Autumn Camp 2023: Horseback Riding, Marshmallows and River Dot Painting!

Today's event began with clear and sunny skys above as we headed on our adventure for the day. In the way the scouts shared stories and played their favorite music on the speakers for everyone to enjoy.

We arrived with plenty of time to spend before lunch, time to spend exploring the riverside, preparing for the day and finding a spot to make camp! After gearing up we headed off. The river was near and everyone was looking out for firewood/kindling or anything else of interest.

We eventually found a path down towards the river through some prickly plants. Afer some guidance and discussion on safety and tasks, the scouts made their way to the riverside. Mark showed the scouts what type of special fluffy tinder we were looking for, and immediately, some was spotted. It wasn't easy to just go and grab, guarded by sharp grass and other plants as it was, so Mark retrieved it for us.

Back up on the grass, more tinder was spotted, which took us down quite the narrow catwalk. A couple misplaced steps and soaked feet later, and we had grabbed the tinder. While everyone was down there, Mark checked around, past part of the river, to see if there was a good place to set up for lunch. However, as there was not, we walked a bit further up the river, finding a shaded area suitable for or day camp.

Before setting up camp we had to break down some fallen bamboo to use as firewood and fresh bamboo to use as skewers for the marshmallows. Using saws and knives the scouts cut the firewood and used the knife to remove leaves and branches and make their skewer.

When we had finished we set up camp and got out the paints. We started with a quick explanation on the origins and techniques of dot painting, then the scouts chose their desired canvas of rock/paper. They used small twigs to create designs on their material of choice, and once finished, set them aside to dry while we started on lunch.

As the scouts ate, a fire for the upcoming dessert was being prepared, and once we had all eaten, it was time for marshmallows and cookies! The scouts roasted the marshmallows as best they could, and ate some tasty cookies alongside them.

Once we were all cleaned up and ready to go, we made our way to the Alice Horse Riding Club for some exciting, educational fun. A short walk was all that was between us, and we arrived in no time at all. As we were early, we took some time to watch a horse trotting nearby, while also discussing safety regarding riding horses and walking around them.

It was soon that the stablemaster greeted us, gave us a tour, and introduced the instructors that would be guiding the scouts along on the horses when they rode. After getting dressed into the appropriate attire, the 4 scouts were split in two groups, one would ride first while the other prepared the horses' food and stables with the stablemaster and vice versa.

Scouts learned how to: mount, hold the reins in different positions, start and stop, guide it through a slalom, and get the horse into a trot. When not riding, they learned how to: clean a horse's stable (with hands-on experience), prepare meals for the horses, and provide supplements for the specific horses that needed them. Before leaving, the scouts also got to feed the horses carrots with their hands, and water from a bucket.

As our time there came to a close, we said our thanks and goodbyes, starting the short walk back to our lunch spot thereafter. We ate snack and practiced some fire starting for a little while, but the walk back to the car needed to happen eventually, so we packed up our things and the scouts led the way!

We had so much fun today, out in nature with both the beautiful flora and fauna, and are looking forward to even more days to come.