What a camp!!!!

Our friends and family had thought going on camp for 6 days with 49 teenage girls, was THE MOST un-fun sounding punishment someone could luck-out with, But it was genuinely AWESOME! The first couple of days weren’t the standard searing Hanmer heat we’ve come to expect. However, everything is fun - even weed- busting in the mizzle - with the right attitude and good company!

From day dot, the kids challenged their comfort zones and found skills they hadn’t realised they possessed.  Sometimes the achievements weren’t prettily gained, for instance Mele’s rock-climbing attempts! At one point she found herself belayed onto a pointy rock where she lay, cast like a fly, with all four wriggling limbs demanding immediate rescue!  Students wore their cuts, bruises, itchy bite welts and flecks of mud (from the mountain biking) as a badge of honour.  And well they should- the girls were tanks!  Bridie’s horse was more concerned with grass-sampling than putting his best foot forward for the client.  However, Bridie rose to the challenge and managed to wrangle said horse into submission.

Lily Todd managed to overcome her fear of slides to take on the ‘super-bowl’ and WIN! on the second last day!  Even the Bunk room Olympics required the team to dig deep and put themselves out of their comfort zones.  A highlight, for many, was Bella’s rendition of ‘Single ladies’ and how can we forget ol’ Tyler Mighty-Blow Hughes football efforts!  She managed to slay the competition in the time it took for them to draw their first breath!  Every hard-won personal achievement creates amazing memories and bolsters the girls’ self-belief.  Hats off to the girls for maintaining the positive vibes throughout every ordeal!

Activity Hanmer were outstanding : cajoling, guiding and reminding us that we have the tools to do anything we put our minds to! The camp leadership as a whole was brilliant - from the wonderful kitchen-team who provided us with THE BEST tucker, to the new fresh teachers who are each great role models, to the rest of us more more experienced crew (who still have a lot to give!); everyone had a role and did their utmost to make this camp an impactful experience for these girls.

To kickstart the camp in the positive way we hoped to finish, Mrs Corlet shared with us a karakia for Camp. The girls absorbed the message which talked about self belief, trust, love and success. It’s relevance was significant and helped the girls to believe: I CAN get up that tree, I CAN climb that rock blindfolded, I CAN walk with a pack, I CAN eat a mushy banana touched by my team members feet!

A stand-out for me was how this cohort showed support to each other. Even when the sticks were down, no one was concerned for themselves, just for those around them.

The takeaway for most would be that with trust, a bit of self belief, grit, and a sprinkle of support we can do anything.  The choices we make and the way in which we self-reflect and process our experiences is key.  We don’t always need to be perfect, our best is the goal. We write our own stories.