Year 9 Hostel Orientation weekend

By Richard Roe | Posted: Tuesday February 4, 2025

Last weekend, all the 2025 intake of Year 9 Hostel students, along with 5 senior boys and 4 staff, headed up to the OBHS Lodge.

The purpose of the camp was to get to know each other, develop teamwork skills, and generally forge new friendships that will see them through the next 5 years and beyond. We were extremely fortunate with the weather, hot and sunny conditions prevailing throughout.

Departing Friday afternoon, we stopped for a Subway dinner in Cromwell and arrived at the Lodge with just enough time to get supplies carried in before darkness fell.  Saturday was spent exploring the area, participating in group initiative games and challenges, then a swim in the river. Several boys tried their luck at fishing, but only one fish was spotted and it was not in any danger of being hooked.

On Sunday morning, the Year 9 boys prepared for and attempted the Rock Run.  Now in its third year, the Rock Run is a relay race where a hand-picked rock is transported over a rugged 5km cross-country course passing through the hands of all students in the Year 9 group. The rock and the course remain constant each year, with the challenge being to better the time of the previous record holders.  Unfortunately, the hot conditions proved too much for the 2025 intake, and the record remains with the 2024 group at this stage. The remainder of the day was spent cooling off in the creek building dams, or swimming in the river.

We travelled home on Monday, stopping in Cromwell once again for a Subway lunch, arriving back at the Hostel around 3:30pm.

A big thanks to the Year 13 students (Tom, Jack, Izaah, Max and Judd) and the other staff who all helped make the weekend flow smoothly and be a valuable experience for the junior boys.

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