Accommodation boost for QCCC Mapleton

Outdoor Education Mapleton Rainforest
Outdoor Education Mapleton
QCCC Mapleton is in line for a significant investment.

This week one of Sunshine Coast’s larger Outdoor Education facilities, Queensland Conference and Camping Centres (QCCC) Mapleton, commenced work on new accommodation facilities to cater to a growing waiting list of schools attempting to access their award-winning Outdoor Education programs. In the first significant redevelopment of the site in twenty-five years, the Baptist Union of Queensland is investing $300,000 to create a third accommodation block of fully ensuited rooms, a renovation of existing amenities blocks and a new storage area for QCCC’s growing expeditions programs. Continue reading

Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Expedition

Baxter BridgeThe Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk wraps around QCCC Mapleton, the base for QCCC Expeditions. Gorges, waterfalls, rock pools, scenic views, warm subtropical rainforest and tall open eucalypt forest feature on this Great Walk through Kondalilla, Mapleton Falls and Mapleton national parks. Wildlife recorded in this area includes more than 100 species of birds, about 70 reptile species and more than 30 frog species.

QCCC has recently secured an increased permit for the area from the National Parks and Wildlife Service as well as the lease of the former Scout Camp on Kondalilla Falls Road from Sunshine Coast Regional Council. By combining this with camping grounds at Mapleton, the expedition potential of this Great Walk for school groups is able to be realised.

Continue reading

QCCC Tamborine ideal for Grade 7 “bonding” camps

With Grade 7 moving into High Schools in 2015 QCCC Tamborine is the ideal venue to consider for schools to establish a tradition of memorable Grade 7 “bonding” camps. Entering High School is always a big transition and schools will be drawing their cohort from multiple Primary Schools. Camp is a great way to “bond” an incoming Grade 7 cohort, setting them up to not just survive High School, but to thrive.

QCCC Tamborine’s size and flexibility means it’s well positioned to entertain Grade Seven, particularly for large schools searching for a campsite to cater to big groups. Not only does Tamborine boast 350 beds, there is also provision for another 150 students to camp in tents, providing a frontier feel to programs. QCCC Tamborine has 35 acres of glorious property overlooking Brisbane and Moreton Island, ideal for recreation, games and outdoor education. And it’s only a short drive away from the major Gold Coast theme parks for groups looking for a fun day out.

As a fully catered facility Tamborine can make your Grade 7 bonding camp easy, memorable and significant. For more details contact QCCC Tamborine or download our Grade 7 Camping Brochure and Information Sheet here.

QCCC wins major Outdoor Education Award

WINNER 2013 Award Logo
Queensland Conference and Camping Centres is the winner of the Queensland Outdoor Recreation Award for Excellence in Outdoor Instruction and Education.

In a major coup for the Sunshine Coast Hinterland a local Outdoor Education Centre has received the 2013 Queensland Outdoor Recreation Award for Excellence in Outdoor Instruction and Education. Queensland Conference and Camping Centres (QCCC) are this year’s recipients of the prestigious industry award recognising excellence in Outdoor Education programs.

QCCC’s largest Outdoor Education facility has been a vital part of the Mapleton community for more than thirty years. QCCC Mapleton is one of the busiest school camping venues in Queensland entertaining 30,000 guests annually. More than 20,000 of these are school students attending camps with more than 200 individual school groups. QCCC Mapleton is one of Mapleton’s largest employers with 50 staff and a significant attraction to the local area.

QCCC Director Andrew Grant believes a large part of QCCC’s success comes from locating its largest site in the natural beauty of the Blackall Range. “There’s no doubt we enjoy a natural advantage by bringing city kids into the mountains where they’re immersed in the stunning beauty of the Range. We must have one of the most stunning classrooms in Queensland”.

Throughout 2012 QCCC Mapleton created and built eight new activities specifically designed around the Australian Curriculum. This was a staff-driven effort with the initial “draft activities” significantly altered and enhanced through the participation of staff members primarily responsible for their delivery.

Continue reading

New site-booking offers for church groups

Mapleton poolsThe staff at QCCC has been working on some very attractive packages for both large and small churches to hold affordable camps at QCCC venues. First cab off the rank is Mapleton with the attached brochure setting out a couple of options:

  • An offer for large churches taking a full-site booking at Mapleton which works out to a per-person price as low as $85 per person for two nights, fully catered.
  • An offer for smaller churches for a partial (multi-group) booking at Mapleton which works out to a per-person price as low as $110 per person for two nights, fully catered for group sizes up to 100 people.

Continue reading

Wedding Package at QCCC Tamborine

Budget Wedding on Mount Tamborine
Wedding Package on Mount Tamborine with Accommodation!

QCCC Tamborine now offers a very affordable wedding package for your special day (or weekend). Using the breathtaking CMS Centre on Tamborine Mountain you can have your wedding and reception in one beautiful location and accommodate travelling guests, all for an unbelievable introductory price. The Reception venue sits on the very edge of the escarpment enjoying jaw-dropping views through a National Park over Moreton Bay and Brisbane.

The starting package of $5,000 includes:

•Beautiful garden setting for the ceremony (or have your ceremony at several other mountain locations).
•Buffet-style reception for 80 guests.
•Use of all onsite accommodation for two nights (80 beds).

The reception venue can cater to up to 120 guests and QCCC Tamborine staff will gladly quote a price specific to your needs. For more information contact QCCC Tamborine. bookings@tamborine.qccc.com.au

2012: Empowering & Equipping

School camp QueenslandAs the majority of QCCC Mapleton’s bookings are repeat bookings the year here settles into a fairly steady rhythm. 2012 is drawing to a close and QCCC Mapleton draws the curtain on hosting 400 groups and 25,000 guests.

The week before Christmas is given over to a charity group who bring a lot of kids to Mapleton in the first week of holidays to let their hair down. A lot of the kids come from a tough home situation and the week is about giving them some respite and coping strategies and mechanisms.

The “new year” kicks off again on Boxing Day with Family Summer program. Before we know it the busyness of Term One will descend and off we go again. So this week is a bit of an introspective time, thinking about what we’ve achieved this year and planning for what is to come. It’s fitting that the backdrop to all of this is the group we’ve hosted this week, because they bring so many reminders about what’s important about what we do.

Continue reading

Australian Curriculum Activities in 2013

Environmental awareness school camp
QCCC Mapleton’s amazing Nature Display will feature heavily in a new activity on Environmental Awareness.

The Australian Curriculum is a major development in the Australian educational sector and QCCC have spent most of 2012 planning new and improved methods to assist schools to achieve the outcomes expected of the new regime. Now we’re hard at work building seven new activities based on the Australian Curriculum to be ready for Term One next year. 

Programs and activities developed by Mapleton’s Outdoor Education team will also make their way to QCCC’s two other sites at Brookfield and Tamborine, though with slight adaptations to make them appropriate to the client base at those Centres.

Continue reading

Mapleton Family Summer Program

Summer Program Mapleton
The Mapleton pool complex is a central part of the Mapleton Family Summer Program.

Details of the 2012/13 QCCC Mapleton Family Summer Program have been released and bookings for this Summer’s event have commenced.  As QCCC Mapleton is hosting a one-off national conference later in January this year’s Summer Program has been cut to two weeks so potential guests are being encouraged to book as soon as possible to make sure they don’t miss out.

Starting on Boxing Day and continuing through to the 9th of January the Mapleton Family Summer program continues a thirty year legacy of fun, fellowship and friendships.

For two glorious summer weeks the full site and facilities of QCCC Mapleton are given over to families for hours of sunshine by the pool, a fully catered meal program and lots of activities for the kids to throw themselves into. This summer’s morning sessions of spiritual reflection and guidance will be provided by Rhys McFadden and Chris Stewart.

Continue reading