School Camp debrief

[JeffinNZ]

OK, so last Wed-Fri I went on school camp with Kiera. 102 kids, 11 parents, 4 teachers. Had a BALL and so glad I went.

The facility is set up with accommodation and activities all on site. Day one we took two buses (and parents in cars stopping for coffee to fortify en route) and drove to the camp where luggage was offloaded. Then we all piled on the buses and took the kids further on and made them walk 5km back to camp. Way to tire them out. Had a sand sculpturing competition on the way back on the beach and lunch also. The balance of the day was free time and I helped put as many as possible through the flying fox (zip line). Here is Kiera:

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=f1fdc216403b898d&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213061&ithint=folder,.JPG&authkey=!ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0#cid=F1FDC216403B898D&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213152&v=3&authkey=%21ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0

Day two saw us into the activities in full. Climbing wall, archery, go cart, air rifle, water slide, orinteering. I was stationed on the go cart all day and first thing Friday. The kids loved it. Some surprising the results and spectacular wipe outs. Here is one of the campers with me following after dislodging the cart from the tyres. Kiera got a special mention for the best wipe out of the morning to which her father yelled from the background "SHE DRIVES LIKE HER MOTHER!"

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=f1fdc216403b898d&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213061&ithint=folder,.JPG&authkey=!ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0#cid=F1FDC216403B898D&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213513&v=3&authkey=%21ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0

The water slide was interesting. 9am and all of 10C or 50F and the kids were right into it. BRRRRR. Kiera got a special mention for not wanting to get off the slide.

Kiera on the water slide.

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=f1fdc216403b898d&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213061&ithint=folder,.JPG&authkey=!ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0#cid=F1FDC216403B898D&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213285&v=3&authkey=%21ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0

Dining was an experience. Those kids can eat like you wouldn't believe. As a parent helper I had to get a feed down me and get to my wash up station prior to the great unwashed arrving. An industrial kitchen set up for volume so it went very well. Here is some clown in a Hawiian shirt (and purple longjohns) eating with the kids.

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=f1fdc216403b898d&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213061&ithint=folder,.JPG&authkey=!ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0#cid=F1FDC216403B898D&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213525&v=3&authkey=%21ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0

The last morning I did one cycle of go carts then swapped out with another parent so I could do the orienteering which is someone I want to get into with Kiera. My team was 17 kids and the other parent divided them up into 3 teams, 6, 6 and 5. One boy got lumped in with four girls so I said to him to come with me and we'll show them how this orienteering is done. Carlos came with me and I ran him the whole forest through all 20 markers to finish in the best time of the camp and 25 minutes before the next team. He LOVED it and told the other parent this had been the best activity of the camp. Of course then I had to run another 3 circuits of the forest to find the other teams. At the end of camp I gave Carlos my arrow hat and here his is, far right, back row, wearing it prior to departure.

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=f1fdc216403b898d&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213061&ithint=folder,.JPG&authkey=!ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0#cid=F1FDC216403B898D&id=F1FDC216403B898D%213692&v=3&authkey=%21ALXXlZd5Qg-Nmz0

The camp was great. 102 kids. No bad behaviour. No bad language. Lots of kids pushing personal boundaries and achieving heaps. I hope I get to go again.

[sthwestvictoria]

Looks like great fun. Our two are too young for this as yet however the fun is to come. As a bachelor I would volunteer on the CANTEEN cancer charity camps and certainly one did not want to be a stampede of hungry children and the dining hall-it would go the worse for you!

[bruce drake]

Sounds like a great event. Glad to see you were able to participate in your daughters camp as well. Good memories.

[MrWolf]

Very nice. Some great shots of determination and enjoyment on the kids. Enjoy them while you can - these are the memories they will treasure.

[tward]

Jeff, looks great! Kiera is getting big, remember pictures of her from earlier posts. Good to see you so involved in her life, enjoy it, they grow up fast. Glad you still have time to keep up with your fashion statements! Cheers from rochester, NY. Tim

[Bad Water Bill]

What a great experience for all.

I loved the hundreds of kids photos.

Not a frown or sad face.

Good on you dad.

[Echo]

+1. Jeff, you are a Lucky Duck, or should I say Lucky Kiwi...

[Doc Highwall]

That was great Jeff thanks for posting it. I wish they had things like that when I was young.

[Bad Water Bill]

That was great Jeff thanks for posting it. I wish they had things like that when I was young.

When you and I were young we were to busy hiding from tomahawk wielding injuns to think of such things.:bigsmyl2:

[starmac]

I'm betting you had more fun than the kids. When I was a kid in boy scouts, we did a small camp monthly for a weekend, dad always went and helped corral us kids on those. Some good times and experience. A lot of the kids were basically city kids and that was their only chance to ever do anything like that.

[JeffinNZ]

I'm betting you had more fun than the kids.

Possibly. I was eating my dinner the first night and sitting opposite was a wee guy who had got half way through his Nachos and run out of steam. He was gob smacked that I could eat what I did so when I finished, even though I was full, I commenced to finishing his meal. He about had a fit. Then, between the waves of dishes I walked around the dining hall past him and grab some more of his corn chips. "What? Never seen a skinny white boy eat before?" LOL.

[xs11jack]

What a great Dad you are!!! Say in the first picture with Kiera on the zip line, I thought I saw a person holding the railing with white knuckles. Couldn't have been you of course.
Ole Jack

[JeffinNZ]

What a great Dad you are!!! Say in the first picture with Kiera on the zip line, I thought I saw a person holding the railing with white knuckles. Couldn't have been you of course.
Ole Jack

Nup. That would be Cody the instructor up there. He is American. Top lad.

[bruce drake]

Possibly. I was eating my dinner the first night and sitting opposite was a wee guy who had got half way through his Nachos and run out of steam. He was gob smacked that I could eat what I did so when I finished, even though I was full, I commenced to finishing his meal. He about had a fit. Then, between the waves of dishes I walked around the dining hall past him and grab some more of his corn chips. "What? Never seen a skinny white boy eat before?" LOL.

Did you bring any extra AD spice bottles? ;)

[JeffinNZ]

No but I did take the hot jelly beans and unleashed them on the parents and teachers. Rather entertaining.

[bruce drake]

Pictures or it didn't happen ;)

[Bad Water Bill]

Bruce

Rumor has it that after Jeff slipped YOUR jelly beans to those poor unsuspecting parents they shattered his camera on his head.

Please stand by for further confirmation.:smile: