As the threat of Coronavirus looms and lockdowns seem only a matter of time, we escape reality for a couple of days at Camp Bielany on the Upper Colo River… It will be the last camp we have for a while, so the Cubs (and parents) enjoy the opportunity to get outdoors while we still can! (Thanks Sarah and Rod for the photo contributions!) – more photos in our Cubs Photo Gallery.
We’ve got a fairly quiet first night with a few families arriving on Friday: the first task for the Cubs is demonstrating their ability to get the fire going…
The equally important next task is to cook some marshmallows… the theme of this camp being not so much “Surviving Coronovirus” but “Eating Marsmallows”. Fortunately the Cubs were not responsible for Coronavirus panic-buying, as marshmallows were still available in the supermarkets and we had a good supply at our camp!
The next day brings many more families – we have 16 Cubs in total (plus many older siblings and Future Cubs!) as well as Jade, Charlotte and Aiden from our Scout section. There’s also lots of outdoor activities taking place… The main activity is swimming and “tubing” on the Colo River, the last pristine river in NSW which flows from the Wollemi National Park down to the Hawkesbury River.
Of course, it’s not ALL play when you’re a Cub… more serious activities involved building a bamboo teepee, putting up the tents and making some notes on how to improve the design of future camps…
All this activity generates a healthy appetite: fortunately there are still marshmallows available to sustain the Cubs, Scouts and siblings through the evening!
As the day winds down, the Cubs seem to adapt well to their electronic-device-free surroundings, playing card games by torch-light as the day draws to a close…
There’s a bit of overnight drizzle, but we awake to a sunny and cloudless morning, and a last chance for a swim, before heading reluctantly back home.