While no two camp experiences with The Outdoor Education Group are the same, it can be helpful to understand the rough structure a camp program can look like to put nerves at ease for first timers.
We have 6 camp locations around Australia varying in style and conditions. We also host camps all year round, so changing seasons can also affect style, type and length of activities.
On a typical arrival day, the morning is dedicated to travel, settling into camp and campers sharing their first meal together (this is usually a packed lunch they’ve brought with them).
Travel into camp usually involves a bus trip most of the way and a short walk with bags to accommodation. Once bags have been dropped at the camp accommodation, it’s time for the orientation briefing to give students and teachers the lay of the land. This includes an overview of facilities and the team as well as an indication of what’s to come for the remainder of the day.
After travel and time spent acclimating to a new environment, the first afternoon block is usually spent breaking into groups for games and initiatives. This is a great ice-breaker for the students and helps with easing into camp activities.
After the games block, each group will typically break off to participate in their first camp activity. The activities available will always vary depending on the camp facilities and time of year (for example, students typically won’t be swimming in Victoria in winter). Activities may involve any of the following:
| Low Ropes | Snowshoe Trails |
| High Ropes | Orienteering |
| Bush Skills | Canoeing |
| Indoor or Outdoor Climbing | Raft Building |
| Abseiling | Tree Climbing |
| Hiking | Cultural Experiences |
| Cycling | Marine Discovery |
| Tobogganing | Rafting |
| Cooking |
The student groups will rotate through activities over the duration of the camp so each student gets the opportunity to participate in each activity.
5pm - 6pm in the evening is the dedicated shower and change time to prepare for meal time. The dinner meal is served between 6pm - 7pm.
After dinner, there is usually a staff-led activity which carries students until bedtime at 8:30pm.
Students rise and shine naturally and those who wake earlier have free time until breakfast is served between 7:30 - 8:30am. From 8:30am - 9:30am students pack while pre-made lunches are prepared and then student gear is triple checked by the team.
If there are external activities requiring bus travel, the bus will typically depart around 9:30am so students can arrive, ready for the activity by 10am followed by a briefing and equipment fitting where required.
If the activities are on the camp grounds, the groups will divide into groups from the first day and be briefed at 9:30am as to what activity each team will rotate to.
Whether off-site or on-site, the first block of activities run until noon and lunch is served from 12-1pm.
After lunch we typically squeeze in 2 more rotating blocks of group activities separated by afternoon tea. The blocks run between 30mins to 1 hour in length between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.
Depending on whether the activities are on-site or off-site, 4-4:30pm either heralds the bus travel time for students to commute back to the campsite or a small block of down time.
4:30 - 6pm is shower, change and winding down time before a 6pm dinner. Dinners tend to last a little longer on regular days and at 7:30pm there is a staff-led activity lasting right up until wind down and bed time at 8:30pm.
Unsurprisingly, departure days are similar in structure to arrival days but at the beginning of the day rather than the end. Similarly to a regular day, breakfast begins at 7:30am and students have until 8:45am to ensure they’re fed and packed.
We then usually try to squeeze as much fun into the last day of camp as possible with 2x back-to-back rotating activity blocks running from 8:45am - 11:30am. Lunch immediately follows and buses are loaded for the commute home around 12:30pm.
It’s important to bear in mind, every school’s preferences and every camp’s capabilities will vary. At some camps there will be more down time, at others all time on camp will be deeply structured. If anything - this article provides a starting point for what camp experiences can look like.