What a week with Herne Hill

What a week with Herne Hill

A shortened work week (due to the Queens Birthday Long Weekend) doesn’t stop the workload and fun for the staff members at Cottage by the Sea that’s for sure! We were straight into it on Tuesday morning, with an early pick-up time of 9:30am where 19 kids from Herne Hill Primary School were patiently waiting and waving as the Cottage bus pulled up to their school.

After loading the trailer with backpacks, suitcases and some bags even bigger than the children themselves, we were finally ready, buckled in and en route to Queenscliff! After 45 minutes of driving, accompanied by the children’s glorious singing and dancing in their seats, the staff knew it was going to be another awesome week of fun on camp!

The kids were quick to settle in, following the given instructions on their tour of the Cottage and happily signing and adding to the groups camp agreement before it was time to put on their newly knitted and donated scarves and beanies and heading outside to play!

From digging a trench together in the sandpit (that was bigger than an elephant) to find and divide all the hidden boxes of treasure, to pushing one another on our big spider-web swing, these children were naturals at sharing and caring for one another and for that our staff just had to reward them!

Whether it was with freshly baked chocolate brownies or going for a swim at the beach, these kids deserved and made the most of every activity each and every day. After only one game of the Cottage Famous, Dye-Dodge Ball, the children couldn’t stop begging for more time on the court! Walking along the cliff tops at the Barwon Heads Bluff had everyone excited and on the hunt for spotting migrating whales, however with no luck, the kids still remained in high spirits and soldiered on! From filling up buckets and bins with loads of water in one of our beach challenges to getting on a surfboard and bracing the smashing high-tide waves at Ocean Grove, there really never was a dull moment with any of these children! 

Sure enough, Friday afternoon came by much quicker than we all expected (and wanted), and as a result, it was sadly time to drop these kids back at school. With hugs, hi-fives and a final farewell wave, the children boarded the bus after their last delicious lunch at the Cottage and headed on home. Although there were many sad looking faces from both our staff and the children that day, we knew it wasn’t goodbye forever and with a little goodie-bag from the Cottage to the kids, we knew we would forever be in these children’s hearts and memories. Herne Hill Primary School, we already can’t wait to have you back next year, thanks again for another week of fun!