7/8 Camp

The great outdoors

by Phuong Tran (Year 7 Coordinator) and Kris Vestermark (Year 8 Coordinator)

This year students immersed themselves in an outdoor experience around the beautiful Waratah Bay coastal area. 

We arrived at the campsite around midday on Tuesday and were greeted by our enthusiastic group leaders who guided students on how to set up their tents. In the afternoon students engaged in team-building activities and time to enjoy the beach; that evening students were organised into different teams to share the jobs of cooking for the group and cleaning up afterwards.

Students woke up early the next day to get ready for stand up paddle boarding and surfing. It was great to see students learning new skills, supporting each other to overcome their fears and build confidence in themselves through overcoming new challenges. On our third day students packed up their gear before embarking on a beach walk, stopping for lunch and to explore the rock pools along the way. We were surprised and delighted to encounter some furry friends at our second campsite; a wallaby feasting on some leaves and a wombat scurrying through tents and into the bushes.

After a few days of grey skies and rain, the sun finally came out on Friday morning. We spent the final moments of camp packing up gear and clearing the site of any rubbish. As we boarded the coach, we said our goodbyes to the friendly Outdoor Education Group team leaders who had spent the camp getting to know students and supporting them through each activity. 

Thank you to all the students who attended camp. It was so great to see you form bonds with each other and work together as teams to cook meals, clean up and support each other through tough moments. Thank you to the teachers who attended camp - Anthony, Kate, Matt, Felicity and Yves - you made it an awesome experience and were there for the students (and coordinators!) every step of the way.