Tharwa, ACT
Outward Bound Australia’s national campus is at Tharwa, on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River at the foot of Mt Tennent, on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal people. Tharwa is the Ngunnawal word for Mt Tennent.
Just 30 minutes from Parliament House in Canberra, Tharwa has 140 beds in comfortable cabins, commercial kitchen and dining, high-ropes course, climb and abseil tower and is the launching point for expeditions along the Murrumbidgee corridor, Booroomba, Tidbinbilla and into Namadgi National Park, the start of the Australian Alps Walking Track.
An ideal location for cabin-based programs or full expeditions, Outward Bound’s Tharwa Campus currently hosts adventure learning programs for Years 4 through to adults. With a work commencing in 2023 on bushcraft workshops, low ropes course, bike track and pizza ovens with outdoor dining, Outward Bound’s national campus will become even more attractive for your outdoor learning experience.

Outward Bound programs are designed to deliver the learning outcomes you want for your students. This is the starting point for our discussion and we build a program from there. A 5 - 10 day expedition out of Tharwa, ACT can include variations of the following activities.
- hiking
- high ropes
- rafting
- rock climbing (natural and man-made surfaces)
- abseiling (natural and man-made surfaces)
- service
- camping

Outward Bound Leadership programs aim to deliver a range of knowledge, skills, and experiences to help your team become more effective leaders. Program content will vary depending on your organisation’s specific goals and objectives, but all leadership programs will encourage understanding and development of different leadership styles, traits and characteristics; both of self and others. With strong focus on:
- Effective communication - active listening, effective feedback, and persuasive communication.
- Emotional Intelligence: self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation.
- Strategic Thinking: analyse complex situations, identify key factors, and develop effective strategies.
- Team Building and Collaboration: build trust, foster collaboration, and manage conflict.
- Ethics and Integrity: education and guidance on ethical decision-making and the importance of maintaining ethical standards.

The hero’s journey is a common storyline that involves a person who goes on an adventure, learns a lesson, wins a victory with that newfound knowledge, and then returns home transformed. The hero’s journey can be boiled down to three essential stages:
- The departure. The hero leaves the familiar world behind.
- The initiation. The hero learns to navigate the unfamiliar world.
- The return. The hero returns to the familiar world.
