Camp Kaitawa

1. Camp Kaitawa By:Pypah McGregor

2. As I left the car I could really start to feel those Great Big butterflies in my tummy. I started to walk faster than I heard a voice “Pypah slow down”. It was Mum. I was so nervous because the year 6’s were off to Camp Kaitawa. Pouring rain, a never ending mountain walk, slipping and sliding though the mud, the most amazing views, smoke filled cookouts and talent galore. It was to be an exhausting week!!

3. Monday We got put out of our misery and got told what car we were in. I still can’t believe it rained all the way to camp!!! When we got to camp we had some trouble unpacking the trailer because it was still hard out raining like someone was crying. Also some people’s pillows were soaking wet. As we started to settle into camp we got told we HAD to go for a walk in the freezing, cold rain. We walked past the pipeline and the parents were joking about it. Saying “$10.00 for a ride on the hydro slide.” We also walked to the Power Station, the surge chamber and the Green Lake. It was so pretty. When we came back to camp and walked though the door it was so warm!! Miss Hewett had lit the fire! Dinner time! I was hungry and wanted to know what Ro’s cooking was like. It was really good! We got told what groups we were in for walking, chores and other things. They were named after birds like: Kaka ( I was in this group), Kakapo, Kiwi, Kereru and Whio. Then Aniwa the D.O.C came in and talked to us about the pest and native birds. It was so cool. “Time for bed," Miss Hewett said.

4. Tuesday We woke up with excitement to know what the plan was for the day. Guess what we had to do? We HAD to walk up Ngamoko. It took the year 6’s 6 and a half hours to walk Ngamoko! We stopped at the Rata Tree which is 800-1000 years old. We got supplied with barley sugars and Moro bars for energy to keep us going!! We stopped near the top for lunch. Finally we were back at camp!! While we waited for the parents to get their cars we wrote prayers to say at dinner and at breakfast. Dinner time! My group had to do the dishes! After I finished my bit in the dishes I had a shower. I was the last girl to have a shower. That was sad! I had to have a cold shower because the rest of the girls used all the hot water up. We got called into the dining room for the movie which was called: Ice Age 3. Most of the girls went to bed after supper because we were all really tired.

5. Wednesday We hopped in the cars and drove to the Redoubt. We saw the old prison in the rock. We walked a bit more then we started the Great Lake Walk. When we got to the end of the walk we ended up at a lake. It was pretty!! Nic took us to see Michael Noonan’s grave. We had lunch in the hut because it was raining. After we had lunch we went caving at Onepoto caves. This was pretty good fun because it was raining and it was muddy. We went though 6 caves and in one of the caves Mr Crawford got stuck and my group had to help push him out. When we got back we had showers and the girls had to have showers in the boys showers because the girls showers had no hot water!

6. Wednesday After the showers we got told we had to work in our groups and make something up about camp for the talent show on Thursday night. Dinner Time! After dinner the girls were not aloud back in their cabin because Eilis was asleep in there. Then it was time for the Quiz. The Kiwi’s won the Quiz. We had supper and a bed time story that Miss Hewett read to us. Then it was bed time.

7. Thursday We hopped in the cars and drove to Lake Waikareiti car park. When we were walking we played games in our groups! My group played famous names and people at our school. It was really fun!! As we got to the end of our walk we went into the hut for some morning tea. After we had finished our morning tea we had to walk back to the car park. As my group crossed the road we saw where we were going to sit down for lunch. It was this very big old trailer, most of us kids sat on it. After lunch we visited the Papakorito Falls. The spots were we saw the most amazing views of the waterfalls were very small so we had to go down in our groups. When we got back to camp we relaxed in our dorms and played games too!!

8. Thursday After half an hour in our dorms Mr Crawford came in and said “All year 6’s outside with suitable shoes on for the Obstacle course for team points.” When it was my groups turn I was doing so well until I got a very big thorn in my hand which really hurt!!

9. Thursday night After the Obstacle course we got ready for the cook out. We had to have the suitable clothing and footwear on to be round the fires. When we got down there we lit our fires and then we had to wait a little. While we waited we had practice for the talent show. YAY!!! Time to start cooking!! My group were doing so well making the mince BUT we had so much trouble cooking the spaghetti because the water was not boiling no matter how much we tried!! After dinner we had to work in our groups to make a flying machine, with us as the parts. That was really fun.

10. Thursday night When we found out which groups won the competition, we started toasting marshmallows! They were really yummy. Then we went back inside and had chocolate pudding and did the talent show. The Whio group did the play about the mouse, my group did a play about our group walking, the Kereru group did the headless horseman, the Kiwis did a camp fire song and the Kakapo group did a remix of the nation anthem. Then it was time for bed.

11. Friday On Friday we had to pack our bags and clean our dorms so we could come home. On the way we stopped at Wairoa for hot chips for lunch then continued driving back. We also stopped at Tutira for an ice cream. YAY finally home!!!!