MERRI-BEK TERM 1 2024 WEEK 6
Hello All!
Another week has gone along with our final camp! So here's a rundown of our second last week!
Wednesday the 13th we met our crew in the city, heading to ACMI, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image! This space lets people freely explore the aspects of moving images, including shadow puppetry, stop motion and even video games. The crew had a field day walking around and interacting with everything they could before finally coming to finish up and heading for lunch. For this we travelled to Melbourne Central and chose our meal of choice before sitting together. After some nourishment the crew were allowed some free time to explore in groups before meeting and heading to the main event, rock-climbing. At Hardrock CBD, an indoor climbing gym, we listened to our instructors about the basics of climbing, our harnesses and the belay equipment. This activity is mainly focused on trust, bravery and courage, as this can be a struggle not just with heights but trust in the equipment and someone on the ground supporting you whilst you climb. Once our crew got started they never stopped, climbing walls and supporting one another while their partners braved their fears. It was a momentous day of achievements from everyone!
On Thursday the 14th, we picked up the group from Collingwood station at 9:30 am for our last camp of the program. With the bus packed and ready to go, we made our way to the camp's first activity, white water rafting! Upon arriving at the upper Yarra near Warrandyte, we were met by two instructors from Rubicon who showed us how to get the right gear on properly and a quick demonstration on padding and some safety signals. In pairs, we got into our rafts and started to paddle downstream with clear improvement from when we went canoeing, confidence in their abilities showing. Still, encouragement was needed as the group was getting stuck here and there on rocks which required positive communication and teamwork to overcome. Halfway through our rafting experience, we had a quick stop for some lunch, with the group eager to keep going we set off again through the rapids. Filled with heaps of adrenaline we reached our destination to pack up the equipment and boats for the Rubicon instructors which we thanked for the experience. We regrouped on the bus and headed to our stay for the night at Clifford Park Activity Centre, with each other helping unload. We got set up and enjoyed some Bolognese, having some free time to chat and play some games as we settled in and headed to bed.
On Friday the 15th, we woke up nice and early to get prepared for the day ahead. With the group getting a quick brekkie in and the bus loaded up and ready to go. Before we left the group had time for some reflection and debriefing about the upcoming day. The focus was on the struggles we face each day, as we have done some hard and exhausting activities, it is important to keep a positive mindset to help get unstuck during those times. We then met up with Brendon and Sophia, two outdoor experts who were leading the day's activity Caving! As we arrived at the caving spot with our overalls and helmet on, we marched through the beautiful forest to the hole which we were to enter. It was very nerve-racking for many of the group as the anxiety levels were high as we began to crawl into the cave. We spent most of the time crawling on hands and knees, climbing over rocks, and walking through water plus spotting some glow worms which were fascinating to look at. We regrouped at our exit point, exhausted and ready for some lunch so we quickly changed our soaked shoes and headed to a nearby park to enjoy some time to grab a bite to eat before heading back into the bus to head back to Collingwood station.
This week was filled with anxiety inducing and stressful activities. Although the crew all had their moments of doubt in themselves or the equipment they chugged along and came out on top with even more personal development. Everyone should be proud of what they accomplished this week and we can’t wait to revisit this for graduation!
