Conveniently situated in Beaufort, Victoria, a short 40-minutes drive from Ballarat, you’ll be in the perfect spot to experience more of Victoria’s beautiful landscapes and educational attractions. Whether you’re heading out for a weekend country wedding, are dropping the kids off at summer camp, or want to extend a school camp with a few local attractions, these sites are a must-see!

Sovereign Hill

Ever wanted to experience the action and excitement of the Gold Rush as though it was the 1850s? Well, you can! Sovereign Hill is one of the most popular attractions in Ballarat and is only a stone throw away from Cave Hill Creek.

Sovereign Hill is like a living museum with working exhibits, where you and the kids can do everything from panning for gold to attending school in 19^th century Australia and taking a ride in an old-fashioned horse and cart. The costumes are authentic, the staff are in full character and the learning experience is second to none.

While exploring the fascinating history of Victoria’s Gold Rush, The Gold Museum and the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka are both also worth visiting.

Sovereign Hill

Bradshaw Street, Ballarat

03 5337 1199

enquiries@sovereignhill.com.au

Ballarat Wildlife Park

If you didn’t quite get your fill of wildlife spotting at Cave Hill Creek, there’s plenty more to see at Ballarat Wildlife Park.

Home to wombats, tree kangaroos, koalas, Tasmanian devils and emus, as well as echidnas, crocodiles and more than 100 roaming kangaroos, you’ll be able to get up-close to a range of native Australian species when you visit Ballarat Wildlife Park.

Ballarat Wildlife Park
250 Fussell Street, Ballarat East
(03) 5333 5933
wildlifepark.com.au

Ballarat Botanical Gardens

Perched on the western shore of Lake Wendouree is a sprawling garden that covers 40-hectares of open parkland, mature trees, seasonal flowers and a greenhouse. The gardens were built on land that originally housed police horses back in 1858 when the wealth of the Gold Rush filled the town with Lords and Ladies that wanted somewhere nice to take a stroll.

From rock walls and lily ponds to mature trees that are listed n the National Trust Significant Tree Register, and an abundance of statues, a visit to these gardens will be an afternoon well spent.

Ballarat Botanical Gardens
Gillies Street North, North Ballarat
(03) 5320 5135

Kryal Castle

A land of myth and adventure, when you cross the bridge into Kryal Castle you’ll be transported into a medieval world of knights and princesses, wizards and jesters.

With brilliant activities like mazes, royal jousts and the opportunity to try your strength and worthiness at the sword in the stone, children and adults alike will marvel at the wonders of Kryal Castle.

Kryal Castle

121 Forbes Road, Leigh Creek

03 5334 8500

admin@kryalcastle.com.au

Art Gallery of Ballarat

This is the oldest and biggest regional gallery in Australia. The building itself was built in 1890, and over the course of its history, it has housed a collection of art spanning from colonial to modern times. The collection is particularly interesting because visitors can see how art shifted from the likes of opulent portraits and landscapes in the 19^th century to the more recent forms of modernism and abstraction right through to the contemporary artworks that are popular today.

The gallery is also widely known for its uncanny ability to acquire Australian paintings and sculptures that are quite politically charged. The gallery’s curator doesn’t just want visitors to admire the beauty of the art; she wants them to walk away with a new perception of Australian art and culture.

Art Gallery of Ballarat
40 Lydiard Street North, Ballarat
(03) 5320 5858
artgalleryofballarat.com.au

If you want the chance to explore these attractions and attend your loved one’s wedding, or participate in a community guided walk with our team followed by a trip to some of Ballarat’s finest attractions, contact us today!

The post Cave Hill Creek: The Centre of Learning appeared first on Cave Hill Creek.

To help you plan the best possible school camp in Victoria, our camps host, Simon Milligan, shares his top tips.

What Activities Should You Include in a School Camp?
How you structure your school camp will depend on how long your trip is.

“We often run overnight camping experiences for primary school children, which are assisted by teachers and facilitated by our Cave Hill Creek camp leaders,” Simon says.

While overnight camps are somewhat limited when it comes to planning activities, the longer high school expeditions often run for a full week and are usually offered to teenagers in year 7-10.

​Some of the activities you can take advantage of during a school camp include:

• Canoeing
• Abseiling
• Mountain Biking
• Ropes Courses
• Hut and Raft Building
• Bushwalks
• Orienteering
• Bush Cooking
• And much more!

Each of these activities focus on developing a child’s love for the great outdoors through challenging, yet fun activities. They also teach students valuable life skills, with a focus on teamwork.

However, Simon believes that free time is just as important at a school camp as structured activities are. “Don’t be afraid of reflective time or free play for the students. It’s valuable skill building and friendship development time,” he says.

How to Incorporate Your School Curriculum
While we work hard to make sure our camps are fun and adventurous for school-aged kids, we also understand that they are a school sanctioned activity, and should therefore offer an educational experience.

For this reason, we offer Indigenous programming and are working on developing more activities around the Victorian school curriculum.

“We run indigenous programs at Cave Hill Creek that are facilitated by our staff and tie into the Victorian curriculum. This programming will help teachers with their classes and will give the students a professional, guided experience in a hands-on learning environment. We are also currently developing follow up activities that teachers can implement in the classroom after the camp is over, which we hope will add to the overall learning experience offered at Cave Hill Creek.”

The School Camp Facilities at Cave Hill Creek
Our school camp accommodation is second-to-none, with enough space to accommodate up to 140 people in our Lake View Lodge, Glamping Village and outdoor camping area.

We also have a great selection of both indoor and outdoor facilities.

Indoor:

• A large dining and recreation room
• An open fire place
• Table tennis tables
• A piano
• A high definition projector, blue ray player, digital TV and surround sound
• Indoor games equipment
• Overhead projector
• Whiteboard and easel
• Wireless internet access is available

Outdoor:

• An outdoor pavilion with picnic tables and an open fireplace and clear bistro blinds
• Lakeside decking
• Oval
• Canoes
• Bicycles
• Low ropes course
• Archery targets
• Volleyball court
• Barbecue facilities
• Campfire site
• Walking trails
• Bouldering wall

Nearby Attractions That are Great for School Camps
A number of schools start or end their school camp at Sovereign Hill. Cave Hill Creek is only a 45-minute drive from Ballarat, so it’s a great day excursion either before or after their camp at Cave Hill Creek, or some schools choose to spend a few days in Ballarat followed by a few at our facility.

For great school camp accommodation with fantastic school camp facilities, contact Simon from Cave Hill Creek at simon@cavehillcreek.com.au, or call 03 5349 7381 today!

The post How to Plan the Perfect School Camp in Victoria appeared first on Cave Hill Creek.

One thing he has noticed, is that there are a lot of beneficial questions schools could be asking that will not only streamline the booking process, but will also ensure every student has a memorable camp experience!

Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the more common questions we get include:

Which activities need instructors?

Any water activities, ropes courses, bikes and abseiling activities require suitably qualified instructors.

Can we provide our own instructors?

You can, but we will need to have a copy of their qualifications on file. Any questions relating to instructors should be directed to our outdoor operations manager, who will be able to assist you with any queries.

Can I see a menu, as we have students with dietary requirements?

Yes, we will happily email you a copy of the menu. We customise our menus for each of our camp groups; and are able to accommodate any dietary requirements.

Extra Questions to Ask
So, what type of questions should you ask when booking your campsite?

According to Simon, going into more detail, and double checking everything during the booking process helps to ensure every school camp goes off without a hitch!

How can we get the most from our experience?

This may sound like a very broad question, but when asking it, we’ll be able to delve further into what you’re looking for from a school camp, as well as what we can provide. Once this has been established, we’ll be able to work towards making these goals a reality.

Can I confirm the activities and student numbers?

The last thing anyone wants is to arrive at the camp ready to get started only to find out activities and student numbers haven’t been confirmed. When you confirm all of your camp details, we’ll be able to make sure we have activity instructors on-site ready for the kids, and that all of the camp facilities you need are ready to go.

Have you received our signed booking form?

Always make sure we have received and processed your booking form. This will not only ensure everything is in order; it will also give us a chance to further discuss any of your needs.

What is new at Cave Hill Creek?

Even if you hold your school camp at Cave Hill Creek every year, it’s worth asking what’s new. We’re always updating menus, introducing new activities and bringing new staff on board, so each camp experience with us will be unique and exciting!

What is a fully-facilitated program and what is the difference between this and a teacher led program?

While teachers can run a lot of our programs and activities, we find that students gain more from the camp experience when our outdoor specialists lead them. Plus, teachers have a unique chance to spend time with the students in a more casual environment when they’re not running the activities themselves. We can even tailor our programs to meet any curriculum needs.

For great school camp accommodation with fantastic school camp facilities, contact Simon from Cave Hill Creek at simon@cavehillcreek.com.au, or call 03 5349 7381 today!

The post What Questions Should You Ask When Booking a Campsite? appeared first on Cave Hill Creek.

Sam a teacher at an outer suburban primary school is also a keen weekend angler.  Each Monday morning he would regale stories of catching big trevally, tasty snapper or fighting flathead to his students.  The kids would listen intently, dreaming one day of their own big catch.

It was an early camp morning and Sam was up with the sun to try his luck. Sam had already reeled in 5 nice sized brown and rainbow trout, and tales of his catch were spreading wildly amongst the excited kids as they rose from their bunks.

​It was nearing breakfast and Sam was packing up when he hooked another rainbow trout.  Almost at the same time the bell rang.  Instinctively Sam placed the rod back in its holder and headed to the dining room. On his way in the door he grabbed the attention of James aged 10:
​
“Hey James, I need to supervise breakfast, how about you go down to the lake, reel in my line and pack up my fishing equipment?”.

“Yeah sure Sam. No worries”. James replied, pleased to have been chosen.

James wandered down to the deck, grabbed the rod and started reeling.  All of a sudden there was a tug on the line, and the rod tip began to bend.  “A fish. I’ve got a fish” he screamed excitedly, lifting the rod tip and winding as fast as he could, just as Sam had described on many a Monday morning.  The fish jumped from the water with a spectacular splash, flipping about wildly.  James landed the fish on the deck.  Picking up the fish with his rod he turned and ran to the dining room.   Having seen James land the fish his fellow students began cheering. James, bursting with pride raised the fish for all to see.

A silent nod and wink was all that was required between Sam and I – a magic teaching moment.

The post Kids outdoors – A Fish That Didn’t Get Away appeared first on Cave Hill Creek.

The benefits of outdoor activity and engaging with the environment are well documented.  And yet only half of Victorian school kids spend 3-5 days annually on outdoor programmes.

Tony Pammer CEO of the Outdoor Education Group recently outlined his goal to get 80% of students aged 10-18 to participate in 7 days of outdoor activities a year at the Australian Camps Association conference Kids Outdoors: A Growing Need.  John Lindross from AusCamp is working toward a similar goal.

Tony’s goal is so simple, and yet to date has been impossible to achieve.  Victoria is a world leader in terms of school camping, and yet we still do so little outdoor education.  At the last state election the defeated Labour Government proposed a fantastic looking Yr 9 camp programme.  But why limit such a program to just Yr 9?  Cost? But surely the benefits to our kids wellbeing and education outweigh the limited costs.  Plenty of schools are already aware of the benefits of such programmes.

I remember my school camps like they were yesterday, Yr 2 sleepover in the library, Yr 4 camping at Middle Creek, Yr 6 trip to Canberra, Yr 7 orientation camp at Weekaway, Yr 9 history excursion to Pioneer Settlement Swan Hill, and later overnight hikes at Mt Cole, in the Grampians and up Mt Bogong.
​
They were the highlights of my schooling and helped me build personal organization skills, resilience and created a sense of adventure.  A wellbeing that helped balance the rest of my studies.

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