Year 8 Camp

The Year 8 students have just returned from a very positive camp experience. They found it a good opportunity to strengthen friendships and to make new friends. This is what Samantha, Eliza, Holly and Denali reported on the experience to the recent Middle College Assembly.

  

Grade 8 Camp 2018

During the camp we participated in abseiling, rock climbing, canoeing a half-marathon, hiking along the beach at high-tide in soft sand and mountain biking up Mount Everest’s baby brother, laser tag (which my team smashed) and challenging obstacle courses. I will remember all of these experiences in years to come. More importantly I will also remember, the making of new friends, the strengthening of existing friendships and the support and encouragement of our exceptional leaders. I know when I say this I speak on behalf of the entire grade in thanking the teachers who included Mr Cummins, Ms Hill and Mr Munduy from PLC and Tegan, Peter and Kelly as our Outdoor Education Facilitators. These Incredible staff gave up their time to support us through the entire camp.

The camp was exceptional and those who will be in Year 8 in the future, lucky you as I know you will love the camp.

I will also remember the boys in my group studying movement / flight patterns and avoidance of obstacles by spending three hours attempting to get a Frisbee out of a tree. They did eventually succeed in recovering the precious frisbee. Thanks for the memories.

Samantha Hutton

Camp speech for Assembly

Camp this year included many awesome achievements and unforgettable moments. Each day was packed with excitement and fun activities which included mountain biking, hiking, laser tag, obstacle courses, solos, abseiling and more. However, there were also many challenges. For me this was canoeing and rock climbing. Each group did two canoes to different places. My favourite was when we went to Boreen Point. We had no wind meaning the water was like glass and we went through thin streams surrounded by trees, the nature and the animals seen were amazing.  By the end our arms were so sore as we were paddling for over three hours. Rock climbing was incredible but also my most challenging activity. Although I trusted the people holding the rope I was connected to, I was still freaking out. We were expected to reach the top of the 30-metre wall and abseil down however I probably got five metres max which was a great achievement for me.  After these long days, I was grateful that we were able to all help each other out, prepping dinner for example and on our groups first day putting up our tents for us. All of these actions were highly appreciated. I loved every moment of this camp experience and wish I could just get back on the bus and do it all again.

Eliza Bryan

‘Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.’

Good morning everyone, I am Holly Williams, one of the lucky Year 8’s who got this amazing opportunity be a part of the first year 8 eco-camp.

This quote I just mentioned, by John Muir, really did reflect on my time in camp. With all of the challenges we faced, a new corner, a new trail, a new road, brought more exiting, fun experiences our way.

On the first day, Monday, we met at Meridan Plains to meet our group facilitator. I was fortunate enough to be a part of Kelly’s group. She helped me throughout the camp, to pursue challenges I thought were near the impossible mark. My group that I was a part of, contained fifteen people, which was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for better people in the group.

At Noosa North shore, we received our backpacks, and the first thing I thought was- ‘Oh no! I have packed too much.’

This was true, so to say, but I managed to fit it all into one of the smaller bags. I was then glad to meet our other facilitator, Dean, who is a funny yet serious man.

Our first activity, well let’s say challenge, was a 23km ride, from Noosa North shore to Boreen Point. It took us 3hours!

Once we reached Boreen Point, we set up camp, in front of a beautiful lake, where we could watch the sunrise. I guess we all thought the lake was beautiful until the next day.

On Tuesday we canoed across the lake, which was only 8km, but it sure felt longer! It took us three hours, then, we had to walk with our packs for 17km along the beach. This took us about 4hours. That night we camped at the Noosa North shore campsite.

On Wednesday, we had a pretty relaxing day. First, we did our two-hour solo, which was a great opportunity for us to reflect on the past few days, and think about what was around us. Then we did an obstacle course that contained swinging over water, climbing over walls, walking on hanging tyers and much more. After that, we challenged another group that liked to call themselves ‘Team Wedgie,’ in Laser Tag! We smashed them.

That night, we camped at a site called ‘Billy’s’. We had a fire there, and everyone had heaps of fun, throwing frisbees, playing 44 homes and poking sticks into the fire.

On Thursday, the day I was dreading the most, we canoed 14km back to Boreen Point.

Friday morning was probably the hardest, being 5 degrees and having to wake up at 5am to pack up camp.

Once packing up was done, we made our way to our abseiling site, where we abseiled 40m. I was third to go, and I enjoyed it so much, apart from my rope getting stuck on a rock, but that’s another story.

After that, I did rock climbing, and being honest here, I made it halfway up the cliff face, then got stuck.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that this camp has really opened my eyes and shown me how much I can actually do. My group became closer as friends, even family, and people who weren’t so confident with themselves truly opened up. Year 8 Camp has definitely been one of the most enjoyable camps I have done.

Thank you, Mr. Tait, for your amazing organisation and effort to make this a memorable experience, and to my two group facilitators, Kelley and Dean for their support, and to my wonderful group who supported me and brought many laughs into the trip.

I guess at the end of all this, ‘Only one who wanders, finds new paths.’

Thank you for listening, have a great day.

Holly Williams

Surrounded by Nature

I was in the middle of deciding whether to eat my mandarin or my apple, one of life’s very important question. When I heard this thumping in the distance. My first thought was that it was an instructor, but I quickly realised it couldn’t be. My second thought was that it was Reuben, just wandering around for no apparent reason. At last the thumping came closer and closer until seven kangaroos appeared out of the bush including a joey. I kind of sat there like hmmm until I realised that SEVEN KANGAROOS WERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! By the time I figured out what was happening I heard Rueben go ‘Wow’ , and then yell to me “Oi did you see those kangaroos.”

Yep I thought, and started to draw them until I stopped because they looked like dragons for some reason. On the whole, camp was great!  I loved making songs with my buds and seeing a whole bunch of animals that ranged from stingrays to eagles that are trying to eat baby birds. Very, very entertaining. Thanks.

Denali Hatcher

Mr Brendan Delaney, Director of Students