Today's agenda would focus on 'Kooringal Implovements'. All of the boys were sat in the main hall with Mark and divided amongst the staff; Mark, Kate, Paddy, Jesse and Anna. Each of the groups were then given a community service duty which would help to improve Kooringal. These duties included going to the tip, doing fencing and gardening.
Myself and Kate, along with about 8 of the boys, were to be doing gardening. Today's gardening activity would be weeding the front lawn and planting new grass seeds. The sun was shining, and being a fan of gardening I was happy with the activity I had landed.
Our group each collected a fork from the kitchen, with which we would be digging up the masses of weeds cluttering the lawn. We quickly got to work, crouching down in the grass and throwing dug up weeds into a nearby wheelbarrow.
Before long it was time for morning tea, a welcome rest from tired knees and dirty hands. The staff sat together taking in the sun, with the boys off to the side enjoying a rest from their work. Soon we were back in to the lawn, the boys still weeding, whilst ,yself and Kate started planting new grass seed.
Lunchtime came around quickly as did the time for the boys to get ready for their solo night. Soon bags were being packed with hutchies, sleepingbags, books and the dinner of sausages and snacks which Jesse had prepared and Mark was driving the boys out to their camps. Tonight each of the boys would be placed 300m apart along the dirt track leading out of Korringal. They would set up their hutchies a few 100m from the road and Mark would leave a cone at the side of the road so that the boys location could be identified. During the night from 4pm until 4.30am Anna would drive up the road every hour to check if any of the boys needed assistance. Each of the boys had a whistle for use in the event of an emergency.
With the boys gone it was time for the staff to relax, Mark and Kate at home, the rest of us in the staff living room. When it was time, I went out with Anna on one of her runs, this time there was a boy sitting at the side of the road, complaining of feeling sick. We picked him up and took him to a camp site closer to Kooringal where he would feel safer but still able to complete his solo.
Bed for the staff was early; everyone tired after a week with the boys. Anna however would have a long night staying awake and driving, until she could go to bed at 5am.
