On Tuesday 29 January at 12pm,
we had a powhiri (formal welcome) in Ruamoko Marae, to welcome new students and
staff. After that we had lunch in the Common Room… then the game started!
Two groups of students were handed a quiz of ten
questions. Once a team had all the answers correct, they were given their first
envelope. Inside was a photo of a park with old buildings to help
identify the location. The second team’s envelope contained a photo
of a Mega-zone building.
The race was on and the teams were off! They
had to race to their locations and take a group photo proving that they found the right place, and their
next clue… a photo of the next location.
Having raced to five different locations, the teams then had to find stones with their names on and take them to their final destination - Chosen Valley Christian Camp.
Having raced to five different locations, the teams then had to find stones with their names on and take them to their final destination - Chosen Valley Christian Camp.
We all picked which
cabins to stay in for two nights. We had a meal and then a welcome speech from the
Activities Coordinator who explained the rules of Chosen Valley and the safety
rules for the activities.
To wind down after our
race across Auckland, everyone came together in the evening, sat in the lounge
and had a chance to catch up with each other.
The next morning everyone was eager to try the
activities.
In the evening, due to
the fire ban around Greater Auckland, instead of a campfire most of us went for
a one-hour walk up the hill to see the view of the Franklin/Ararimu area.
When we were all back
in the lounge Susan presented the activities and responsibilities for 2013. All
of the preparations for this year have been very positive and everyone is
looking forward to having a good year.
It was great to see
older students helping out with new students, making them feel part of the
group and supporting less abled students throughout the stay.
One of the students
gave a thank you speech to the camp organiser, who appreciated their time and
the students’ impeccable behaviour while there.
Some students are now keen to organise the next mystery trip next year. One staff member will guide them. It seems that the students are getting more confident planning events as each year goes by.
