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Student Camp Recount

On November 6-8, Year 5 students experienced one of the best things Antonine had to offer: their annual camp, this year at Phillip Island.

The exhilaration in the air was like a bubble someone was blowing. Arriving at school, it formed. It almost popped in the lengthy bus ride, but grew steadily on Nobbie’s boardwalk. Finally, as year six reached the campsite, the bubble of excitement floated high into the sky and exploded over everyone.

Nothing beats the feeling of settling into a cabin – except maybe the feeling of catching your first ever crab. After crab fishing it was beach time – AKA sand fights, splashing, tanning and digging.

But we all knew what we had come for: something cute and fluffy! So we bundled up outside in the chilly evening air and waited for the penguins. Then spotted the penguins! Then oohed and aahed over them all the way back to camp. This is supposed to be the bit where I tell you we happily fell asleep – but of course we didn’t!

After a warming breakfast, since penguins were already fixated in our minds, why not buy some penguin plushies or keyrings?

It wasn’t too long after that that we were headed off to the beach again. Not to get wet. But of course we did. These things just happen when you walk for an hour in the waves. Then our poor exhausted bodies needed a burger lunch before we were ready for the shimmering blue pool – splashes and squeals and getting soaked.

As fun as the beach was, flying foxes, mechanical walls, pedal racers and archery comes pretty close. So does watching your friends act and sing in Antonine Idol. After that, it was time to live up to the camping vibes with a bonfire and marshmallows. And THEN we happily fell asleep.

No matter how strong we all are, we couldn’t force camp to last forever. So of course we had to pack up and settle in for another boring bus drive. But this time, we fed the animals! I don’t know about you, but for me, feeding a bunch of wallabies and emus makes up for the long bus ride that followed. A hop, skip and a lunch break away, we were back at school. No-one could deny it was good to be back in the familiar surroundings, reuniting with our families and of course telling them all about our awesome three day camp.

– By Teresia