all thought it would be horrible and that we would hate it, but in the end, even if we were all tired it was a great experience and we had lots of great conversations along the way. We faced a few challenges on our hike, such as a bridge being repaired, so we had to problem-solve and find a way around it. In the end we found a shallow part of the river and crossed it. We all brought some food or kitchen supplies in our bags, so we stopped for lunch, where we were able to rest and enjoy nature. We had to work as a team to organise who would bring what and what everyone would prepare. This experience allowed us to work as a team, problem-solve, see so many great views and spend time with our friends and overall, we had a fun time.

Grace Downs (9.9)