#lessgo
You'll find information and registration forms for all our camps and programs on this page. You can click on these links to stop you scrolling all the way through :)
- Hay 2711 Initiative (reserved for residents of Hay Shire, NSW)
- Berry Street School (reserved for Berry Street School students)
- Camps open for individuals (NDIS, Carer Gateway, Child Protection Services, Justice, self-funded)
- 1:1 Mentoring Series (NDIS, Carer Gateway, Child Protection, Justice, self-funded)
- Justice Diversion (Bounce Back - Greater Shepparton)
Hay 2711
We've worked with the Hay Community since October 2019 and are keen to develop a sustainable, long-term delivery of the Giz A Break program for young people from Hay and surrounding communities. Over 2023 and 2024, we'll be delivering 8 camps and many individual and small group follow-ups. The first six camps are done and dusted, and the final two are coming up in November! We're also running a suite of smaller (up to 6 participants) and shorter (2 nights) follow-up adventures for previous participants who would like some additional support.
Berry Street School
High Country, 22-25 October 2024
We are offering 9 boys from Berry Street School a ripper 4-day adventure in the High Country. If you're 14-17 year old boy at Berry Street School in Shepparton, then this one's for you!
Supported by Giz A Break's Brendan and Zonk as well as Rumbalara's Brad Armstrong and social worker Lauren Barker, this one will be heaps of fun. You'll be travelling to the Victorian high country (proper mountains!) in our modified 4x4s. You'll even be crossing through the Goulburn River. We'll provide absolutely everything, and all you need to bring are your basic clothes and a pillow. To register and download a brochure, hit the buttons below. See you soon!
For Individuals (including NDIS participants)
Group Camps
The social activities listed below are designed to support young people with neuro-developmental conditions such as autism, ADHD, complex trauma, and FASD. Please note that these camps are not supported by grants or donations, which means that a fee applies as indicated on each camp's tile below. If you (or your child) are supported by the NDIS, Carer Gateway, or another government program, please talk to your plan manager, support coordinator, or case manager (as applicable) before you register. All programs are fully catered and supported by a group of experienced and qualified staff with a high staff-to-participant ratio (at least 1:3, often 1:2). The locations, itineraries, and activities are spectacular! The key goal for each of our camps is to ensure each individual participant grows as a result of their experience with us. Our staff are trained and we use youth and social work approaches to deliver our programs. So, of course you will have a magic and exciting adventure while you (or your child) come(s) along, but you get a whole lot more than that - the primary goal of the program is to enhance social and cognitive skills. Oh, and the food is actually decent and healthy. Forget stale sandwiches - you'll get some proper tucker!
Small group days (fortnightly on Wednesdays)
We head out on Wednesdays with a small group (up to three per vehicle) of young people keen to connect with each other and nature. Activities depend on the season and weather and can include four-wheel driving, fishing, canoeing, hiking, or snow trips. We provide everything including food and adventure equipment. Departure is at 9am from our warehouse in Shepparton and return is at 5pm. The cost of the adventure is $396 (1:3 ratio) for the day. To register, please complete the online registration form by clicking on the button below.
High Country Adventure +
Learn how to catch trout in crystal clear streams in the Alpine National Park - and learn how to cook them on the campfire. Travel along on fun four-wheel drive tracks, explore famous high country log huts, stand under waterfalls and hike up to the top of a mountain. What an adventure! To help our younger participants take the big step of being away from home, we'll include a familiarisation day 4 weeks before camp - meet the team, try out the swags and sleeping bags you'll be sleeping in, and come for a ride in our four-wheel drives. All food is included and we have a high supervision ratio of 1:2 or higher.
There are two options to pick from: 10 December 2024 (day out) + 14-16 January 2025 (camp), or 21 March (day out) + 15-17 April.
VIC Deserts (1-4 October 2024)
Travel on remote sandy 4x4 tracks, send the four-wheel drives up the biggest sand dunes you've ever seen (and probably didn't even know we had in Victoria!), and camp on red sand in mallee bushland. Observe emus, and if you get really lucky, you might even spot a dingo (you'll definitely see their tracks) and mallee fowl. If you'd like to know what it looks and feels like, have a look at this short video.
One of the magic aspects of this action packed itinerary are the wildflowers in spring - even if flowers aren't your thing, we bet you won't believe your eyes when you see a dry lake covered in purple-pink pig face flowers. Oh, and mentioning pink - we'll also be checking out the salt lakes and some of the salt mining equipment used. Departure is from Shepparton (VIC) and we can pick up along the way in Echuca and Swan Hill. Cost per person is $3,000.
High Country (17-20 December 2024)
Catch trout in crystal clear streams in the Alpine National Park - and learn how to cook them on the campfire. Travel along on challenging four-wheel drive tracks, explore famous high country log huts, stand under waterfalls and hike up to the top of a mountain. We'll show you some of the best swimming holes in the high country as we tour though the mountains. You'll sleep in high quality swags and sleeping bags we provide you with - and of course we'll have a great selection of food and snacks on board, too. Here's what it looks and feels like - check out the video. What an adventure! Departure is from Shepparton and we can pick up along the way in Benalla. Cost is $2500 per person.
Otway Magic (21-24 January 2025 )
Where the rainforest meats the beaches along the Great Ocean Road - you get to four-wheel drive among towing gum trees on slippery clay tracks in the steep hills close to Cape Otway, travel a rugged and boggy track along the cliffs overlooking the ocean, and get close to koalas - oh, and we'll thow in some sightseeing and swims along the great ocean road. Did we mention fishing and a nightwalk in the rain forest? Yes, you'll get to do that, too. Cost is $2900 per person.
Grampians (8-11 April 2025 )
This fully catered and supported adventure brings together a mix of thrilling climbs to the tops of the Grampian's jagged mountains, fun four-wheel drive tracks, and experiencing stunning rock art. We'll be travelling through the Grampians and show you some of the hard-to-reach spots and challenging 4x4 tracks we've discovered in years of travelling through these remarkable mountain range. You'll find it hard to believe you're in Victoria! The cost of this fully catered and well supported adventure is $2900 per person.
Wonnangatta 4x4 (3-6 June 2025 )
This 4x4 adventure goes right into the remote and wild heart of the Victorian high country. Rugged 4x4 tracks, river crossings, and relics of mining towns and cattle stations long gone. We'll also explore some of the mysteries and high profile murders that have happened in this region. And when you hear a pack of dingos howl at night, you'll definitely appreciate the warmth of your campfire and cosy swag! There's a good chance that we'll get the season's first snow in early June (fingers crossed!), too. Cost is $2900 per person.
NSW Outback (17-23 September 2024)
Ever dreamt of exploring the Outback? This 7-day all inclusive tour will take you to breathtaking sites along remote outback tracks. Explore the Darling River, hike through the red mountains of Mutawintji National Park, stay on a remote station and fossick for opals - this is a breathtaking journey. All food and equipment are included and you'll be travelling in one of our awesome 4x4s with enough space to be comfy. Departure is from Shepparton (VIC), and we can pick up along the way in Barmah, Mathoura, Deniliquin, and Hay. Cost is $5,000 per person.
High Country (3-6 December 2024)
Catch trout in crystal clear streams in the Alpine National Park - and learn how to cook them on the campfire. Travel along on challenging four-wheel drive tracks, explore famous high country log huts, stand under waterfalls and hike up to the top of a mountain. We'll show you some of the best swimming holes in the high country as we tour though the mountains. You'll sleep in high quality swags and sleeping bags we provide you with - and of course we'll have a great selection of food and snacks on board, too. Here's what it looks and feels like - check out the video. What an adventure! Departure is from Shepparton and we can pick up along the way in Benalla. Cost is $2500 per person.
Small group (and 1:1) program
Like all of our activities, the small group and 1:1 programs aim to build participants' capacity to become more engaged within their communities - whether this means learning how to navigate social situations at school or with family & friends, or how to overcome social anxiety.
We started developing our 1:1 adventures upon the request of a participant who had come along on one of our group adventures and wanted to continue working with us to build on the positive impact he felt his participation had had. While we can offer stand-alone 1:1 adventures for respite purposes or as a circuit breaker or just a "taster", we think that connecting a series of at least six 1:1 one-day adventures with a goal setting and attainment tracking approach is more impactful. We invite you to seek a discussion with us before you decide what you'd like to do, but read on first.
We also run fortnightly small group adventures for 10-13 year olds, leaving from our warehouse in Shepparton at 9am on Wednesdays and returning at 5pm. Activities will vary throughout the season and depend on weather conditions - but would usually include four-wheel driving, fishing, hiking, canoeing, or swimming in the rivers and lakes - and sometimes all of the above :)
Destinations include the Victorian High Country, Strathbogie Ranges, The Rivers (Broken, Goulburn, Murray), and the Eldorado / Beechworth region.
Referrals can be made by NDIS participants or their primary carer, Carer Gateway staff, Child Protection Services, Justice Services, and individuals who are able to self-fund their participation.
Justice Prevention
Bounce Back Project (closed)
THIS PROJECT IS NOW COMPLETE and has been evaluated (hit the button below to read the evaluation). In summary, the project showed that our work with young people at risk of justice system engagement made a positive impact: It lowered their risk of getting in trouble with police, increased school attendance, made participants feel happier, and it improved communication at home. Participants and their carers valued the program and wanted it to continue.
Goal: Reduce young men's risk of justice engagement. We're connecting 4-day off-road adventure camps with monthly small group full-day adventures. These camps are delivered by experience youth and justice workers. The project takes a youth and social work approach, embedded in our unique adventure therapeutic framework. Eligibility criteria: 14-17 year old boys who live in Greater Shepparton and are at high risk of justice engagement, or already engaged. Requirements: Willing to commit to monthly full-day adventures and a 4-day camp; legal guardian's consent; referral by schools, Rumbalara Co-op, courts, youth justice, or police.
This project is made possible through a grant from Greater Shepparton City Council under the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety's Empowering Communities Program.