Room 3 Camp March 2012 - Day One

OK, so....

Packed the car - tick.

Stuffed up the IV lure, been back to the doctor and had a new IV lure installed and had the antibiotics injected  -  tick.

Gone home and picked up the stuff I've forgotten and released a silly young cat  -  tick.


Ritchie McClaw, the silly young cat!!!


Picked up the non-driving parent  -  tick.

On the road again (think bad country song by Willie Nelson I think).

First stop:  meet all the kids and their parent drivers at the L&P Bottle in Paeroa.

The great thing about this stop is that it is free!!!   Unfortunately, it needs a little maintenance.... some of the information signs have things missing and what looked so flash back in 2004 is looking a tad tatty now.  So this does make it a little tricky for the children to find the answers to the worksheet in their camp books. 



The L&P Bottle worksheet from my
camp book.  I always do the camp
book too.

 Being the fussy teacher that I am, I have to have them do a camp book to answer questions and record experiences and draw and glue in pictures. 

But the kids were happy having their photos taken with the bottle, and we went to Albert Park (I think that what it's called where the rugby and netball courts and croquet pitch is) to eat lunch at the band rotunda and play on the playground.

Second stop:  Karangahake Gorge, and specifically to do the Karangahake Tunnel Loop and the Windows Walk.

Unfortunately, due to my cellulitis, I had to stay in the car and put my leg up.  A shame really, because this is a walk I've done at least three or four times, and I really enjoy it every time.  Also I had never done the Windows Walk part, so I was disappointed not to do that, as I keep hearing how good it is.

Heading over the bridge and into the Karangahake Rail Tunnel

So while I sat in the car with another parent's NZ Fishing magazine, off the kids and parents tramped without me.  It was a tad wet (so one advantage to being invalided off the activity) but I think the kids really enjoyed it.

In a later post I will come back to the activities associated with this walk.

After a couple of hours (and a catnap or two for me and learning about the benefits of soft baits when fishing), the children and their parents were back, slightly damp, hungry and ready to go.  We decided to flag the Heritage Walk in the CBD of Waihi, and headed straight for our accommodation, the Waihi Motor Camp.  The kids were keen for a swim, and the dads were happy to oblige with the supervision, while the ladies began making nachos in the kitchen and I went to the supermarket to get fresh buns for lunch, toast for breakfast and a few other bits and pieces.

Here is a tip for anyone who gets sent on camp with pre-signed cheques and no BOT member or principal with signing rights:  it is a nightmare!!!  Supermarkets do not want to accept a cheque without their special signature approval card.  Waihi Countdown will not be getting any business from me in future.  Waihi New World were more accommodating.  This is why having the school credit card was supposed to be a good idea - until that did not work.

The nachos (mince and mexican chips) were a big hit at dinner time.  There was also avacado, cheese and sour cream to go with it.  And salad - lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, cucumber.  One child went back for four helpings.  And we finished with ice cream in a cone.

After dinner we did our camp books, had a good old fashioned sing along, and had the kids in bed by 9:00pm.