Novice Campers Travelling Oz

We have spent a full week here training to be involved with youth at risk in the area of camping and adventure therapy.  Brad was sponsored to go from ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) so that was great and I was the camp cook.  After menu planning and shopping for the week the kids and I started cooking 3 massive trays of cookies.  After about 15 minutes there was that dreadful smell of smoke coming out the oven.  Then I thought I?d put in the third tray and burnt them too.  Out of 3 trays I salvaged about 1 ½ of what we made.  Since I was already feeling somewhat anxious it made me feel positively ill, then we just burst into laughter and chucked the burnt offerings out.

We spent the week with Russell from Crankt (Newcastle), Rowland from Youth Hot Air Balloon Club (Mildura), Dennis from Harmony Farm (Rockhampton-ish), Keith and Axil who take youth Caving (Kuranda way), Wazza from Camp Howqa (Melbourne) and Gary Director of ADRA Australia.   A mixed bunch but great to get networking with others who are passionate about youth and the outdoors.

After 7 days preparing, cooking and clean up, wash up etc for 15-20 people as well as attending seminars all day til 9pm each night, I need some time to myself.  The kids were my assistants and did an awesome job and I will give them a little pocket money out of my pay. What a great team. Nat and Shay are saving for a horse and Sam is saving for a motorbike.

R