Moreland week 6 2018

It's exhibition week! Our longest camp on this program and our assessment camp.

Wednesday started how all our camps start by packing the bus and going over our expectations and our personal development goals. We set a focus on the areas that were being assessed and formed our goals based off our character strengths. After that we gathered in the bus and made our 2 hour journey to Rubicon. We were very lucky on Wednesday to have perfect weather as we had blue skies and no wind. When we got to Rubicon we reunited with Kelto and geared up for horse riding. When meeting the horses it was wonderful to see how quickly the young people connected with them. Everyone had a smile on their face all day and even those who were scared and nervous became comfortable really quickly. This day was all about learning how to ride the horse. We practised how to put on/take off the saddle, how to sit/walk the horse and how to trot. Everyone had a great time and we literally road off into the sunset. When we got to our camp site we emptied the bus, set up our beds in our cabins and got stuck into cooking dinner. The night finished with reflection on the day and expectations for tomorrow. Everyone went to bed tired and excited for the next day.

Thursday saw us get up nice and early to have breakfast and prepare our lunch for the day. We all got up with no issue and were back with hour horses by 9:30. After a quick reintroduction and saddling up we were off on our journey. We road and trotted our way through the beautiful countryside of Rubicon taking a few stops on the way. We trotted, went uphill, downhill and all worked well with our horses. We had moments of struggle but through the support of the group, our work on character strengths/growth mindsets and the work of our horses we got through it

all. Everyone really enjoyed this day and found it hard to say goodbye to our new four legged friends. Back at the cabin the cooking group got stuck straight into cooking. They worked to cut the veggies, cook the meat and combine it all to make a great meal. We finished the night with a debrief, some hot chocolates and a few games of celebrity heads. Overall it was a great day that challenged everyone and allowed us to grow through those challenges.

Friday was the most challenging day on the program as we were blessed with constant rain. This didn't dampen our spirits though as the young people were up straight away, cooking pancakes, cleaning the cabin and packing the van. Over this camp the teamwork and organisation skills that the young people have really shined through. It was great to see everyone taking responsibility and working together. Friday was a bit different too as we were going mountain bike riding and not horse riding. We met with Kelto and Matt, had safety instructions and got riding. Although it was raining it added to the fun of the day as we were going through puddles, under trees and had the gushing river beside us. The environment we were in was incredible and i think everyone there was taken back by the beauty of the Rubicon area. After some deep puddles, a stop for reflection and a few slippery falls. We made it back to van wet but filled with joy. We all had lunch, got changed, reflected on our week and said bye to Kelto and Matt. The two hour ride back was a quiet one as most of us were tried. Overall it was a great camp filled with many great memories. Well done guys!