Marsden Bay (Camp)

Packing away my last minute shopping into my bag, I was so excited for camp. Before we left, Mr burt came and had a little talk with us. The talk was just about loving one another and putting our bad past with other people behind us. He reminded us to have a good time at camp and then he did a prayer.

We then headed off to the bus to pack our bags away. My friends and I all went on the big bus. I thought the ride would only take ninety minutes but it took like two hours. We stopped at a beach and we went for an hour and a half walk. After a long walk through muddy paths we managed to get to the other side where there was beach. We had a little rest at the beach before we went to camp.

My excitement was building knowing that we were nearly at camp. As we were entering Marsden bay, everyone started staring and some people even started cheering. We all got off the bus and gathered our bags altogether in one spot. Mrs Nua then told us to all go to the deck and wait for the manager of Marsden Bay to come and introduce us to our camp.

I was really looking forward to day two of camp but there were heavy showers, lightning and thunder. After breakfast my friends and I asked Mrs Nua if we were still going to do activities in this weather and she said yes. My group was Ruakaka B and our first activity was archery. The manager of our camp came and told us the instructions and then we started our event. One of the boys in our group shot the arrow and got it near the target.

The hooter rang and we had to switch to our next activity, that was the fire cooking challenge. It wasn’t really a challenge. We just had to cook two things, it was just like an afternoon tea. After cooking our marshmallows we just had a little bit of free time in the hall. After like fifteen or twenty minutes we had to go kayaking, some of us got our towels and then we walked down to the beach.

We got to the beach and Mrs Samuels was already there. She told us a few instructions about kayaking and then we all got a life jacket and a kayak. We only had a little play around near shore and then Mrs Samuels took us for a tour. I didn’t want to go so I stayed back and waited for them. I was getting scared because I heard thunder and then I saw the girls coming back. Kayaking wasn’t really my thing.

We headed off back to camp to have our showers, everyone was soaking wet. Everyone finished their showers and then went to the dining room for dinner. Everyones stomachs were filled and then we went out to play spotlight. On the first round I never got caught but on the second and third round I got caught. We then had to go sleep because it was raining.

On day three my group and another group spent the whole day at surf education. Before we left we had to make our lunch. It was probably only a twenty minute drive. The two surf lifeguards introduced themselves and then they told us a some information about them and what they do.

For the first two blocks they were explaining and telling us instructions about being safe in the water. After lunch we all got changed and went to the beach to do some activities in the water. First we had a warm up and then we did this surfing and saving activity. It had finally reached three o clock and then we had to go back to camp.

Hopping off the bus, I ran straight to my cabin to look for some clothes because I was desperately want a shower. So I made it just in time to be the first one to have a first shower. After that we had a little bit of playing time and then we had dinner. For dinner we had like meet balls with like noodles, I was thinking it was spaghetti bolognese. My friends and I all finished eating and then we played volleyball.

The hooter rang and then we gathered up in the hall to play some games before heading off to the campfire. Mr Samuels said tat we’re going to play stuck in the mud but the only to get us out is if a glowing stick is thrown at us. You can carry on running if it missed. We had like four rounds and then we went to the hall to practice our chants to sing and perform at the campfire.

Our group was really unorginised because we kept arguing over what song we were going to sing. So then Tyla (one of the leaders for our group) suggested that we just sing price tag by Jessie J and we all agreed. The campfire was probably the best way to end our camp. It was a really unforgettable night.

Before heading back to school and home, we went to Waiwera and spent an hour and a half there. I didn’t swim because we weren't allowed to wear cotton clothing and I had no togs. After an hour and a half with no swimming and boredom we finally got back in the bus. Henry was really entertaining us on the bus because he kept singing and making these funny facials I’ve never seen before.

I would do anything to go back to this camp. Best camp I’ve ever been to. My friends and I made and gained a lot of funny and good and unforgettable memories.