“My first time at the beach and I surfed!”

“My first time at the beach and I surfed!”

Just like every Take a Break program with students from the country, there are always a few children who have never seen the beach before. This week was no different. For the participants on this week’s Take a Break program from a rural town near Shepparton, we had more than a few who had NEVER seen a beach before.

We try and keep each activity a surprise until we are certain we will be doing them. For example, we wouldn’t want to tell all the children we are surfing at the start of the week just in case the weather turns bad. We don’t want to disappoint anyone by having to change the activity at the last minute.

This week we knew some wild weather was on the way, so we altered the program as best we could to make sure everyone was able to enjoy the beautiful beach out the back gate of Cottage. Unfortunately, only one of the three groups on this week’s program was able to both boogie-board and surf. As much as we tried to get all three groups in for a surf, the gale-force winds wouldn’t allow it.

For one program participant, she was so excited just to feel the sand through her toes. She didn’t worry about the water – she just wanted to feel the sand. But once she realised we were at the beach to surf, she was so excited! She had always wanted to try surfing and now was her chance. With some extra help and guidance from the Cottage Programs Team, this young girl fulfilled her dream of feeling the sand under her feet and standing on a surfboard – all in the one morning!