Family Adventure

Connections for life. Develop persistence and unlock potential. Reframe obstacles as opportunities and strengthen meaningful family connections with a bonding experience like no other!

Essential Information
The Ultimate Bonding Adventure

Schedule Some Family Time

Strengthen meaningful family relationships with a bonding experience you’ll never forget! Our 5-day family program encourages participants to support one another, connect through dialogue, personal reflection, and work together to create fantastic life-long memories. This is a rare opportunity to see your family in a whole new light.

The program is devised for one parent and youth pair, where your young person is in years 7 -10 at school.

Create A New Tradition

Have fun sharing your adventure with other like-minded families who are on their own exciting journey. This adventure can be the catalyst for improving relationships with teens and fostering an open communication style of support, trust and encouragement.

Activities such as high ropes, hiking, and Overnight Duo will see family bonds strengthened. These adventures support relationships by enhancing communication, compassion, consideration and patience.

Understanding Responsibility

Experiential learning through Family Adventure involves youth taking on leadership roles, building resilience to better cope with stress, and managing complicated interactions. Developing new skills and acquiring a sense of being ‘in control’ through the risk-reward challenges supports teens with life skills that remain relevant throughout adolescence and adulthood.

We All Can Grow Confidence

As parents, you can also expand your parental skillset and learn about reframing setbacks as opportunities and engaging your child to become more confident and capable of managing everyday challenges.

You both benefit from a closer, more positive relationship where each person feels valued, supported, respected and understood.

A School Holiday Adventure With A Difference

For a holiday experience jam-packed with relationship-building challenges, fun and friendship  – not to mention loads of personal development, register today and give yourselves a gift that will inspire and connect you both for years to come.

Contact our team on 1800 267 999 to learn more or ask any questions about the program in your state or territory.

Is this program right for my young person?

Outward Bound provides a safe and supportive environment for your young person to thrive, regardless of their prior experience on an adventure like this.

Outward Bound’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity means programs cater to people of different ages, genders, backgrounds, and abilities. However, the Outward Bound team are not trained disability support workers or trauma informed, and OB programs are not for everyone.

Programs are delivered in a group setting, with two staff members facilitating up to 18 participants. We are unable to provide 1-on-1 ongoing support throughout the program for individual participants with complex additional needs.

Participants need to:

  • Be respectful: physical or verbally abusive behaviours will not be tolerated.
  • Co-operate and partake in the fundamental elements of the program, without deliberately disrupting group activities.
  • Self-manage living skills in an outdoor camping environment.

Participants may be removed from the program if they fail to meet these standards.

Please read the full Public Program Participant Behavioural and Personal Competency Expectations before committing to this Outward Bound program.

Locations - Where does our adventure take place?

Currently, Family Adventure is offered from our National Base in Tharwa, ACT.

In Australia, we are so lucky to have such a diverse landscape to explore and learn from. Outward Bound’s Family Adventure takes place in some of Australia’s most unique national park and wilderness locations.

Itinerary - What will we be doing?

Please click on the image to see an indicative program for Family Adventure. The exact structure may change for your program, based on weather, National Park access, and the overall dynamics of the group.

What's included in the fees?

Outward Bound’s Family Program starts from $997 per person and covers all national park, location and activity fees, accommodation requirements, meals, activities and specialised equipment. You will adventure together for five days, releasing the shackles of modern life’s time pressures to focus instead on the opportunities of sharing great experiences and building strong family relationships.

Accommodation

Our programs are expedition-based journeys where you will experience setting up and staying in a new campsite each night. Each location will have comfortable facilities to provide a relaxed, happy camp experience for each participant.

Amenities

Toileting facilities and showering amenities will be dependent on each campsite’s location.

Meals & Catering

Outward Bound provides fresh and healthy food options available for participants across the week. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, including drinks and water purification, is of course provided at each location. The experience of preparing food and cooking together in the outdoors is all part of the program. If there are allergies or specific dietary requirements to be noted, please contact us to discuss how we can best cater for your needs.

Equipment

Outward Bound will provide all program activity equipment, your hiking backpack and overnight shelter.

Support and Encouragement

Our trained and experienced program facilitators manage the camp itinerary. They have a great knowledge of experience adventuring, understand relationship building, and provide support, encouragement and friendship so that everyone has a fantastic time.

Our programs are progressive, so we will help with building resilience and challenging you to be the best you can be. Sometimes pushing you both out of your comfort zones to realise your true potential will unveil new skills and unlock your inner strength. As a family bonding experience, there is nothing else like it!

Packing List - What will we need?
Come prepared and leave with a new vision of family connection.

Please click here to access your packing list for the program: Short Expedition Packing List. Please note this list is designed on a per person basis.

Participants are expected to come on program with all items, as indicated.

If there are items that you do not have, see if you can borrow from friends or family or look online and buy second hand. We also have organised with Camp List to offer many of the items on the list for hire and/or purchase. To see what is available go to www.camplist.com.au and in the central search bar type “Outward Bound Australia”.

FAQs

We’re always happy to answer any questions you may have over the phone (1800 267 999). Here are the answers to a few frequently asked questions.

Where am I sleeping?

Our programs are expedition-based. You will be hiking to a new expedition campsite every night where you will share a bivvy (A-frame tarp, with waterproof groundsheet and sleeping mat.)

What will I eat?

We value fresh food and endeavour to organise regular food drops for you to enjoy throughout your program. Participants will learn to cook a variety of group-based meals, including pasta, rice, burritos, and perhaps even a roast dinner. We are able to cater for most dietary requirements. We will request your specific dietary needs before the program.

Can I bring technology on program?

An Outward Bound program is your opportunity to ‘disconnect to reconnect’. We encourage adult participants to not use technology such as phones, tablets, music players, etc. during your program. If you need to bring these items, we can securely store these while you are out in the bush.

Do I have to wear hiking boots?

We recommend hiking boots for all our programs. If you are unable to source these, you will need to find a suitable pair of lace-up, fully enclosed footwear, that has a rigid sole and provides ankle stability.

Do I have to bring the wet weather clothing?

We use the rain jacket and waterproof overpants as a heat-trapping layer in the evenings, just as much as a waterproof cover in the case of rain. For the majority of situations, we continue with our program when it is raining, and so very strongly encourage participants to provide these items.

Do I have to bring the thermals?

For programs running May – September, yes you do need to bring the thermal top and bottom to program. For programs running at other times, you can choose if you want to bring these or not. Overall, we recommend bringing thermals for any time of year, as they can act as a lightweight jumper in the evenings, or as a pair of pyjamas (which are not a part of our packing list).

What activities will I be doing?

All Outward Bound programs include a hiking expedition and team initiatives. The program length and location may include abseiling, rock-climbing and high ropes. Programs in Western Australia and Grampians VIC usually include a water-based activity.

Do I have to be very fit to come on a program?

An Outward Bound program is an expedition in the natural environment, so you need to feel confident enough to manage walking on uneven ground for 5-10km every day of your program, carrying a hiking backpack that is at least 6kg. A fully packed hiking backpack usually weighs approximately 15kg. We do adjust our programs to meet the capabilities of each group.

Where are the programs held?

All-year-round programs operate from our national base in Tharwa, ACT. We operate seasonally from our Base in Walpole WA, and our remote set-up along the Snowy River, VIC.

Scholarships and Fundraising for your Program
Scholarships

We want as many people as possible to experience the advantage of a wilderness program in Australia. Through our charity arm, the Australian Outward Bound Development Fund, we can offer financial scholarship opportunities to those participants who would otherwise not be able to afford to come on a program.

There are three scholarship tiers available on every program. At the time of application, you will be asked to select which Scholarship Program Fee you can afford.
The amount selected is the total Program Fee you may be asked to co-contribute. Scholarships do not include any costs associated with clothing, equipment, or transport to and from program.
For the Family Adventure program, scholarships are considered on a per-person (not per-family) basis.

  • $697.90
  • $498.50
  • $199.40

We accept applications for all programs throughout the year. First-round notification of your success for any given program will be advised 16-weeks before program start date. 

To apply for a scholarship please go to our Scholarship Application Form.

Fundraising with Prezentbox

Prezentbox is a digital platform that enables family and friends to contribute to your Outward Bound program. Read more about Outward Bound’s partnership with Prezentbox and how it works.

Core Outcomes of Outward Bound Programs

The recently released Outward Bound International Global Impact Report 2020 revealed the centralizing theme of CONNECTIONS across all regions and 5 CORE OUTCOMES of Outward Bound programs consistent across the worldwide network of Schools. Connections to:

  1. Self
    • Resilience
    • Confidence
  2. Others
    • Compassion
    • Social Competence
  3. The Natural World
    • Environmental Responsibility
What exciting activities will we experience together?
Hike Expedition
Experiencing Leadership.
This program provides a framework where you practise leadership skills and refine your knowledge. This progressive journey encourages you to take up leadership roles, develop your communication skills and confidence throughout the adventures. Leading by example, responding to others' needs, compromising and listening are masterful traits you will accomplish.
High Ropes Activities
Exploring Family Bonds.
Ignite your combined love of nature and gain valuable intellectual engagement from each other, peers and program facilitators across the program. Developing a strong interest in a shared passion helps to bond family members. This shared experience of calculated risks and exploration creates life-changing memories. Priceless moments that can shape your future relationship.
Overnight Duo
Cementing Your Relationships
Spending the final night with just your family pair is a unique opportunity to privately reflect on your experience together. Make a commitment to one another, or set a shared goal to achieve when you get home. Many families comment that this is one of the most powerful components of the entire program.
Unique Shared Experience

The Family Adventure creates a shared experience that you will call upon for years to come. With increasing demands on our time and the pressures of modern living, opportunities to just spend time together are precious and will become a point of connection for years to come.
Greater Understanding & Respect for One Another
Through facilitated reflection, family gain greater insight into how you relate to one another. Building reciprocal respect, trust and generosity, Family Adventure participants typically report they feel a more profound and stronger connection with one another.
Fun and Adventure

Above all, this is a fun and enjoyable time together. Taking time out to engage in a physical, social and challenging journey is what being Outward Bound is all about. This is a great way to experience the Australian bush with the help and support of expert instructors.
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