Semester 1 Lock Reflection

This semester in lock we covered a range of topics. This included knot tying, rock climbing, environmental awareness like leaving no trace, kayaking and bush cooking. As we entered the program my main goal was to learn new skills and tricks that would be useful for me in the future and in future Outdoor ED camps.

Lock Camp

On Tuesday the 3rd we went to Dwellingup. This was part of the lock course, and we were required to kayak, cook and treetops adventures. The day was filled with lots of challenges for everyone and required us to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. Treetops was a really fun relaxing activity for me because I had been there lots of times before and I was familiar with everything. We did some of the easier courses because we didn’t want to tire ourselves out for the day. Kayaking was also quite fun and it wasn’t difficult with a long kayaking trip. We played some fun games and watched people get tipped over and the water was freezing cold. Bush cooking was fun and the fire was warm to be around.

This is where we went for our Dwellingup day trip. We cooked here on the fires.

Rock climbing

When we started rock climbing it was hard to get the hand of be-laying because I missed a couple of lessons. Once I got the hang of it, it was a simple thing to do, and I enjoyed be-laying. Rock climbing was fun because it was a physical thing to do, and we didn’t have to do much theory. I think as I progressed, I got stronger and was able to go further with my climbing.

Knot tying

Learning to tie knots was quite difficult in the beginning but throughout the end I understood them. We had to tie around 10 knots with ones ranging in different difficulties. The knot tying process was quite fun when you finally got it and I was proud of myself when I finally understood them all.

Kayaking

During term 1 we also kayaked during our double periods at Shelley foreshore. Kayaking was something that pushed me out of my comfort zone because I felt abit challenged in some activities. I’m proud of myself for pushing my limits and doing the specific activities we had to do.

Bush cooking

This term we started to learn about bush cooking and fires. We learnt two different techniques to start up a fire and give it oxygen to spread. We learnt about collecting sticks and the different sizes to set up with. Jarrah was really handy in helping our fires get started and spread quickly. We started our second cooking session last week and cooked Italian food. My group started cooking pizza this week and we went pretty well. We forgot to bring oil though which made our pizza stick to the pan. I think we were well prepared, and our fire was catching pretty well. Our first cooking session was on the day camp in Dwellingup. That session also went pretty well because we cooked everything fine, and our fire caught without needing a starter. We just caught on to the embers from the previous group.

Our fire at the campsite
Our first week of cooking in our double periods was Italian.

Leave no trace

There are 7 principles of leave no trace. These principles include plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife, be considerate of others. When we were cooking, one of the principles we used for leave no trace was disposing of waste properly. We were careful to not leave any rubbish or plastic or food behind after we finished cooking or kayaking. We also planned and prepped ahead of time for our food and materials to cook with which helped us be prepared and not stressed for our cooking.

Camp and overall goals

My overall goals were to push myself to my limits and my camp goals were to try my hardest and not burn anything while cooking. I think I did well with my goals and I’m proud of my efforts from this Dwellingup camp.

Weather conditions

The weather conditions on the day of the camp were really cold but there wasn’t a lot of rain which was good and helpful for us to cook and do our outdoor activities. Kayaking on the water was freezing and if you fell in the water was ice cold.

Holly, Ruby and I on the Dwellingup camp. This was during our treetops activity.

Leadership experience

Throughout my primary school years I have been given many opportunities to step up and take leadership. In year 6 last year I was privileged enough to be presented the role as one of the Junior School Captains. This role holds great responsibility in setting an example for younger peers and being a good role model. Being privileged enough to be given this role I discovered another version of myself, I discovered I liked public speaking and presenting in front of people.

Starting high school this year already presented me with options to take leadership. I nominated myself to be a class representative and was elected. I am hoping in my future years to be able to step up and take even more action and have more leadership experience.