We offloaded our trailer and got ready for parade, after parade we waited quite some time for inspection and then headed off to find our campsite which took what felt like ages.

When we found our campsite we were flabbergasted at its size. It was barely bigger than our main tent and could fit nothing else. Arjen quickly rushed off to complain to the judges. The judges were equally shocked at its size and gave us a new area close by.

We then started bringing all the equipment through to our campsite. I then went to a knotting base which I completed very quickly. When I got back Alex had already started on the dresser so I helped him get the base knots done. He then had to go to a base and I got strict instructions from him not to touch the dresser while he was gone – I disregarded everything he told me and redid his "I-don't-need-no-frapping mallet" knot.

Once he returned him and Michael started putting the bamboo pieces on, Jacques and Arjen did the tent, Nikki and Courtney worked on the STA's and clearing the area, while Ruhuan and I did the Alter fireplace. After we had completed those tasks, Jacques took over doing STA's and Alex, Michael and Courtney started supper. I extended the boundary and got the sisal going round. Jacques and I then set up the arch structure for the entrance.

Night bases: only 7 people were needed so Courtney volunteered to stay and work on STA's. The bases were: Bomb defuse, stalking, ski's, get-over-a-piece-of-string, get-over-the-dam.

Bomb defuse involved getting a bomb outside of a radius without going into that radius. We round lashed 2 polls together and tied a hook type knot at the end that could be pulled tight… it did not work.

Stalking involved stalking

Ski's: we had to make ski’s with the ropes and staves we had to bring with.

Get-over-a-piece-of-string base: we had to build a structure that allowed us to get over this piece of string.

At get-over-the-dam we had to build a raft and get one of our team mates across (we were given 2 barrels). No one in our team wanted to go.

When we got back Alex and I set up the equipment tent then moved all food and trommels etc. into it – Lights out.

We woke at 5:30, once up the vanilla essence was collected, Alex and co started breakfast. Jacques and Nikki did STA's. Arjen did the swing door and I did the pointless, rushed, flagless flagpole and parade ground.

Breakfast - vetkoek and scrambled eggs - was in my opinion really tasty and filling (well done Alex and Co). We all got ready for inspection by brushing teeth and cleaning up the area. After inspection we went to parade and a scouts own. We went back to camp and lounged around until our bases. Arjen and I went and made the plaster cast.

The 2 bases I did was explaining what injuries one would sustain if you have experienced a blast. The other base was a pioneering base with Jacques, Ruhuan and Michael. Our design was simply but effective. Once we got back we had a quick lunch and started deconstructing our campsite and taking things down to the trailer. Jacques and Arjen raged at Alex and me for not helping carry equipment down – we were however packing the trailer. Once equipment had been packed we got ready for parade.

At parade we were told to build a catapult. Ours was very simple and the judges did not seem to like that. When it came to shooting it ours came closest to the target than any other team – guess the judges were wrong.

All in all a good effort all round, we came 5th out of 30 odd teams.

Gordon Shield Team 2011: Arjen, Alex, Brian, Jacques, Michael, Ruhuan, Nikki and Courtney.