For our current topic on survival and sustainability Room 18 have been using the series 'I shouldn't be alive' to complete some pieces of writing. We used NZ and overseas episodes. These are our responses so far.

Dive of terror

A navy diver by the name of Rob,

Went for a dive with a friendly mob.

He went by himself, a rookie mistake,

He didn’t know that his life was at stake.

He found some Kai, a crayfish, mmm,

And was swept away, he couldn’t swim.

Washed out to sea, water galore,

He was nearly knocking on deaths door.

His skin all peeling, cracking, split,

It did not please him, not one bit.

But lucky Rob, death nearly here,

Was saved by a mate, his diving gear,

Had set off the search and rescue alarm,

Just before Rob could come to harm.

By Tyler Taaffe

Pick a path

One day there was two people who went hiking in the Southern Alps in New Zealand. One called Marney who is a very experienced climber, and the other women was called Sonya who is less experienced. First, they had to decide if they were going to go hiking despite the weather forecast to postpone the trip to 3 days later go to choice 1 if you want to go hiking despite the bad weather go to choice 2

Choice 1: it is 3 days after the original date you start the hike but soon come to a huge Icey glacier you have to choose whether to attempt to climb around the glacier and abandon the track or head back thinking that it's too risky. To abandon the track and try climb around it go to choice 3 or to leave and not take the risk go to choice 4

Choice 2: you decide to go hiking despite the weather but you soon come to a big icy glacier to abandon the track and climb around the glacier go to choice 3 or to decide to leave because you think it's too risky go to choice 4.

Choice 3: you decide to take the risk and try to climb around the glacier. It starts to get steep and suddenly Sonya slips and slides down the mountain Sonya is now dangling of the cliff. Luckily you pull her up and she survives but Sonya is very scared. To decide to stop for the night and let Sonya rest go to choice 5. Or if you want to carry on and push to the top before dark go to choice 6.

Choice 4: you have decided to leave because it's too risky to try climb around the glacier. You are not happy about it but you go home anyway.

Choice 5: you decide to stop for the night and let Sonya rest, but you wake up the next day and it's raining. To decide to climb despite the rain go to choice 7 or if you want to stay put go to choice 8

Choice 6: you decide to climb despite Sonyas nerves it is getting very dark but you are still about 300 meters until the top but all of a sudden it starts raining and you are feeling very cold, your hands and feet are going numb Sonya slips and falls down the cliff but luckily you fall and land on a cliff or not so lucky you are knocked out and are on the verge on hyperthermia your chances at survival are very low Marney tries to crawl own the cliff and makes it but falls and dies.

Choice 7: you decide to climb in the rain Sonya and Marney don’t even make it up ten meters before slipping and falling off the cliff.

Choice 8: you have decided not to climb today which is most likely the right decision Marney says. But there is a problem you forgot to pack any warm blankets, so hyperthermia is a big concern. Luckily you survive the night, but you wake up and it's raining again. This is not good you were lucky to survive last night now you must wait another night without climbing. The day quickly passes, and you get a little bit of sleep you wake up and it is sunny. You decide to get into the climbing straight away you are determent to survive. You are about to start climbing and you see something small that looks like a bird, it gets closer and closer and bigger and bigger. ‘ITS A PLAN’ Sonya yells we you are picked up and taken to hospital where it is a painful recovery but you are just grateful to be alive. 

By Jacob Taylor

Dive Of Terror

Stuck at sea

All alone

With a crayfish at my side.

I try to call out for help but not a single being hears me.

I sorrow in my wet skin as no one sees me lying on the blue cold blanket.

I sadly eat my only friend I have.

I flip myself as there is no hope anymore.

The only sound I hear is my heart beating out of my chest

I slowly come to my senses and turn back over.

I carefully take of the wet suit and oxygen tank as its no help to me.

I keep laying on the cold blue blanket as the hypothermia kicks in.

Finally. I hear it. I hear probably the most amazing sound ever.

I look up to see people reaching out to me to get me out of the water.

They pull me up and put down onto the boat.

And I now longer have to float.

The End.

By Holly Phillips

Terror in the Zambezi

MAJOR EVENT: Alistair leaving to go get help.

FROM ARTHUR TAYLOR'S PERSPECTIVE: I am with my wife, Fay and her mother standing on a little underwater raise of sand as Fay's Father, Klide and my best friend, Alistair sit on the upside down boat. I don’t know what to do I see crocodiles staring at us on the river bed. “I’m going to get help” Alistair has just stated as he is already swimming to the side of the river. Under my breath I mutter ‘he is crazy’. It has been ages since I last saw or heard from my friend. I hear a faint sound of something and so I yell back hoping Alistair is okay. My ears just recovered words, deadly, upsetting words. I only heard six words which are ‘I got bit by a crocodile’. I don’t have enough information to know how bad it is. All I am doing is hoping that Alistair is and will be okay.  

By Nikita Wadsworth

A dangerous mountain fall

My Prediction: So far Matt Briggs a survivor of a dangerous mountain fall has fallen off a cliff and has gotten some serious injuries… Next, I think that he is going to go downhill to find a spot where the ground is flat, so he can pitch up his tent, I also think that he’s going to find a spot near some type of water source, so he doesn't get dehydrated. After finding a spot I think that he is going to put on as much clothes as possible to keep him warm and then clean his wounds with the water source that he is near, so his wounds won’t get infected. After that he should eat some food, which he should’ve bought enough of until the panic date… When it starts to get dark, he should try to get some sleep, so he has some energy for the next day. The next day I think that he should try to crawl on his elbows and knees because he’s unable to walk because he hurt his leg and he probably broke his arm or wrist. By crawling using knees and elbows I think that he’s going to try to get to the hunter's hut to get some help or he might be able to get some help by waving bright things at any aircrafts that passes by.

What actually happened: he continues to go downhill and then he pitches his tent on some flat ground by bashing the tent pegs in by using some rocks then he tries to get some sleep when he hears an aircraft and he immediately tries to start waving bright things at the aircraft, but the aircraft didn’t spot him. Later, he realises his sleeping bag got wet, so he puts on all his clothes to keep him warm and goes to bed. The next day he gets water using a small metal bucket because he has no drink bottle and he also uses the water and some salt rocks to clean his wounds. Luckily, he still had his food however from that day on the rations his food and water, he also had to ration his water so he wouldn't have to slide down to the creek/river every day. Matt ends up staying in the same place for a week waiting for someone to come and save him on the emergency day, but his hopes are soon gone when it starts to pour down. After some time, the sun comes back out and Matt decides to try to make his way to the hunter's hut and he makes a walking stick using two tent poles. But on his way to the hunters hut he faces extremely steep hills, and he must cross a river with strong currents but luckily, he washed up on shore. 9 days after he was injured, he could see the hunters hut and a hunter run out. After the hunters help Matt treat his wounds the two hunters go on a 13-hour trek to raise the alarm for someone to save Matt.

By Lalita Porlym