camping

Hawequas Winter Camp 2025

Winter camp was a lovely 3 day camp from the 20th to the 22nd of June. Our patrol completed many fun and exciting activities. As a patrol, we had to set up and sleep in our own tents. We also had to make our own dinner which tested our tenacity and teamwork. We got judged on various activities throughout the camp. The camp was at Hawequas and we were really lucky that Kuba, the Warden, let us camp there. He also guided us on the rope course and directed our service project. So we were all very thankful to him.

When we were in the car going to Hawequas I was really excited. When we got there we unpacked the trailer and set up our campsite. I then made dinner for my patrol which was delicious. We then went and played this really fun survival game. Then I went to bed. The next morning we did P.T. which was tough. The rest of the day we did a bunch of fun activities. At around about mid day we went to the pool at Hawaquas to do the Polar Plunge which is done every year to represent the start for when the days start to get longer and the nights shorter (Winter Solstice). With the help of the Rover Crew we built this absolutely massive table called a quadpod table, which we later ate our dinner at. When it started getting dark we all sat around a huge campfire and sang songs. The dinner that night was scrumptious like usual. I went to bed with a full tummy hoping for a nice day. The next day after another gruellling PT session we collected up cut down alien vegetation and collected rocks from the river. Unfortunately it then started raining which made packing up the campsite a mission. The rest of the drive back whizzed by.

This camp was really fun and exciting and was very well run. It made many different and exciting memories. I enjoyed every bit from the food to the Polar Plunge, from the unpacking in sunshine to the packing in the rain. I learnt how to do a tripod lashing and how to hoist up large pioneering poles. I also got to know my new patrol members really well.

Scouting is all about having fun and learning to work together and this is what we did on this camp. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did and learnt a lot of new and exciting skills. I also hope to attend many other camps just as fun as this one but different in their own little unique ways.

Hayden Grobler