Learning how to use wevideo!

For Toki Pounamu, we had to learn how to use wevideo, a video editing website. It is super cool and you can add lots of awesome effects and music!

Kayaking... Brrrrrr

Kayaking

Icy cold water… spine-chilling wind… and of course tiny little kayaks that we had to squeeze into!

On Monday, July 1st we went Kayaking! IN the greymouth wharf… YUCK! Before we hit the water we had to go back to the Polytech to get the right gear. Then we headed to the Greymouth swimming pool to practise. We learnt what to do when we capsized. We learnt how to paddle with the paddles correctly. We even learnt how to tip ourselves over and then come back up… But it was super hard. Because the water and the swimming pool was warm I had gotten used to it but after we arrived and the wharf and when we stepped out of the cars it was ICY! Once we had got into our kayaks and got onto the water it was really hard to balance. We played some team building games and tried to paddle up some rapids. As we were coming back into shore I suddenly lost my balance and the kayak tipped. Underwater it was even colder than I thought it would be. If we tipped we were mean to bang on the top of the boat 3 times to let the instructors know that we were in trouble, but that completely slipped my mind. I pulled my spray skirt off and back-flipped out of my kayak and came back above the water. I was shivering the whole car ride home. Brrrr. 

In conclusion I think that kayaking has been the most fun challenge yet and like I always say. I am REALLY looking forward to the next challenge.

Rock climbing adventure!

Rock climbing

On Friday 31st June the year 8’s completed their 2nd challenge. 

Picture this… Towering rock faces… Crumbling rocks plummeting to the ground… 

Well, that is what we did yesterday. ROCK CLIMBING! It was super awesome! The polytech took us again, took us to weka wall in Punakaiki. Once we had got our harnesses and done some team-building exercises we got going. 

Our first challenge was getting into groups of three and finding an instructor, to be honest, that took us longer than it should have! I was with Pippa, Caitlin and an instructor called Barbra (His real name was Mitch but his nickname was Barbra). We also had to learn all the safety protocols and learned what a “Backup Bealayer” was (Someone who is also clipped onto the climber's ropes to be a backup in case something happens to the belayer) Caitlin climbed first and I was the backup belayer, then Pippa and then… ME! At first, I found it super hard to get started Even though when I slipped the rope was there to catch me and stop me from falling I was super paranoid that something would happen. I got about ten meters up and then I stopped. It was a super tricky bit to get up and I didn't think I would do it. I wanted to come down but Barbra wouldn’t let me, he said if I wanted lunch I had to get to the top. Even though I almost pooped myself I eventually made it to the top. My favorite bit of rock climbing was getting to the top and looking around, everyone and everything looked so small and when you come down from the rock face it is even cooler because it feels like your flying. 

Rock climbing was by far one of the coolest things I have done this year and I am really looking forward to the next challenge we do!