After a few hours on the highway we were crossing the Hawkesbury River, with a turn to the left and a short windy drive through Brooklyn, we arrived at the wharf where a ferry would meet us to conclude our journey by taking us across the waters to a remote place called Broken Bay.

Over the years, under the guidance of the Department Of Education, Broken Bay has become a well-known camp site where groups of students and adults can camp throughout the week or weekends participating in sport and personal development programs.

That's what we did for five days.

We played many games involving social skills, mingling with other schools, using problem solving strategies, shooting arrows to specific targets and walking rocks in search of marine life.

The activities encouraged us to work as a team, to build and float rafts, to follow orienteering directions, create the tallest tower, get a whole team through an obstacle course and make race tracks in the sand.

We also accomplished personal goals such as walking the high ropes, zooming down the longest flying fox, being guided blindfolded through a track and sending things out in the hope that they would return.

Part of the camp also required all the students to take an active role in the kitchen. This meant dorms were rostered on for either breakfast, lunch or dinner and the students had to set up the dining room, dish out the meals, wash and dry the dishes and stack them away and pack up the dining hall ready for the next meal.

The food was excellent. There wouldn't have been any hungry children judging by the continual empty plates.

The excursion was extremely enjoyable and what made it so exciting was the involvement and positive behaviours of the students. They got involved, formed groups, shared resources, helped out where needed, punctual, polite and presentable. What a wonderful week.

Charles Jones, relieving assistant principal,