The best school camp destination on the Gold Coast and Tweed Coast

STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN LEARNING AND FUN

Teachers will say that school camps and excursions are the perfect opportunity for students to discover and learn from a different perspective, one that doesn’t involve the classroom, their home environment or their parents.

Ask the kids and they’ll probably tell you the three most important things about school camps are connecting with their friends, making new friends and having loads of FUN!

Those lucky kids who visit North Star at Hastings Point for their school camp or excursion get the best of both worlds. This popular holiday resort’s perfect balance of learning and fun consistently earns the thumbs up from teachers and students alike.

Students who visit for camp can’t help but be immersed in opportunities to learn and discover, especially when it comes to the marine environment. For students whose curriculum already includes marine or environmental studies, a trip to North Star adds a new and tangible dimension to what has been learnt at school.

With four, easily accessible coastal ecosystems, Hastings Point is a ‘living classroom’. It features an unsurpassed intertidal rock platform; healthy mangrove wetland and tidal estuary; stretches of beaches and sand dune forests that extend back into a Wallum Heathland; and freshwater Paperbark Tea Tree wetlands.

Kayaking trips through the crystal-clear waters of the estuary, nature walks along the foreshore and orienteering are popular choices to foster team building and collaboration.

Factor in an hour or two of fun at North Star’s famous waterpark, with its heated 8.2 metre high slides and splash park, and teachers will have a tough time getting the kids back on the bus when it’s time to go home.

North Star lets teachers build their own camp program across a range of nature, science-based and team-building sessions, and activities. Package can include catering, accommodation, all activities and entertainment.

Here is a list of some of the activities to choose from:

• The recently refurbished onsite Marine Discovery Centre, a showcase of state-of-the-art light and sound technology, fitted with interactive digital terminals and world-class marine and coastal science displays.
• Kayaking
• Guided nature walks facilitated by one of North Star’s knowledgeable eco-guides (choose from Hasting Point Rocky Shore, Wallum Heathland or Sand Dunes)
• Sandcastle building and beach games (sporting equipment available)
• Orienteering
• Meditation and mindfulness sessions
• Shoreline plastic and rubbish surveys

If your school has its own bus and you would like to get out and about with the students, the Tweed Coast has something for everyone. Local attractions include The Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre and M ARTS Precinct for visual arts, Tropical Fruit World perfect for agriculture or Tweed Regional Museum for history and more.

ABOUT NORTH STAR

North Star Holiday Resort is a multi-award-winning Resort on the spectacular Tweed Coast, just 30 minutes south of Gold Coast Airport and 30 minutes north of Byron Bay.

Surrounded by National parkland, North Star spreads over 10 hectares of manicured, sub-tropical gardens with palms, pools and playgrounds, nestled between a pristine beach and crystal-clear tidal estuary.

Facilities

A range of facilities is available at North Star, including:

• Comfortable dorm-style accommodation
  Dorms are air-conditioned, have two bathrooms, two separate showers and sleep up to 10 people;
• Onsite Marine Discovery Centre
  North Star is home to one of Australia’s largest, privately funded museums. Its primary focus is teaching people how they can play a role in protecting and safeguarding our precious marine environment for future generations.
• Onsite Catering
  Ripples Licensed Café has years of experience in catering for large school groups. A range of meal options is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with menus designed to suit all ages.
• Large dining/meeting rooms
  Including a fully air-conditioned function room which can seat 80-100 people in comfort. Room hire includes use of all AV equipment and Wi-Fi.
• Unrivalled facilities
  Heated pools, 8.2 metre high water slides, splash park, outdoor playground, games room, convenience store, BBQ area, free Wi-Fi, full-size tennis court and more.