An organisation that hosts camps for children who've had cancer has been able to go ahead with its winter getaway, despite New Zealand's active Covid outbreak.
Camp Quality's had to cancel several of their camps in the last two years due to Covid-19 and lockdowns.
Experienced camp-goer Bella Sharples said: "It was really sad when they were cancelled."
The 11-year-old was diagnosed with cancer at the age of one, and finished treatment by the time she was three.
She's been going to the camps, in summer and winter, since she was five and couldn't contain her excitement as she packed her bags on Friday with 1News.
"It's just a time to have fun and not worry about anything else," she said.
"They have heaps of different, like cool activities, like once we made like jewellery and like clay and um I also like seeing everyone."
Mum, Katie Sharples said: "It's like 'wow' this is so amazing that we're actually still getting to do this.
"It's coming up 10 years actually this July for Bella since she was diagnosed so you forget a bit more about all the awful stuff, so now being able to go on these camps, it's more of a celebration of who they're gonna become next.
"The thing I love the most is when you go to drop them off and pick them up, you're seeing the other kids that you saw in hospital, so sick, and now you're getting to see them as survivors," said Katie.
Bella told 1News she has two close friends that attend with her, that she knows from when she was receiving treatment.
Camp manager and former camper Finbar Marshall said that's what it's all about.
"To have the opportunity to not have to think of their cancer journey or think about those challenges, where everything's made available to them and they can just be free."
He said it was and still is the best part of his year.
"There was never any doubt during my time as a camper that I would return to be a volunteer. I have now been a volunteer for nine years."
He said there's been extra health and safety considerations this year, due to Covid-19.
"Lots of planning's gone back into this one to get it back up and running and lots of planning to make sure it's gonna be safe."
But he said, for the most part, the measures in place are staying the same.
"Every time these kids can be a little immunocompromised or unwell.
"We've got specialised oncology nurses on-site, they're paired one-to-one so they've got people watching over them at all times.
"We are making sure that they are very well before they come out, there's no sniffles or colds."
He said they also have plans in place if they notice any sickness.
The Auckland and Northland camp, happening at Camp Adair this weekend, will feature camp fires and an activity that'll get the kids muddy.
Bella couldn't guess what it would be and Marshall said: "I have to be a little bit secretive here because everything's a surprise on camp, I can't give too much away."
Bella's mum, Katie, said:
Bella said, "Like, once one is over I dream about the next one."
Before going away this weekend, she was already looking forward to the getaway in summer.
The Waikato and Bay of Plenty camp is next weekend, with three other regions having their camps in September.
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