This week Years 7 and 8 students headed for an adventure of epic proportions at Camp Columba, buzzing with excitement and ready to make memories. With 23 eager campers and nine helpers, the atmosphere was buzzing as we drove up the driveway, gearing up for a few days of outdoor adventure.

The camp kicked off with a “playground crawl” which consisted of epic team-building activities (actually designed to enhance communication - but we didn't tell the kids that of course!) Heading to Columba the helpers had a brief crash course for the upcoming activities, and then it was time to dive headfirst into the action.

The day began with a mix of adrenaline-pumping activities, rock climbing, 3D archery, and even launching rockets. Each challenge saw ākonga and even adults push their limits and learn to live outside their comfort zones. As if that wasn't enough, we finished the day with a waterslide of legendary proportions, resulting in equal measures of laughter and grass burn, both lasting memories for all campers!

After a dinner featuring burgers that could rival McDonald's, the evening was filled with excitement and laughter. We had the chance to attempt the concrete slide, tackle a stair workout, and bounce on a giant inflatable pillow. Even when lights went out, the chatter continued well into the night!

The next morning there was a sea fog, but it quickly gave way to brilliant sunshine, perfect for the adventures filled with kayaking, abseiling, the exhilarating Flying Kiwi, and high ropes courses. Each activity had its own challenges, and the reward was the smiles of those that completed the challenges even though at the start they were adamant they were going nowhere near it.

Homemade pizzas for dinner were a huge hit, and after a fun game of football (at which the adults excelled), we gathered for classic marshmallow roasting and a game of spotlight. Although the night wore on, the campers' energy was still high, albeit with a few batteries running low!

As we wrapped up our camp with our final adventure on Friday, bags were packed full of dirty washing, cabins cleaned and it was time for our last activity. We headed into Gore for a swim at the pool and another playground, before heading home to those big hugs, comfy beds and coffee machines.

A huge thank you to Fiona Wilkinson for her endless planning, coordination, and genuine love for camps. Your passion, enthusiasm, and humor made this experience unforgettable for not only the ākonga but the adults alike. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to Nat McKenzie and our wonderful parent helpers, without your support, great kitchen skills, food prepping, encouragement and running, such an epic camp full of memories would not have been possible.

(PS thanks to our wonderful parents for so many snaps of the camp, there are more to come!)

Highlights:

Kayaking & Swimming - Juliet

3D Archery - Jesse

Abseiling - Harry McD

3D Archery - Cooper

Abseiling & Kayaking - Laniah

Flying Kiwi, Kayaking and Abseiling - Indi

Swimming in the Pond - Ruby

Kayaking and Abseiling - Khloe

Flying Kiwi, Kayaking and Abseiling - Jacquelyn

Flying Kiwi - Mika

The team, the kids and the weather - Nicky

Leap of Faith - Bailey

Flying Kiwi - Rylie

High Ropes - Casey

Lowlights:

ABL Rockets - Juliet

Blair snoring - Jesse

Nothing - Harry McD

No sleep - Cooper

High Ropes - Laniah

Injuries - Indi

Hurting my knee - Ruby

Air Rockets - Khloe

High Ropes & Archery - Jacquelyn

Rock Climbing - Mika

No lowlight for me - Bailey

Smoke detector - Rachael

Horrible sleeps - Rylie

Rock Climbing - Casey