Recount

__This is my Camp Motutapu recount__   __Intro__ Tucked under my duvet trying to get to sleep over the torrential down poor, I thought we’re in for a long week. The wind sounded like a wolf howling and the rain was banging on the roof. Monday 2nd May is going to be a memorable day. Motutapu, here we come. Syndicate B and Room 1 were going to be soon departing.

8:00am, 120 kids waiting impatiently at the Half Moon Bay ferry terminal. Cold, eager and enthusiastic. Finally, the Sealink arrived. Every one rushed to get to the front. One by one, year 7’s piled onto the ferry. Some taking short, nervous steps but others just ran on. I found a seat next to all my mates. Soon after we left on or way to... Camp Motutapu 2011. Grhhghg. The ferry ramp hit the Rangitoto Island concrete ramp. The line started. Everyone wanting to be first onto the island. Then we were off on a 6.5 km walk to camp. The weather was looking nice, but not for long. Rain started to fall hard onto our faces like chocolate chips flying at 100mph. I asked Miss Puttick “ how long to go?” She replied “about 5 minutes.”

So we kept on walking with excitement in our bodies hoping every corner will be the last. “Here it is.” Miss Puttick sighed. The last set of cattle stops until we reached Motutapu Outdoor Education Camp (MOEC). Saturated and cold we rushed into the Mess. I was the first one in. Once we were all settled into camp and our dorms, it was just about time for dinner. On the menu tonight was Nachos! The whistle went, kids running in the wet trying to get under a roof for shelter. Unfortunately my table was last to go and get our food. I sat next to Freddie, Stanley and that group. After dinner, it was time for... MOCK COURT! About two accusations had already gone, then ‘Rhahul’ the judge said... “ Freddie and Huw come up for acting like girls.” It’s because Freddie was wearing pink socks that day and I had entered a yelling competition earlier, so as soon as ‘Rhahul’ heard about that we were toast. “GUILTY!!!!” Rhahul yelled. He passed me a container of peanut butter, marmite and honey. “Do each others make up!!” the judge announced. YUCK!!, I thought as Freddie put honey in my eyes, face and hair.

Showers, here we come. Straight to the shower block we go. And we soon discover that they’re locked. So back up to the mess, sticky and cold. Luckily Matt the fuel instructor (who looked awfully like Rhahul!!!) lead us into the adult showers. First night in our dorms and resonibly uncomfortable beds, shocking sleep for me. Noise coming from other rooms kept me awake basically all night. Tuesday and there was one activity I was looking forward to.The Survivor Challenge. It was my groups (Group 27A) 3rd activity of the day. It always feels like ages when you really want to do something. Lunch was yucky but it didn’t matter because I was pumped and ready to go to survivor challenge.

As I looked up while on my way to the activity, I saw a flying fox, a big wheel, tires above water and much more. My group and I were psyched out about the awesome obstacles they had set up and built. So we split up into our A & B groups and headed up to our forts. My group was in fort Whykickamoocow. “Ready, set, go!!” Bryce the instructor yelled. Off we ran to the first obstacle. A few challenges went by, I look around to see what was next. I was worried about embarrassment of falling in front of my group but especially... MY MUM!! It was the tires. Doesn’t sound that bad but there were like 6 of them hanging apart from each other over murky water with soft mud at the bottom. Third in line, waiting nervously as I see my team mates struggling accross. My turn. Fourth tyre, thinking I was going well as I hadn't fallen of yet. But my luck was about to change, as I stepped awkwardly onto the next tire. My foot soon slipped, desperately I held on but my arms were giving in. I heard my mum laughing while I fell off and my feet sunk into the soft, slimy mud at the bottom. As time passed by we were just about finished. Our last challenge, and we were keen to win. All we saw was a wall. Bryce said find your way up. So we got to work lifting and struggling our way to the top. These were just two of many cool obstacles. “DONE!!” We heard group 27B blurt out. We had had just lost. But we still raised our flag and returned to fort Whykickamoocow. Covered in mud, no one could wait to have a nice hot shower.

Another long sleepless night in my room. 6:10am, a whistle blows loudly down the hallway. That was the wake up call, to another great day. Up next orienteering, one of my top favourite activities. Miss Latto gave us the instructions and then we were off on a quest to crack the code. Twelve clues were drawn on circle boards, judging from that drawing you had to go to the place you think it is and get the symbol which was located on little square pieces of wood. We all partnered up and sprinted to our first clue. I picked Kaelim as my partner. We were really close with another pair until our last clue. The clue was, stinky pooey. So straight down to the toilet blocks. We looked, and looked, and looked but we couldn’t find it. But we persisted and eventually found it. The second pair finished finding all the clues. Now we are down to cracking the code. Each symbol represented a letter. Once all the letters were figured out the task was to look at the letters and try to guess the two words. Unfortunately we ran out of time and Miss Latto called out “Your Finished!”. “What is the answer?” We all questioned. She said “ Your Finished! That’s the answer.” No one got it right but still had a lot of fun.

The next two days were awesome as well. Friday, the big pack up. My bag was first up by the truck. Every dorm had to be spotless. Mopped, swepped out and how we found them. Rain started to fall as we marched out of a very memorable camp, Motutapu. Overall a fantastic week and one I will always remember.