The day before yesterday was a "Rest Day", so we could choose whatever we wanted to do, but I think because of upcoming deadlines for our POLs and Passports, most of us spent it at home studying. Appalled by our un-teenager-ish behaviour, Mrs Francis thought it necessary that we all go for a swim at the Marlo Estuary. We all agreed as it was a very hot day, (in the thirties) so we borrowed the Marlo school bus and all headed out to where the Snowy River meets the ocean.

The funny thing is, we got on the buses sweating, and got off them shivering, because the cool-change came on so quickly. The sky lost its blue-ness and became overcast and the wind made a dramatic appearance. It didn’t seem like a very good day for swimming, but we had made it as far as the beach, and didn’t want to go back home.

The tide was so low that we were able to walk across the Snowy and only get our ankles wet. We walked closer to the ocean, sprinted across another sand bar and then jumped into some deeper water. We weren’t quite in the ocean, but we weren’t exactly in the Snowy either. There were small waves, but at most it was only chest deep.

The water was still warm from the sun, surprisingly, so it wasn’t that bad. As soon as we came up for air, however, we got a pounding from the wind. Once we became wet, the wind was ten-times as painful, and ten times as cold. I’m glad it didn’t start raining as we were getting changed into our dry clothes. We shivered back to the buses, and were glad to be out of the wind.

There was a pleasant surprise when we got back to the campus; raisin toast for afternoon tea. “Comfort food”, as Mr Reeves called it. We were all grateful for the warm toast, and afterwards had hot showers to wash off all the sand. All in all, a good day.

By Flora - Princess Hill SC