Camp Pounawea

Josef has been on his first school camp. He went away on Tuesday and came home on Friday. Camp Pounawea is in the Catlin's - gorgeous, gorgeous area running up the coast of the South Island.
This was his timetable:

Tuesday
Travel the scenic route stopping at Waipapa Point Lighthouse and Curio Bay.
View Matai Water Falls
Do the Tautuku Nature Walk
Arrive at camp. Set up.
Wednesday
Lunch at Kaka Point
Walk to the Lighthouse
Walk through Tunnel Hill
Cannibal/Surat Bay walk
Games/Activities
Thursday
Jack's Bay Blowhole
Jack's Bay Rocky Shore Study
Pounawea Bush Walk
Activities/Games
Friday
Celebrate St Patricks Day (this involved green milk I'm told)
Clean Up
Leave camp and travel home.

What a fabulous week he has had!! They got to see so much. Josef was fascinated by the sea lions - and in little boy spirit - took morbid delight in the fact the fact that sea lions were very aggressive and they could chase you and bite!! This was his highlight I think - actually seeing sea lions up close at Jack's Point.
He tells me they talked about Hypothermia - he tells me you can die from this and that if I was to start slurring my words and such he will wonder if I have hypothermia - bless his heart!! LOL!
A plastic bag of shells came home with him - some are really cool - and he said it was fun on the beach when they went there for the shell study. Mussels on the beach look nothing like the mussels I buy at the supermarket - I may have to sit down and explain the seafood farms and then commercial processing and packaging to him.
He had a great time and it was so good to see him when he came home. There is this weird thing that happens to kids when they are away for a time - they look that wee bit different - and Jos looked just that wee bit more grown up!
I gave him a disposable camera to take photos with - not expecting to get much back - but didn't he do well!We haven't been to Pounawea before but we have been to Waipapa Point - the history to this place is heartbreaking. A ship hit rocks here and went down taking most of its passengers with it. The saddest part is they were actually within distance of land and could have tried to swim. Curio Bay is a fantastic swimming bay - I've heard of people who have been swimming here and had dolphins approach them. And we stayed at Tautuku one year for the Hunting Clubs annual family camp. This piece of Southland is so rich in amazing scenery. I remember going to the Cathedral Caves - which is an awesome huge cave on the beach you walk in one entrance and do a loop and come out the other. I have itchy feet to go up back around the coast for the day - LOL!