ROOM 17 CAMP BERWICK

It was great to finally make it out to camp with our class after camps were postponed earlier in the year due to the Covid 19 Pandemic.

The Berwick Gut Buster 

By Olivia McBride

Remember that time at camp when our legs were covered in mud and our shoes were soaked right through to our now brown socks? When our arms were dying inside? Yup, during the Gut Buster!

Everywhere you looked there were tired yet determined faces. I could feel the mud squishing between my toes as I trudged through puddles with my teammates, the logs heavy in our hands.

My shoulders were screaming in protest as we dragged the log underneath the net. When I splashed through the muddy puddle, giving me a rush of adrenaline.

My ears were full of yelling and screaming as the teams encouraged each other. The smell of pine trees was creeping up my nose. I was ready to give up but we continued pushing forwards on the last lap.

The feeling I felt when we crossed the finish line was relief. But that relief was soon crushed when Mr Phillips barked at us to lift the log above our heads! So, we win but we get punished?? Not fair!

The Night Walk

By Tawhiri Albert-Renata

Remember that time at camp when we all went on a night walk. It was pitch black. I felt nervous. My class friends were trying to freak everyone out. My feet got wet from the puddles that I stepped in.

On the night walk we were all taken to the forest by the parents and Mr Phillips. We were told to turn off all the lights. Around us we heard toads, birds and trees rustling in the wind. Suddenly we heard a scream. It sounded like someone yelling at the top of their lungs. We all shook with fear. Autumn screamed, some of us jumped and some clenched onto Liam. quickly we turned on our flashlights to find Mr Phillips was making the sound to give us a fright. It was really funny.

The Night line

By Flynn Montgomerie

When we needed to think about our bodies as we held tightly onto the frayed damp ropes as we trekked through the cold forest at nighttime as our blindfolds made us all the more insecure.

It looked like pure black darkness engulfing us in a pool of darkness, so dark yet so light.

It felt like a dragon made of pure darkness and shadow was wrapping and coiling its large scaly body around us, occasionally brushing against us and pulling us away, our only anchor being the rope keeping us steady and on the right track.

It sounded like the slip slop of thousands of feet trekking through the cold slimy mud weighing us down and forcing us to walk slow.

It smelt like pine trees and mud, not too wet, not too dry.

The scents mixed together made a warming and familiar smell as if they were guiding us home through the tangle of wet trees.

Camp Berwick 2020 - Gut Buster

By Zaakirah Hassen

Remember that time at camp when…

Mr Phillips woke us up and gave us 5 minutes to get dressed before our first activity of the day, the ~Gut Buster~

I was both excited and nervous about doing the ~Gut Buster~ course. The way the Gut Buster works is sort of like doing 4 laps of the block run, but with a heavy log on your shoulders that felt as heavy as a whale, as well as running through sloppy mud and grass. While running the ~Gut Buster~ course, I could hear the sound of everyone communicating as a team as well as the sound of our shoes rushing through mud and wet sloppy grass.

The smell in the air was musty and earth-like, the course sort of seemed just like an army training ground, but I bet this course was way easier.

By the end of our 4 laps all our clothes and shoes were wet and full of mud (Since Mr Phillips sprayed us with water as we ran by). While we dried off and changed the parents were in the dining hall setting up breakfast.

The night-line

By Sammy Moore

Remember that time on camp, when we were on the night line, blindly walking through the woods, the rope fraying our skin as we held on for dear life.

Blisters would build on my feet as I walk on dry leaves in water soaked shoes.

The inside of the blindfold like the darkest corners of space pulling me into a void of doom and nothingness.

The noise of my own heartbeat fills the quiet the occasional crack of a branch as somebody walks into a tree breaking the silence.

The smell of sweat, pine and saliva filling up my hood, making me gag

But suddenly a voice;

“You’re done now. Take off your blindfold”.

A mixed feeling of relief and surprise floods my mind. It’s over

Camp Berwick 2020

By Ella Sutton

Remember that time at camp when Mr Phillips forced us to run through deep, gooey mud with heavy logs over our shoulders?

It started off pretty easy. I could see all the teams were determinedly running and encouraging each other, but when we got to the mud, everyone’s smiles immediately faded.

Our team was doing well, we managed to creep our way into the lead, but we were soon overtaken by two other teams.

As soon as my white socks touched the mud, they immediately turned completely brown.

I could see that everyone’s legs were covered in the slimy mud, but we all got used to it.

By the start of the fourth and final lap we were all ready to give up, but we knew we had to keep going.

Not only were our feet to our thighs covered in mud, but we were also drenched with water from being hosed by Mr Phillips!

Our team did really well and we were really supportive and encouraging to each other. We came 3rd.

Thanks Mr Phillips, Mr Wilson and all the Parents for organising and helping with this awesome trip.

The Night Tramp

By Henry Buck

Remember that time at camp when we went to the forest to do the tramp walk in the dark? I did not have a torch or head light with me, so it felt like the darkness was swallowing everything around me the further I drifted from the group. The dark was ominous and empty, as if it was waiting for the right time to strike and snatch me away. I soon caught up with the group, and for some mysterious reason we had come to a sudden halt.

They told us to turn our lights off, and we did so with confusion. I could hear birds chirping to their chicks, as if they were singing a lullaby to help them to fall asleep. I could smell the amazing aroma of flowers that had recently bloomed. It felt like a hazy dream, barely being able to spot anything in the distance. But with the stars shining bright, I could make out a small stream flowing like a waterfall. Now that the darkness had engulfed everything, I started to relax and let my guard down. But at that exact moment, Mr Phillips made an ear piercing scream. Everyone jumped in fear, and laughed it off. Thus, ending our tramp experience.

Remember that time at camp when…

By Albie Reed

We got ready for the Night Tramp at 10:30. We put on warm clothes and stood on the grass until everyone was ready. Then it started, we walked down a track. We all had our torches so it was fine. We shone our torches up into the trees trying to find a possum. But no luck

We took a small track down the side of the pond, we all had to go single file because the track was so small. It smelt like a rain forest. I was walking with George, In the middle of the group We jumped into a bush Waiting for someone to walk past. We jumped out Ahhh! yes we got him.

Mr Philips told all us to turn off our torches and listen to the nature around us. We waited until everyone was listening. We were listening for about 2 minutes and then he yelled and everyone screamed we all laughed and carried on. I hid behind a tree when Charlie walked past I jumped out and he got the scare of his life. Then we all back to camp for more activities

Fun At Berwick!-2020

By Cindy Tuna

Remember that time at camp when the parents and teachers were grabbing onto our legs on the night rope walk? That was terrifying, but I was also relieved because I knew that it would end soon

Remember in the morning when we had to get up at 7:00am just to do the Gut buster, and we all had to wait to have breakfast. The night before I went to sleep I kept on saying to myself “There is NO way I am going to be able to make it up those high walls”

But before I knew it I was up the highest wall of them all.

When we were doing the Gut buster we had to go through all sorts of different obstacle courses, We had to go through Mud, Mud, AND EVEN MORE MUD! After that my shoes were soaking WET!!

When we first got to the confidence course I went on probably the most EASIEST course then fell straight away!

While going through puddles with mud all around it, it smelt like poo!! And that got me worried about what everyone was stepping through.

At night when everyone was going to sleep all we could hear was ducks SINGING, Well at least they were trying to sing!

In the afternoon on Monday we were shooting targets with air rifles. When I was looking at my aim I pulled on the trigger and heard a quiet *click* The bullet went flying and there was another faint sound of the bullet hitting the target!!

And that was the adventure of Bewick! !