“See you in the Bush!”

At the end of every email we send, you’ll find five simple words: “See you in the bush”

It might look like a casual sign-off, but for us it means a lot more. The bush isn’t just the place where we run camps - it’s where connection, care, and growth take centre stage.

When you’re out in nature, surrounded by its green beauty (and sometimes its challenges), you can’t help but notice how important it is to look after it - and to look after each other.

The bush has a way of teaching responsibility in a way that sticks.

Kids start to see that their choices matter, for themselves, the people that walk down the trail next, for the world around them and for the generations that come next.

It’s also where people, especially kids, can step outside of their comfort zones and give new things a go. Hiking, sleeping under the stars, cooking a meal outdoors - these are experiences some won’t have again until adulthood, if ever. We aim to set a foundation where students learn to love spending time outside in the bush without perfectly manicured lawns or well defined paths, with rough terrain, sharing space with insects and animals and getting a little dirty along the way.

By helping them feel safe and confident in the bush, we hope they develop a love for the natural world and seek out their own adventures long after they leave camp.

Teachers often tell us how different their students seem once they’re here. The quiet kid who barely speaks up in class suddenly takes the lead on a bushwalk. The restless one becomes the problem-solver in a group challenge. Time outdoors has a way of bringing out strengths you don’t always see in a classroom.

And for everyone who comes here - whether it’s a school group, a family, or a weekend retreat.

the bush has a special way of creating memories that last.

Laughter around the fire, trying something new together, or just enjoying the simple rhythm of being outside… these are the things people carry home with them.

So, when we say, “See you in the bush,” it’s an invitation and a farewell.

It’s an invitation - to come to Camp Sunnystones, to see your students thrive, to reconnect with yourself, each other, and the natural world. It’s an invitation to bring another cohort so even more young people can reap the benefits of the Bush that we are so lucky to have at our back door as Australians.

Even more importantly though, it’s a farewell. We genuinely hope that yourself and your students can take newfound confidence and skills and find your own way to hilltops and grasslands, where we can cross paths again on our own adventures.

Because for us, the bush isn’t just where camp happens. It’s where the best lessons, the best memories, and the love of nature begin.