Event

On your sign up form, you can nominate 1-2 friends that you would like to be in a group with. This will be taken into account when the groups are allocated – we have always been able to put children into a group with at least 1 friend.

At each camp we split the kids into groups of approximately 15 – and within this split, we try to get an even spread of male to females and take into account age as well. We do this to ensure we have great group dynamics and no kids are placed within groups that are too different (i.e. one group of kids with all 11 and 12 yr olds and then one 7 year old or a group with all girls and just one boy). We also do this so the groups are as evenly matched as possible across the different games / challenges.

With this in mind, we do not generally place large groups of friends together in the same group – we have tried this many times and it often leads to that group either not engaging with the rest of the team, or becoming exclusive within the team. It also tends to make things more challenging for the instructor to manage the whole group .

One of the key aims of our program is to help the kids to learn great social skills – this includes meeting new people, and making new friends. They may not be placed with all their friends who are attending this camp. We know from experience that this may be uncomfortable for your child for the first few hours HOWEVER they soon will make new friends and a great bond develops between their group members. Throughout the camp there are a number of times when groups come together or kids get to choose their activities and be with all their friends

It depends on the reason – each situation is case by case and worked out with the camp leader and group instructors.

Changing groups is not as simple as it sounds – as such, we do not change groups mid camp based solely on requests to be with different friends (all kids will be with at least one friend from the sign up process). If all the groups are full, we cannot add additional kids as we have instructor / child safety ratios to work with. Often changing groups means that another child will have to swap also – which is not always possible (if their are no volunteers, it’s not fair of us to move another child at random).

If a child is noticeably not engaging with their group, the instructors will always do their best to get them engaged, whether by helping them make more friends or involving them more in the activities.

A group change will always be considered if a child is struggling or not engaging.

We ask that all parents ensure sun cream has been applied to your child before turning up, and that they have sensible clothing that provides good sun protection (including a hat).

We will supply additional sun cream (Cancer Council Approved brand – SPF 50) at least every 2 hours, and directly after any water activities. We will also supply a long sleeve rash shirt for water activities. Our method for putting on sun screen is to line all the kids up, and place sun screen in everyones hand – then go through a “Face, Neck, Ears, Arms, Legs” routine.

Please note that it is impossible for our instructors to watch every child place sun cream on every area of their body, and ensure they remain fully covered at all times. We request that you remind (we will also) your child to put cream on back of neck, ears, face, back of legs and arms – whilst also wearing the correct clothing.

The age limit we have put on the camp relates directly to the type of activities we plan. They require a certain amount of focus and stamina to complete. We do have some leniency if, for example, your child is 5 and turning 6 within a couple of months – but in this situation, we need the parent to make a call as to whether they can handle the intensity of the activities for the full 3 days.

What we want to avoid is having the other children in the group having to slow down their progress for younger member – which isn’t fair on them.

Speak to us about your child and we can decide if our camps are right for them

This is a camp that is based almost entirely outdoors. We spend a lot of time in the bush, beach or in the water – and as such, minor injuries can occur. The most common minor injuries include grazes, scratches, minor cuts and ant bites. All our instructors are first aid certified and carry a first aid kit.

Our policy is to treat any minor injuries as quickly as required and aim to get your child back having fun as quickly as possible. In these situations, we will notify you what occured when you collect your child.

For example, a child fell in the bush and scrapes their knee – we would clean it, cover it and get them back to the game / challenge ASAP.

For any more serious matters, or anything that we cannot treat on the spot, we will contact the parent or the emergency contact person listed as soon as possible – once the proper first aid steps have been taken.

No, not on the majority of camps. All Adventure Camps are drop off / pick up each day – with times varying slightly by camp.

The Thirroul Camp is adjacent to the beach and Thirroul pool, so there will be a number of water based activities as well as fun on the nearby fields, these include:

🏄♂️ Learn to surf and stand up paddle boarding
🔍 Code-breaking and problem-solving games
🛖 Shelter building
🌊 “Leaky pipe” water challenge
🧭 Adventure walks and scavenger hunts
💬 Team-based mystery challenges
‍
As well as other initiative based games and challenges – these vary camp to camp and generally involve building something, problem solving, scavenger hunts, map reading etc.

Each camp also has a “story” that the kids need to complete throughout the 3 days – solving problems, discovering clues etc to get to the final prize!.

We offer a credit on your booking up to 14 days prior to the start of your camp. This credit can be used for future camps – or transferred to another participant. We do not offer refunds for simple “change of mind” cases.
‍
Within 14 days of a camp start date, we do not offer credit for other camps. This is due to the minimum numbers for activities needing to be confirmed at this point. You can transfer the registration to another participant in the same camp though.
‍
If your child is injured (i.e. broken arm) pre camp or other major incident we will discuss on a case by case basis – but this must by done a minimum of 48hrs prior to the start of camp and a medical certificate may be required to receive a credit.

There is no refund or credit of fees paid for days campers are absent once a camp has commenced.

We have a range of alternative activities for each location, however we will always try and do the regular activities if it is safe to do so.

After all, this is an Adventure. We’re not going to let a little rain slow us down. We do ask that you pack a rain jacket so we can get outside without getting soaked.

This would significantly slow down the meal times so we ask that you pack appropriate snacks for morning tea, afternoon tea ,an adequate lunch and drinks.

The kids will need to stay fuelled through a big day of adventure.  We recommend packing more than a normal school day due to the increased energy your child will expend over the 8 hr day.

Please contact us to discussWe will always work with you, to include your child in every way possible.The great outdoors are great for everyone, so we’ll do what we can to get your child involved.

Yes, water is available at multiple locations around each Adventure Camp site for children to refill water bottles.

Please make sure your child has a water bottle and it is labelled with their name.

Yes, you will be asked to rate your child’s swimming ability in the registration form – which will be sent to you once you’ve enrolled in a camp. Your child’s group leader will be notified on your Childs swimming ability.

When participating in water sports activities that involve your child being in deeper than standing water, they will be required to wear a life jacket and there will be two staff monitoring a maximum of 15 children in these activities.

We may undertake activities at each location where children may get wet. All staff will be aware and monitor any child that cannot swim.

When you enrol your child you will need to fill in an online registration form to outline any issues or allergies.

All instructors will be briefed before the camp in regards to understanding any child’s health issues and requirements.

Not at this camp.

These camps are all about letting your child learn and grow on their own with other kids.

We have four types of instructors – Camp Leader, Group Leaders, Outdoor Specialists and Group Assistants.

Camp Leader.  Overall responsibility of the camp running, safety and Group Leaders.  Will have been promoted from a Group Leader position.  Will be the main liason on site for checking in and out your child and reporting any incidents to you. They will also be the phone contract for the camp.

Group Leader are responsible for the running of each group – they will lead the team through the activities and have a minimum of First Aid Certificate, Completed Working with Children Check, and are actively working with children outside of our camps (such as sports coaches, after school care instructors or university teaching undergraduates etc).

Outdoor Specialists all hold a relevant qualification for what they teach. For example, Sailing Instructors have been trained as instructors by their sailing club, water games supervisors have a Lifeguard Qualification, and other specialist instructors have undergone formal training and certification.

Group Assistants.  These are high school aged students that have been participants in the camps when they were your children’s age.  They have a love for the outdoor and the camps and are now hired to help the Group or Camp leaders.  If you have an older child that attended camps when they were young and loved them get them to apply for a group assistant role.

We have a range of alternative activities for each location, however we will always try and do the regular activities if it is safe to do so.

After all, this is an Adventure. We’re not going to let a little rain slow us down. We do ask that you pack a rain jacket so we can get outside without getting soaked.

All kids, at some stage get nervous. Our staff are experienced in working with children to overcome their fears and to gain confidence in new areas.

Often we find that the most nervous kids at first are involved in everything by the end of the camp.

Any child that really does not want to partake will never be forced into attempting an activity.

Safety is of the highest importance at Hangdog Climbing Gym and at our Adventure Camp – and we pride ourselves on our safety record.

Like any outdoor activity – there is a risk of injury, however we believe that with our polices and procedures in place, Adventure Camp is as safe as it can possibly be.

Hangdogs Adventure Camp has a specific, documented Safety Management Procedures in place for every program and every activity, for adherence by Adventure Camp staff and participants at all levels and at all times. All safety management documentation is under constant review.
‍
The documentation includes:
Adventure Camp’s Safety & Emergency Procedures (Location-specific)
Adventure Camp’s Standard Operating Procedures
Adventure Camp’s Activity-Specific Risk Management Matrix
Adventure Camp’s Assessment Documentation
Adventure Camp’s Medical Form
Adventure Camp’s Dietary Requirements Form
Adventure Camp’s Consent Form

For this camp the latest pick up time is 5:30pm.

The activities end at 4:45pm, any child not collected by 5:30pm will be charged at an extra $10 per 10 minutes.

Drop off starts at 8am and all children should be on site by latest 9am.

Our staff to kid ratio’s are 1:15 for all land-based activities and 1:10 for all water activities.

For our Beach activities the adult to child ratio is 2:15.

A full camp (60 children) is staffed with 5 x Adults and 1 x Junior assistant.

The best way to get in quick for our camps is to join our Mailing List (you can sign up below) – this is always the first way people find out about upcoming camp dates.

Please note that if you have joined a waiting list, or previously purchased a ticket to camp, you will be automatically added to our mailing list.We always recommend booking in early to avoid disappointment.