My Ski Camp Recount

Ski Camp - Getting There

By Jaden

Our whole senior syndicate (Te Poutama) went on a biannual ski camp trip where everyone had a satisfying time, parents and teachers included. Almost everyone puts ski camp down as their favourite time at Waikanae School.

My bulky black bag had been checked on the Monday for vital clothing and other necessities. The following Tuesday we drove up to Turangi Kiwi Holiday Park. That was where we would be staying for 3 long nights, to get rest from a full on 6 hours of skiing! It is an enduring 4 hour bus drive from Waikanae  to Mt Ruapehu though it was going to be 100% worth it.

Watching the road go by on the Tuesday morning made me think of how fast this year has gone. It was already week 6 of term 3. I would soon be off to college and I would soon be enjoying more and more trips just like the marvelous one that I was just about to endure.

When I got to school there were many things going through my mind; will I get enough sleep to survive the trip?, is the food going to be edible?, and will I be able to have a good go at skiing?. After 10 plain minutes of doing nothing, people started to turn up and ask questions like - who is your bus partner? and do you have any lollies? As even more people strolled into the classroom, I could feel the buzz of excited children expecting the best.

At 8:40am, the bell rang and everyone seemed to be inside the classroom. After the never ending roll we scurried over to the hall as one big group to find our bags. Everybody had left their bags in bus lines overnight so that it would be easier in the morning to find them and bring them out of the hall to the buses. Though it was a complete nightmare to get out of the hall because everybody seemed to be going through one small emergency exit door and down the steps.

After I had eventually got out of the mouse sized door, I dumped my elephant weighted bag onto the grass next to bus one. I stood back and waited for the next instructions. After 5 gangling minutes of waiting, Edward and I pushed to the front of the line to try to get a good seat! Edward immediately announced “we should get to the back”. Edward and I found a seat with a lot of foot room near the emergency door. Personally I think that it was the best seat in bus.

Our bus was the last to leave because it was the furthest up the Hira street hill - near the hall. That meant that we possibly could be the last to camp.

Suddenly the bus in front of us started to roll away and we started to follow them. That was when I pulled out the lollies from my day bag. I munched and munched for around 40 minutes before all of the sugar was in my stomach. The sugar rush had not yet kicked in, though I knew that it wouldn’t be too far away.

My ipod was a lifesaver. I listened to music almost all of the way, and got records on dozens of games. If my Ipod hadn’t of have been with me on the bus, it would have been a well and truly dreadful experience.

Up to Bulls, I didn’t really do anything. I went on my ipod (the lifesaver) took a few selfies and chatted to Edward, Thomas and Luke. Thomas and Luke were opposite to us in the bus so it was easy for all of us to have a decent conversation.

When we pulled into the toilet stop at Bulls, there were already 2 buses there. We must have passed bus 2 sometime in the journey. I half needed the toilet and I thought that it would be best to go, so I clambered out of the bus and strolled over to the main building where the toilets were. Everyone in the whole senior syndicate seemed to be lining up, so I just walked away climbed back on the bus. I would be able to pass this time. There would be a chance at the Waiouru Army Museum.

The bus trip did not seem anything near as long as the car journey. I think it was because there was so much excitement on the bus and it is always dull in my car. When we reached the Army Museum in Waiouru, there was a fabulous view of Mt Ruapehu.

We stayed at the Army Museum for lunch and some activities. The first one my group did was the tour around the museum and a look at the wars in time order. After that we cooked some food from the army rations before we had a ride on a big army truck. It had a proper name though I can’t remember it.  When we left the Army Museum, it was quite late. Now it was time to conquer the Desert Road.

I expected the Desert Road to be really windy, though I barely even noticed it. We were on the way to Turangi before I had time to think. I couldn’t even remember it being windy. It was only 20km to Turangi and hopefully the camp. I was tired and we still had to endure a night walk after dinner.

When we turned off the State Highway into Turangi, I knew that we were almost there. I was right. The Turangi Kiwi Holiday Park was just there. We had finally made it. I was so relieved.

As we pulled into the camp, my first impressions of the cabins were that they were small. There were also some people waving us in. They seemed really pleased to be having us.

I had a strange feeling that this camp could be really exciting...