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Bush Walk
Separate from our main camp area is a bush block about 15 minutes walk up the hill. From the top of the hill there is a beautiful loop walk down through native bush and then back up through pines. From camp the whole walk takes 45 minutes. There is a flush toilet near the bottom of the hill. A swing bridge supports one person at a time.
Burma Trail
A Burma Trail is a rope tied from tree to tree in a section of bush. Children hold onto the rope and follow it from one end to the other usually at night, or blindfolded during the day. The activity requires children to rely on their sense of touch rather than sight. At present we have a very elementary one among some trees next to the volley ball court and a much more challenging one in our bush block 15 minutes walk from camp.
Bush Huts
In warmer months people like to sleep on bed rolls in the four huts which sleep 20 each. Using the huts makes no difference to the cost of the camp. There is a flush toilet near the bottom of the hill on the bush walk.
Camp Fire
Next to the trolley course is the camp fire area. There is lots of wood by the fire ready to go and campers are welcome to bring paper and matches to get it going.
Confidence Course
Our lake spills over into a stream below and the Confidence Course is built over it. It has a network of bridges, ropes, nets, tyres set in the ground and tyres hanging from ropes. There are three levels of difficulty which are colour-coded: Red is easiest, blue is medium and yellow is very challenging.
In our dining room we have a Hall of Fame with photos of children who hold records for the fastest time to complete the Red, Blue or Yellow courses in 8, 9, 10 and 12 year old age groups and for girls and boys. The Yellow course age groups are 10,11 and 12. During a camp, adults look out for children who may have a chance at breaking a record. On the last day, an official attempt is organised by a Chosen Valley staff member. We provide a laminated certificate with a photo of the child, their record breaking time and other details.
Crazy Bikes
We have 15 bikes that have been individually made out of old bikes which altogether seat 22! Some seat two and one seats three. There are high ones, off-centre hubs, Penny Farthing style, tandem side-by-side, tandem one in front of the other, one whose passenger faces the front or the back, a bike with a car's space saver wheel on the front plus a few others.
This can be a small group activitity like all the others. It works even better as a spectator sport for the whole 100 or so in the camp. People get as much fun out of watching the antics of adults and children helping each other as they would trying the bikes themselves. It is a great photo and video opportunity because of the humour involved.
We use the bikes on the main games field. There is no Crazy Bikes Course as such. There is no need for cones to follow a trail or to race. People's full attention is on staying on and keeping moving. When the bikes are put away the field is instantly available for any other games.
Field
The field is suitable for ball games.
Flying Fox
Our Flying Fox, known in some places as a Zip Line, has one line going over the lake and a second near it that comes back over the lake finishing not far from the start. We have three harnessess for people to wear, and two pulleys and ropes. It is possible to have a person on each line at the same time.
A supervisor is needed at each tower to clip people on. A supervisor is needed at each landing strip to unclip people. A fifth person helps people into harnesses.
Kayaks
We have seven traditional kayaks and three modern sit-on ones. There are some kiddy-seats for children unable to manoevre kayaks by themselves but are happy to go with an adult. Everyone wears a life jacket including adults and swimmers.
People can enjoy free movement in the kayaks however the learning component is much stronger with some directed activities. Some children who have never used kayaks having difficulty understanding how to get the nose of their kayak out of the reeds. Activities could include:
Races. Race from one end of the lake to the other.
Kayak Golf. Define a handful of landmarks around the lake. See who can touch each mark the fastest.
Circles. Turn the kayak around full circle by forward paddling on one side and back paddling on the other.
Curves. Get people to paddle strongly on one side and softly on the other. This way they learn how to avoid oncoming traffic.
Reverse. Get people to cross the lake going backwards.
Bridges. Line up all the kayaks side by side and everyone holds onto the kayak on each side of them. Two people at a time get out of their kayaks and swap places by walking over the 'bridge.'
Sharks and Shocks. Imagine that the middle of the lake is full of sharks to keep well away from and that the land is electric and you will be shocked if you touch it. Paddle all the way around the edge of the lake as close as possible to the edge. This teaches accuracy of manoevring.
Lake Area
The lake is 1.8 m deep in the middle and about waist deep around the sides. We are very strict about people not wearing denim in the area because of how it.
The three in-water activities are: kayaks, water slide and rafts.
Orienteering
We have two boxed sets of orienteering gear: one for use with a compass and one without.
Outdoor Cooking
We have three sets of equipment for cooking pancakes. Gear includes small individual gas burner, frying pan, oil, maple syrup, bowl, whisk, measuring cup, recipe, plastic fish-slice etc. This works well in the BBQ area. There is a gazebo for under cover outdoor cooking if it rains.
Rafts
We have two rafts which carry a maximum of four people. They are manoevred with bamboo poles or paddles with one blade. They can race each other across the lake.
Raft Building
For a good challenge, building, floating and racing self-built rafts is great. We have lots of rope, lengths of bamboo and water tight containers for the purpose.
Rope Maze
Eight posts are set in the ground in a circle and ropes criss-cross each other between the posts in a particular pattern. Four posts have a particular colour and the rope tracks matching those colours. The maze is a race for four people - or eight or twelve working like a relay. The four who begin wear a colour-coded waist band with a short band out the front ending in a clip which they clip on to the correctly coloured rope that starts at the correctly coloured post. People follow the rope all the way back to the orginaly post. Each time they come to any other post along the way, they unclip before the post and clip on again after the post.
It is good to record the times taken by each person to find the fastest individual and fastest team. The Maze can also be done blindfolded.
Table Tennis
There are two tables in the Recreation Room by the lake.
Trampoline
We have three trampolines. Chosen Valley has a strict rule of only one person on a trampoline at a time.
Trolleys
We have four rugged trolleys powered by gravity. They run down three courses colour-coded exactly like the Confidence Course: Red: easy; Blue medium and Yellow: very challenging. The trolleys have no brakes but come naturally to a halt where the courses end with a turn. Each person wears a helmet. People pull the trolleys uphill and come down hill one at a time.
Volleyball
We have one outdoor grass court near the chapel.
Water Slide
A tap at the top of the slide supplies water to the slide. A supervisor lets people go at the top, one at a time. Another supervises them getting at the bottom.
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