The Australian Education Reporter
Customised school camps with the Y
THE Y’s School Camps offer more than outdoor fun; they deliver outdoor education in a safe and supportive environment.
YMCA NSW manages two distinct, yet different, urban campsites in NSW; Camp Yarramundi, located on 40 acres of bushland in the beautiful Hawkesbury Valley, and Sydney Olympic Park Lodge, a historic gem less than half an hour from the CBD – both delivering authentic camp experiences for schools.
Since Camp Yarramundi was established in 1937, YMCA NSW has been creating memories through outdoor education programs and camps for kids and community groups.
Yarramundi is a natural bush site, with cabins nestled in between the landscape and an abundance of wildlife and beautiful natural features. With a capacity of 240 people, the site is capable of hosting multiple bookings at one time.
YMCA Camp Yarramundi, just over an hour from Sydney and around 20 minutes to Penrith, has ATAP (Australian Tourism Accreditation Program) accreditation.
Not far from the Y’s Camp Yarramundi is Camp Deeimba; comprising 200 acres of pristine bushland, it offers natural bush-camping experiences and a range of outdoor activities.
The Lodge is an Urban Camp nestled within the historic grounds of the Newington Armory and is managed by the YMCA on behalf of the Sydney Olympic Park Authority.
The Armory has a wide range of historical and educational learning opportunities for all ages.
It is a short bus trip to the Sydney Olympic Park sporting venues, centrally located between Sydney’s CBD and the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains with easy access to a ferry to Sydney’s CBD only a 1.1km walk away.
Accommodating up to 120 people, the Lodge has long been a popular place to stay for sporting groups, regional school groups, large corporate, special interest or any other groups.
School Group booking enquiries can be via the website: www.ymcansw.org.au/ camping/group-bookings/