06 Oct Top 3 tent-camping options for Queensland Schools
Top 3 best tent-camping options for Queensland Schools:
There’s increasing demand for tent-camping for schools in Queensland, particularly in the adventurous middle school years, Grade 7 through 9. We look through some of the best tent-camping options available for schools in Southeast Queensland and why they’re worth a look for teachers looking for beautiful locations and great activity options.
- Kidcaff Farm at Mapleton:
A few years ago, the sought-after QCCC Mapleton Outdoor Education Centre purchased a neighbouring 20-acre avocado farm and received Council approval to set it up for school tent camping adjacent to the world-class Outdoor Education facilities at QCCC Mapleton. Nestled in a private valley, reminiscent of Baroon Pocket, home of the fabled Bunya Festival, Kidcaff Farm offers private and secluded camping facilities, surrounded by water, rainforest and 250 avocado trees. Students can frolic in the farm dams, fire-cook on the verdant mountaintop fields and access all the activities available next door. Many school groups choose to pair their tent camping experience with a visit to Mapleton’s Triballink Centre for a greater understanding of the rich Aboriginal history of the Blackall Range. QCCC Mapleton provides all the tents and sleeping mats schools require, as well as food for cooking and thriving.
- Mountaintop Experience at QCCC Tamborine:
The most frequent comment heard from students when they arrive at QCCC Tamborine for a tent camp experience is “this isn’t camping, it’s glamping”. Huddled on the edge of the Tamborine Plateau, this school tent camping venue enjoys an exquisite ambience with sweeping views of Brisbane and Moreton Bay, the serenity of ghost gum forest and attendant birdlife and wildlife. Part of a 500-bed precinct on Beacon Road, tent camps can be booked through QCCC Tamborine and outdoor education activities from Vertec Adventure. The immaculately maintained camping grounds and facilities are for the exclusive use of group bookings, there’s none of the awkwardness that comes from schools sharing public facilities.
- Survival Style at Noosa Outdoor Education Centre:
Set on 120 acres, just twenty minutes from Hastings Street, there’s been an explosion of interest from schools for tent-camping at the Noosa Outdoor Education Centre (NOEC). Managed by QCCC, NOEC is being used for Survival style programs, where students complete a series of survival-themed challenges such as water purification, basic first aid, search and rescue, orienteering and team-building activities. They access their food supplies from a central camp storeroom and cook on Trangias and fires in their individual groups. Their sleeping options can be adjusted to increase the challenge they face, from tents, tarpaulins or even paperbark shelters for an authentic Aussie bush experience. Most of the property is native forest surrounded by National Park and Forestry Reserves and is also being increasingly used for 24-hour solos. Designated solo camping clusters have been established on the property, proving a safe and contained solo option where every participant has complete privacy, but is never far from support.
Noosa Outdoor Education Centre camping amenities