Monday October 20, 2008
The Group: Trinity Grammar School
The age: Year 5 boys
Numbers: 3 groups of 15, 5 teachers
I’m following Alison this week. It’s good to work with / follow different leaders to get the feel for things and see how different people run things. We had Billy carting today, which the year five boys got totally into!
Trinity Grammar is a private Christian boy’s school that takes the boys on camp every year starting with year five. So it is this group’s first time at camp. Every day at 4:00 the boys have journaling time to reflect on the days activities. . . Today they were asked to write 3-6 lines and draw a picture highlighting their day. These journals are then kept by youthworks and used by the boys every year up through year 9, when they spend 5 weeks in a camp-like setting! What a neat concept! So at the end of year nine they will have five years worth of journaling from camp!
I’m finding camps are much more common here. At home I went to outdoor ed once during 6th grade for three days. Perhaps that was just my personal experience and other states do outdoor ed differently. But still, here the camp experiences seem to start at an earlier age, run for longer periods of time, and occur more frequently than once in your schooling.
I think there is a lot of value in taking students on camp more than just once in their 12 years of schooling. There is so much learning to be done at camp that could not occur inside a classroom. And when coupled with journaling and reflecting, the benefits are invaluable.
However, I can understand, having nearly been in a teacher’s shoes, the various complications involved in taking a group away on camp.
Complication #1 – personal sacrifice – the teacher must be willing to step away from their personal life for 3-5 days in order to spend non-stop time with their students.
Complication #2 – risk of falling behind – in the days of standardized state testing and yearly progress evaluations, it is difficult to cover all the content in the time provided let alone spend a week out of the classroom with little to no academics.
Complication #3 – the cost factor – most school can’t afford to send students on camp once let alone every year and parents cannot be expected to cover the costs.
These are some of the sad but true facts that stand in the way of many children missing out on the opportunity to grow and learn in a camp setting. Perhaps that is why a lot of our school are private Christian schools. Hummm. . . .
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
First Camp!
Saturday October 18, 2008
Okay, so I guess it’s not my official first camp since I wasn’t actually leading on it but was my first full camp experience here!
The group: Shoalhaven Anglican School
Age: Years 3 and 4 (3rd and 4th grade)
Numbers: 41 students, 2 teachers, 1 parent
The students were split into three groups. I was with Shaneo leading a group of 11 year 4 students. Since the kids were so young they only stayed Thursday and Friday; two days and one night. The first day’s activities included orienteering, jetty jumping, and initiatives.
Orienteering involves the students working in groups of three to find markers around the site and record the fish names that are on each marker. Each group is given a map of the site which indicates the location of each marker. As the group had 11 students, I got to play the part of a student for this activity, which was quite fun as well as beneficial; giving me the chance to locate all of the markers so I know for future reference.
Lunch followed orienteering and then we were off to the jetty! Upon returning from the jetty we had afternoon tea before I led our initiatives session. Overall, it went pretty well I guess. I had my list of pre-chosen activities written down which was good. We are meant to start with a warm-up activity, then a communication activity, followed by trust, and finally team work.
The group had a lot of energy and was just excited to be at camp. So in instructing this activity I was definitely using a combination of skills I have picked up from my various experiences. I used my enthusiastic camp counselor persona when explaining the activities / challenges and my teacher techniques and tone while conducting the debriefs. It is a bit tricky as you want the kinds to have fun and enjoy the activities but you also want them to take them seriously and be able to get something from them, preferably something that can be applicable to their life outside of camp. I’m finding this is going to require the appropriate mix of seriousness and enthusiasm.
I’m in quite a unique position; somewhere between teacher and camp counselor. Having experience in both of these roles is definitely valuable and now just leaves me to find the most effective balance, which will most-likely differ from group to group.
This was a really awesome group, very well behaved and polite so I may have been a bit more camp counselorish but then during initiatives I definitely put on my teacher hat; using techniques learned in the classroom to get their attention and help them discuss what they learned (often said “learnt” here).
It was really awesome to be able to use both skills from camp and from the classroom to get the kids talking about teamwork, trust, responsibility, and God. I wrapped up with them as I would with a group at the Marsh; having each kid share their most favorite and least favorite part of the day and something they had learned so far. Finally, since this was a private Christian school I was able to end by praying with them.
Yeah, so it’s pretty cool to think about how God has been preparing me over the years and has set a path that has led me here!
*Working at CA Nature camp – sparked my initial interest in working in a camp setting but also helped me understand that I prefer and desire to work in a Christian setting.
*The Marsh – solidified my desire and love for working in the Christian camp setting
*Student teaching – taught me valuable skills for working with kids in a more structured setting, giving me experience in lesson planning with a focus on delivering content. Not to mention the many discipline and teaching techniques and strategies gained.
*WAC and the college experience – well, there’s no way I can sum that all up but yeah, it helped me grow and discover more about who I was, become more independent and form some pretty awesome relationships.
*Crew - physical challenge, love of the outdoors & water
*Studying abroad – again, helped me grow and learn about myself and survive “on my own” for a while. Not to mention introduced me to this awesome country and gave me the “travel bug.”
Bottom line – never doubt that God has a plan! You won’t always be able to see where it is leading but “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight!” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
P.S. I bought a new bible! A small one I can carry around with me at camp. It is New International Version – good stuff! J $27 but it has a zipping cover, thumb tabs, lots of “stuff” in the back like maps . . . AND – it is maroon and blue like my work shirt- hehe!
Signing off and thanking God for all the people and experiences that have been a part of my life thus far.
Hope all is well back in the states and everyone is enjoying the colors, smells, sounds, and tastes of autumn! I was trying to explain candy corn last night - “Is it sticky?” “Does it actually have corn in it?” “Well, no . . . “
Okay, so I guess it’s not my official first camp since I wasn’t actually leading on it but was my first full camp experience here!
The group: Shoalhaven Anglican School
Age: Years 3 and 4 (3rd and 4th grade)
Numbers: 41 students, 2 teachers, 1 parent
The students were split into three groups. I was with Shaneo leading a group of 11 year 4 students. Since the kids were so young they only stayed Thursday and Friday; two days and one night. The first day’s activities included orienteering, jetty jumping, and initiatives.
Orienteering involves the students working in groups of three to find markers around the site and record the fish names that are on each marker. Each group is given a map of the site which indicates the location of each marker. As the group had 11 students, I got to play the part of a student for this activity, which was quite fun as well as beneficial; giving me the chance to locate all of the markers so I know for future reference.
Lunch followed orienteering and then we were off to the jetty! Upon returning from the jetty we had afternoon tea before I led our initiatives session. Overall, it went pretty well I guess. I had my list of pre-chosen activities written down which was good. We are meant to start with a warm-up activity, then a communication activity, followed by trust, and finally team work.
The group had a lot of energy and was just excited to be at camp. So in instructing this activity I was definitely using a combination of skills I have picked up from my various experiences. I used my enthusiastic camp counselor persona when explaining the activities / challenges and my teacher techniques and tone while conducting the debriefs. It is a bit tricky as you want the kinds to have fun and enjoy the activities but you also want them to take them seriously and be able to get something from them, preferably something that can be applicable to their life outside of camp. I’m finding this is going to require the appropriate mix of seriousness and enthusiasm.
I’m in quite a unique position; somewhere between teacher and camp counselor. Having experience in both of these roles is definitely valuable and now just leaves me to find the most effective balance, which will most-likely differ from group to group.
This was a really awesome group, very well behaved and polite so I may have been a bit more camp counselorish but then during initiatives I definitely put on my teacher hat; using techniques learned in the classroom to get their attention and help them discuss what they learned (often said “learnt” here).
It was really awesome to be able to use both skills from camp and from the classroom to get the kids talking about teamwork, trust, responsibility, and God. I wrapped up with them as I would with a group at the Marsh; having each kid share their most favorite and least favorite part of the day and something they had learned so far. Finally, since this was a private Christian school I was able to end by praying with them.
Yeah, so it’s pretty cool to think about how God has been preparing me over the years and has set a path that has led me here!
*Working at CA Nature camp – sparked my initial interest in working in a camp setting but also helped me understand that I prefer and desire to work in a Christian setting.
*The Marsh – solidified my desire and love for working in the Christian camp setting
*Student teaching – taught me valuable skills for working with kids in a more structured setting, giving me experience in lesson planning with a focus on delivering content. Not to mention the many discipline and teaching techniques and strategies gained.
*WAC and the college experience – well, there’s no way I can sum that all up but yeah, it helped me grow and discover more about who I was, become more independent and form some pretty awesome relationships.
*Crew - physical challenge, love of the outdoors & water
*Studying abroad – again, helped me grow and learn about myself and survive “on my own” for a while. Not to mention introduced me to this awesome country and gave me the “travel bug.”
Bottom line – never doubt that God has a plan! You won’t always be able to see where it is leading but “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight!” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
P.S. I bought a new bible! A small one I can carry around with me at camp. It is New International Version – good stuff! J $27 but it has a zipping cover, thumb tabs, lots of “stuff” in the back like maps . . . AND – it is maroon and blue like my work shirt- hehe!
Signing off and thanking God for all the people and experiences that have been a part of my life thus far.
Hope all is well back in the states and everyone is enjoying the colors, smells, sounds, and tastes of autumn! I was trying to explain candy corn last night - “Is it sticky?” “Does it actually have corn in it?” “Well, no . . . “
Mel and Julz took me out to Indian for a late birthday celebration!!!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Herding and House-Making
Wednesday October 15, 2008
So far the week has involved doing things that can’t be done when a group is in but must be done in order for things to run smoothly when they are here. Monday involved a bit of changing mattress protectors and pillow cases but the majority of our time has been spent setting up, inspection, and taking down all of our tents, which adds up to around 40. It hasn’t been the most fun job but hasn’t been the worst either. It has given us a chance to work with the others on our team and get to know them a bit. It is somewhat rare that the whole team is here at once, with out trips (camping over night), and people going to help at Port Hacking and Blue Gum so it has been kind of cool that we are all here. For the most part I don’t even notice but every so often I do step back and consider the guy to girl ratio! Julz and Mel have been in the office the past days doing administration stuff and preparing for groups from that end and Alison has been working on washing so doing tents I would once in a while be like “wow I’m the only girl here!”
So today around 4:00 (our day runs from 8-5) Tim, one of our bosses comes in and says “Can everyone just drop their tools for a minute?” and we were like okay and were all attentive before he continued “we need some help with cow herding . . .” At first I was confused but then remembered the cows down in the pasture. “A bunch of the cows have gotten loose and they need help getting them back in the paddock.”
Welcoming a change of scenery from the dining room and relief from the somewhat tedious task of tent duty, you could sense the excitement as everyone dropped what they were doing and ran for the car park, piling into cars and utes! I jumped in the back seat with Julie and Josh to find myself sitting on a pile of Steve’s clothes and other miscellaneous items in the back seat of his car!
After a bit of effort, we finally located the “runaway cows,” if you will, and herded them back into the paddock. Julie grew up on a farm as did one of the men who works maintenance so they more or less led the efforts, or at least tried to, as some of the guys were a bit excited about the idea of charging after cows and ran them straight passed the open gate, which another one of the guys was supposed to be standing at to make sure that didn’t happen - lol! All ended well with 15 happy cows and bulls back safely in the paddock and about 10 Shoalhaven staff happy to end the day with a bit of excitement!
Made it back with only about 5min left in our work day so most of that was spent recounting our adventure to those who had stayed behind! I stuck around to check my email with Dan and Phil and we didn’t make it back to the staff houses til nearly 7:15. Julie and Mel had already left for bible study, which I might have gone with them but oh well. I grabbed some dinner and tossed load of laundry in. We are in need of going to the store as we still haven’t gone since Julz and Mel got back from a week of being away. We were out of milk before the week started and I had the second to last slice of bread this morning! There was a muffin pan sitting on the counter and I remembered a box of muffin mix left on “my shelf” in the pantry by Leanne (who lived in my room for 3 months before I came). I pondered it for a moment then decided to go for it!
I know, I know it’s only a batch of muffins out of a box, it’s kind of pathetic that doing laundry and making muffins out of a box makes me feel “all grown up” but yeah, hahah. Julz agreed the box muffins were an accomplishment, commending me on getting them all to come out looking like muffins, and Mel reckons it is the start of things to come and that I’ll soon be making muffins from scratch – lol. They are both great, so blessed with awesome housemates and workmates!
So this turned out a bit longer than anticipated, but don’t they all! Everything is going well down here. A group of year 3 and 4 kids come in tomorrow; I am assisting with a group and will be leading their initiatives activity – should be good – just the beginning!
PS - the other day I mended a hole inmy pants using needle and thread - so domestic! :) :-P
So far the week has involved doing things that can’t be done when a group is in but must be done in order for things to run smoothly when they are here. Monday involved a bit of changing mattress protectors and pillow cases but the majority of our time has been spent setting up, inspection, and taking down all of our tents, which adds up to around 40. It hasn’t been the most fun job but hasn’t been the worst either. It has given us a chance to work with the others on our team and get to know them a bit. It is somewhat rare that the whole team is here at once, with out trips (camping over night), and people going to help at Port Hacking and Blue Gum so it has been kind of cool that we are all here. For the most part I don’t even notice but every so often I do step back and consider the guy to girl ratio! Julz and Mel have been in the office the past days doing administration stuff and preparing for groups from that end and Alison has been working on washing so doing tents I would once in a while be like “wow I’m the only girl here!”
So today around 4:00 (our day runs from 8-5) Tim, one of our bosses comes in and says “Can everyone just drop their tools for a minute?” and we were like okay and were all attentive before he continued “we need some help with cow herding . . .” At first I was confused but then remembered the cows down in the pasture. “A bunch of the cows have gotten loose and they need help getting them back in the paddock.”
Welcoming a change of scenery from the dining room and relief from the somewhat tedious task of tent duty, you could sense the excitement as everyone dropped what they were doing and ran for the car park, piling into cars and utes! I jumped in the back seat with Julie and Josh to find myself sitting on a pile of Steve’s clothes and other miscellaneous items in the back seat of his car!
After a bit of effort, we finally located the “runaway cows,” if you will, and herded them back into the paddock. Julie grew up on a farm as did one of the men who works maintenance so they more or less led the efforts, or at least tried to, as some of the guys were a bit excited about the idea of charging after cows and ran them straight passed the open gate, which another one of the guys was supposed to be standing at to make sure that didn’t happen - lol! All ended well with 15 happy cows and bulls back safely in the paddock and about 10 Shoalhaven staff happy to end the day with a bit of excitement!
Made it back with only about 5min left in our work day so most of that was spent recounting our adventure to those who had stayed behind! I stuck around to check my email with Dan and Phil and we didn’t make it back to the staff houses til nearly 7:15. Julie and Mel had already left for bible study, which I might have gone with them but oh well. I grabbed some dinner and tossed load of laundry in. We are in need of going to the store as we still haven’t gone since Julz and Mel got back from a week of being away. We were out of milk before the week started and I had the second to last slice of bread this morning! There was a muffin pan sitting on the counter and I remembered a box of muffin mix left on “my shelf” in the pantry by Leanne (who lived in my room for 3 months before I came). I pondered it for a moment then decided to go for it!
I know, I know it’s only a batch of muffins out of a box, it’s kind of pathetic that doing laundry and making muffins out of a box makes me feel “all grown up” but yeah, hahah. Julz agreed the box muffins were an accomplishment, commending me on getting them all to come out looking like muffins, and Mel reckons it is the start of things to come and that I’ll soon be making muffins from scratch – lol. They are both great, so blessed with awesome housemates and workmates!
So this turned out a bit longer than anticipated, but don’t they all! Everything is going well down here. A group of year 3 and 4 kids come in tomorrow; I am assisting with a group and will be leading their initiatives activity – should be good – just the beginning!
PS - the other day I mended a hole inmy pants using needle and thread - so domestic! :) :-P
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Phew 22!
Sunday October 12, 2008
Sitting in my “back yard” on this beautiful spring day looking out at the boats cruising along the Shoalhaven River and wishing I could be out there with them skiing!!
It’s nearly noon now and I’ve spent most of the morning using my calling card talking to family; mom & dad, grandma & granddad. Good to talk to all of them! I talked to Ellen on Friday for a while so that was good too!
Here’s a quick recap on my last few days:
Thursday
*Archery Training – I had just gone through archery training this summer at home so there wasn’t too much new information here. They have different names for a few things but overall everything was pretty familiar.
*Dinner w/ Alison and Dave – Since Julie and Mel are both away this week, Alison from work invited me over for dinner on Thursday! She is about a year younger than me and newly married – wow. So I helped her cook stir fry! I’m really going to come home knowing how to cook, which is really good! It was nice to spend some time with them and have dinner and everything.
Friday
*Low Ropes / Escape Course Training – Walked through our low ropes course and learned how to facilitate that. PG had us do all of the elements so that was really good. Quickly talked about debriefing low ropes and we were done before lunch time!
*Learned how to drive the power boat- Oh man! So driving the boat itself is not difficult but backing the ute with the trailer on is another story. Dan pulled the boat out of the shed and backed it down the ramp into the water but then I backed the ute with the trailer down the ramp, dorve it up to the shed, and backed it into the shed – pheww. I have a better appreciation for mom and dad driving with the trailer now. I don’t like backing up in a car much less backing with a trailer on and trying to get it into a shed!
Driving the boat was fun though; its’ just a little tin boat with a motor on it, sort of like the launches from crew. Whenever we take a group out canoeing we take the power boat out to have as a safety caution since the river can get busy and roughish.
*Cake! During our “end of day wrap up” everyone sang, although at their own pace and somewhat off tune – hehe, and then they brought out a cake! Very nice!
*Dinner with the Cases – After work I went home with Leanne, who works in the office three days a week, then we went to Tim and Naomi’s for Sloppy Joes! Time is one of my bosses and is from PA, although he has been here for seven years and is married with an adorable 1 year old son!
*Sing Star w/ Church of Christ People – The young adults from Leanne’s church were getting together for a night of sing start, a karaoke play station game, and just hanging out so I went with her to that. Everyone is so nice here I’m not sure if it’s an Australian thing or a Christian thing or both but yeah everyone was so nice and welcoming. Kind of made me think about my group of friends and if someone new came when we were hanging out if we would make them feel welcome. I would like to think that we would but I don’t know. Then I thought about how Rowena came senior year and how she started hanging out with our already established group and if we were welcoming enough and stuff!
It’s quite different going to a new environment where everyone is new compared to going to a new environment where relationships are already established and you are the only knew one. I feel there are pros and cons to each but I won’t go into that now, perhaps another blog!!
*Got home around 11:45 from that, called home and talked to Ellen for like 45min – good to catch up! :)
Sitting in my “back yard” on this beautiful spring day looking out at the boats cruising along the Shoalhaven River and wishing I could be out there with them skiing!!
It’s nearly noon now and I’ve spent most of the morning using my calling card talking to family; mom & dad, grandma & granddad. Good to talk to all of them! I talked to Ellen on Friday for a while so that was good too!
Here’s a quick recap on my last few days:
Thursday
*Archery Training – I had just gone through archery training this summer at home so there wasn’t too much new information here. They have different names for a few things but overall everything was pretty familiar.
*Dinner w/ Alison and Dave – Since Julie and Mel are both away this week, Alison from work invited me over for dinner on Thursday! She is about a year younger than me and newly married – wow. So I helped her cook stir fry! I’m really going to come home knowing how to cook, which is really good! It was nice to spend some time with them and have dinner and everything.
Friday
*Low Ropes / Escape Course Training – Walked through our low ropes course and learned how to facilitate that. PG had us do all of the elements so that was really good. Quickly talked about debriefing low ropes and we were done before lunch time!
*Learned how to drive the power boat- Oh man! So driving the boat itself is not difficult but backing the ute with the trailer on is another story. Dan pulled the boat out of the shed and backed it down the ramp into the water but then I backed the ute with the trailer down the ramp, dorve it up to the shed, and backed it into the shed – pheww. I have a better appreciation for mom and dad driving with the trailer now. I don’t like backing up in a car much less backing with a trailer on and trying to get it into a shed!
Driving the boat was fun though; its’ just a little tin boat with a motor on it, sort of like the launches from crew. Whenever we take a group out canoeing we take the power boat out to have as a safety caution since the river can get busy and roughish.
*Cake! During our “end of day wrap up” everyone sang, although at their own pace and somewhat off tune – hehe, and then they brought out a cake! Very nice!
*Dinner with the Cases – After work I went home with Leanne, who works in the office three days a week, then we went to Tim and Naomi’s for Sloppy Joes! Time is one of my bosses and is from PA, although he has been here for seven years and is married with an adorable 1 year old son!
*Sing Star w/ Church of Christ People – The young adults from Leanne’s church were getting together for a night of sing start, a karaoke play station game, and just hanging out so I went with her to that. Everyone is so nice here I’m not sure if it’s an Australian thing or a Christian thing or both but yeah everyone was so nice and welcoming. Kind of made me think about my group of friends and if someone new came when we were hanging out if we would make them feel welcome. I would like to think that we would but I don’t know. Then I thought about how Rowena came senior year and how she started hanging out with our already established group and if we were welcoming enough and stuff!
It’s quite different going to a new environment where everyone is new compared to going to a new environment where relationships are already established and you are the only knew one. I feel there are pros and cons to each but I won’t go into that now, perhaps another blog!!
*Got home around 11:45 from that, called home and talked to Ellen for like 45min – good to catch up! :)
Not quite like mom's but still really nice :) :)
Saturday
Leanne picked me up, it’s so annoying not having a car; I feel bad making people driver out of their way to come and get me and drop me off for things.
Anyway, a bunch of the guys had gone down to Ulladulla, a beach town about an hour away, to camp for the weekend. One of the guys is from down there and he knew of a national park. So we picked up Emma, one of the guy’s girlfriends, on the way down, and spent the day hanging out with them in Ulladulla. It was a bit cold to swim since we didn’t make it to the beach until the sun was almost setting. The guys played some beach cricket and then we had a bar-b over the camp fire. Already getting sick of sausages – lol! They are like the equivalent of a hot dog but almost worse. :-P Cheap, quick, and easy but not so healthy or appetizing.
Got back around 11:30 again, shower to get rid of the smokey smell then bed.
So it’s been a good last couple of days. Learned a lot work wise and spent time with people outside of work so it’s good. Julie and Mel get home today so it will be nice to have other people in the house again!
Loving this warm weather but thinking about crisp fall, jack-o-lanterns, and candy corn back home – hehe!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
First Night In The Bush
Wednesday October 8, 2008
So after a late arrival home (thank you Dan for picking me up from the train station and bringing me back to good ole staff housing at Shoalhaven) and a night’s sleep in my own bed (which I determined I have yet to spend five consecutive nights in!), I was packed and off again on Tuesday! Our overnight hike that was meant to happen at the end of last week was a go for Tuesday /Wednesday since the health of our trainer, Pete (PG), had been restored.
I had packed the night before figuring we would probably be going but we still had to pack our food and gear, which took us up until about 11:00, when we set off up the trail. On the way there we did a bit of map and compass navigation work, which was really good as I had already nearly forgotten! Different from the ridge trail, done in previous training, where you are given a compass and a bearing, this time we were given a map with the markers plotted on it and a compass to calculate the bearing from one marker to the next. Dan and I had fun navigating our way through the bush as PG followed, for the most part, silently correcting us only when necessary.
Using the compass to navigate and find the markers really helped to break up the trip and make it a bit more exciting. I’m not positive but I’d say the hike was about 7km. We arrived at our destination, a cow farm in Ilaroo referred to as “Lynches” as that is the name of the family who owns it, between 4:00 and 5:00. Lots of out trips involve either hiking or canoeing to Lynches and camping for the night. However, we were picked up by Tony and driven to another campsite for the night, one a bit closer to Waterslea but still a ways down the river.
This site is called Bangalee and is owned by a boy scout camp. Often times two groups will camp at Bangalee with one hiking there and the other canoeing there, both spending the night, then swapping canoeing or hiking for the return trip.
PG instructed us that the first thing you do upon arriving to camp is set up the tents since this is about 90 times easier in day light!! After setting up tents we cooked dinner. Unlike at the Marsh where we cook over the fire, we brought little burner things with pots called triangia (I think), which uses methane to cook – pretty cool.
It was really good to go through all of this before having to do it with a group of kids. My first time will be with another instructor so that will be very helpful as well!!
PG and Dan shared a tent and I had my own. I would compare the weather to early April as it is definitely not summer yet but the bitter cold of winter has already passed. Needless to say I didn’t sleep all that well once you combine the chilly weather with the hard ground! We did have foam pads but they did little for comfort! They did however give you about half an inch of insulation between you and the cold ground! I brought my hand warmers as well but only as a last resort if my fingers and toes started to go white!! Luckily I was cold but not that cold! It was possibly somewhere in the low fifties or around there?? 7 C – whatever that is – I need to get a converter chart! Whatever it was, I sure was glad I had packed my warm pair of socks, my thermal long sleeved shirt, and a hoodie to sleep in, even if it did mean I had to strap my sleeping bag to the outside of my pack instead of fit it inside, where it is meant to be!!
We “turned in” about 9:45 and I was the first one up in the morning. PG said we could sleep in and get up around 8 but I knew I would be up earlier. I woke up around 6:30 but then went back to sleep until 7:30 when I got up, went to the bathroom, explored a little, pulled some things out for breakfast, and finally began to pack my bag before Dan and PG finally rolled out of bed around 8:45!!
Tony showed up about 9:30 to pick up our tents but we were still cooking pancakes and had not yet taken down our tents so he decided to come back later – opppss.
Filled the water bottle and hoisted the packs back onto our aching shoulders at about 10:30 and we were off, homeward bound. Not far down the trail we came to a large creek or small river. Luckily the tide was out so the water level was low and only reached just above my knees. I hate putting socks and shoes on wet feet so I dried them off as best I could with my Smokey hoodie before we set off again. We went home via the ridge trail, giving us a chance to navigate our way through the markers going the opposite direction we had come from last time. We did very well and found all the markers accept one that we missed somehow.
We got back to Waterslea around 12:00, giving us time to put our gear away before lunch, a quick shower back at the house, and an afternoon of finishing our assessments from boot camp, which involved walking around waterslea and koolona and mapping all the fire hydrants, extinguishers, and hose reels – fun.
Another really really great training experience! At several points during the trip I could help but think that there really wasn’t anything I would rather be doing right then. And I’m getting paid to do this! Sure beats a desk job!!!!! :) :)
So after a late arrival home (thank you Dan for picking me up from the train station and bringing me back to good ole staff housing at Shoalhaven) and a night’s sleep in my own bed (which I determined I have yet to spend five consecutive nights in!), I was packed and off again on Tuesday! Our overnight hike that was meant to happen at the end of last week was a go for Tuesday /Wednesday since the health of our trainer, Pete (PG), had been restored.
I had packed the night before figuring we would probably be going but we still had to pack our food and gear, which took us up until about 11:00, when we set off up the trail. On the way there we did a bit of map and compass navigation work, which was really good as I had already nearly forgotten! Different from the ridge trail, done in previous training, where you are given a compass and a bearing, this time we were given a map with the markers plotted on it and a compass to calculate the bearing from one marker to the next. Dan and I had fun navigating our way through the bush as PG followed, for the most part, silently correcting us only when necessary.
Using the compass to navigate and find the markers really helped to break up the trip and make it a bit more exciting. I’m not positive but I’d say the hike was about 7km. We arrived at our destination, a cow farm in Ilaroo referred to as “Lynches” as that is the name of the family who owns it, between 4:00 and 5:00. Lots of out trips involve either hiking or canoeing to Lynches and camping for the night. However, we were picked up by Tony and driven to another campsite for the night, one a bit closer to Waterslea but still a ways down the river.
Dan being attacked by the bulls at Lynches while we waited for Tony to pick us up.
This site is called Bangalee and is owned by a boy scout camp. Often times two groups will camp at Bangalee with one hiking there and the other canoeing there, both spending the night, then swapping canoeing or hiking for the return trip.
PG instructed us that the first thing you do upon arriving to camp is set up the tents since this is about 90 times easier in day light!! After setting up tents we cooked dinner. Unlike at the Marsh where we cook over the fire, we brought little burner things with pots called triangia (I think), which uses methane to cook – pretty cool.
It was really good to go through all of this before having to do it with a group of kids. My first time will be with another instructor so that will be very helpful as well!!
PG and Dan shared a tent and I had my own. I would compare the weather to early April as it is definitely not summer yet but the bitter cold of winter has already passed. Needless to say I didn’t sleep all that well once you combine the chilly weather with the hard ground! We did have foam pads but they did little for comfort! They did however give you about half an inch of insulation between you and the cold ground! I brought my hand warmers as well but only as a last resort if my fingers and toes started to go white!! Luckily I was cold but not that cold! It was possibly somewhere in the low fifties or around there?? 7 C – whatever that is – I need to get a converter chart! Whatever it was, I sure was glad I had packed my warm pair of socks, my thermal long sleeved shirt, and a hoodie to sleep in, even if it did mean I had to strap my sleeping bag to the outside of my pack instead of fit it inside, where it is meant to be!!
We “turned in” about 9:45 and I was the first one up in the morning. PG said we could sleep in and get up around 8 but I knew I would be up earlier. I woke up around 6:30 but then went back to sleep until 7:30 when I got up, went to the bathroom, explored a little, pulled some things out for breakfast, and finally began to pack my bag before Dan and PG finally rolled out of bed around 8:45!!
Tony showed up about 9:30 to pick up our tents but we were still cooking pancakes and had not yet taken down our tents so he decided to come back later – opppss.
Filled the water bottle and hoisted the packs back onto our aching shoulders at about 10:30 and we were off, homeward bound. Not far down the trail we came to a large creek or small river. Luckily the tide was out so the water level was low and only reached just above my knees. I hate putting socks and shoes on wet feet so I dried them off as best I could with my Smokey hoodie before we set off again. We went home via the ridge trail, giving us a chance to navigate our way through the markers going the opposite direction we had come from last time. We did very well and found all the markers accept one that we missed somehow.
A view of the Shoalhaven River from a lookout point!
We got back to Waterslea around 12:00, giving us time to put our gear away before lunch, a quick shower back at the house, and an afternoon of finishing our assessments from boot camp, which involved walking around waterslea and koolona and mapping all the fire hydrants, extinguishers, and hose reels – fun.
Another really really great training experience! At several points during the trip I could help but think that there really wasn’t anything I would rather be doing right then. And I’m getting paid to do this! Sure beats a desk job!!!!! :) :)
Monday, October 6, 2008
A WONDERFUL Long Weekend in Sydney
Monday October 6, 2008
Oh my goodness I don’t even know where to start!!! I just had a wonderful, wonderful weekend, by far the most exciting since I’ve been here! I’m now on the train again heading back down to good ole Nowra - haha. Not even sure what I could compare Nowra to at home. Possibly some place down the Eastern shore. I don’t know. Just one of those small towns that when you tell people you are working down in Nowra they are like “oh . . . Nowra . . . right . . . what are you doing down there?” lol. Then I explain I am doing outdoor education and camps for school groups and I get another “oh.” Haha. It’s great though and I don’t think I even mind being a 2-5 hour ride from Sydney – depending on your mode of transportation and whether or not there is track work going on – uggg..
So Friday was a late night as I didn’t end up getting to Sydney until about 12:30. I had looked up the train time table but didn’t account for track work, which meant an hour wait for a bus that would take us around the section being worked on to another stop.
Allison had arrived just a bit before I did as her flight came in at 10:30 then she caught a train from there. So I met up with Allison and Fiona when I got of the train at 12:30ish! It was sooooooooooooo good to see Allison and Fiona as well.
How We Know Fiona (the long version)!!
Allison met Fiona while playing tennis in “Uni Games” down in Adeliade when we were at Bond in 2006. Then later in the semester we went to Sydney and stayed with Fiona in Manly (just a ferry ride from the Sydney Harbor). THEN (we are still going here folks) in January 2007 Fiona and two friends stayed with Allison as part of their US tour and we all went to DC!! So it was pretty cool to be with her again in Sydney almost exactly two years later and also having had the chance to see her “on our turf” if you will!!
Oh my goodness I don’t even know where to start!!! I just had a wonderful, wonderful weekend, by far the most exciting since I’ve been here! I’m now on the train again heading back down to good ole Nowra - haha. Not even sure what I could compare Nowra to at home. Possibly some place down the Eastern shore. I don’t know. Just one of those small towns that when you tell people you are working down in Nowra they are like “oh . . . Nowra . . . right . . . what are you doing down there?” lol. Then I explain I am doing outdoor education and camps for school groups and I get another “oh.” Haha. It’s great though and I don’t think I even mind being a 2-5 hour ride from Sydney – depending on your mode of transportation and whether or not there is track work going on – uggg..
So Friday was a late night as I didn’t end up getting to Sydney until about 12:30. I had looked up the train time table but didn’t account for track work, which meant an hour wait for a bus that would take us around the section being worked on to another stop.
Allison had arrived just a bit before I did as her flight came in at 10:30 then she caught a train from there. So I met up with Allison and Fiona when I got of the train at 12:30ish! It was sooooooooooooo good to see Allison and Fiona as well.
How We Know Fiona (the long version)!!
Allison met Fiona while playing tennis in “Uni Games” down in Adeliade when we were at Bond in 2006. Then later in the semester we went to Sydney and stayed with Fiona in Manly (just a ferry ride from the Sydney Harbor). THEN (we are still going here folks) in January 2007 Fiona and two friends stayed with Allison as part of their US tour and we all went to DC!! So it was pretty cool to be with her again in Sydney almost exactly two years later and also having had the chance to see her “on our turf” if you will!!
The three of us at Fiona's in 2006!!
So back to the wonderful weekend . . . Fiona is dating a really nice guy from work named Rob that lives pretty much on George Street, which runs straight up to Circular Quay (pronounced key as we learned on our last visit!) and the opera house. His place was just a short walk from the train station so he let us stay with him the first and last night and we stayed with Fiona Saturday night. Both places were amazing with awesome views: his of the city and hers of Collaroy beach.
Saturday
involved sleeping in on my and Allison’s part but poor Fiona woke up at 4:20am for ocean rowing! Wow! Talk about intense. She showed us some videos on utude.com and wow. Talk about dangerous. They row out past the surf, using oars almost identical to those used for “flat water rowing,” as she called it. Their seats don’t move but are splashed with water so the rower can slide back and forth, often on their bear bum, as this has been proven to work most efficiently! Once they get past the surf and around a bouy they catch a wave back in, which can have some wicked consequences – phew. All of the boats are designed for four rowers and a sweep, I think she may have called it, who does makes the calls and does the steering from a standing position using a large rudder. Wow!
-Walked around Sydney city with Fiona
*Max Brenner – “chocolate by the bald man” – café with everything chocolate!!
*”The Rocks” – shops and restaurants near the base of the harbour bridge
*Sydney Information Centre
-Drove to Collaroy Beach / Fiona’s place
-Dinner in Manly at a German restaurant – soft pretzel appetizer ?German?,
mango beer, crazy Melbourne Storm fans in the street excited about the NRL (National Rugby League) Grand Final on Saturday night – Manly Sea Eagles vs. Melbourne Storm.
Sunday
Another leisurely morning
-Coffee from a café right on the beach on our way to the store
-Store to get stuff for the bar-b-que and Grand Final Party
-Bar-b-Que at Andrew’s (Fiona’s housemate from the last time we stayed with her)
*Andrew taught Allison and I how to cook on the bar-b! We did onions, capsicum (peppers), and sausages! He even had an Australia apron!
-Bus to the city to Rob’s
-NRL Grand Final Party at Fiona’s boss’s
*She is doing an internship with some financial company or something
*So psyched about catching the rugby grand final!!! Allison and I were both bummed when “our team” the Brisbane Broncos got knocked out of the running but naturally we would support the Sea Eagles since we were pretty much in Manly and it was the Storm who rivaled, and lost to, the Broncos in the grand final in 2006! I’m happy to report the Sea Eagles swept the Melbourne Storm 28 to Nil – phewwweee. I’m pretty sure I’ve actually found a sport I enjoy watching!
-Celebratory visit to the pub across the street
-A Late dinner in China Town before heading back to Rob’s for the night
The view from Rob's balcony
Monday
-Attempted an early start but left around 9:30 heading down George Street towards the opera house.
-Stopped in Maccas (McDonalds) for a coffee!
-Reminisced our sprint down George Street to catch the last ferry to Manly and Fiona’s house two years ago after the Tri Nations rugby final
-Walked around the outside of the opera house before realizing the place to inquire about tours is actually under the steps!
-Signed up for a tour and browsed the gift shop until 10:30
*A really neat, educational tour!
*learned a lot of the history and interesting facts
*Got to go into and sit in three of the five theaters including one with a huge huge organ with over a thousand pipes if I remember correctly – so cool!
-Wandered back through Circular Quay and back to the rocks, stopping in gift shops and searching for an affordable lunch as well as the entrance to the bridge tower lookout, which we never did find – next time I guess.
-Lunch in an Irish pub / restaurant where we were asked if we were Canadian!
-Walk back down George Street to meet Fiona and Rob
-Cheap souvenir shop!!
-Grocery store to get lychee
*an interesting fruit that we had never heard of: almost like a peeled grape for lack of a better way to describe it.
-Back to Rob’s to pick up my bags
-Back on the train at 4:20pm, arrived in Nowra 8:44pm hummmm another loooong train ride. Totally worth it though!!!!!! :) :)
OnThe Trian Again
Friday October 3, 2008
I’m on the train again, for the second time this week. The first time was on Monday heading up to boot camp at Port Hacking. Dan went home for the weekend so he went straight to Port Hacking so they decided to send me up on the train and catch a ride back with him rather than drive a vehicle up. This meant an early start but it was fine with me as the tracks run right along the coast most of the way, making for a scenic view.
This time is a bit different though as it is already 8:00pm. It is dark, so no coast line to be seen. Monday is Labor day so I am headed up to Sydney for the long weekend! I am soooooo excited because Allison is going to be there and we are staying with Fiona, a friend from last time we were here! Allison has been traveling around Oz since late September and Sydney is her last stop. It’ll be so good to see her!
So this past week has really felt like two weeks; boot camp Mon-Wed then our first “realish” days at Shoalhaven. Right now kids have off school for “holidays” so we were running a “holiday camp” called “Adventure Days” on Wednesday – Friday. It was just Alison and Scott on it so Dan and I helped out with that. It was lots of fun! Usually we will be working with school groups so the teachers will be there but this is more like summer camp where it is just us and the kids. I stuck with Scott (foundly known as Scoty_ for the two days and helped out with the year 5-6 kids. Dan helped Alison with the year 3-4 kids since he said he had never worked with that age before.
Thursday we started out with the low ropes course. It was really good to see that run but to have the chance to be involved in it as well. I find it really beneficial to experience the things you will be leading / teaching / facilitating. Low ropes went until 10:30 when we took a break for morning tea (a piece of fruit, water, and juice).
After morning tea we had Christian Discovery (CD); sang some songs, did some skits, had a message, and then split back into our age groups for discussion. We gave the kids a bit of free time while we set up lunch and then a bit of time after lunch before moving onto our afternoon activity of canoeing!
Canoeing was pretty fun! Unlike the somewhat protected cove area at the marina at Sandy Cove, at Shoalhaven we canoe right out on the river. It was another windy day on the river so the kids were fighting the current. Luckily we were split into three boats of three people each so two of the boats had an instructor with them. There are so many lessons to be learned from canoeing. Besides the obvious canoe strokes and learning what side to paddle on, team work and communication are also key factors in a successful canoe experience. Trust is also a factor as each person in the boat has the potential to cause a capsize. Not to mention the physical aspect and concept of “pushing yourself.” While on the water we “rafted up,” meaning we had all the boats come together side by side. Scot then had everyone grab hands with the person next to you from the other boat. We stood up one row at a time until everyone was standing. He had everyone clap once, twice, then do the “YMCA.” No one fell in – this time!
So that was wonderful, exciting day one. Day two was pretty much the same accept “billy carting” took the place of our morning activity and jetty jumping occurred in the afternoon.
I believe I described how waterslea is set up on a hill overlooking a cow pasture as well as the Shoalhaven River. Billy carting pretty much involves the kids sitting in a box on wheels, strapping on a helmet, holding on, and riding down the hill!
Jetty jumping was good fun, although again we had the current to look out for. There is 2k (a little over a mile) walk to get to the jetty which involves going over, under, and around a few pasture fences, a bit of a trek through the bush dumps you out at a park where people like to have bar-b-ques on the weekends, then down some rocky stairs lands you on the jetty (pretty much a little dock with a ladder and stairs leading up out of the water). The instructor always goes in first to “check the water” then the kids can jump in, wearing a PFD. Apparently the PFDs are a somewhat recent thing after a student claimed he “forgot how to swim” when he jumped in. I think PFDs are probably a good idea anyhow especially for the young kids and when there is a current.
We call them PFDs because apparently someone in the US sued b/c it was a family member died wearing a life jacket and the term life jacket implies that it should save his life?? I don’t know – so PDF – personal floatation device.
So that was Tuesday! Lots of fun! Really good to actually get into a bit of what I will eventually be doing, although it will be a bit different with a school group.
I’m on the train again, for the second time this week. The first time was on Monday heading up to boot camp at Port Hacking. Dan went home for the weekend so he went straight to Port Hacking so they decided to send me up on the train and catch a ride back with him rather than drive a vehicle up. This meant an early start but it was fine with me as the tracks run right along the coast most of the way, making for a scenic view.
This time is a bit different though as it is already 8:00pm. It is dark, so no coast line to be seen. Monday is Labor day so I am headed up to Sydney for the long weekend! I am soooooo excited because Allison is going to be there and we are staying with Fiona, a friend from last time we were here! Allison has been traveling around Oz since late September and Sydney is her last stop. It’ll be so good to see her!
So this past week has really felt like two weeks; boot camp Mon-Wed then our first “realish” days at Shoalhaven. Right now kids have off school for “holidays” so we were running a “holiday camp” called “Adventure Days” on Wednesday – Friday. It was just Alison and Scott on it so Dan and I helped out with that. It was lots of fun! Usually we will be working with school groups so the teachers will be there but this is more like summer camp where it is just us and the kids. I stuck with Scott (foundly known as Scoty_ for the two days and helped out with the year 5-6 kids. Dan helped Alison with the year 3-4 kids since he said he had never worked with that age before.
Thursday we started out with the low ropes course. It was really good to see that run but to have the chance to be involved in it as well. I find it really beneficial to experience the things you will be leading / teaching / facilitating. Low ropes went until 10:30 when we took a break for morning tea (a piece of fruit, water, and juice).
After morning tea we had Christian Discovery (CD); sang some songs, did some skits, had a message, and then split back into our age groups for discussion. We gave the kids a bit of free time while we set up lunch and then a bit of time after lunch before moving onto our afternoon activity of canoeing!
Canoeing was pretty fun! Unlike the somewhat protected cove area at the marina at Sandy Cove, at Shoalhaven we canoe right out on the river. It was another windy day on the river so the kids were fighting the current. Luckily we were split into three boats of three people each so two of the boats had an instructor with them. There are so many lessons to be learned from canoeing. Besides the obvious canoe strokes and learning what side to paddle on, team work and communication are also key factors in a successful canoe experience. Trust is also a factor as each person in the boat has the potential to cause a capsize. Not to mention the physical aspect and concept of “pushing yourself.” While on the water we “rafted up,” meaning we had all the boats come together side by side. Scot then had everyone grab hands with the person next to you from the other boat. We stood up one row at a time until everyone was standing. He had everyone clap once, twice, then do the “YMCA.” No one fell in – this time!
So that was wonderful, exciting day one. Day two was pretty much the same accept “billy carting” took the place of our morning activity and jetty jumping occurred in the afternoon.
I believe I described how waterslea is set up on a hill overlooking a cow pasture as well as the Shoalhaven River. Billy carting pretty much involves the kids sitting in a box on wheels, strapping on a helmet, holding on, and riding down the hill!
Jetty jumping was good fun, although again we had the current to look out for. There is 2k (a little over a mile) walk to get to the jetty which involves going over, under, and around a few pasture fences, a bit of a trek through the bush dumps you out at a park where people like to have bar-b-ques on the weekends, then down some rocky stairs lands you on the jetty (pretty much a little dock with a ladder and stairs leading up out of the water). The instructor always goes in first to “check the water” then the kids can jump in, wearing a PFD. Apparently the PFDs are a somewhat recent thing after a student claimed he “forgot how to swim” when he jumped in. I think PFDs are probably a good idea anyhow especially for the young kids and when there is a current.
We call them PFDs because apparently someone in the US sued b/c it was a family member died wearing a life jacket and the term life jacket implies that it should save his life?? I don’t know – so PDF – personal floatation device.
So that was Tuesday! Lots of fun! Really good to actually get into a bit of what I will eventually be doing, although it will be a bit different with a school group.
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