It was a great time of being together and spending time outside of the normal school routine.
At the end of Term 3, as part of the Year 9 Rite Journey Program, we headed off to Pingelly’s the Paddock for a camp and our solo experience. The first day was spent travelling, exploring Brookton Cemetery to discover some of the characters who are buried there and then proceeding to Pingelly in time for lunch. Mrs Stewart led us on an adventure down by the creek, which may have involved some students getting very wet!
That night, students set up their individual tents on the top of the ‘hill’, had devotions with Mr Marrell at the foot of the big cross and began their solo experience; a night of reflection and writing a letter to their future adult self.
The hill was covered in the flow of torches inside tents as people settled in for the night and escaped the giant mozzies, serenaded by the sound of bleating sheep and the occasional crash of the portaloo door.
After devotions on the top of the hill and an epic breakfast in the morning, we spent the day doing a variety of activities; archery tag and the “trust” experience with our host, Cleon, followed by the Great Amazing race that involved sculling a can of sardines, shooting targets from the castle window, decoding clues and ended with a serious delicious damper afternoon tea back on top of the hill.
The second night saw people setting up tents near dorms, and battling giant spiders, after devotions and a giant campfire. The following morning, we managed to pound several of the resident mascots during a massive game of capture the flag.
Aside from the fantastic weather and the beauty of the location, this was a great time of being together and spending time outside of the normal school routine. Thanks is due to the team at the Paddock who made our time there very enjoyable and fulfilling, making amazing food and running fantastic activities.
