We have had another brilliant day at Red Ridge and have been extremely busy completing a range of different activities.
After a good night’s sleep, we enjoyed eating a hearty breakfast consisting of cereal, toast, eggs, bacon and spaghetti hoops. It was delicious and we were full of energy.
Our first activity was kayaking on the lake. We had to dress up in warm clothes and wore a helmet and buoyancy aid to keep us safe. Fortunately, Red Ridge leant us waterproof jackets and trousers so that we didn’t get too wet. After we arrived at the lake, we collected our kayaks and learnt how to use the paddle. Then, we carefully climbed in and prepared to launch our kayaks. It was exciting because we shot down the slope and splashed into the lake. Immediately, we had to paddle to various points around the lake but it was tricky because the wind was so strong. A few people got stuck in the grass but most of us eventually we gained control and paddled to different points around the lake.
Unfortunately, one child fell out of their kayak. Luckily, they managed to get out of the lake quickly and it was near the end of the session so they could get warm and dry quickly. We all really enjoyed the session and were proud of how much more confident we became at paddling.
After a warm shower, fresh clothes and a delicious lunch (which we made the previous evening), we started the afternoon session on the High Ropes. This meant that we spent the afternoon climbing and jumping off tall objects. The activities included a zip wire, tall pole, swinging into a net, scaling a climbing wall and abseiling. All the activities challenged our confidence but we all tried our best and were encouraged to go as high as we could. Sometimes, a few words of encouragement allowed us to achieve more than we could have dreamed of. All the activities were exhilarating.
When we had returned all of our belongings to the store, it was dinner time and we were starving. Luckily, we enjoyed pie, carrots, potatoes and gravy followed by chocolate cake with chocolate custard. The food was warm, plentiful and delicious.
As soon as dinner was finished, it was time to make our lunch for tomorrow. We were much quicker than yesterday and we thought more carefully about the sandwich fillings that we used.
Then it was time to get ready for our evening activity which was orienteering. James, from Red Ridge, explained the activity and we worked in teams of four to find different points around the centre. It was great fun, but frustrating, because some of the markers were extremely well hidden. We all used our maps with varying degrees of success and some children found nearly thirty different markers that had been positioned at a variety of locations around the Red Ridge site. It was lots of fun and we are getting much better at working together.
Finally, we enjoyed hot chocolate and a few sweet treats before brushing out teeth and snuggling up in bed.
We hope that tomorrow is going to be as much fun.
