Camp concludes

The last day of camp involved a morning session followed by a tea break, then Cleanup #1, lunch, and Cleanup #2 and depart.  Around lunch time we had a hailstorm along with actual thunder - not at all common in Timaru or Christchurch, so a rare novelty which led to much silliness by way of handfuls of hail down backs, flipping hailstones into open mouths and generally scattering it about indoors.  Our final lunch boasted a flashmob with Amazing Grace - the singers from two nights ago happened to scattered throughout the diningroom but a little pre-warning got us all ready and it resounded wonderfully around the entire hall.  Flashmobtastic, as Jonathan would have said!

(Fields looking 'white unto harvest'...the skies cleared an hour later and the sun was out - this is our beautiful campsite which we thoroughly enjoyed and hope to revisit next year).

Eventually around 3 pm the campsite had passed all inspections by the Very Strict Staff (we actually failed on the bedroom cleanups the first time around with several misdemeanors like 'shower floor not dried in EB2' and 'mattress covering looking ever so slightly rumpled in EB5, bring out the iron'...a loose paraphrasing of the inspection notice).  Nick was staying over in Christchurch to bring Conrad back with him to Timaru after a morning service at Grace Baptist, so the boys and I caught a lift with Andreas and Danielle, along with Cameron.  Stopped for a mid-afternoon thirst quencher at the top of the ascent out of the Akaroa Valley; got going again but not for long as first Aaron needed the toilet, then Caleb needed it about half an hour later - Andreas cleverly parked right next door to a Subway and then realized that it was near tea time so we stopped for 6-inch chicken specials.  On our way again; a petrol and ice-cream break in Ashburton and a drive past Fonterra got us home around 8.30 pm and very ready for bed!