Like each group within the South Metropolitan Region, 1st Caringbah has a site at Camp Coutts. Set within the Heathcote National Park, it is a magnificent setting but of course needs maintenance to keep the site usable.
A plan was laid out to try to level some more of the ground to improve the area for tents and the kitchen. The access to the water tap was also becoming more difficult as the bush advanced.
The work started last month when a group of leaders and parents gathered with the tools and machinery to move soil for infill to the site from the creek and railway sleepers to retain the soil. The trench for the water pipe was also started. This all progressed well on the first day but rain on Sunday slowed things down, as did rock in the pipe trench!
With Region Camp coming up, there is a pressing need to get the site ready for the influx of cubs. So it was that a band of helpers re-assembled with yet more tools to attack the rock and get the trench ready for the water pipe.
The lorries also turned up with the top soil and the turf. The new scout group trailer was put to good use to store the pallets while the ground was prepared and then they were taken to the campsite. That saved us the job of moving them all by hand into the back of Chewie’s ute.
With the addition of the topsoil, the pleasurable job of laying out the turf was possible.
By the end of Sunday, all of the hard work was done and the grass was given some much needed water. We will need to keep this up for a few days to make sure it gets a good start before the campers come in a few weeks time.
You can have a look at some more of the merry bunch of workers and the progress of the work in the photo album for this event.