Hermidale school children visit Tathra, see the ocean for the first time

Spence, Jimmy, Marlie, R.J., Baer, Jackson, Matilda, Abbie, Ned, Kristen, Daniel, Skarlett, James, Lynn and Mrs D.

Mr Spencer said "kids were cheering in excitement as the bus drove down the hill" and the students from Hermidale in central NSW could finally see the ocean and beach they were going to explore.

On the Sunday morning, the first few students began to walk towards the beach, but within moments sand began flying up in the air as the 11 Hermidale Public School students sprinted towards the shoreline.

One dropped her Vegemite towel, one of the many gifts from Bega Heritage Centre, so she could lighten herself before the run, while another held on to their hat to ensure it remained secure.

The waves rolled and crashed beneath the deep blue sky, yet the ambience of the sea was indiscernible among the screams and cheers of excitement, for these students were experiencing the beach for the very first time.

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The faces of the 11 students would form smiles that would remain a constant throughout their whole excursion - if anything, they would grow wider with every bubbly expression and memory being formed.

"I like how it does this sound, as it crashes against the shore," said James, one of the five-year-olds.

James had found his spot in the sand and began scratching at the surface to gather his building materials for what wouldn't become the stereotypical sandcastle, but rather an irrigation and agricultural system.

They had developed an "excavated tank" (farm dam) made of sand, something they knew from home.

"We're going to build a wall. Swimming pool is getting built up," he said, while his peers were working out how to get water to flow in and out efficiently.

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His peer, R.J. had been collecting shells, he already had a collection back at the cabin, overflowing out of a plastic bag, a keepsake from the holiday of a lifetime.

"Someone's taken my shell," he said, before he reached into his pocket and screamed "I found the shell!" a relieved look upon his face.

Ned, another student, said his favourite moment was "probably going in the water - I never get to go in the water. The waves make it feel like a pool."

While the younger students dug holes and jumped on the edge of the shore, the older students had the opportunity to learn to surf with Coastlife Adventures.

"I stood up 10 times," exclaimed one of the students, who up until Sunday had never been to a beach before.

Sunny, an ex-student from Tanja Public School was excited to finally meet some of the students he had only ever spoken to through written letters.

"It's cool to hear their story," he said, as he stood alongside his new friends.

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