Year 7 Camp

On Monday morning we were super excited to go to our first High School camp. We said our goodbyes to our parents, then off we went to Camp Somerset. The bus was very loud, because everyone was telling their friends rumours about camp – the wombat hole, base seven and sleeping in tents. When we arrived at camp, we met our guide, Josh, who would lead us through the week. Every night we pitched our tents and waited impatiently to find out our tent buddy for the night. We were lucky to have the peer support leaders to help us with things like putting up our tents, since most people had never done it before. They also helped us when we were hiking, kayaking, doing the obstacle course, and they definitely helped us with homesickness.

Every morning, Josh announced the word of the day, but the most important word, was the word of the week, “respect”. Something that we looked forward to nearly every single day was swimming in the river to cool off and clean ourselves, since we were deprived of showers. We found a log when we were swimming – great for jumping off. When we were swimming, we also collaboratively tackled our Peer Support Leaders and Josh in the water (they were ok with it, and we always won!).

After five long, exhausting, hot or rainy days it was time to say goodbye to Josh. We were all challenged at some point on camp. Whether it was the high ropes course, the wombat hole or hike, we all faced our fears, and persisted. Even though we were excited to go home to our parents, our pets, our own beds, showers, our friends from other Houses, and of course, chocolate – we were sad to leave. We all had so much fun on camp. We all enjoyed Year 7 camp, but Year 8 will be a whole other adventure.

Talia Tsipris and Willow Gelin

Year 7 Camp comments

My favourite parts are when Aiden, Jesse and I got lost. I also liked making damper, high ropes, not having showers for a whole week and spending time with the Peer Support Leaders. Jake

Coming into camp I did not know what to expect, but as soon as I stepped off that bus and was told we were not allowed showers, I knew life was going to be tough for the next four days. Camp really was the best experience because it allowed you to spend quality time with your friends and do fun activities. My favourite activity was the hike because the view was so beautiful and it was just a fun walk overall. Although it sounds like all sunshine and rainbows, there are a couple of things that I didn’t enjoy. I ended up coming back with an ant bite, a strained shoulder, a virus and absolutely dying for a shower. But that didn’t change the fact that camp was so fun and it pushed me to my limits, so for future Year 7s… goodluck! Kenya

My favourite part of camp was the tea sessions (talking about the gossip, mostly in Year 7) that me and the girls had many times on camp. We even named a rock (Mt TeaRock) after our sessions. Willow

Year 8 Camp Somerset

Year 8 Camp Somerset was definitely one of the best and most unique experiences of our school life. On camp, we participated in a wide range of activities. On the first day, Rashi went on a 9km canoe trip. This was a nice time to relax since the tide was with us. Midway, we stopped at a lovely beach and went for a nice swim in the river.

The next day proved our strength and resilience. We paddled a 12km canoe against a king tide. This was definitely one of the toughest parts of camp however we managed to complete the canoe trip in the given time. We were then taken back to Base Camp and built our rafts where we had a very fair competition (boys vs girls). In the end, after some inspiration the boys won.

For the next two days, we went on a 4km and 11km hike. This part was by far the most challenging activity of all. Although we were having trouble with keeping up, hiking let us bond with our group and learn about the nature and history of the Colo Reserve.

Our goal was to have fun and it was definitely achieved. From jumping off the canoe and swimming for hours to hiking up steep hills and eating at the top of a mountain, camp was a truly unique and amazing experience.

Camp was very fun but still got us to work hard and challenge ourselves. We not only challenged ourselves physically in the hikes and canoeing but also our mental strength when we rock climbed a cliff face.

Our friendships grew stronger throughout the entire camp, and we now feel very open talking with each other. In conclusion, camp was an awesome experience and we all enjoyed taking a break from school and city life and into nature.