The weekend of 5^th May saw cadets take part in the annual Queensland Group Recreation Camp at the Currimundi Recreation Centre. Located on the edge of Currimundi Beach and Lake, it was the perfect destination for cadets to challenge themselves, have fun, work together and build lifelong friendships. 

One of the most popular activities was caving. Venturing into the man-made tunnels and exploring the different passages was an exciting and unique experience. Cadets and our own Assistant GExC, Group Commissioner Whitby, wore helmets and headlamps as they crawled through tight spaces and navigated slippery rocks. Each cadet had a role to play and relied on their teammates for support and encouragement.

Rock climbing was not for the faint of heart, but the cadets were up for the challenge. They learn basic climbing techniques, such as proper hand and foot placement and overcoming fears. Scaling up the indoor rock wall was a fun experience. It required focus, strength and trust in the equipment and instructor, who guided them through the brief.

Canoeing was a great way to explore the nearby river and work on teamwork and communication. Cadets and officers paddled in pairs or threes, learning to synchronise their strokes and control the boat’s direction. Along the way, they spot life jackets high in the tree, abandoned fishing lines and rope swings just begging the cadets to stop and play. The groups finished the activity with successful efforts to sink or capsize their canoes, resulting in very wet and happy cadets.

In the evening, Mr Lawlor leads the cadets in a project making paracord bracelets. Miss Lawlor demonstrated great patience as cadets regularly returned to her for guidance.  The recreation camp offers exciting adventures and teaches important skills, such as resilience, leadership, and teamwork, that will benefit cadets in their future endeavours.

Perhaps the most intense activity, the alpine rescue team challenge, simulates a rescue mission in the mountains. Cadets are tasked with completing an obstacle course while carrying an injured “dummy” on a stretcher and working together to overcome obstacles and reach the end goal. It requires strategy, endurance, and communication and helps cadets understand the importance of teamwork in challenging situations.

Launching tennis balls at targets across the field with catapults that the cadets built closed out the camp. The cadets were provided with some basic materials, wood, ropes, and pegs and then given a time limit to create a catapult. The finished project was then used to score points in a tennis ball-launching game.