Well after much tribulation and losing of hair because of Gen 'Now' not being able to stick with it when making a commitment, the time finally came to head out to the Pindari Campus (property) of Emu Gully Adventure Education backing onto Pindari Dam, an hour north of Inverell. We had a four day adventure camp wher the kids had to sleep in swags, feed themselves using a 24hr ration pack system and do activities such as rock face traversing, abseiling and a lot of orienteering and hiking to add to their resilience.
It was fine weather for the most part but an average temp of 36* so we couldn't keep the water up to us as quick as it was leaving us. The cracker was on Wednesday night when a storm cae through and decimated our tarps over the swags but that just geed the kids up even more and they dug in deep to salvage what as needed and in the morning (after a night sleeping in the classroom) they cleaned, cleared and rebuilt camp.
The highlight for me was doing my first unassisted/solo abseil using a prussik knot to belay my own descent. After a successful trial run on a 10m face I had to suck it up and drop my stones as I actually felt nervous standing 60-70m over the dam and starting a 50m repel. But my inspiration came in the form of a young bloke in our group who is a little person. at 17 he is barey 4ft tall and determined as hell to face every single challenge the camp had to offer. He was packing bricks and I promised to stay next to him all the way down.
I am one of the only teachers who takes a mixed group of kids on camp at Emu Gully and our group ranged from a young year 8 girl through to a handful of year 11's a total of 16 kids and they did me and the school proud with their resilience, commitment and their group spirit. Taking camps like this is what helps keep me young and reminds me why I love being a teacher and working with teenagers.
A massive thanks to Phil Box for your time, encouragement, expertise and passion; you are a legend. Also huge thanks to Sean the kids loved you and respected you hugely; you are a legend already well and truely in the making!
Centre frame is a formation resembling an Easter Is. head called
'The Old Mans Chin' which we have to pass under to reach the end of the
traverse.
The Butress is one of the cliffs on Pindari Dam
Approaching the Old Man's Chin.
Coming out the other side.
A short breather to regroup before heading to the sumit of the feature.
The crew make it to the top.
Cooling off after the climb.
Helping them cool off using the Evinrude...
MORE TO COME...
It was fine weather for the most part but an average temp of 36* so we couldn't keep the water up to us as quick as it was leaving us. The cracker was on Wednesday night when a storm cae through and decimated our tarps over the swags but that just geed the kids up even more and they dug in deep to salvage what as needed and in the morning (after a night sleeping in the classroom) they cleaned, cleared and rebuilt camp.
The highlight for me was doing my first unassisted/solo abseil using a prussik knot to belay my own descent. After a successful trial run on a 10m face I had to suck it up and drop my stones as I actually felt nervous standing 60-70m over the dam and starting a 50m repel. But my inspiration came in the form of a young bloke in our group who is a little person. at 17 he is barey 4ft tall and determined as hell to face every single challenge the camp had to offer. He was packing bricks and I promised to stay next to him all the way down.
I am one of the only teachers who takes a mixed group of kids on camp at Emu Gully and our group ranged from a young year 8 girl through to a handful of year 11's a total of 16 kids and they did me and the school proud with their resilience, commitment and their group spirit. Taking camps like this is what helps keep me young and reminds me why I love being a teacher and working with teenagers.
A massive thanks to Phil Box for your time, encouragement, expertise and passion; you are a legend. Also huge thanks to Sean the kids loved you and respected you hugely; you are a legend already well and truely in the making!
Centre frame is a formation resembling an Easter Is. head called
'The Old Mans Chin' which we have to pass under to reach the end of the
traverse.
The Butress is one of the cliffs on Pindari Dam
Approaching the Old Man's Chin.
Coming out the other side.
A short breather to regroup before heading to the sumit of the feature.
The crew make it to the top.
Cooling off after the climb.
Helping them cool off using the Evinrude...
MORE TO COME...
