Day 1
8S gathered at St Peter’s on Saturday August 17th, at 8:15am then shortly after we had a security bag check in A4. Departure was at 9:30am with a pit stops in Mossburn. We arrived at Pearl Harbour with a half an hour wait for the boat. It felt like an eternity! Finally, a beautiful, scenic boat ride took us to meet the bus on the other side of the lake. A bus took us over the Wilmot Pass down and along the sketchy road to Deep Cove and the hostel.
After arriving and un-packing the bus, we had a chat with good old Billy about safety rules and the code of conduct. He tested us when we were settling in by setting the fire alarm off and numbering us off at our meeting point to make sure everyone was there.
Later, after coming back from our enjoyable walk to Brassell Point, we finally had a bite to eat and enjoyed a well-deserved chill out session. It wasn’t long before there was a ringa ringa ring from the bell. It was time for din dins. Shortly after that we made our regeneration cakes. Finally, after a long first day, we ate our delicious supper and went to bed, hoping for a good sleep in preparation for day two of Deep Cove.
Day 2
In the morning, we woke up, got dressed, had breakfast and did the dishes. We then had a talk about hypothermia and getting lost and what to do if that happens. Then we were given survival kits that we would take everywhere we went. After that we went back upstairs to get ready for the hike. We then started walking to the power station caves.
We arrived at the track, Old Doubtful, and began the walk through the bush. The track was up and down, slippery and slidey, but we returned to the road around 1.5 hours later. We had a break, a snack and then kept walking. We then arrived at the waterfall track. We walked to the bottom of the waterfall and took in the stunning views. We started walking back to the lodge.
When we got back, we had lunch which was toasties and soup. But the day wasn't over. We still had more to do. After lunch we had a talk then split off into our four groups to complete four water-based activities. First, there was a marine study on one of the boats to see how far down the freshwater level is. 1.5 metres. Then after 45 minutes we rotated to the next activity. They would either be fishing from the boat, fishing on the pontoon or fishing from the wharf. With each fishing activity, we each got one hand line with a small sinker; a hook and some bait to catch the spotties. If you were lucky, a shark. After we all finished our fishing, we went back to the camp and into our cabins for some time to spend with our friends or have a snack and play card games. Then it was time to take part in setting up dinner.
For dinner that night we had roast beef, roast potatoes, pumpkin, parsnips, boiled peas and gravy. After dinner we had to wash the dishes and put everything away from our meal. Then we went back to our dorm rooms and had a little bit more spare time. Some went back down to the hall to play ping pong while some stayed up stairs to get ready for bed. We rang the bell, and everyone came back down for supper to enjoy some fruit, home baking and a milo or juice. After we had finished our supper, we headed back upstairs to brush our teeth and go to bed.
Day 3
We woke up feeling the adrenaline rise for the day ahead of us. Our last adventure in the remarkable Deep Cove. We wanted to make every second count. The now normal routine was waiting for us. Get up, shower, teeth, and breakfast, but something was different. The atmosphere of the hostel was electric. We knew we had a lot on for the day. Our first surprise was seeing a kea in broad daylight. We were intrigued by its beautiful appearance and cheeky behavior. It was also interested in us, as if it had never seen a human being before. That moment really made camp memorable. But that was only start! We had a big, big day ahead of us.
Our first destination was the cruise. We boarded the boat with excitement hoping to see wonderful sights. The cruise boat looked like a 1800’s manor, beautiful wooden designs laced on the walls; a tall sail that nearly reached the sun, and a steering wheel that should have belonged on a pirate ship. Everything felt like a dream, but it was real, and we were experiencing it first-hand. Onward to the falls. After a long journey through treacherous terrain, we arrived at the waterfall of wonders “Helena falls”. Falling 50 meters down a cliff, it is a really one of a kind. We were overwhelmed with joy, excitement and wonder.
As we were walking back the sun dropped down behind the hills making it misty, cold and damp. We had time for one last outdoor activity so of course we had to go fishing. Cast, hook and catch. It was effortless, people were catching fish left and right and centre. But eventually it had to come to an end. We slowly walked thinking our day was over. But that was not the case we had one more activity. A “talent show!” We were split into three groups and then crafted and performed skits. It was amazing! We finished the day laughing and having fun. It was the best camp day ever!
Day 4 - clean up.
We got up with a mixture of excitement and sadness was buzzing in the air. It was the last day of camp! We hauled our tired bodies down to breakfast, and Mrs. Thompson told us what we needed to pack and clean. Then, it was a hive of activity as everyone got ready to leave. Finally, we loaded our gear onto the bus and took off up the road. We stopped about halfway up to have a big snowball fight with soft lush snow. When we arrived at the port, we packed the boat and took off for Manapouri. When we got there, we met the other class and told them how cool our camp was. After that we packed the cars, we all went home and had the best and biggest sleep!
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