Year 10 Aqua Camp

The Year 10 cohort recently spent four days on Aqua Camp. Based at Merricks and working with Peninsula Outdoors, all students participated in snorkelling and stand up paddleboarding, and then also undertook activities related to their chosen stream. The SCUBA Group had three SCUBA introductory sessions, the Surfing Group had two surfing and a mountain boarding session, while the Boating Group went on a boat tour of the bay, did some sea kayaking and tried their hand controlling a powerboat. Qualified instructors ensured the safety of participants as they took on these amazing opportunities amongst peers. Students enjoyed free time and some structured activities outside of the main sessions and came back quite exhausted after their time in the sun and sea.

Nicole Bell

Year 10 Coordinator

Student Reflections

Year 10 Camp was an unforgettable experience. It was a great opportunity and gave me time not only to try new things but to bond and build stronger friendships. I loved snorkelling the most as on the boat dive, we were able to swim with seals, and I never would’ve expected it. There were so many fun activities (in and out of water) on this camp. I was able to safely step out of my comfort zone and try new things with all my friends. It was really eye-opening and enjoyable, and I already miss it but am so glad I had the chance to live it and now talk about how much I loved it.

Anna Yuriev (10.2)

Camp was an amazing experience that provided opportunities for personal growth in our Year 10 cohort. I saw several peers step out of their comfort zone and push their limits. Overall, it was a great time. For those of you Year 9s that are still unsure of what option to choose for next year, go with SCUBA. It is not an opportunity that will come by often.

Micah Atkinson (10.2)

I absolutely loved camp. I have been looking forward to it for years and it lived up to my expectation. Dare I say, even better the food was great. I was in Scuba and the dive under the pier was absolutely amazing. I saw seahorses, stingrays, pufferfish, starfish and so much more. I also enjoyed Stand Up Paddleboarding and had fun with my friends falling and pushing each other off. I also found some amazing shells. I wish I could have had more time on this camp, by far my favourite camp!

Trinity Hayde (10.2)

Year 10 camp lets you experience things you haven't before. For many, there were a lot of firsts. Mountainboarding was the first activity the Surfing Group did. We were brought to The Ranch where we were all given the opportunity to learn something new. There were a range of jumps and hills that we were able to mountainboard down. Snorkelling was another one of the activities we did where we went under a pier to see some wildlife in the saltwater. The Surfing Group went out on a boat to snorkel at Pope's Eye and another location to snorkel with the seals, where we were able to get very up close with them. They were extremely playful and swam around us doing flips in the water! Most definitely an experience you don’t want to miss. The cherry on top for this camp was the surfing, we had the ideal weather in the first session and most, if not all, of us were able to catch a few waves. In our second session, we ended up doing boogieboarding due to the weather conditions. All of us can agree that despite we were disappointed by the fact we couldn’t surf, we had a blast boogieboarding in bigger waves instead. Year 10 Camp is THE camp to look forward to.

Daniel Leong (10.4)

Year 10 Camp was only four days, but every day was filled with fun things for us to do. I was in the SCUBA Group, and I loved every minute of it. Our instructors were helpful and kind; they were there for every dive and made me feel safe. SCUBA was a truly incredible experience and I'm so happy that camp helped me be a part of it. We saw beautiful things like sea horses, fish, seals, and coral. Some of my favourite parts of camp was the walk on the beach, the sunset and bonding with friends. 

Overall Year 10 was the best camp I have ever been on, and I've made memories that I’ll never forget. 

Kaitlyn Huynh (10.1)

I had a really positive time on camp, as it was a completely new and unique experience for me to spend so much time by the beach and in the water. I was in the Surfing Group, and I have one memory when two of my mates and I all caught the same wave and it was surreal! It has definitely been my favourite camp at Oxley.

Blake Richards (10.2)

Year 10 Camp was the best camp I have ever been on, and a lot of other people think the same! SCUBA was one of the best things I have ever done. It was incredible seeing all the aquatic life, we were even lucky enough to spot a seal swimming underneath us! We also got to do many other fun activities, such as snorkelling, stand up paddleboarding and much more.

Mitch Jenes (10.3)

Year 10 Camp was an amazing experience and probably one of the best camps I've been on. I was in the SCUBA Group, and I absolutely loved it. Although learning to SCUBA was slightly scary at the beginning, I am so grateful for the opportunity I was given to learn to dive so that I could see the beautiful fish and swim deep down in the ocean. I wasn't in a group with my close friends, but this helped me to get to know other people better.

Hadassah Rickard (10.3)

Year 10 Aqua Camp was a camp that we will all never forget! Everyone got to try things that they’ve never tried before, and everyone stepped out of their comfort zone. I think that for myself personally, I really enjoyed SCUBA because it was terrifying to begin with but was really fun when we got comfortable. Seeing all the fish and beautiful marine life really changed my view on the ocean.

Annie Xie (10.2)

This year's Aqua camp saw us exploring many of God's different beautiful creations. Being in the SCUBA Group, I had the opportunity to see many different types of sea life such as jellyfish, seahorses, and stingrays. During diving sessions, the instructors were extra careful and friendly, making sure everyone was alright. This camp was wonderful, adventurous and one which I would like to revisit sometime in the future.

Henry Zhao (10.4)