Year 5 Camp

On Wednesday 10 March, the Year 5 students, Ms Sluyters, Mrs Cazaly and Mr Lowe set off for a 3-day and 2-night camp at Port Arthur.  The day started with a bus ride down to Dunalley for a morning tea break, a stretch of the legs and of course a play on the playground. 

From here we headed to Eaglehawk Neck where we were met by Jude who spoke to us about the Aboriginal history of the area and showed us how to make ocre, allowed us to look at original animal skin and taught us some special Indigenous songs. Mrs Himson found a lovely location on the beach to explain to us the timeline history of Australian Indigenous inhabitants of the land. 

After this we took in the breathtaking views of the Blowhole, Devils Kitchen and Tasman Arch before proceeding to our accommodation for the camp. We settled into our cabins and enjoyed a BBQ dinner cooked to perfection by Lily Cherry, Abbie Duffey and Grace Dixon.

Then it was game night run by Mrs Cazaly and we had a special visit by Mrs Nolan. Soon enough it was time for some much needed sleep. It was an early start Thursday morning with a 30 minute walk to the Port Arthur Historic Site for a full day of tours and learning about the site's significance and history. We got to make our very own bricks which are made up of original bricks from the site.

We solved puzzles involving convicts and were treated to a few ghost stories by our guides Claire and Caitlin. They then took us on a tour of the Isle of the Dead where we learnt the history of the Isle and those who were buried there.

We had another visitor that night, with Mrs Hall joining us for dinner at the Café. On the menu were hot dogs, cheeseburgers, wedges, soft drink and Valhalla ice cream cones for dessert. 

All that was left was to walk back to our campsite. Some of us took a short detour around the foreshore up, down and over the rocks which had us battling to get back before dark as it took a little longer than Mr Lowe expected.  After a short play it was time to head to bed and enjoy a well deserved sleep. 

On Friday morning we were packed and ready to go early so we wandered down to the beach to enjoy a play, morning tea and a barefoot walk in the lovely clear water. Our bus soon arrived and we headed to the Dunalley Fish and Chip shop for lunch and from there it was a short trip back to school.

The students are to be congratulated on a wonderful camp with many of them being out of their comfort zone and rising to the challenges associated with being away from family for two nights. 

From the Port Arthur Historic Site Education Officer:

It was great to meet you last week. I have heard a lot of positive feedback from staff, and even some visitors commented on the girls good behaviour and great manners.

Claire and Caitlin both really enjoyed the time they had with your students. They commented on the level of engagement from both the students and teachers, they also mentioned how outstanding the students prior knowledge was. It makes it a lot more enjoyed for us when we have great groups visit! Congratulations to you, the other teachers and of course the girls.