KFA Camp Leadership Wellbeing Resilience close to Melbourne for School group accommodation conference retreat teambuilding offsites Victoria Yarra Valley

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Kinglake Forest Adventures Camp is one of the safest forest based camps in Victoria from a bushfire perspective. Whilst the facility is in a high risk area as many camps are, it is the below four points that makes the difference. KFAC is a fully ACA accredited campsite with all the required and audited processes that that accreditation entails, including emergency management plans. Note these key points :

We are one of the closest of all campsites to Melbourne being just 13 minutes away from Whittlesea in Melbourne’s Northern suburbs. As a result car or coach evacuation is very quick.
ALL KFAC buildings were built in 2011 to Bushfire Attack Level 29 – a very high standard
Our safe haven area is just 400M away and is a 50 Hectare totally un-treed and year-round market garden farm.
We have a standing evacuation standby plan with Panorama Coaches based in Diamond Creek about 35 min away. If required the coaches are available at any hour.

Other measures/practices that relate to safety on hot days :

We subscribe to CFA alerts and monitor them in our office and kitchen 24/7.
The temperature in Kinglake is usually 4 deg cooler than in Melbourne due to altitude
We conduct nearly all activities in shaded areas
We constantly remind participants to be hydrated and sun-smart
Our main buildings are fully air-conditioned

The program at Kinglake Forest Adventures was well tailored, in order to best meet the wellbeing needs of our students and prepare them for their final year of schooling. We select KFA due to their innovative approach towards programming and their flexibility in tailoring the structure of our Retreat to align with both our school culture and our goals for our students. The KFA staff are friendly and welcoming, allowing the students to feel at ease, whilst encouraging them to challenge themselves, work as a team, reflect on their strengths and step outside of their comfort zone.

Nov 2019
Colin, Michelle and their team really did provide us with a Journey in the design and execution of a program for a group of young women focused on individual strengths, teamwork and leadership. Consultation in the crafting of an experience that captured key objectives was thorough, bespoke and delivered with utmost care and detail. They were open to flexibility both in planning and execution, using our staff as guideposts to improve any aspect of the program once it was underway. Our young people walked away from KFA with a heightened sense of self, a deeper appreciation of their own wellbeing and a bag full of long lasting memories. We would like to thank the Journey team for embracing our group, displaying adaptability around program specifics and cultivating a safe environment where young people were able to explore, experience and flourish. Thanks guys!

Talent & Wellbeing Manager

NAB AFL Women’s Academy – Aug 2019
Kew High School.

Kew High School has been attending Kinglake Forest Adventures since 2013. We chose KFA as it offered a different experience from other camps. Over the past seven years we have benefited from new and exciting activities offered to our students but the one main consistent point is their attention and dedication to their ethos in wellbeing and positive psychology which is integrated into and around each and every activity. As the school I have always enjoyed being part of the conversation about what else can be implemented into our program to make it unique and specific to the needs of my students. This has included the physical challenges we take on and the language which we use at the school. In 2020 Kew High School are additionally bringing our year seven student camp program across to KFA from another provider because I know that they can offer us something that is unique, innovative, fun, exciting and is all backed up by current research into resilience and student wellbeing.

Nov, 2019

Kew High
Shelford Girls Grammar

Year 8, 60 Participants.

Our Year 8s absolutely loved the challenging, thrilling and thought-provoking Young Rhythms Program at Kinglake! What an amazing week… The skills they gained from their camp experience are so important at this stage in their development, and link in perfectly with our approach to pastoral care here at school. The program run so smoothly and it was a joy to work with such a capable team throughout the week! Thank you!!

Alison Reid, Year 8 Co-ordinator.

Shelford Girls Grammar
Mentone Girls Grammar

February 2018, Year 7, 80 Participants.

“On behalf of my team and the school, I would like to thank you and your team for providing such a professional and high standard service. We share a lot in terms of our vision in providing the challenging but entertaining experience to push students’ comfort zone and learn more about themselves. I have received so many positive feedback from both school, students and their parents that students had a very good time.

I also appreciate your flexibility and understanding to accommodate our dynamic and demanding environment as it comes to the student’s well-being and health. ”

Ellie Beni, Head of Year 7

Mentone Girls Grammar
Camberwell High

200 Year 9 Students

Despite some difficult weather conditions, the Year 9 cohort from Camberwell High School had an amazing experience at Kinglake Ranges Wilderness Camp again in 2018.

Favourite adventure activities, including the ropes course and hike, encouraged the students to push out of their physical comfort zones in a safe and supportive environment. The meditation and “About Me” sessions allowed opportunities for emotional development and bonding within small groups.

Other activities throughout camp were designed to develop students’ co-operation, collaboration, communication and teamwork skills, which of course are invaluable. Watching the individual growth in these areas over the three days was extraordinary.

The camp staff were, in all circumstances, amazing. The understanding and support they showed to all students during the activities was commendable, and they went above and beyond to ensure all were engaging with the challenges and getting the most out of the camp experience.

A sincere thank you to all involved in making this camp such a resounding success.

Renee Gordon

Year 9 Student Learning Leader

Camberwell High
“Dear Colin, Slim, Maddy & KFA Camp,

On behalf of the Highton Primary School Grade 5/6 students and staff, we would like to thank-you for a wonderful three days at your camp. From the moment we arrived at camp, we were treated in a warm and friendly manner, with many students commenting about the polite and lovely nature of the KFA staff. The program you implemented allowed the students to foster and strengthen new relationships. The staff promoted and encouraged students to adopt a growth mindset and to s

afely step outside of their comfort zones. For our students, the Leap of Faith and the Wildergaining Collaborative Mission were highlights. Furthermore, we would like to say a huge big thank-you to Michelle and the kitchen staff, for their professionalism in dealing with dietary requirements and for ensuring the food was always delicious.”

2019 Ben Leitch, Grade 5 & 6, Highton Primary School
Eltham High School, May 2018

Eltham High School, again took advantage of the program at Kinglake Forest Adventures Camp in 2018. Colin, Steve and the rest of the crew worked extremely hard to provide an engaging program that challenged our students to push them selves out of their comfort zones. Our kids formed new friendships, engaged with their facilitators and teachers building strong relationships and came away from their experience with a host of new memories. Each group learned to recognise not only their own strengths but the strengths in others that they worked with and built a culture of positive reinforcement and a growth mind set. Steve worked closely with us to deal with the challenges that come with bringing up a huge cohort of year 9 students and made sure the entire program ran smoothly for the duration of the camp. On return to school the next week I my-self heard more than one student exclaim that this was the best camp they’d ever been on.

We here at Eltham High School extend our most sincere thanks to the team at KFA for their hard work and the friendly atmosphere they created for us.

Simon Maurdev, Eltham High School

Eltham High School
“The leadership students of Cheltenham Secondary College go so much out of each and every aspect of your camp. From the Wildergaining, to the Tree Talk, to the staff, we really grew to learn and understand to a deeper level what leadership is to each of us.

Throughout the camp the cooking staff would outdo themselves time and time again, holding nothing back, providing us with nutritious and delicious meals to keep us sustained each day.”

Tara O’Neill, Year 12 Public Relations, Cheltenham Secondary College
“Your attention to detail and ability to adhere to strict regulations and controls is clearly evidenced by the care given to our students.”

Katherine Smith, Middle School Leader, Kew High
“Our year 8’s absolutely loved the challenging, thrilling and thought-provoking Young Rhythms Program at Kinglake…The skills they gained from their camp experience were so important at this stage in their development.”

Alison Reid, Year 8 Co-ordinator, Shelford Girls Grammar
“ On behalf of the other teachers and our merry band of intrepid international students, I wanted to thank KRWC for your hospitality and conducting a program that exceeded our expectations in terms of delivering student growth outcomes. You can certainly be proud of the product and service you afforded to our school.”

Christopher Menage – The Peninsula school
Cheltenham Secondary

Leadership Camp.

“Thanks KRWC for an absolute legendary camp!! The leadership students of Cheltenham Secondary College got so much out of each and every aspect of your camp. From the Wildergaining, to the Tree Talk, to the staff, we really grew to learn and understand to a deeper level what leadership is to each of us. KRWC provided a warm, fun and enlightening experience for us all!!The staff at KRWC were amazing! Greeted with warm smiles and fun icebreakers we knew we were in great hands. Then in smaller groups later they helped us to learn more about leadership styles, ourselves and our group members. During these group times the staff helped to create an environment that made us comfortable to share encouragement and ideas about leadership with each other without feeling judged.

Throughout the camp the cooking staff would outdo themselves time and time again, holding nothing back, providing us with nutritious and delicious meals to keep us sustained each day.

I’m sure we all really appreciated the beauty of the environment that this camp is situated in. Doing the smaller group activities was made significantly better just because of the native, natural environment. The accommodation was perfectly adequate for us all. And we all loved the Mac on the wall with our school logo on it and the other welcoming touches around the main room also.

In all the games and activities we did, we were pushed and stretched in different ways, helping us to gain more confidence in ourselves and others also. The fun level for all these games and activities were “off the Richter Scale”!!! We all learnt to function as a team better and learnt valuable lessons that can be applied to many leadership opportunities we may be presented with both now and in the future ahead of us.“

Tara O’Neill, Year 12 Public Relations, Cheltenham Secondary College

Cheltenham Secondary
“Hi Colin and Michelle,
Many thanks for the fantastic experience you provided to our students, staff and parent helpers last week at your camp. All of the students have been talking about their time away and have returned to school, renewed, fresh and full of vigour. It is a testament to your thorough planning and organisation skills, that these camps are successful, happy and enjoyable.

The staff you have employed are extremely caring about the students they work with in the small groups. They not only encourage the students to go beyond their limits, they reward all of their efforts, whilst completing the challenges they face.”

Liz Moody

Moonee Ponds Primary

Bushfire Safety