Melissa's Recount

The First 2 Days of Camp Glentui

‘Beeepp!! Beeepp!!’ My alarm screamed, I woke up with excitement, as I knew that today we were going to camp Glentui! I packed my final appliances and placed my bags comfortably in dad’s car. I couldn’t wait to arrive in Glentui!

As we drove through the gates of Merrin School, carefully minding the children, we arrived on the courts and as soon as I opened the door I felt everyone’s excitement!

Firstly before we could set off we had a quick meeting and then in a tick I was sitting in the back with Tal, Brock, Alex and dad.

Then we were zooming across the motorway and dad pulled into get some petrol and made us all have laughing fits, as he bought us Burger King!

We had then arrived at Glentui Meadows and all I saw around the place was beautiful green trees, cliffs and hills. After a lovely view we dragged our bags into the dinning room and dumped our bags in a corner and pulled out some chairs and joined my exhilarated friends.

After meeting the fabulous owners, Yan and his wife Gaea, we then organised what cabins were going to be ours to doze-off in. Sophie, Emma, Freya, Kaylee, Zia, Monty, Tal and I were in the same cabin.

I found myself owning the top bunk at the back in the right-hand corner and I quickly laid my sheets on my mattress and spread out my luxurious sleeping bag and fluffy green blanket.

The whistle hand been blown by Mr Barr and he rounded us all up like sheep to go into the common room.

I squeezed into the camp group number 1 and sat by Anna. My adrenaline was rushing as we were told we were doing Abseiling!

Our abseiling instructor Naomi helped clamber into our harnesses and she chose some people to line up first, I was up second. I placed my bright red helmet on my head and adjusted it nicely, we walked over to the cliff side and Josh walked slowly over to Naomi on the edge over the steep rock face as he went over the edge, I was preparing for my turn.

I was firstly told to hobble over to her slowly and she placed a special ring onto my harness connected to the rope.

As I stood there on the edge and looked down and thought it wasn’t actually very high. I stretched out my legs and lent backwards focusing on feeding the rope through the harness/hoop and making small movements with my feet against the uneven grey rock. Adrenaline was rushing inside my body; I explored the view of Glentui while skidding down.

Suzi took a clip off my harness to let the rope fly back up to the top.

The path leading back up to the top of the hill was like an obstacle course! Climbing over a log, down slippery rocks, and stretch up steeps to finally reach the top! Everyone rushed over to me questioning me about it, all I said was ‘that was wicked!’

Following a quick break was River Study! We went down the huge amount of stairs. Once we had reached the bottom, my group headed across to bouncy field and then beside the riverside with to members from D.O.C., we got into teams of five and I rolled up my trousers and held a net in my hand and slowly stepped into the blissful water. What I did was, stand in the river, lift up a rock and scoop the rocks and mist coming from under and empty it into a tray half full of water and find the fish and put them into trays split up for the different types of fishes we found and then looked at them through magnifying glasses and looked at a sheet to see what creature it was.

Next we had outdoor games with Mr Russel. We played softball and everywhere on the field I looked there were wasps!

After having an exhausting trip up the stairs we had some free time, I chose to go swimming! I jumped into the cool water and immediately felt freezing, but I stayed in and did some dolphin diving in the fresh water, then everyone started to surround the pool and ungracefully jump in.

I freely walked up to our dormitories and shuffled frozen, to the dribbling showers.

Following a cosy sleepy shower shower I dressed into some very un-abnormal clothing. It was very nice chillaxing in my bunkroom and occasionally going to visit Anna in her decorated dormitory.

The smell of mouth watering pasta and mince sneaked proudly out of the dinning room kitchen with a syndicate of children eagerly waiting by the doors, praying to be let in first.

‘Group One’ Mr Russel announced!

We rushed into a line, our eyes were hypnotised by the glorious food, I gobbled up my plateful of divine homemade food, and suddenly I was going up for seconds and then thirds!

Toot, toot! Here comes the desert train!

I filled my tiny gap with a crepe with ice-cream and cream.

That night after a Milo and biscuits, Naomi did a fun lesson with us about suitable clothing and what not to wear-cotton and we also had a list to put in order of what we thought was most important to least important.

Finally it was time to snuggle down in bunkroom number 1. The girls carried on talking but I went out like a light.

I woke the next morning to the sound of voices, they announced it was 7:30am and breakfast was served at 8:00am.

Our bunkroom got up and joined with everyone else in the dinning room to receive a serving of cereal and toast.

After eating quickly Mrs Mac said there was a bunkroom inspection, so we all rushed into our messy skinny room with clothes sprinkled everywhere, we tidied everything but nm 5 won the chocolate I was craving.

Group one went down the stairs again following Mr Barr to the open damp field to do Outdoor Cooking. Anna and I were partners we collected sticks and dried pine needles and got our picklet mix made and BAM our fire started and we placed our tin over the fire and kept feeding it, we spread some butter on top and soon we had three yummy picklets with berries mixed in them.

Next we went up the many, many stairs again and back into the common room for initiative games. Outside we enjoyed a delicious lunch together.

After becoming excited playing around, we had sketching with Mrs Mac. We started with a sheet with a partner (Anna) and used all sorts of different shading to fill in the plain spaces. Then we were given a large sheet of paper and chose a view to draw, I chose the mountains with a house camouflaging in the trees.

Finally, the best part of the day, Free Time! I ran around throwing water and swimming in the pool passing a brilliant green ball that quickly glided from hand to hand.

After being re-attained to my usual toasty warm self we were whistle warned about dinner and we all keenly ran into our lines and scrambled into the dinning room to be served a plate of chicken veggies and yummy chips, and then sat outside.

After eating a great dinner we got into some ninja clothes and grabbed our torches for a game of spot light in the bottom field, Sophie and I were partners and linked arms so we weren’t spilt up. It was now pitch black and Sophie had found a perfect cubby bush to camouflage into. The spotters found Sophie but not me. So I was hiding there by myself it was quite scary, finally they called game over and I had survived! The next game I won again and I felt very proud of our hiding space.

After nearly falling asleep going up the stairs we were given a big mug of boiling Milo. I was accompanied by my cabin friends and I quickly fell asleep with awesome pictures in my head.

 I had an ecstatic time on Glentui camp weather it was the food, activities, people or place all the memories are fantastic and I shall remember what a great time I had!

By Melissa