Leadership Camp 2025
By Will Cone | Posted: Thursday December 4, 2025
Last Saturday, the 2026 Prefect Team set off to the Mt Aspiring Lodge for a five-day leadership camp.
It was a relatively uneventful drive up, with only a small shower once we reached the Lodge. Our first exercise in teamwork came quickly, as we had to set up a bridge to cross the creek blocking access to the Lodge. This was dealt with efficiently, allowing us to finish unloading the vans and start prepping dinner—though not before heading up for a quick swim along a secret track marked by Mr Roe. On the way back down, we completed a search-and-rescue activity where, in groups of two, we had to look out for objects that seemed out of place in nature.
With that adventure done, dinner was served: a hearty meal of spaghetti bolognese, along with a dessert that only just met the definition of custard—courtesy of Cabin 3. Our final task of the night was organising our job roster for the rest of the week, giving us more experience working as a team.
We awoke on Day Two to a consistent stream of rain, limiting our ability to do any major outdoor activities. Instead, we focused on smaller team-building activities, a highlight being solving the Human Knot Challenge in a speedy 4 minutes and 33 seconds. After a heated “Floor is Lava” race that tested our ability to work under pressure, many of the boys opted for a quick nap. In the afternoon, we completed an Active Listening session, finishing with a roleplay activity involving someone acting as a brand-new Year 9 student—a task that resulted in plenty of shared laughter.
Dinner that night was a comforting meal of beef stew, which made a reappearance at breakfast over the following days, with some saying it tasted better each time. Dessert was a significant step up from the custard, this time being a generous serving of jelly.
Monday brought a significant change in the weather, and we woke to a stunning blue sky spread across the mountain ranges. Taking advantage of this, and the energy gained from the previous day's downtime, we undertook the Rob Roy Glacier Track—a 10 km round trip. Met with beautiful views and warm weather, we reached the top of the track and enjoyed sandwiches prepared before we left. After lunch, we made the trek back down, stopping at Wishbone Falls for another swim, which inevitably ended with everyone huddling in a circle for warmth.
That evening’s dinner was not an ordinary one. Instead, we were sent out in groups of two with a tent, a tarp, a cooker, and the ingredients for our meal. This marked the beginning of the overnight. Since we were not allowed to communicate with other groups, we made the most of the opportunity to get to know people we might not normally talk to, as intended by the teachers. The weather remained clear, with clouds beginning to form as night fell. While the quality of dinner and dessert depended entirely on cooking ability, a well-prepared meal proved filling and satisfying.
We awoke the next day to a little bit of rain but also the promise of bacon and a hearty breakfast waiting back at the Lodge. This encouraged many groups to pack up early—except for one group, which returned around 11 a.m. Following this, we completed the final challenge of our camp: the 40 m abseil. This tested all of us in both courage and perseverance, especially after four days outside our comfort zones. However, with the promise of a river swim as our reward, we all made it down and returned to the Lodge for sausages and steaks for dinner.
We ended the last night of our camp with rice pudding prepared by Mr Roe and a bonfire down by the creek, made from firewood scavenged from the bush. We enjoyed roasted marshmallows and the satisfaction of four days of hard work before heading back to camp for our final night.
In true camp fashion, we rose bright and early on the last day and gave the entire Lodge a deep clean for its next users.
I'd like to thank Mr Roe, Mrs Bennett, Mrs Rabbidge, and Ben for all their effort in helping out on this camp and providing us with memorable and valuable experiences as a team leading into 2026.
In true OBHS fashion, I'll end with a few quotes from the Prefects:
“Going away with people from all different areas of the school really made me realise how many opportunities OBHS offers for all kinds of boys.”
“A fun and challenging camp that brought our prefect team closer together and better connected heading into 2026.”
“Spending a week away with mates I already know, and making new connections, is something I’m excited for to start the year off right.”
“It was great to get to know everybody better for the year ahead.”
“The bonding, the adventures, and the challenges—it's definitely one of the best experiences I’ve ever been through.”
“I left Leadership Camp convinced that there is no better way to forge strong relationships within a team of boys than through shared experiences—both good and bad—in one of New Zealand’s most stunning environments. I'm genuinely excited to serve alongside the prefect team in 2026.”
Image Gallery
