11 Nov Top 5 school camp venues in Queensland
Top 5 school camp venues in Queensland
One of the most important measures of a successful camping program is seen in flourishing relationships. Time away from the clutter and noise of everyday life creates transcendent memories. The ability to break the routine, share meals and simply do things together starts conversations and builds understanding. Life is a journey greatly enhanced by those who walk it with us. Queensland Conference and Camping Centres (QCCC) is a collection of accredited campsites and activity providers in South East Queensland. QCCC is a highly experienced provider who offers lasting relationships and a pathway for schools to pursue their programs with variety AND consistency. These are key factors to being a top school camp provider and venue in Queensland. We may be a little biased, but we reckon these are the top 5 school camp venues in Queensland.
QCCC Mapleton (Adventure):
Set high in the mountains of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, 300-bed QCCC Mapleton specialises in high-quality Outdoor Education and is particularly sought after for Primary school camping programs from Grade 3-7.
QCCC Mapleton’s remarkable 35 acre is used as a teaching tool with the QCCC Mapleton team of outdoor educators committed to teach in tactile and memorable ways. QCCC Mapleton’s point of difference is that as much as possible their activity instructors stay with one group for the duration of their stay to build rapport and relationship.
Built within a spectacular rainforest setting, high on the Blackall Range, QCCC Mapleton offers a smorgasbord of activity options, currently numbered at fourteen different activities, taking in 18 stations and with more in development!
The site is described by visiting children as a “resort” with a complex of four swimming pools, a rainforest walk and a lake set on a property of 35 acres. QCCC Mapleton offers a smorgasbord of 23 activity options, including seven new activities designed to deliver indigenous, environmental and historical components of the National Curriculum.
QCCC Tamborine (Mountain Retreat):
Mount Tamborine rises dramatically above the Gold Coast and its multiple Theme Parks. Taking in sweeping views over Moreton Bay, QCCC Tamborine is a versatile facility appropriate to a large number of camping formats. QCCC Tamborine consists of four smaller sites that are jointly managed. Accommodation options include motel-style units, ensuite rooms and cabin rooms with ablution blocks. Together the three sites consist of 280 beds and can cater to large school groups. Tamborine can also provide catered tent camping for groups up to 200 campers.
Tamborine is a favourite destination for leadership, spiritual and music retreats. Leadership camps are enhanced with 30 outdoor education options including a variety of team-building options. Spiritual retreats thrive in the ambience of 50 acres of open space with tranquil views. Music camps appreciate the multiple meeting rooms and the excellent catering.
QCCC Brookfield (Urban):
QCCC Brookfield centre is situated only 20 minutes from the Brisbane CBD in a beautiful forest park setting. The focus of QCCC Brookfield is on its home city – Brisbane. As one of few camping options within the city, it is highly sought after by country schools visiting the State Capital. Brisbane city offers a range of fascinating and educational destinations for visiting schools, QCCC Brookfield’s website page on Brisbane activities lists more than forty. QCCC also offers Encounter Brisbane and Two Bridge Challenge packages incorporating historical and reflective tours of the city CBD.
However, QCCC Brookfield is more than a site for country schools. With fourteen meeting spaces and a great location in Brisbane, it is very much sought after by the city’s schools for leadership retreats, music camps and retreats. Weekend events at Brookfield mean Brisbane students can combine their camp with their normal weekend sporting commitments, and Brookfield’s up-market accommodation and catering means it is popular with older students in upper High school as well as adult groups.
Noosa Outdoor Education Centre (Survival Camps and Expeditions):
Located on 125 acres of native Sunshine Coast bushland, Noosa Outdoor Education Centre is operated by Queensland Conference and Camping Centres (QCCC). This nature-rich site is a cost-effective and self-catered option for schools, churches, and groups looking for accommodation or camping packages with activities that are both educational and physically active. QCCC has established the Noosa Outdoor Education Centre to offer challenging Survivor and immersive Aboriginal camp experiences where self-catering is incorporated into the camp experience as a learning experience for participants. Furthermore, our passion for expedition means QCCC have developed clover-leaf style expedition programs to surrounding attractions including Mount Tinbeerwah, Noosa Trails Network, Lake Macdonald and Cooroibah. Noosa Outdoor Education Centre has proved popular for school students to learn bush survival skills, popular for church groups where space is provided for spiritual solitude, and popular for youth camps where both open space and bush camping distinctives provide opportunities to connect and develop positive relationships.
Cabins and tent camping options are available with shared amenities such as camp kitchen, open dining area (seats 150+), conference hall (seats 300+), 15 metre swimming pool, oval, basketball court, and beach volleyball court. If campers wish to plan a beach day as part of their camp, Noosa’s range of beaches are only a 15-20 minute drive away.
Andrew Grant summarises QCCC’s strengths succinctly: “QCCC is the umbrella but each of our sites is remarkably differentiated and has a different focus. It means we can offer schools and their students a strong pathway through their camping years. Schools can enjoy very different camping formats. Students will think they’re at a different location with new things to explore. But behind it all is QCCC’s consistency of product and a common theme and strategy that is enhanced by stopping at each of our different sites. It is our difference and diversity that is our strength and we think it makes camping easy for schools.”
CYC Burleigh (Beach Camps):
The world-famous Gold Coast is one of the most sought-after beach destinations on the globe and CYC Burleigh is just a few minutes’ walk away from both beach and creek. With group sizes up to 200 people, CYC Burleigh offers a beach activities program that gives students the opportunity to experience surfing, rafting, and climbing to name a few. Cabin and tent accommodation options are available, however, talk to the CYC team about capacity. Whilst on-beach activities are unique to the CYC Burleigh program, exploring the surrounding coastal region via foot is certainly an opportunity to explore coastal land and it’s beauty. CYC Burleigh is also just a 25 minute drove from Surfers Paradise.
CYC Burleigh are passionate about using their gorgeous beach and surf environment to provide a camping and experiential education program which provides students with opportunities for exploration and self and growth in confidence that is difficult to replicate in a classroom environment. As well as nurturing communication and team-building skills, CYC’s activities encourage children to develop the ability to think creatively and analytically by providing challenging, interactive and engaging outdoor learning experiences.
CYC Burleigh is a first-rate choice for groups looking for proximity to the beach and all the Gold Coast has to offer.
Check out our Top 5 school camp venues in Queensland for yourself!
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” C.G.Jung