The Year 7 & 8s set off this week in search of sunshine, snacks, and shenanigans and Bannockburn absolutely delivered! The old Bannockburn school became home for three nights of adventure, laughter, learning, and questionable music choices (if you’ve never heard Richard and his recorder… consider yourself lucky). After a long drive in a large convoy featuring a playlist that deserves its own review, we arrived to find sprawling greens, a pool, and a flying fox just waiting for action.

First stop: Jackson’s Orchard, where students hopped aboard buggies that zoomed (and occasionally crawled at snails pace) around the farm’s fruit trees. We learnt how asparagus grows (apparently in fountains), how Kevin endlessly mows lawns, and that there are more varieties of fruit than anyone could ever name. A few students found themselves literally rolling down the hills not in the buggies, thankfully and ended up a little grassy but still grinning. The tour wrapped up with real fruit ice creams, where some may or may not have consumed their body weight in ice-cream.

Back at camp, it was a quick change before heading to the inlet for swimming and kayaking featuring some WWE-style wrestling on the pontoon and a few creative attempts at paddling with half paddles. After a solid 90 minutes in sub-arctic waters, everyone defrosted over games of cricket, hearty lasagna, and a quick dip in the pool before lights out (for most).

Day two was full of travel and time travel literally! At Arrowtown’s Museum, students were transported back to the 1800s, complete with strict teacher Miss Grey, fancy costumes, and plenty of “Yes, Miss Grey” choruses. Haircuts were inspected, fingernails checked, and good manners enforced and suddenly, Mrs Bichan was everyone’s favourite teacher. The old classroom experience came complete with prayers, times tables, and one naughty student even getting “the cane” (with parental permission, don’t worry!).

The afternoon took us to the Arrowtown heritage buildings and the Chinese settlement, where students squeezed into tiny huts, peeked into long drops, and learned what life was like for early settlers. Then it was time for gold panning, a true test of patience and persistence. There were plenty of “Eureka!” moments, with Johan striking the biggest flake of the day.

That night, burgers and an epic game of spotlight kept camp spirits alive. The bunkhouse was definitely quieter afterwards the surest sign of a great day at camp.

Day three started with a bit of rain, but that didn’t dampen the fun. We explored Cromwell Museum, discovering moa bones, gold stories, and tackling a treasure hunt of epic proportions. After a quick stop to the compulsary fruit (because clearly we hadn’t had enough produce), we headed to Highlands Park where the go-karts stole the show. Split into three random groups, the competition was fierce, the corners were fast, and the smiles were huge. There were spin-outs, close calls, and a few budding Formula 1 careers in the making. For the record (pun intended), Robyn took the chequered flag, with Stu a close second and Khloe taking third.

The Highlands Museum offered even more thrills, with Johan showing lightning-fast reflexes, students testing virtual reality simulators, and everyone admiring the sleek rides. The day wrapped up with another round of swimming and kayaking (for those brave or wetsuit-equipped enough), followed by pizza delivery night and the highly anticipated camp concert. Skits, dancing, jokes, and one unforgettable recorder performance (yes, that recorder again) made for the perfect final night.

Friday morning was a “buffet” of leftover food and a cleaning mission best described as “herding cats.” Once bags were packed and bunks cleared, we made our way to Alexandra for a well-earned lunch before heading home, tired but happy.

Camps don’t happen without incredible organisation and teamwork. A huge thank you to Taylor Bichan, who planned, led, and laughed her way through her final TCAS camp with her students and creating memories they’ll never forget. Thanks also to Mark Preddy for his humour, help, and organising, and to our awesome parent crew Stu, Matt, Adele, Rachael, Nicky, and Robyn, for diving into every activity, laugh, and challenge along the way.

And finally, to the students, you gave it your all! You climbed, kayaked, panned, and paddled like champions, tried new things, faced challenges, and maybe even learned to appreciate home-cooked meals and your own beds a little more.

See you later, Bannockburn, you were a blast! 

Here are some of the highlights from the students:

“Swimming in the inlet was my favourite part because after a hot day it was refreshing” - Ella

“The go-karts were fun but also hard as you had to turn and brake. I also sped on the corners and it made me drift and I loved it.” - Rawari

“My highlight of camp was cruising round the orchard on the tour carts around the orchard and finishing off with a delicious ice-cream. A close second was throwing Harry Lietze off the pontoon” - Mrs Bichan

“Going swimming in the lake and jumping off the pontoon and go-karting at Highland Park were my highlights of camp” - Khloe

“I enjoyed playing spotlight because I ran around in the dark and it was fun” - Brooklyn

“The go-karts were fun and the flying fox and I think I spent the most time doing that” - Riley

“I enjoyed going go-karting and I enjoyed freezing in the water and the food” - Isla

“I enjoyed the go-karting because of the amazing lifetime experience and I also liked having a flying fox at camp” - Billie

“I like the swimming because it was hot and you didn’t really that cold till the end” - Maggie

“Definitely watching Miss Grey stay in character while trying not to laugh myself.” - Robyn