ENJOYED THE SCENERY: We got to spend plenty of time enjoying the scenery as we walked through the Hidden Valley and above it to a bed of fossils on top. Our campsite was a nice place too, a few kilometres outside the town, with plenty of place to play and horses to admire.

FACED OUR FEARS: The children impressed us when it came to the abseiling activity. We had to descend a rock face adjacent to a river – we don’t know exactly how metres it was, but it was certainly the highest the teachers had ever done. For some children this was no problem – others, despite being afraid, decided to have a go anyway. Although it took a few a while to work up the courage to do so- everyone managed in the end.

LEARNT A NEW GAME: Gaga is a very addictive, dodge ball type game played inside an ever decreasing loop of rope. The ball must always be kept in motion and can be struck with the hands but not held. People are out if the ball hits them below the knee or if they step outside the loop. Once people are out they can still take part by hitting the ball in from the sidelines. The last person remaining was the king or queen of Gaga. We played this game in the evenings after returning from the activities until it got too dark to see!

GOT TO KNOW OUR STUDENTS BETTER: It was a treat to see the children socializing with each other and to chat to them about things beyond Maths and Literacy. Cooking was a big social event where everyone in the group contributed to the meal. On the last night we had a big bonfire with songs, jokes and stories told by each other.