Under the stars

Seventeen termly boarding boys spent the night of 7th June out under the stars.
Saturday was a busy day with primary ten steps being hosted at Amano so preparations started at 4pm. We got into pairs and began making "hobo stoves" out of empty 3kg tinned food cans. A competition was set and the best looking 'hobo stove' got a chocolate bar. Before supper at 6pm, we went out to the camping spot and collected firewood for a bonfire.
  Two teams were formed with the two tallest boys on opposite sides, team names were picked and they were 'Ghosts' and 'Rangers'.
  After supper at school we went back to camp and set up our sleeping bags and got ready for the night. Mr. Grove called us to the car and trailer that was the main meeting point. He had two tyres with hooks in them and he instructed us to make harnesses  to pull the tyre with two team members sitting on it, through the bush, to the 'power line road'.

Tyre sledding before

  As usually happens with such competitions in the dark, both teams took pretty much the longest way to get to the road [and there were a few accidents along the way] and in the end the Ghosts finished ahead. The next challenge was to pull the tyre back with one person on it, but every person on the team had to sit on at least once before the end. It was a closer finish but the Ghosts won again.

Tyre sledding after!

  The next challenge was to get your whole team up a 3m rock face before the other team [with out any aid except your team mates]. There is a certain amount of strategy involved, such as not leaving the heaviest person till last when there is no-one to push them up! The Ghosts won again both times.

Rock face challenge

  Next up was 'Capture the Flag' at night so we put coloured reflective tape on our hats [to show up team identity in torch lights]. I was a lot of fun and we played two rounds, one which Ghosts won and the other, Rangers won. After our fun we sat round the bonfire and talked [whilst vapourising marsh mellows]. Then we went to bed (sleeping bags).

Camp fire with marsh mellows

  Early next morning, things were a bit cold, but it was time to try out our 'hobo stoves'. We cooked [well, some attempted to!] eggs, bacon, sausages, American pancakes and toasted bread on them. This process took three hours by which time we were to clean up and go get ready for church.

Caleb and his hobo stove

Lots of thanks to Mr and Mrs Grove for organising the night.

Reported by: Caleb Ronald