After a two-year hiatus, it was so exciting to go on camp again and the Year 6 camp to Desaru, Johor exceeded all expectations!
Upon our arrival at Bayu Balau Beach Resort, we were warmly welcomed by the Nomad Adventure crew of SinYee, Meg, Pang and Meo. They didn't waste any time getting us busy with icebreakers and getting changed into our beach gear. It was then straight down to the beach for the Beach Olympics! Events included animal themed-relay races, tunnelling teams, dizzy relays, and more, with plenty of time for splashing around in the sea. After dinner, we were off for a night walk along the beach, finding all kinds of creepy crawlies under the headlamps. The night walk concluded with a marshmallow roast on the beach under a beautiful full moon - a first time for many of the students to roast marshmallows!
Day 2 was spent mostly on the beach having loads of fun doing survival swimming and lifesaving skills, as well as on the stand up paddle boards. Despite the light rain, there was nary a complaint from the students, who quickly realised we were all going to get wet anyways, and the warmest place was in the sea. The waves were a bit too big for proper SUP, so the session turned into a make-shift surfing session using the paddle boards. After lunch, it was back to the beach for more fun and games on the paddle boards, again with lots of laughs and great participation all around. We wrapped up Day 2 with a quick bus ride out to Bujang to check out the fireflies, which was quite a special experience. A few lucky students even managed to catch hold of flies and had them flickering in their hands! It was a very cool experience, but unfortunately not so photo-friendly. On the bus ride back post-fireflies, we had a great impromptu sing-along with hits from Backstreet Boys, ABBA, and of course Rick Astley!
We started Day 3 of camp with a beach clean up. The students picked up an impressive amount of rubbish, some struggling with the weight of their rubbish bags by the time we had finished! Taking a much-needed break from the hot sun after morning tea, we stayed under the shade at the restaurant where the students completed puzzles together as a team learning about how long it takes for different types of rubbish to break down. After lunch, we completed a catapult-building activity, competing in small teams. Through the activity, students learned to tie various types of knots and required top-notch communication skills to help their teammates with the instructions. Once all the catapults were completed, we had some practice firing sessions before competing for accuracy, distance, and best structural integrity. It was quite a battle! We wrapped up Day 3 with Year 6 showing off their best dance moves at the camp disco! There were conga lines, limbo, and of course a chicken dance!~ We finished off the evening with a cup-noodle party and a bit of free time before light's out for our last night at Bayu Balau Beach Resort.
Our final morning in Desaru was again spent down on the beach where the students competed in small teams to create some amazing sea-creature sand sculptures, using only materials and tools found on the beach. There was definitely some great teamwork and creativity on display! Sculptures included hermit crabs, whale families, sea snakes, and of course Sponge Bob! After lunch and check out, it was time to share our appreciation with our wonderful Nomad Adventures team before hopping on the bus for AISM where the students were reunited with their eagerly awaiting parents.
Overall, it was an incredible camp! The chaperone team of Ms Rashina, Mr Webster, and Mr Marshall were most impressed with how the entire Year 6 cohort conducted themselves: the level of participation, teamwork, resilience, and camaraderie was exceptional from beginning to end! It was an absolute pleasure to share these wonderful memory-making experiences with such a special group of students!
