Camps

QCCC: Key Statistics

| mzilikazi
  • Sauana school camps Queensland
    The Swimming Pool Complex at QCCC Mapleton has four pools, two slides and a sauna.

    3 sites containing a total of 800 beds – Brookfield in Brisbane (150 beds), Mapleton on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland (300 beds) and Tamborine Mountain on the Gold Coast Hinterland (350 beds).

  • Growing offsite expeditions offered in Queensland and Northern NSW.
  • Largest single provider of Outdoor Education Programs in Queensland.
  • Catering to 50,000 guests annually (1000 per week on average).
  • More than 300,000 meals served annually.
  • Partnering with over 400 school groups annually.
  • Capable of offering a differentiated sequential program for schools – on provider with different sites capable of constructing a varied program all the way from Grade 2 to Grade 12.  Continue reading →

Oh Canada

| lovefeasts
26 ANZers in the Rockies

In July our Director of Camping participated on a Study Tour of Canadian campsites, just as their big Summer programs were kicking off.  Here are some of his reflections on camping in Canada:

So I’ve spent most of the past two weeks touring Canada, looking at some of their camping ministries just as they hit the full stride of their Summer camping season. We’ve so far visited more than twenty sites across three Provinces, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta.

The Canadian preparation for the Summer is impressive. Admittedly it’s a nine week window where the average campsite has to make hay while the sun shines (literally). Most sites bring their camp leadership in for at least a week before the camps get underway, a week of intentional input, relationship building and preparation for what lies ahead. Continue reading →

Things that matter to us: Hospitality

| lovefeasts

A series on the guiding principles of QCCC’s camping philosophy.

Fully catered camping in Queensland
Excellence in food is an important part of the QCCC service

Food is the basic staple of human survival but it’s so much more than that.  According to history, medieval priests “ministered” to travelers by providing shelter from the cold and nourishment in the form of hot soup.  Eventually this soup became known as ‘Minestrone’, from the Latin word for service, because this kindness was offered in Christ’s name as a service or ministry to needy travelers. 

“Ministry” has traditionally been (a) any service to people (b) done in Christ’s name (c) at a sacrifice – the soup was free to travelers. (J. Gibson – Ministry and Worship).

QCCC exists to serve – to “minister” to individuals & groups – through hospitality & service.  When used in the Bible this implies responsibilities well beyond the provision of food and lodging; i.e. courtesy, care and attention to other needs.

Continue reading →

Cruising the Obi

| lovefeasts
The toughest part of the trip - shooting a farm causeway.

It’s been a huge year across QCCC.  Mapleton alone has hosted nearly 300 different groups of guests through the course of the year.  Brookfield has had its busiest year ever and Tamborine has also hosted hundreds of groups and played a part in some major events on Tamborine Mountain.

As the schools head into their Summer holidays the whole of QCCC gets just a few weeks of hiatus.  Australia’s camping industry is the opposite to the American model, where the prime-time for their camping programs is over the northern hemisphere summer.  In Australia the summer period leading into Christmas is the quietest time of year.  On Boxing Day Mapleton kicks off its Summer Holiday Family Program and shortly after QCCC Tamborine’s accommodation gets used for the Tamborine Summer Convention.  Brookfield has several church, youth group and craft camps in January. 

Continue reading →

Drop some pilots

| lovefeasts

In a recent magazine article our Director of Camping, Andrew Grant, wrote “one thing that has fascinated and challenged me recently is that the deep and continued goodwill towards camping from people across generations is somewhat dampened by a sense that life has crowded in and made camping less achievable’.

The rainforest walk at Mapleton

He went on to say ‘I’m confident that camping retains a great relevance to modern life. Our role is to make camping accessible to ensure the potential of camping is unleashed in the lives of people.’

Over the last year we’ve spent a lot of time and made a lot of progress in assessing what we have in QCCC, and how we can grow and expand our services, and more importantly grow our ability to service camping and conferencing in our State.

Some of these involve some left-of-field thinking, where we’ve taken an innovative approach to push the envelope and broaden horizons, delivering camps with a difference.

Over the next few weeks we’ll throw out some ideas ideas we have for the future in an attempt to find churches, schools and groups to consider partnering with us in some pilots.  We’d like to soft-start some of these ideas with innovative partners to make sure they can work. After review and trouble-shooting we can then offer them to a wider audience.

Outdoor Education the Mapleton Way

| lovefeasts
Queensland Conference and Camping Centres (QCCC) Mapleton proudly takes an holistic approach to its outdoor education programs. 
QCCC Mapleton has an extensive range of outdoor education focussed adventure activities for guests to enjoy.

We have a team of highly qualified, full-time, outdoor educators whose sole purpose is to provide programs of excellence that build into the lives and programs of our guests. Because of this QCCC Mapleton cannot always match the monetary price of the other options but we will always back our safety record and the quality of our product and experience.

Mapleton Centre’s programmed activities are perfect for school, corporate, youth and family groups whose goals are to have fun while challenging themselves by stepping out of their everyday environment.

Built within our spectacular rainforest setting, high on the Blackall Range, our guests enjoy a wide range of challenges and activities that promote teamwork, communication and build self confidence. Our activities are a great opportunity for people of all ages to embark on a uniquely different series of mental and physical activities that will challenge you as an individual and groups as a whole.  Our guests choose from the following activities:
Continue reading →

Brisbane school camps thrive here!

| lovefeasts

Brisbane is a sought after destination for school camps and QCCC Brookfield is ideally located to cater for an excellent school camp, retreat or conference.

School camps Brisbane Queensland
Brookfield also has lots of facilities to help your group to relax when on-site.

As State capital of Queensland Brisbane has a wealth of educational and recreational facilities. These are easily accessed from Brookfield, just 15km or 25 minutes from the CBD and even closer to the many attractions in the south west, surrounding Mount Cootha.

The QCCC website now has a specific page for Brisbane school camp groups to access, highlighting the many activities enjoyed by our guests during their stay at QCCC Brookfield and providing website links where possible. The website currently lists nearly 40 activity options in and around Brisbane, more than enough to crowd out a school camp program with a spectacular tour of the Queensland capital.

Continue reading →

Mapleton Summer Holiday Family Program

| lovefeasts

For nearly three decades the QCCC Mapleton Summer Families program has catered to long days of fun and fellowship in the glorious Sunshine Coast hinterland.  Once again it returns for another run in the summer of 2010/11. 

Camp summer Sunshine Coast Queensland
Lazing around the Mapleton pool complex is a key ingredient of the Summer Family Program.

The holiday program involves some teaching, lots of leisure time and a day-long kids program that keeps them heartily entertained.  The ‘normal’ day starts with a time of worship/devotions for adult and children groups followed by a full day of activity for the children. 

The children’s program takes advantage of the many outdoor education activities at the Mapleton Centre and is led by Mapleton’s team of outdoor education.  It’s an exuberant schedule including archery, bouldering and climbing wall, some of the high ropes elements, sports, wide games and an evening program of games.

With children occupied adults are free to enjoy the many wonderful facilities at QCCC Mapleton.  Adults can relax by the pool and catch up with friends, have a sauna, wander the rainforest trails on the 35 hectare property, take in some shopping and the cafes a short stroll away in Mapleton or simply enjoy the peace to read a book or play board games with the other guests. 

Continue reading →

Carnival Night

| mzilikazi

We’ve just waved goodbye to the latest Mapleton Adventure camp and we really hope that each child takes away with them amazing memories of fun, mayhem and friendship.

The jumping castle is the visual centre-piece for a lot of surrounding activity

One of the stand-outs of the September MAC is Carnival night.  This is the first September MAC I’ve been involved with, and I have to confess I was impressed with its scale and impact.  I now understand why the QCCC staff (and their kids) eagerly awaits each MAC, and why Carnival night is an event on the calendar not to be missed.

Through the year hard-working volunteers comb through stores in Brisbane taking hold of a massive range of plastic toys, food nearing its use-by-date and anything else that might please a child’s heart. 

The campers come into Kirkwood Hall that has as its centerpiece a giant jumping castle, a visual centre piece that sets the carnival atmosphere.  Each child is given a show bag stacked with goodies and a bag of plastic tokens.

Continue reading →