Who doesn’t remember their childhood holidays with some degree of fondness?
Without technology, the children from the 80s and earlier relied on a healthy imagination and a keen sense of curiosity and adventure to keep them occupied.
Today, holidays and working weekends can often leave parents at their wits’ end trying to keep their kids similarly entertained.
Those parents who were pre-millennial babies may well shake their heads in wonder as they watch the present teen cheerfully wile away the holidays on TikTok, PubG and the like.
How distinct is the 2020s from those yesteryear children who scraped their shins on cherry trees, communicated through tin telephones, played hide and seek until dusk, and swam until they were unrecognisable (or as my grandmother would snort, “qori, blacker than horse turd).
Bringing back good clean fun was one of the many driving forces behind the launch of Camp Adventura — a two-day and night teen camp in the adventure capital of Fiji, Pacific Harbour.
Located at the Ventura apartments, a fully secure holiday unit cum camping ground with US and Fiji trained camping and kids’ activity professionals, it ticks all the safety boxes.
During their stay, kids (aged between 10-16) will participate in the simple pleasures of childhood — scraping coconut and making toffee over a woodfire, learning to bake, having breakfast on the beach at sunrise, having worthwhile conversations about respect and growing up in today’s world, and singing to stringing classics around the bonfire.
And one of the more thrilling activities of Camp Adventura is the visit to the ever popular River Tubing Fiji.
A family-owned business, the trip takes the children up the pristine and peaceful Namosi river to swim under a majestic waterfall.
The most impressive part of this tour, however, is the return trip — that is, literally floating down the river in a tube.
Director William Danford and his confident team of water professionals always tube side by side with their guests to ensure their patrons’ safety.
The campers then go back to their accommodation to swim supervised in the pool, have a rest, or play volleyball before the evening activities.
These include learning to man a barbecue, build a bonfire from scratch and make smores — the traditional sweet camp combination of marshmallows, chocolate and crackers.
The final morning involves teaching kids environmental responsibility and giving back to Mother Nature.
The children participate in discussion on the effects of climate change and rising sea waters while planting mangrove seedlings on conserved beach ground.
This is followed by a mini amazing race and then a hearty breakfast before breaking camp, sated, satisfied, and likely in need of a good long sleep.
For only $180, Camp Adventura gives children lasting memories and creates lifelong friends, and hopefully, some important life lessons along the way.
The first camping retreat commences on the 23rd through to the 25th of September, which accommodates teen and pre-teen boys, followed by a girls camp on the 25th to the 27th of September.
Camp host Gary Seeto, otherwise known as ‘Big Feejee’, says that he hopes this will be the start of something special for Fiji and give kids a safe space to express themselves while also having the time of their lives.
The Ventura Apartments are a family run business that previously hosted the conservationist group Projects Abroad.
During camp breaks, Ventura serves as holiday units for those looking to have a peaceful break in Pacific Harbour.
Despite the limitations presented by COVID-19, the camp co-ordinators are hopeful that Fiji will continue to rise slowly but surely in the absence of tourists.
During these times, there is an opportunity to tap into creativity, support local ventures, and to step outside our comfort zones and challenge ourselves.
Camp Adventura hopes to add single-day culinary camp, art camp, and subsistence living camp to their program.
But for now, adventure awaits!
