Iruma River

With a bright, sunny day ahead of us, we drove out to Iruma river. While on the way we asked for song requests from the scouts, and one suggested we listen to songs from the Greatest Showman. Some of us knew the songs, so we sang along, having a great time together.

After arriving at the river we gathered our gear, put on our insect repellent, and began to walk down the hill to set up camp. While on our way we collected materials for starting our fire.

After we set up by the river, everyone changed into their swimwear and applied sunscreen before we talked about the importance of keeping our earth as clean as possible, heading out together to pick up litter that had been left behind or had washed down-stream.

As soon as we had finished, we went over the safety protocol for swimming in the river and jumped right in, making our way over to the rock jumping location. Some scouts were unsure, but with some encouragement, guidance, and a helping hand all were jumping freely and with ease.

After taking on all the high and low jumps, we floated down the river back to camp and got stuck into our lunch. When lunch was finished, we got out our notebooks, and started on an art project, drawing the beautiful riverside view.

Once everyone had finished, we got our swimming things together again, this time heading to the bridge for some bridge jumping. This was really fun as they were other people at the bridge as well, and everyone was taking turns trying different jumps with different poses. We swam and explored the area for another good while before heading back to take a break and start the campfire.

Seeing as we had collected all the wood previously, we talked about what was needed to build a successful fire. Then, with the scouts prepping the tinder, and the use of a flint and steel, we got it started in no time at all. Once the fire was lit we walked back to the bridge, exploring a new area past the shallow rapids. We spent a while swimming, jumping, and watching fish swim through the current. When the embers had reached the perfect temperature, we headed back and got out our ingredients, making some delicious s’mores and hot dogs over the fire.

We relaxed and played around camp for a little while before heading back for a final round of swimming and jumping down by the bridge. This time we took some of our nets with us, and attempted to catch some fish that were trying to jump up the waterfall. After many attempts and some help from Mark, we managed to net two different fish.

By this time our day was coming to a close, and it was time to pack up. The scouts dutifully gathered all their things, changed their clothes, and were ready to head back. We had such a wonderful day at the river, and are looking forward to seeing you again on Friday.