Last week at camp was an experience we will never forget. As a group of 19 students, we all came in with different expectations, but we quickly found ourselves enjoying the same highlights.  As soon as we arrived, we were greeted with a hot summer's day, making it easy to set up our tents. Soon after, we were lucky enough to go for a swim in the lake to cool down, which was a great way to start our week. The second day was all about being active. We set off at 11am in the morning for a 25km bike ride, which we knew was going to be a challenge. We took a break at our first stop, which was 5.5km in. The rest of the ride was split up with various breaks in between and finished off with a swim at the lake before we turned around and headed back to the camp ground. On Wednesday morning, we woke up to a little bit of rain, but it wasn’t going to stop us from having a good time. We hopped in the vans and drove to the Wānaka lake front to go stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking. Although the conditions were rough, this was definitely a major highlight of our trip. Later that day, we then hiked up Mount Iron. It was a difficult challenge, but definitely rewarding when we made it to the top. 

On Thursday we woke to thunder and lightning which was quite scary. Luckily, we had an indoor activity planned for the morning. So again, we hopped in our vans and headed to Base Camp Wānaka - also known as Clip ‘n’ Climb. We spent the morning learning about the proper etiquette to rock climbing, how to belay, how to look after one another, and most importantly how to be safe and have fun! Later that day, we were fortunate enough to head into town and grab some lunch. We spent roughly an hour there, we got to have a feed and catch up with some of our Mount Aspiring friends. Soon after, we were dropped off at the Outlet track and walked our way back to camp. It was a calm and refreshing walk and honestly, a nice way to end our day. Finally, Friday came around, long awaited yet bittersweet. We packed up our stuff and headed home. Overall, camp was an amazing experience, and we are very grateful to have made memories that will last a lifetime. 

We would like to thank the teachers who made this wonderful opportunity possible - Ms Young, Mr McGowan and Ms Flett.