The Mob

We fell asleep to the sound of the wind whistling and blowing our tent around. Thankfully we awoke to blue skies and quietness only broken by a kookaburra laughing. Even though it was only 5.30am, there was no going back to sleep.

After porridge, the truck arrived so I helped out in organising the assembly area while Andy ventured off to wake up some 25 controls. The girls were happily playing on the big rock along with a couple of other children. By 8.30am all was ready to go, just an anxious wait for the competition to begin and the finishers to trickle in.

A late start for me meant that I could take some willing children around the string course. Turned out to be quite a mob! Ella, Katy, Aoife, Max, Mira, Abby, Zoe, Mica and Jessica (with Grandma Elizabeth and Jessica's Pappy) all raced around the animal string course forward and backwards receiving an animal bookmark for their efforts!

The mob tired from all their orienteering efforts headed to check out the shearing shed. We looked, touched and smelt the sheep's wool, then toured the pens to see which way the sheep came in, where they were shorn and how they got back out in to the paddock. Grandma Elizabeth even demonstrated going down the sheep chute!! Soon 90% of the mob made their way down (and then back up) the chute too!!

I tag teamed with Andy and reluctantly headed to the start. Unfortunately I'd left my concentration back at the assembly area, resulting in a rather large mistake on #5, followed by another one at #7. By then I'd decided to cut my losses and jogged back.

Meanwhile the event had run really smoothly with lots of positive comments and thankfully the wind and rain had held off alleviating some of the stresses with parking access. We left around 3pm, stopping for a well deserved ice cream on the way home.