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St Thomas of Canterbury College

by Lynley Gibson

12CTC Go Surfing - 18 February

Marty Taylor - February 27, 2020

On a grey Tuesday morning, 12CTC went surfing at Sumner beach. Under the tutelage of the team from Learning to Surf instructors the boys are kitted out in their wetsuits, given some dry land instructions and then set loose on the waves at Sumner.

Some of the boys excelled, quickly learning how to ride the waves standing up and changing direction. Ably supported in the water by Megan Heather who led the way with some fantastic rides in a moderate surf. A great team bonding exercise, an experience enjoyed by all the class members.

12CTC Go Caving at Cave Stream - 25 February

Cave Stream Scenic Reserve is located at Castle Hill on State Highway 73 to the West Coast. Prior to arriving, the 12CTC class stopped at the Castle Hill rock reserve and walked up to the limestone rock formations, enjoying the scenery and beauty. Some climbed up behind the formations admiring the views of the Torlesse mountain peaks.

Arriving at the carpark, it was a beautiful morning, hot and sunny. The students were kitted out in wetsuits and helmets, given safety instructions by Marty Taylor and Megan Heather and then proceeded to follow the track down to the Cave entrance, nervous, anxious and excited about entering the passageway.

The cave passage meanders and twists in pitch darkness for 594m between the two entrances. There is a 3m waterfall at the inlet end. The party entered the cave at the outflow end and walk against the flow of the stream. There are several small waterfalls at the start. The boys had to climb, scour holes, terraces and several bigger waterfalls we encountered that we had to climb while going through the cave. The singing was memorable, and the comradery shown by some of the boys in helping each other negotiate the cave was commendable.