Every so often you have an experience that you are likely to remember for a very long time. That occurred during the term as we took a special day off school to celebrate St Joseph’s Day.

After a fantastic day in 2010, we decided that Jamberoo would once again be the perfect way for the boys to celebrate the day. So we booked the venue for over 300 boys and piled on 7 coaches to head south. Yep, it was raining, however after speaking to the staff at Jamberoo they explained as it was a water park, schools still attended when it was raining.

Well it was certainly a water park on the day we were there!

Upon arriving at the park the boys wasted no time in heading onto the slides and into the rock pool. Within minutes, the boys were having a ball as the rain that fell became un-noticeable to the boys who were wet anyway. So long as there was no thunder and lightening then there wouldn’t be an issue … well, so we thought.

After just over an hour in the park we were approached by the staff at Jamberoo who warned us that the area was flooding-in and unless we got out quickly then we could get stuck.

Get out quickly … easier said than done when there are 300 boys spread across several acres of a fun park. Nevertheless, we took their advice and got all the kids in, checked we had them all and then got them onto buses. And so 7 buses headed back to Sydney.

That was, until the drivers all hit closed roads. The fear of the park officials came into fruition … we simply could not get out of the area. As a result the buses headed back to the Jamberoo car park which was on higher land. This was all buses except one which had left first and got out of Jamberoo only to get stuck in Albion Park.

So, with the rain pelting down and the boys on the buses there was nothing to do but wait. The advice from the local Police was stay where we were and once the water drops see how you go. When I asked how long this may be I got told anything from between 30 minutes to four hours. Worst case scenario … stay overnight.

The staff at Jamberoo were outstanding. After about an hour in the buses, we were able to get the boys into the Jamberoo restaurant. After relaying the six buses up to the restaurant (which took over half an hour) we then had just under 300 boys packed into the much appreciated shelter.

All the while, the Albion Park bus was still not able to move and sat in a car-park next to Woolworths. One of our staff, Mr Cox, headed into Woolies who agreed to provide the boys with bread and water free of charge. This was very welcome as all the food was on the other six buses.

Back at Jamberoo the staff fired up the deep-friers and stoves and made hot chips, fish cocktails and hot chocolate for the boys. They just kept cooking as the seemingly never ending line of Joeys boys processed past their counters. This was all very welcome to the boys who in many cases were still wet, cold and missing items of clothing.

Just before 5pm we got word that the roads were open but were likely to close within the next half hour. This was our opportunity to make a break. It was a small window of opportunity but the RTA gave us the go ahead and we made the most of it. We piled the boys back onto the buses and again headed off. This time getting each of the buses through the low areas of Jamberoo and Albion Park and onto the water-safe freeway. Likewise the bus stuck in Albion Park got the go-ahead and headed through Wollongong.

We arrived back at Joeys just after 7pm – only two hours after the scheduled time. We may have only been two hours late but believe me … it was more than two hours of a challenge!

There are many people that need to be thanked for helping out in these exceptional circumstances.

Firstly the Joeys staff. Our staff agreed to go to Jamberoo knowing it was a longer day for them than other staff going to other venues. It turned out to be a monster of a day that required ongoing work from all staff and I can’t thank them enough for being there and helping the boys on the day — getting volunteers for next year may be a challenge but I will cross that bridge when I get to it!

The staff at Jamberoo were outstanding. They looked after us, cooked for us and couldn’t have been more helpful. They were stuck too and had every right to be worried, frustrated or annoyed. They showed none of this and displayed first class hospitality at all times. Thanks also to the managers at Woolies in Albion Park who helped out with bread and water.

Our bus drivers were fantastic. They kept us up to date with what was happening on the roads and likewise showed amazing patience with boys getting on and off their buses soaking wet and eating on the buses. They were friendly and made the whole experience much easier.

Finally to the boys. It was a day that promised so much and delivered so much – just not what we expected. The boys were so positive, calm, sensible and cooperative. I couldn’t be happier with the way they handled the situation and commend them for their efforts. It was an experience that tested their maturity … and they passed with flying colours!

As strange as the day was, I was flabbergasted to hear boys talk so positively about the experience. They saw the whole thing as quite exciting and in most cases seemed to enjoy it! As you can see from the photo of Luke … there was plenty to be tired about!

So what else is there to say … except … it was great to say goodbye to you Jamberoo – see you next year!

Photo 1 & 2:  Jamberoo Recreation Park as we arrived.

Photo 3:  The rain pelts down in Jamberoo

Photo 4:  The roads flood and stop our buses from going any further.

Photo 5:  Luke Hanigan (Coonamble) gets some ‘shut-eye’ on the way home after a long long day!