Whether you’re staying in a tent or a cabin, there’s in-tents fun to be had at our summer camps!

Auckland: Shakespear Regional Park, on the Whangaparāoa peninsula, once again hosted 32 children for an experience of a lifetime. The activities included team challenges, raft building, low ropes, a climbing wall, archery, and UHF radio skills. The camp programme also included a psychologist-led mindfulness and sensory session to help kids cope with the daily demands of diabetes. Many campers arrived a little nervous but left with noticeable improvements in their personal development and a more positive outlook on their diabetes.

Waikato: For our 20th year, it was great to return to Ngamuwahine Lodge in the Lower Kaimai Ranges. We welcomed our 35 campers, aged 7–12, from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. Our theme this year was Safari Adventure, and a roaring great time was had by all. High ropes, ziplining, archery, axe throwing, mountain biking, and a climbing wall were no small feat to achieve – in fact, the seven year olds were braver than many of the adults! The Ngamuwahine river provided great opportunities for river swims, tubing, and kayaking. We also managed to fit in arts and crafts, a movie night, and the much-loved Burma trail. Team challenges included relays, a newspaper fashion show, as well as play dough sculpting and a quiz. Our last night was definitely a highlight, with a dress up silent dinner when the wild animals came out to play.

Otago: In the middle of January, a total of 19 excited children descended on Berwick Forest for a four-day summer camp, 16 of whom had never been to a Diabetes NZ Otago camp before. The 8–12 year olds came from Ōamaru, Dunedin, Central Otago, and Southland to Berwick Lodge, 45 kilometres south-west of Dunedin. Tim Bartholomew from Dunedin Adventures and his staff ran all the adventure-based activities at camp, including abseiling, tree climbing, kayaking, go-karting, flying fox, confidence, and initiation courses. And if kids needed more action at the end of the day, the activities included spotlight and bush walks. Our summer camp is for youth only, so there are no parents present. Instead, it is staffed by a full paediatric diabetes team gathered from Otago, Central, and Southland. Diabetes burnout is very real, so our camps are designed to give all the family members some much needed respite.