Thursday 28th October
(Day 5)
Just like that we are into our final night of the experience. Today we were greeted with black clouds and rumblings in the sky. Thankfully this had a fairly minimal impact on the activities as the surrounding areas suffered far worse.
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9A awoke from their solo night refreshed and ready to tackle a full day of activities. They started the day with a cereal breakfast and made their way to Kuitpo Forest for Mountain Biking. After the introductions and safety chat, they were interrupted by Mother Nature. This, unfortunately, cost them about 45 minutes however they were still able to enjoy many tracks. Shortly after they headed to Onkaparinga Gorge for their Rock Climbing/Abseiling and the sunshine lit up what is already a spectacular view. Special mention to Mitchell Kloak and Nickolai Greenham who after ‘mishearing’ instructions had to walk their bikes back up the hill.
9B finished off their kayak this morning and students were greeted with beautiful still water however also had to deal with torrential downpours. A perfect example of the different challenges that Outdoor Education provides, only two days ago this same class was dealing with extreme heat on their bushwalk. They finished off the afternoon snorkelling at Port Noarlunga and after some students proved they could compete in whingeing at the Olympics all students managed to hop in and enjoy the reef. Special mention to Kobe Bannon who forgot to seal his dry bag on the kayak and as a result has a sleeping bag that is dripping wet.
9C completed their full-day bushwalk and will camp at Tapanappa tonight. This group has gelled together and was today led through their walk by Harry Chan and Ryan O’Connell. Great work to both of those boys.
9D awoke from their solo night eager to get into their first full day of non-expo activities. They headed off to snorkel at Port Noarlunga and were unfortunately only in the water for 30 minutes before lightning ensured they exited. They were unable to re-enter and headed for Mountain Biking. Many of the boys were particularly excited to tackle the tracks but all students pushed themselves to exceed expectations.
9E completed their full day bushwalk and this group have remained in high spirits. The finish line is in sight and many of these students may sleep until Monday. Whispers circulating through the camp that Nick Patzel is in need of a cuddle and a zinger box.
9F started the kayaking in the pouring rain and after an exhausting bushwalk days earlier this group needed a pep talk to get going for their mountain biking in the afternoon. Thankfully they managed to motivate themselves and were able to have a lengthy 3+ hour session on the bikes. Many of the students were also able to complete jumps and test themselves to their limits.
Finally a word from our class leaders:
9A Justine Forrest
“9A started with the toughest leg first with the bushwalk under the safe guidance of Mr Buckley and Emily Dawe. Their first night was at the trig campsite and their second night was at the tapanapa campsite. As the kids powered through day 2 they were able to go on an extra walk to the waters edge and enjoy some amazing views from there. We met Miss Forrest at the coloring for the kayaking. Students learned how to pack dry bags only to learn that the wind had picked up and it was too windy to kayak across to our campsite. we got lift on Gladys (the bus) to our revised camptite and set up for the night. this campsite gave new meaning to the words mosquito plague, every single person was completely swamped by mozzies for their entire stay. The next morning there was warning of inclement weather so we kayaked back to the pick up point. We then travelled to hinsmarsh island for our solo night. We had an early bbq dinner and the kids trekked off on their solo night adventure with having to put up their own tent, decorating their white t-shirt using the GEM principals all without the talking to other students until the next morning. On day 5 of camp we started with mountain biking, with a small interruption from thunder and lightning but were able to have a good go at the trails. We finished the day with Mountain climbing, all students got out of their comfort zones and had a go at the rock climbing and abseiling. We arrived at douglas scrub base camp to enjoy the final night with 3 other classes ready for the final morning of snorkelling.
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9B Heidi Clark
“What a ride the past 5 days has been for 9B. From getting the bus bogged (thanks Ryan) to Kobe forgetting to waterproof his sleeping bag, it’s safe to say this group has experienced it all and can collectively agree they’ll miss the familiar smells of fake tan and Victoria’s Secret perfume. I may be biased, but this group really is a true representation of what the 9SHINE experience is all about, and how through maintaining an open mindset and being willing to step outside your comfort zone you can truly achieve whatever you set your mind to. Their accomplishment of the challenging Cove Trek in near 30â—¦ heat is a testament to this. I can’t mention any individuals as each member of 9B has shown significant growth and demonstrated their capacity to show gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness. My highlight was on Wednesday night when I asked each student to mention 1 thing they were grateful for at that moment. I was lost for words with some of their responses. I could not be prouder of the way in which each individual has held themselves throughout the camp and the growth I have seen not just over the past 5 days but over the course of the year. However, I am still waiting for my nickname.”
9C - Micki Greenham & George Adamapoulos
All year, under the tutelage of both Ian Ross and Simone Gill, the students of 9C were encouraged to embrace the virtues of gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness. The program pushed each person to embrace challenges with an open mind. The Shine camp is the culmination of the program, and in the six days, there were opportunities to connect with themselves (Solo), their community (teamwork in all activities), and with the environment (bushwalk, kayaking, rock climbing, snorkeling). I know that the students will walk away from the experience, feeling energised, proud of their accomplishments, and with skills that will last a lifetime.
The early start on Sunday morning did not diminish the excitement as the cohort from 9C boarded ‘Gary’ the bus with Ryan at the wheel. Confusion about Day 1’s activities led to a driver change at Tailem Bend; however, students were undeterred, keen to get the party started. Over the course of camp, were sometimes challenged and in those times, it was heartening to see the support they had for each other. This was also evident in the nightly gratitude circles, where the ‘character strength’ medals were awarded and the addition of the ‘The Shout Out’, an initiative of Eitan’s, our instructor and mentor, where students gave a shout out to someone in the group, who made the nominator’s camp experience better that day, in some way. “YES EITAN”. I have definitely seen growth and stronger connections within the group and I am so proud to have had this special time with them. Go Bulldogs 😊.
9D - Steve Primer & Angela Queale
This has been a great week. It worked out well for us that the most physically challenging aspects of the week were in the first three days when our reserves were at their best. Having said that, it was still hard work at times and students didn’t give themselves sufficient credit for their achievements. There were a few who would probably have never before had to push themselves physically as much they did over those days.
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Throughout the week we have seen the students grow in confidence and embrace bravery and persistence with many pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and reaping the rewards of doing so. Teamwork has been a key element of development for many of the students and it was great to see them going to each others aid when necessary with a helping hand or word of encouragement. Unfortunately, some of our group activities didn’t pan out as planned but the students showed resilience and flexibility to go with the flow. The 9SHINE experience is something we have no doubt will take top billing on the slideshow of favourite schooling memories for years to come. We are so proud of this group of young people and what they have achieved this week.
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9E - Nick Patzel & Alisha Gasparini
The journey with 9E has been an incredible experience to see the individual rise to the challenges and face obstacles that are accomplished through personal endeavour and team work. Seeing the student get to know one another and blossom into a very tight unit has been a highlight for our students. When doing their personal reflection, all highlights of the experience focused on the strong relationships that have been built by this trip.
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Our team leader Scott has set a great example to the students of what welcomeness and belonging mean and then supported the students to persevere. We are truly thankful for the great relationships he developed with the group, especially the before breakfast dance battles to get the blood pumping. At the end of every evening we discuss our character strengths and recognise others strengths. An ongoing focus for this class is to continue being consistent with this language to support them in facing obstacles and pushing through them.
Miss Gasparini and myself could not be happier with how the week went. We also gained a lot of confidence in our own abilities. We are very thankful to have been able to spend time with this wonderful group of people.
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9F - Nathan Fleetwood & Sarah Mutch
"Wow! What a week! We have had tears, sweat, hugs, laughter, everything you could imagine and more. The students have become comfortable with the uncomfortable. The week began with deep introspection, as students were tasked with reflecting on the year that has been and who they want to become. The solo experience for some was daunting and certainly pushed them to tackle their fears head-on. 9F became the newly named ‘Zero Complaints’ as they wanted to be known as the group that ‘never gave up’ (they certainly achieved that). The adventures started with a deep dive at the Port Noarlunga reef and became one of the highlights of the week. After the snorkel the group faced their first physically demanding challenges of trekking the Cove (believe us, it’s more than difficult, without a rucksack but they did it carrying 30kg). They learnt how to pack a rucksack and many students discovered the hard way that overpacking leads to a sore back. The students prepared some interesting meals on the trangias throughout their expedition and enjoyed reflected on the day’s activities and games around the camp ground. Every student throughout the week faced a moment of discomfort and it was incredibly rewarding to witness the students coming together to support those in need. As the teachers of 9F, we could not be prouder of the effort and attitude of ‘Zero Complaints’. We know that the challenges faced and the skills developed will hold them in good sted for the rest of their lives.
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