Cockatoo Island

This weekend we went for a camping trip to Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour! 

Cockatoo Island is a former imperial prison, industrial school, reformatory and gaol. It is also the site of one of Australia's biggest shipyards during the twentieth century.  

We took the ferry with six other families (14 adults and 15 kids) to the island where the tents were waiting, complete with inflatable mattresses. Once Ela got over the fact that she wasn't allowed to take books or toys she actually had a ball. The dads took all the kids on an adventure tour of the island, through tunnels and old warehouses and finally a swim from the causeway in the harbour! Meanwhile the mums sat around sipping bubbly and enjoying the view!
There was a kids BBQ followed by impromtu games, then the adults BBQ. The kids were in bed by 9.30 and the adults sat around the esky (no fires allowed) being social. Our lot slept quite well - actually we were last up!

We had to load the kids back on the ferry very reluctantly but with a promise we would come back again soon.

SRC

This week Ela was voted in as class SRC rep. (Student Representative Council). We are not quite sure how that happened (when I tried to ask I got my head bitten off) or what it means but Jubilation turned to sorrow a few days later when Ela found out the SRC meetings were scheduled at the same time as the junior choir (which she has also joined).
I tried to explain about life and choices yadayada but she was having non of it and couldn't chose which she would rather attend. So we wrote a letter asking for the times to be changed and they have been.
Very proud of her, as she is of herself - particularly as she gets to wear a special badge on her uniform. She seems to think it means people can tell her in the playground if they want an iceblock....