Kids vs wild at Umina Beach

Families

ON THE COAST

Kids vs Wild at Umina Beach

WORDS AND PHOTOS JENNIFER ENNION

‘I want to learn more skills,’ my seven-year-old yells midway through his Hide to Survive ‘workshop’.

I use ‘workshop’ loosely as this is no ordinary kids’ club activity. My son has signed up for Shipwrecked, an adventure program dreamed up by Bear Grylls’ Survival Academy and NRMA Parks & Resorts. The program has been rolled out across NRMA campsites, and we’re at NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort, Umina. Based on the survivor-style missions of British adventurer Bear Grylls, this is about teaching kids Scout-style skills in a fun, supportive environment.

The ‘mission’ my son has accepted is Protect: Hide to Survive, an hour-long program in a bushy corner of the campground. There are nine kids aged six to 12 years, and the ones who have the most fun are those with big imaginations. Their leader is Liza, a former teacher who’s full of beans and bush know-how. She kicks off the session enthusiastically painting the kids’ faces ‘camo’, before teaching them how to build a simple lean-to shelter with a tarp and tent poles. There are plenty of giggles as they practise sneaking up on ‘enemies’ and they have a ball playing hide-and-seek in camouflage coverings. At the end, they receive a corner of a map, with the three remaining pieces to be collected at the end of the other Shipwrecked missions. Those missions are themed around water, food and rescue, with kids taught how to tie knots, craft spears and commando crawl across a rope.

My son has so much fun, he asks to join the afternoon mission, Rescue: Get Out Alive, which introduces kids to the idea of making their way through the Aussie bush and back to safety.

‘Do you think I’ll have long enough to make a friend?’ my son asks as we return to the campground’s Kids vs Wild corner.

‘Of course you will,’ I reply, because these sorts of activities are the epitome of old-fashioned childhood fun; the Huckleberry Finn kind.

NRMA Parks & Resorts’ Shipwrecked courses are open to children aged 6–17 years. Book well in advance during holiday periods. To check out session times, go to nrmaparksandresorts.com.au/ocean-beach

The writer was a guest of NRMA Parks & Resorts.

Elsa the koala is a big fan of Disney’s Frozen.

Is it a coincidence that Elsa, a hand-reared koala at the Australian Reptile Park always popped her head out of her knitted pouch when she heard the music from the film Frozen?

Elsa had to be hand-reared after her mother could not feed her. She has an especially strong bond with her human ‘mum’, Hayley, who thinks Elsa is a bit of a princess and very special. Elsa also loves cuddling up to a plush toy – a koala, of course – as well as to her keepers.

Now four years old, Elsa is considered grown-up in koala years. But she weighs only five kilos – about the same as a three-month old human baby. In 2022, she also became a mum, giving birth to a joey the size of a jellybean. This means she is now officially part of the important ‘Mums and Bubs’ group at the Australian Reptile Park.

Elsa’s joey lived in her pouch for six months until he was big enough to poke his head out and take a look at the leafy world around him. Named, Olaf (of course), you can see him clinging close to mum at the Reptile Park.

In NSW, koalas in the wild are considered endangered, so Elsa will continue to be a vital part of the breeding program to help save her species. We hope there’ll be another little head appearing out of Elsa’s pouch in 2023 to join the other 35 koalas who call the Reptile Park home.

Meanwhile, it’s back to sleep for mum and bub, or maybe another cuddle before they... zzz.

BestBest Family FUNFamily FUN Day OUT!Day OUT!

D DA AIIL LY Y S SH HO OW WS S •• A AN NIIM MA AL L E EN NC CO OU UN NT TE ER RS S •• S SC CH HO OO OL L H HO OL LIID DA AY Y P PR RO OG GR RA AM MS S •• P PR RIIV VA AT TE E T TO OU UR RS S •• M MU UC CH H M MO OR RE E!! O OP PE EN N 9 9A AM M -- 5 5P PM M D DA AIIL LY Y

P PA AC CIIF FIIC C H HW WY Y,, S SO OM ME ER RS SB BY Y JJU US ST T 1 10 0 M MIIN NS S F FR RO OM M G GO OS SF FO OR RD D!!