Year 8 students recently spent time in the wilderness at the Nanga Bush Camp. It was a great opportunity for students to connect with students from other classes and participate in team building activities. A definite highlight from the students was flat water rafting and raft building.
Below some students share their experience of the camp:
Nanga Bush Camp has so far been one of my favorite camps. I surprised myself by doing things I wouldn’t have done on any of my previous camps. I loved the majority of the activities, but my favorite was the Flat Water Rafting and Raft Building. During the Flat Water Rafting, we, as a team had to find a way to get our raft onto the water, only to discover the water was much colder then we assumed it would be in late August! We divided ourselves into two groups; those that wanted to get wet and those who wanted to stay dry. While the dry boat went back to shore, the other boat did bombies and flips off the raft and three of us managed to swim back to shore. I regret nothing!
After this we went raft building, where we built our own rafts in teams and learned how to tie strong knots. Once we got into the water, one of the rafts broke and eight of climbed onto the second raft. To everyone’s pleasure, it was lunch time which also meant the showers where open. The majority of us went to have a well-deserved warm shower and cleaned our scrapes and bumps. We had lunch back at our beautifully renovated dormitory that gave us a true forest feeling with everything being made of wood. My favourite part was the fireplaces; there is nothing better than having a delicious meal next to a warm fireplace.
Besides improving a few rafting and climbing skills, I personally gained a lot from this camp. I was able to reconnect with old friends from primary school as well as getting to know my peers better. I feel as if I gained more confidence from being on this camp and I tried (and loved) foods I would normally not eat at home. I am also proud to say, at the end of Year 8 camp, I have no regrets.
Writeen By Christelle Robbetze (Year 8)
On the Year 8 camp to Nanga Bush camp I made many new friends and talked to a few people that I have never talked to before. My camp activity group was very supportive and we communicated very well when it came to doing things as a team. Overall the camp activities were fun and interesting as I learned many new things along the way. My camp leader was Mrs. Cunningham who helped a lot in motivating us to strive for accomplishment. The food at camp was very tasty as there were five food breaks a day. The accommodation of the camp was separate so that the boys were in one part of the camp and the girls were at the other. I strived to achieve the best of my ability on camp and I’m sure everyone else did too. I loved going down the fireman’s pole and having bush treks to the other dorms. On camp some of my personal gains were that I learned that listening and taking part is a huge aspect of our lives and that we must trust each other to accomplish life challenges. I should point out that all of the activities were all to do with team bonding, working together and about trust and communication, especially in the team challenges. My group had the chance to earn 4-5 keys over the time of the camp. As our group had very good communication skills, we broke two camp records. Overall I enjoyed camp and I recommend it for future students.
Writeen by Kayla Elieff (Year 8)
By midday we arrived at the camp site. It looked amazing as we were surrounded by trees and lots of wildlife. The people that run the camp were really nice and greeted us in a friendly way. There were a lot of activities that we would be completing over the next few days. These included: zip lines, team challenges, water challenges, rock climbing, flat water rafting, bush survival, low ropes and raft building. They were all really fun. Throughout the camp trip I made a lot of new friends and we were mixed up with everyone in the year group. This encouraged us to have to work together and we got to know some fun facts about the other people.
Some positives that I gained from camp is that we have learned some new skills and some of us had overcome some of our fears such as heights when we did the rock climbing and swimming in the lake when it was freezing cold! Once we had all finished activities for the day, we ate! The food was delicious! In total year 8 camp to Nanga Bush Camp was fabulous and a great experience.
Written by Lily Vail (Year 8)
My personal experience at camp is that I found the activities very enjoyable even though I was wearing heaps of layers of clothing and many pairs of socks, I was still freezing. But once I got over the fact of how cold the weather was I actually had quite an enjoyable time. To be honest I was never really a fan of going to camp because I was always afraid that I was not going to be with my friends or be in a good dorm, or I would miss my parents; especially their food! But for this camp I decided to get over the fact that I wasn’t just going to hang out with my friends, but that I was going to make new friends. During this camp I made many new friends. I believe this camp even helped to make the bonds with my friends stronger too.
Written by Samantha Fisher (Year 8)
Nanga Bush Camp was a blast. It was full of great activities and great people to share the experience with. I personally gained more than I first anticipated from camp and now looking back realise that I wish I could do it again. I never in my right mind expected that I would make it to the top of the rock climbing tower, or that I would be able to dive into the freezing cold water with a smile on my face. I definitely made some new friendships and strengthened my friendships with the people in my dorm and activity group. I found the water activities and the flat water rafting the most enjoyable, even though it was freezing and I think my lips turned blue. No activities were a bore; every activity had an element that I enjoyed, and I could tell that others in my group enjoyed it all as well. Overall, camp was full of joy and laughter. The instructors and teachers that came with us made the camp so enjoyable. I would like to thank all of the teachers, for making the camp possible.
Written by Lily Graham (Year 8)
In my opinion, Year 8 Camp was really good. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would it would be good to be away from the normal routine of school and home and technology. The different activities kept us busy and the pretty tight schedule kept us relatively organised. The camp got me a bit out of my comfort zone, especially walking around at night when it was freezing and pitch-black and having parents jump out from behind trees and scaring us! But it was a worthwhile experience, all of it. It was good to be out of the school uniform and in the clothes we like, and having a little bit more freedom and independence and seeing everyone out of their normal routine. There were lots of different activities that suited different people’s strengths and also challenged some people. Overall, I had a great time, and I’m sure majority of Year 8 agrees with me.
Written by Ashley Orr (Year 8)
Here are some more snippets from the mouths of the Year 8 campers:
- I found that although most of my group didn’t really know each other, we all got along quite well, and worked as a team. (Alaina Lawson)
- I really enjoyed camp because it was fun, exciting and I got to try something new every day. Camp was a really great experience and I can’t wait for Year 9 Camp! (Amelia Mason)
- I enjoyed spending time with my friends and it helped me to learn how to put up with things that I didn’t like. (Kristen van den Berg)
- On Year 8 camp I enjoyed myself because we were more active and it was something to give us a break from the setting of a classroom. On camp people’s personalities showed a little more, especially the teachers as we aren’t all as stressed. (Ethan Mellor)
- Camp was an enjoyable experience as I bonded with new people, learnt new things and techniques while spending time with my friends. The staff were awesome and I had a great time. The food was delicious. (Isaac Watt)
- My favourite activities were the night time ones, because I fell down a huge hill which made me laugh. It was so cold at night, it felt like -1000 degrees! When I woke up I couldn’t feel my toes. But overall I enjoyed it and made strong bonds and friendships. (Immy Fussell)