A Jamboree Experience to Remember (2010)

Rambling On: Jamboree 2010:

"We  had 2 of our children go to AJ2010 , Sarah was 14 and Evan was 12.  Sarah was pretty laid back and confident about being away from home ..."

Once again it seems the mother, Emma Hazell, has posted some of my writings but I'll give her this one since I sent it to her in 2010.  A letter from the 2010 Jamboree (a.k.a AJ2010) that I wrote telling of all the wonderous things I got up to.  It was the trip of a liftetime.  I still have every single issue of the special Jamboree newspaper, and my passport, stamped for every activity I completed.

2/1/10

Dear Mum, Dad and Harry,

Its only the first day here and already we're exhausted and have had some minor adventures. We all have our bags and stretchers safely back in our tents now, off ground in case water leaks in. After hardly sleeping a wink on those rock-hard bus seats and almost dying from heat and hunger between breakfast and lunch as we slaved away at our tents, our stretchers are like heaven. Insects are definitely out in force, especially those tiny black ants whom we had to firmly relocate from our tents, patrol boxes and kitchen gear.

It was quite an itchy challenge taking everything out of the ant-hill/shipping container, which, I might add, needs a very good water proofing! The tents, too, are letting the edge of my stretcher become damp! And other troops, one not two sites away, have nylon dome tents! We have heavy leaky patrol tents that will easily let in another insect which is much more deadly than a black ant. I haven't seen one yet, but there are warning signs on the way into Cataract.

Oh and I haven't told about the gateway. You'd have to be blind to miss it, 4 identical, massive concrete arches. I have a badge showing it. The weather has been balmy with random showers, and, just five minutes ago a thunder storm. Not much different from Coffs Harbour.

6/1/10

Its our fourth day here at cataract and the 2nd day of the official Jamboree. When we got here 4 days ago our campsite looked like a paddock with NSW camps dotted around. The, the next day, the spare spaces started to fill up and now we have to walk around on the paths between camps. On the 2nd we were allowed to walk around and the badge trading began.

As you walk along the main road between sub-camps you are asked which state you're from by scouts wanting contingent badges. We've got our troop badge which is one of four from all the troops from North Coast NSW.

All four, plus a region badge, join together to make a set. I have all the badges in that set.  I also have all the sub-camp badges, which make an octagon when put together, with Aquarius in the middle.  All the sub-camps are named after constellations. There is Andromeda, Gemini, Orion, Taurus, Aries, Leo, Pegasus, Aquarius and Scorpius.

Its really fun putting our troop pegs on peoples clothing without them noticing.

We made these pegs yesterday and used them up yesterday. It says, "you have been bitten by the NC123 bat colony" and has a cute picture of a bat on the peg too. I am writing this on the bus to Jamberoo water park, where we will stay for the day. Last night was the opening ceremony. There was fireworks and a live band. Me and five friends from my troop got to a metre from the front row, where there was no room to move. Tonight's a rock night, though I don't think I'll have any voice left to scream with.

11/1/10

Jamberoo was great. The best ride was the Taipan. It was pitch black, in a raft, down 200m curving back and forth. Today is the 11th of January and more than halfway through Jamboree. I'm still tired and still having

Fun. I miss you all loads!

The day after we went to Jamberoo we did adventurous activities. Our package included BMX, Challenge Valley and Laser Skirmish. BMX- I only went round the track 3 times but stacked twice. It was hard. Challenge Valley was run by venturers and was like a big commando course with mud and water in more than half the activities. By Laser Skirmish we were so tired, but it was fun.The day after that we had Endurance 2010. It lasted all day with 17 bases. We only had to do ten, we did 11. We skipped both the skirmishes in which you got dyed red with water. One of my favourites was rock climbing. There was also abseiling, mega board games, a maze & first aid.

We almost missed the bus out.

The day after, we did Brownsea Island. It re-enacted some of the activities @ the first scout camp. We did animal tracking, knotting nets & Law & Promise, and Pioneering. That afternoon we went 2 Cirque du Scout. That was awesome. We painted each others faces, practised 4 types of juggling & did trampolining.

Two days ago was market Day (Visitor Day) we had the day off to try and raise lunas (Jamboree Market Day Money). Vicki came and visited our camp. We were duty patrol that day. Our troop made an Emoo Steak stand and raised over 200 lunas.

Yesterday we went to water activities in Chowder Bay. There was canoeing, kiaking, swimming, snorkelling, a ferry ride and a scenic walk. Candle was at the snorkelling base. The ferry ride was fun because we could go right on top and see all round Sydney Harbour.  Today we had another lot of adventurous activities. We had Waterslides, giant swing and high Ropes. The waterslide was just like the ones @ the Big Banana and the giant swing was awesome! I was pretty good @ high ropes though it was scary.

Hope u are all well

Lots of Love,

Sarah

all ready to set out for the Australian Jamboree: Evan, myself, Reagan and Eli

My only regret is that I only got to attend 1 Jamboree.  Ahh well Venturers get Dragonskin.  

Around Australia 2007: Days 4 & 5

Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th March 24-25/3/07

BUNYA MT

This campsite in the Bunya Mountains is pretty good (except for the fact that there are no showers.)  We went on this really quite interesting walk.  It came out into a beautiful lookout.  We walked past plenty of grassland that quickly turned into a lush rainforest. 

Evan Harry + I rode our scooters down the slope over and over again.  It was fun.  We also caught up on some school work. 

On the next day we drove to Paradise Parking and walked all the way to Dandaba.  Evan, Mum + I were going to go to a lookout when we saw some feathers from a dead bird and two metres further along the track there was a bog fat snake, so we didn't go to the lookout.  At Dandabar we had lunch at a cafe and resturant and we also fed the King Parrots.  Then we walked back with bribes from Mum to get us there. 

An note at the bottom says:

We fed the King Parrots and they made claw marks where they had sat to eat the bird seed. 

To the side, Mum, who has her own version of events posted on her blog, has written a note aswell:

great diary writing, Sarah.  It is very descriptive and interesting to read.  Remember the fun you had riding your scooters at Bunya Mtn + the yummy Bunya nuts that we ate. 

Around Australia 2007: Day 3

Day 3 Friday 23rd March 23/3/07

Yesterday we just packed up, pretty much rode out scooters around the paved picnic area and left.  It was hot in the car.  Very Hot actually.

We passed so many fields of, well I'm not sure what, I think it was lavender anf stuff for smelly shampoos and all that.  I couldn't possibly tell you how many we passed.  After we had crossed the border- which was five minutes for where we stayed- it was very desolate.  We stopped at a small town called Aratula for a lunch of pies.  Then we moved on.  Going throug boring countryside. 

Luckily mum put on an interesting story called Toad Heaven. We stopped at Toowoomba and went to Coles to buy food and supplies.  Then we took off again.  When we were near the end on Toad Heaven, we stopped at a service station somewhere really north west of Toowoomba- i think.  I got out of the car to look for water and missed the best bit of Toad Heaven.  Then because the story had finished; mum put on another one called Toad Rage wich actually went before Toad Heaven!

The campsite was pretty normal and there is nothing to say except: NO SHOWERS!

Ford NP

*sigh* the trials and tribulation of an ten year old... You think I might have thought to mention something interesting and unique to our trip like... visiting the loop in the railway (it even had tourist information signs).  But at least the sympathetic stories towards Cane Toads softened me up for when we finally found them [my sympathy was non existent by Lawn Hill and Edith Falls where they were everywhere!]

Around Australia 2007: Day 2

Day 2 Thursday 22nd March 22/3/07

Dear Diary,
How peaceful it is here! It is lovely except for the fact that almost everything is now dirty.  After two days without washing I hope the next place we stop at has showers!  I am particularly worried about my feet. 

Today we went on a beautiful walk through an old cedar forest.  There was a big cedar with a diameter of 133cm and a height of 48m.  We also did a walk of 200m which came out to a lookout on pinnacle point.  From there I could see Mt Warning, the plug of what used to be a giant volcano.  There was a big bowl made by mountains and you culd really imagine the mountain range once being a volcano.

Later on when we were back at the campsite and had lunch Evan and dad went on another walk to a waterfall called Evan's Falls.  I stayed back and did schoolwork.  Before it got dark I read a little of the French book that mum showed me, deciphering it with the mini dictionary.  I have learnt quite a bit of French now!!

The Borders NP

Of course!  The ancient volcano crater that encircles Mount Warning is still etched in my mind.  Though I must say any French I'd learned must have been negated by my German lessons in year 8...  J'taime?

Around Australia 2007: Day 1

Rambling On: 2007 Travel diary: Day 1:  

"Pre-trip I have found some of our diary entries from our 2007 Australian trip.  I have already posted two letters here and here that ..."

The mother, Emma Hazell, decided she would blog some of my thoughts on our 2007 trip around Australia.  She got this first one out but I quickly snatched my travel diary back from her desk.  With her new found blogging phase I was a little suspicous that she was using MY writing and posting it on the internet.  So now its my job to post it. 

"Day 1 Wednesday 21st March 21/3/07

Dear Diary

Day 1 and we're off. FINALLY. It took us ages and ages to pack and get everything ready. Mum had to vacuum all the rooms then mop the hard floors as well.  It was 1:15 by the time we were on the road and then we went and got lunch at KFC. It was well into the afternoon before we got to Casino.

I finished 2 pages in my maths book on the way here and I watched most of EMMA on our portable DVD player.

I helped to put up the tent and set up camp.

Next to us is a couple from Texas. You can tell they are from America because of their accents. They are very nice and talk to us. They said goodbye when they left this morning.

Last night I had a good sleep except that I didn't get to read so it was hard to get to sleep. There was a dark stinky pit toilet.

We had bacon and eggs for breakfast, but I didn't eat much because I don't eat much at breakfast.

I hope this will be fun

The Borders N.P. NSW"

I laughed reading this, hopefully I've grown better at writing since 2007. :P