Year 11 Camp

On the morning of the 7th of February, we lugged our fully-packed suitcases (consisting almost entirely of snacks) to the Cohen Undercroft where we waited eagerly for the arrival of the buses that would take us to the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation in Narrabeen which was where we would spend the next three days. The atmosphere of the cohort was diverse—with some students lamenting about forgotten items and others questioning the nature of the ‘Deep Water’ and ‘Archery Tag’ activities—but we were optimistic that spending this time with our friends and teachers would be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. 

The bus trip was brief and it felt as though no time had passed since we embarked that we were now arriving at our destination, Narrabeen Institute of Sport. We were first introduced to the dining hall, where we would spend our mealtimes socialising, playing cards, and eating the camp food that was served (which surprisingly wasn’t too bad). 

Before long, we were separated into our activity groups and thrown into the deep end (both figuratively and literally for some of us). We rotated through lessons that taught us important life skills such as Independence and Relationships as well as recreational activities such as canoeing, archery, and team games. 

By the end of the day, we were as exhausted as students during assessment period and returned to our cabins for some well earned rest (although some late-night sugar-induced shenanigans were afoot). 

The next day, we were woken up bright and early to commence a full day’s worth of activities. Throughout the day, many groups realised the true danger of the ‘dark water’ and stand-up paddle boarding activities was others attempting to sabotage and capsize your boat into the water. Nevertheless, the water activities were a highlight for many of us and even if we got a little wet, the laughter shared with friends about the collective lack of balance and skill we possessed made it all worth it.

The teamwork and problem solving puzzles within the ‘Initiatives’ activity were unexpectedly enjoyable, as groups worked together to find a practical solution to a common problem and develop their communication and critical thinking skills.

‘Archery Tag’ provided us the opportunity to live out our Hunger Games aspirations and attack our opposing team members with arrows softened with a marshmallow-like tip, which in all its adrenaline-fueled chaos created memories (perhaps of fear) that we will never forget.

Another memorable activity for our cohort was the trivia night we held that tested our knowledge on Drugs and Alcohol and included fun challenges such as the Vegemite challenge and try-not-to-laugh competition. For the second night, there were team games such as ‘finger fencing’ and ‘scissors paper rock’ which were very unique and engaging.

As our time at camp drew to a close, we embarked on our journey back home for a well-earned rest, with a bittersweet feeling of relief and sentimentality that we had survived Year 11 camp with all its ups and downs. 

A huge thank you from our cohort to Ms Catalan and Mr Tennent for their hard work in organising this amazing experience for us and Ms Nolan, Mr Prasad, Ms Strati, Mr Patulny, Mr de Jong, Ms Dooley, and Ms Propsting for sacrificing their time to be with us. 

Gina Hong (Year 11)