Thrills, Challenges, and Memories at Baden Powell Reserve
On Thursday, 17 October, after a thunderstorm and a broken-down bus, the Year 9 cohort arrived at Baden Powell Reserve. We had the opportunity to demonstrate our independence and resilience as we set up our tents, cooked all our meals and participated in activities that challenged us.
Our first activity was kayaking, where we paddled down the Murray River and stopped halfway to play some games and try not to fall into the water. Later that day, we took a quick bus ride to the Dwellingup Treetop Adventures. After a short demonstration, we were free to pick from various courses where we got to face our fears and have a great time with our friends. Many students challenged themselves and encouraged each other out of their comfort zones. After we made our dinners that night, we all gathered around a campfire to hear an excellent devotion about Mrs Paxman’s near-death experience. Many of us were encouraged by her meaningful story and feel grateful that she was willing to share it with us.
After this, we were free to roam around camp or stay around the campfire socialising and having a good time before we went to bed, ready for another day.
After a 6am start, the final day of camp did not disappoint. Mr Oates joined us after breakfast to share his message about resilience, and then we began our final mountain biking activity. Many of us had not done it before, except those in the mountain biking program at school, so this was a tricky activity for many people in our group. We got a quick lesson on how our bikes worked from Mr Smyth. We rode through a gorgeous trail in the bush around the campsite. It was a challenging ride with lots of uphills, but it was a fun activity. Despite the shortened time, it was a fantastic experience, and we are all so grateful to Mr Hewson, Mrs Paxman, Mr B, Miss Greaves, Miss Collymore, Mr Rosolin, Mr Smyth, Mr Schelfhout, Mrs Hood, and Mr Entwistle for organising and participating with us in such an excellent camp.
Della Peacock and Ayla Smyth
Year 9 students
