High Ropes

On Friday the 3rd all the year 8s went to the Groynes in Christchurch. High ropes is one of the activities in the WPCA challenge.

I had Emma and Jess in my car. When we pulled into the Groynes we had a bit of trouble trying to fund the High ropes course area. We drove in and followed Pip Bartlett. We ended up going right past the turn off. When we got to the roundabout we turned around and eventually found the entrance.

The flying Kiwi!

"Are you ready team?"

"Are you ready kiwi?"
"Yes"

Sprinting, sprinting, sprinting, FLYING!
The breath was sucked out of my lungs, I flew up, round and round. Gravity. Gravity no longer existed. I hang there, suspended in mid air. No one could get me now. I was invincible! Swinging back and forward, I looked down.

A hundred feet down Miss Hanna was relaxing on her soft and comfy rug. She was waving her arms up and down. This was when I thought I had lost it. I hang there, hopelessly trying to snap myself out of my day dream. Then. Suddenly, I realised. My arms were spread out wide, like a hawk gliding through the night sky. Laughing to myself, I realised that Miss Hanna was just coping me!

The air blew on my face as I was lowered slowly to the ground. I stood there, standing on solid ground and a huge smile on my face!

Mt. Richardson

On Friday the 13th of May we started the treacherous climb to the summit of Mt. Richardson.

Walking through the gates. Swinging them open, I take my first step onto the hard grey concrete. Walking slowly towards a big rectangular building. "Holly!". Jess comes running up. Now snapped out of my day dream I walk into the Mt. Thomas room.

Swinging my bag onto my back, we start to walk. Me, Emma and Annabelle were walking together. Up and Up we climbed. Round every corner up every hill.
Josh Dando was coming with us, he used to be in my sisters class and Loburn. He manly walked with Jack, Hugh and EB. When ever Miss Hanna looked over her shoulder, he would quickly stop whatever he was doing and try to look like a responsible adult. Even though he was probably playing with giant worms or spiky plants!

We were almost at the top. Suddenly a mad dash to reach the top started. I joined in! I reached the top in about 5th place. We stopped there for 10mins. Annabelle and I used our jackets to fly off a big pile of rocks we found. It was fun even though we only travelled about 3 metres!

On the way back it was really steep in some parts. Me and Emma walked together for most off it. Every 10minutes we would come up to a small hill, so annoying! Me and Emma jumped down the hill for most of the time! There were a few branches that had fallen down in the big winds. We climbed over them as quickly as possible, so we could finish earlier.

When we finished the walk, Emma, Annabelle and I rolled down the hill. Jess thought it was to kiddish and thought that she was mature enough that we shouldn't be rolling down the hill, Boo hoo we still rolled our way to the bottom!!!

William Pike Challenge Award (WPCA)

As some of you may have noticed, I use the phrase "William Pike Challenge" or "WPCA" quite often.
The William Pike Challenge is all about getting students my age into the outdoors.

Rakahuri Rage

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On Sunday the 20th of March all the year 8s drove down to the Rangiora race course to compete in the Rakahuri Rage.

We load my bike on the back of my mums car. Filling up drink bottles and packing food was finally done and we were ready to go. As we were driving down lehmans road on the left side there were hundreds and hundreds of cars. We drove in and parked in the car park.
The loburn tent was choc-a-packed. I parked my bike and collected my teams bag. None of my team were there! "Hurry up Jess and Emma" I thought. Finally they arrived. We each got a drink bottle, some swim pass's and cafe vouches.
"Time for the briefing" aloud voice boomed off the speaker. We all hurried off to listen.
I was the first biker. I sat on my bike in the crowd of other bikers. They were all wearing fancy biking suits. The ones you see the professionals wear, the tight, tog like materiel body suits. Proper biking shoes that clip into the pedals. I felt well out of my depth. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 GO! They sped off! leaving me in there dust. I biked fast dying to keep up with them. My first mistake. After 10 minutes in was puffed. Being the first biker in my team I had to complete an extra 2.5k. It was all in the open. Finally I entered the bumpy, but shaded track through the forest. Going from there was easy. Up and down. I was biking up one of the hills round the start of the forest track and a biker came up behind me and rear ended me. I fell off and looks around to see who had ride into me, but they were no where to be seen.
Finally I came up the last hill and could see all the hundreds of tents. I biked along the grass getting closer and closer to my drink bottle. Finally I passed over the timing mat. I biked round the tents to the loburn tent where Emma was waiting to bike. I raced round the corner and came to a sudden stop, tagged Emma and walked over a plonked myself down. There was sweat dripping down my face. My time was 32 minutes.
The rest of the day went by in a blur. On one of my laps I accidentally took Benj's bike. I looks the exact same as mine. So our team didn't get counted for that lap.
There was this one lady that I know who I passed on the side of the track with a punctured tire. A man was helping her. Then about 5 minutes later she passed me and then she turn the corner to go down a hill she fell off and tumbled down the hill. She got back on a kept biking. There team ended up winning the family division.
I think the day went well and I would definitely do it again. Maybe when I'm a bit older though!

Rakahuri Rage Practice

After hurrying out of the house and dropping Lucy at tennis, we drove down the road and looked about us. No one was in sight. To early, or to late! We drove a little further and, bam! They were all there, waiting for a few more of us straggler to arrive. The car-park was fell hidden from the road!
We parked up and headed of to meet the others. Emma had found a big, black scorched mark on the gravel. Bits and bobs of different parts of the car that once stood there, just lay, half buried in the gravel. A box of matches that were crumpled up had been thrown on the ground. Someone had burnt a car!

Cave Stream

On Friday we went through Cave Stream.
We had just completed the Hawdon Hut tramp!
As we arrived in the car park, everyone was speaking. We put on our helmets and buckled them up. The 2 signs we read were about what you had to have and why. I had a helmet, a merino and thermal top, thermal leggings, a head torch and my tramping boots.

We all went and saw the end on the cave. It just looked like a big hole

Hawdon Hut

On Thursday we tramped up to Hawdon hut!
Our first William Pike Challenge!
I was in the new Mini Van. We jumped in and took off for the shelter. The other minivan had no seat belts and the windows could open. Sadly ours had seat belts and we couldn't open the window, but it was super comfy!

"Are we almost there!", was what at least someone would say every 10-15 minutes. 
The drive there was super BORING!, we just sat there and talked.
Soon the shelter came in sight. A small open building. We jumped out longing to move and stretch our legs. There were Army people teaching some unemployed people how to put up a tent and how to pack a pack.

An then the thing we were all dreading. "Carrying our packs". We heaved it onto our backs and started off.