The picture-perfect setting of Wairoa Valley’s Gilbert Lodge was packed to the peripheries and brimming with adventure during the recent biennial Top of the South Scouts camp.
The event provided the children with opportunities to gain confidence, make new connections, and develop essential leadership and communication skills. As 12-year-old Brightwater Scout Siena Dunlea put it, the highlights were “experiences and skills that you don’t really get at school”.
About 300 people, including children from five to 18 years old, as well as parent helpers and scout leaders, attended ‘TOTS’, which was held from 14-16 March.
The camp unified Keas, Cubs, Scouts and Venturers from across the Top of the South, including Riwaka, Brightwater, Richmond, Stoke, Marlborough’s Churchwood Park troop and Nelson’s Iron Duke Sea Scouts, as well as the Tamaha Sea Scouts from Māpua.
The action-packed weekend featured 19 activity bases, including archery, rifle shooting, knot tying, first aid and raft building. The patrols smashed plates with a slingshot, launched a trebuchet and had their pick of both a water and a mud slide.
The camp drew rave reviews from the children, with Brightwater leader Jezz Dunlea sharing that the children “absolutely loved it”.
“It solidified their interest in Scouts,” she says. “I’m still kind of on a buzz from it. It’s a lot of planning—we’ve been planning since November.”
Jezz says one of the highlights for her was the river crossing station, led by Dougal Pollock, who is an outdoor education expert with over 20 years of experience. She says it was amazing “seeing it done by a professional, and the kids were really paying attention”.
Another unique and much-loved part of the camp was the opportunity for the children to create their own woggles or looped scarf holders – a significant scouting tradition.
Beyond the activities, the setting offered the intangible yet invaluable experience of being immersed in nature. “The isolation, the bush, the air, the noise of the river, no cell phone reception – it’s peaceful, even with 300 people there,” Jezz reflects.
Jezz was moved to discover that she had been chosen for a zone leader commendation award for her huge ongoing efforts with the Brightwater and Riwaka troops. She has plenty of post-camp administration to keep her busy in the weeks following the camp, as the children have ticked off a swag of criteria towards their next haul of badges, including water safety, tramping, emergency preparedness, adventure, boating, and camping.
he camp also provided an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Allan Lockyer, who served as Nelson Zone Leader for six years.
“He’s been an integral part of running the zone, supporting the leaders, the youth, and all the groups,” Jezz says.
