Life at the Bay

Today marks a very sad day at Sugar Bay. Not only are we saying goodbye to 2 wonderful schools - Durban North Primary and Durban Girls' College - but we're also bidding farewell to our red-headed golden boy, Mr Rooiboss. Rooiboss has been an important part of the SB team for the last 5 years. He started off as a counselor, then became a Squad Leader and swiftly moved on to becoming one of the prestigious A+ counselors. Rooiboss has also helped out as a Body Boarding Pro Counselor, which made sense seeing as he's been to the SA Champs 3 times. Teachers will know our beloved Rooiboss as their Teacher Liaison and Activity Assessor, making sure that the teachers have an incredible time when their schools come to visit and being the guy to ensure all activities are run safely.  Rooiboss leaves us for the sunny shores of Perth, Australia, to be reunited with his fiancee and try his luck at the waves down under. Although he knows he'll miss the Sugar Bay kids, the staf...

If your child has already visited Sugar Bay, you'll know that our Crazy Counselors are often one of the main reasons that kids want to return time after time. Aside from the fact that we hire only the best young leaders from around the country (and the world!), train them intensely and constantly push them to be their best, we think there's another very important reason why our campers enjoy them so much (and no, it's not because they have silly nicknames!) It's because there are so many of them! Sugar Bay's Counselor to Camper ratio far surpasses the strict guidelines of the American Camping Association by double or more for each age category. We can assure you that during our hugely popular Holiday Camps the supervision ratio will be no less than 1 counselor for every 3 campers. This figure includes Pro-Counselors (our specialized full-time activity leaders). For school camps, we maintain a ratio of 1:5 and for certain high-risk activities such as surfing an...

You’ll never guess what happened, This week at Sugar Bay! A photo shoot with tree frogs, And 3 pigs who lost their way.  Let’s start with the 3 little pigs; Snap, Crackle and Pop are their names. They decided over the weekend, They wanted to play some games. They started with Stuck in the Mud, But for some reason it just didn’t stick. And soon the babies were bored, And needed a new game quick. Ah, they thought, let’s play hide and seek! But our home has nowhere to hide. Let us break out, and run about, “Yes! Let’s do it!” they cried. Out they ran, up and down, With counselors chasing after. I’m sure that if we listened now, We’d still hear their laughter. Let’s not forget our 2 tree friends, That decided to strut their stuff. We called down our photographer, Whom we thought was tough. “Oh, no!” she screamed, “Please take them away! What if they jump on me?” Just point the lens and take the shot, And then feel free to...

Moscow week, Cake Boss vs. Ice Cream Week, Australia Week and many more... All these camps, and especially Sugar Bay itself, are always in my heart. But it had to start somewhere... My first camp was when I came with my school on a tour - after which I was hooked! But the real fun started with American States week, my first holiday camp. I remember arriving as shy and quiet as ever. I was taken aback by all the activity and joy around me, because up until that point I had never been to a camp worth writing about. I also loved hearing the counselors’ funky names! The activities blew my mind and I couldn’t wait to do them all. The week was filled with fun, laughter, friendships and a new family. A year later I was back, seeing some old and new faces of both campers and counselors alike. With each week, I grew more confident and outgoing- so much so, that you would not believe the shy person I once was, thanks to the special counselors and to all the new friends I gained. I think ...