Hi @firstname

Thank you for signing up for the Rewild Your Child / Rewild Tribe camps this Winter! We're so excited to get back out to our beautiful Bluegum home, to gather under the longhouse telling stories, singing songs, having cups of tea and watching the kids dive into their ongoing journeys connecting with nature and each other.

We can't wait to see your faces again and hear your stories.

Sue is cooking again, thank goodness, and our 16-18 year old mentors-in-training are stepping up as part of their Mentor Leadership Training. Woohoo!

As always, we all pull together to weave the basket for the camp. Thank you in advance for helping in whatever ways you can. Whether it's chopping veggies or wood, helping stir the camp ovens, passing a cuppa to someone who needs it or sending the dinner call across the field, we couldn't do this without you. In the little ways and the big, these camps are made of our whole village looking after each other.

This is the email that goes through all the camp logistics. Please read it all the way through. I'll send out another email with all the attachments with directions and gear lists. This is just to get you started.

TIMES AND DATES.
The camp runs from 2pm Mon 3rd to lunchtime Friday 7th July. PLEASE ARRIVE BEFORE 4PM.

The first day of your camp is the arrival day. You can arrive any time after 2pm and before 4pm to give you time to shake off the road dust, get your tents set up, arrange your chairs around the fire, scout out the locations, swim in the river and meet the rest of your tribe.
Upon arrival, there will be a host of friendly smiling faces to greet you. Our mentors will introduce themselves, point out where the tent sites are, the water is, and the location of the ‘loos.
WE WILL HAVE MENTORS ON HAND TO HELP YOU SET UP YOUR TENTS if you need a bit of assistance.There will be a tribe orientation gathering at 5pm, when dinner is called.The Rewild Your Child portion of the camp starts the next morning.
On the last day of your camp, the kids go out on the final Rewild Your Child programme, which will finish at lunchtime with a closing circle, giving you time to get packed up and on the road to get home before dark.

WHAT TO BRING

IT WILL BE BELOW FREEZING AT NIGHT. Come prepared.

Every winter, we let people know to throw in extra blankets, sleeping bags and warm things. Ugg boots, snow pants, insulated parkas... bring whatever you need for your family to be warm at night. The fires will be roaring under the longhouse, but tents have thin walls so pile up on the warm gear to stay snuggly.

You'll need to bring all of your camping gear, food, everything you need for a five day camping trip in the wilderness. Include camp chairs for everyone, although we love it when the kids sit on mats around the fire, which means everyone has room to get warm. Bring your food, cutlery, crockery and cooking gear, along with a gas cooker or cook on the longhouse fires. There won't be fires at tents, but the longhouse fires run all day. We send out PDFs with gear lists, food ideas and directions a little closer to camp. If you need them earlier, ping us and we'll get them to you asap.

FOOD

You bring your own breakfasts and lunches, and we provide a dinner option for $70 per person for the whole week. If you haven't signed up for that and wish to, please get in touch asap.
If you have signed up for dinners, they will generally be served at around 5:30-6pm. You’ll hear the dinner call (it’s impossible to miss); bring your bowl and fork and prepare for a feast!
Dinners are simple, one pot meals that are gluten free and dairy separate. There will be legumes in most meals.There is a vegan option for all meals.
We recommend bringing a gas cooker (those little portable ones from bunnings and camping stores work pretty well). You're also welcome to cook on the communal fires at breakfast and lunch. As this is summer... If there's a fire ban we'll be limited with our fire options, so the portable stove is a must.

ESKIES

In summer we recommend leaving your eskies in the shade, covered with a towel if you can, and only open them sparingly. SOMEONE WILL BE HEADING BACK INTO TOWN FOR ICE MIDWEEK, you can usually ask them to get any emergency items you may need. In winter, your ice should last you the whole week.

WEATHER

Looks like we are in for a dry winter, which heralds stunning sunny days and cold nights. We'll give weather reports closer to camp, but we recommend planning for rain, just in case. It's summer, so plan for heat and sunshine as well!

BRING CASH FOR RANDOM THINGS

We will be selling bushcraft knives for $35, plus flint and steels for $25, and if you want to get ice ($5 a bag) and any shopping from the selfless human who goes into town for a midweek run, you'll need to give them correct cash.

SHOULD I BRING WATER?

There is a tap up at the cabins which has pure river water straight out of the mountains, which is what we use for cooking and drinking on camp. Or you can bring your own water. We will have big water containers at the kitchen which you can use to fill your water bottles. Washing up stations are at the longhouse after breakfast and dinner. Please take your washed plates and cutlery straight away (otherwise we will welcome it to our communal collection in the kitchen!)

WHAT ABOUT FIRST AID?

We have people certified in first aid at all times, and there are first aid kits at the main camp and with the mentors up at the kids’ camp. We have protocols for injuries, and emergency phone access at the homestead on the property. There is also a great hospital at Milton, one hour away, if needed.

DO YOUR MENTORS HAVE WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECKS?

Absolutely. All our mentors have working with children clearance. And are awesome, beautiful people.

ALCOHOL- nope

This is a completely alcohol (and drug) free camp. Thank you.

IS THERE INTERNET/PHONE ACCESS?

There is no mobile phone reception on the property. It is usually about a 20 min drive back toward town to get reception to check emails or messages.
The homestead on the property is owned by Joanne and Gary, and their phone number is (02) 4478 8505.
We recommend that you leave this number on your phone message as an emergency contact number, and Joanne will come down with messages if anyone calls it.
If you need to make an urgent call, we can take you up to the house. Joanne will probably give you a cup of tea, and you can look at the amazing view :)

CHOPPING WOOD

We go through quite a bit of firewood, and chopping it can be good fun. If you think you might want to chop wood, YOU MUST HAVE good, sturdy PREFERABLY STEEL CAPPED leather boots. Similarly, if you have kids older than 10 who may want to chop wood, they must have boots to do so.

WHAT IF IT RAINS?

We recommend bringing ample wet weather gear and spare changes of shoes and socks, as the programme goes ahead even if it rains.
It can be great to bring a tarp to put over your tent as an annexe (we can guide you)... just have enough pegs and ropes to secure it, and we can cut wattle saplings as poles if you don’t have any.
Our longhouse shelter is big enough to accommodate 150 people around four fires, so even if it's tipping it outside there's somewhere to gather, cook and eat that will be dry :)
Cotton pants are super uncomfortable when they are wet, so throw in some nylon pants and shorts, they dry quickly and don't slow active kids down.

WHAT CAR SHOULD I BRING?

THE BACK ROADS ARE A BIT WORSE FOR WEAR after 2 years of La Nina, and CAN GET SLIPPERY OR SLUSHY if it rains, so if you can arrange an AWD or 4WD car it will make your drive a lot more comfortable. If you’re bothered by the drive, give me a call for a chat. 0412 181943.

A BIT NERVOUS ABOUT THE DROP DUNNIES?

They're actually pretty nice. You’ll be sitting in perfect privacy on a beautiful throne (which has been painted by an award winning artist), looking out at the bush, surrounded by birds, with softly rustling fabric as walls.

WHAT IF MY CHILD NEEDS ME?

The kids’ camp feels like it’s a million miles away from the main camp, but in reality it’s only a couple of hundred metres from the field, and has car access. So if for any reason your child needs to come back to you in a hurry, we can have them back in five minutes or less.

WHAT DO I DO WHILE MY KIDS ARE AWAY?

We have optional informal circles of connection a couple of mornings, so if you want to hang out with the parents in this manner, we've got you covered. If that's your idea of hell, no worries, you can do what you like!
Relax, swim, bush walk, read, chat, sing, do yoga, sleep.
If you have something you wish to offer to the group, please let us know. Every camp the tribe makes its own shape. We’ve had basket weaving, fish trap making, fire twirling, tai chi, yoga, and if you play a musical instrument, please bring it, as the impromptu orchestras are a highlight of camp life.
You can be as involved or as solitary as you feel to. Most days you can see people meditating, playing badminton, skipping stones over the river, wood chopping, fishing for bass... this is your time to enjoy!

WHAT DO I NEED FOR MY KIDS EACH DAY?

We'll send a follow up email with pdfs containing what to bring

PARTY TIME

On Wednesday we have a bush/field fiesta. Bring any drums you may have: djembes, bongos, shakers, rattles, guitars, mongolian flutes... if you can play it (and even if you can't), bring it along! Everyone gets dressed up so feel free to bring any wild outfits for your kids and yourselves. If you don't have an outfit you can always make one from bush materials. We've had super heroes and polar bears and witches and cinderellas and bear grylls, crazy wigs and onesies... you get the picture.

WHAT HAPPENS AT NIGHT?

Evenings we gather around the fires under the longhouse for food, stories, performances, songs... if you have a special skill or talent and wish to share it, this could be the time. Or sit back and enjoy Tribe Time.

MUSIC

Music is a large part of our time in the bush. Songs roll through the camp, don't be surprised to find you're in a group of 100 people singing three part harmony around the fire. Impromptu bush orchestras break out in spontaneous jams down by the river, or in the field, or under the longhouse after the little ones have gone to bed. Please bring any musical instruments you may play, or even ones you don't cos someone else might be able to crack out some sweet jazz on that sax you have at the bottom of the cupboard.

WHAT ABOUT DIRECTIONS?

We'll send a map of directions to your next email. If it is at all unclear, just let us know.
If you're unsure about the state of the road, call Joanne and Garry at Bhundoo on 4478 8505 before you turn off the tar and they'll give you a road report and recommend your best route in.

PHONE NUMBERS TO REMEMBER

My number is 0412 181943.

Bhundoo Bush Cottages is 02 4478 8505.

Whew!!

Thanks for making it all the way through this email. If you have any questions, please email our new wonderful helper Ash on longhouse@bluegumbushcraft.com.au.

OK, that's it from me. Let us know if you need anything, and we'll see you and your families very soon under the big skies, next to our beautiful river, with the kids running around the field and the fires warming us at night. You're in great hands with Cam, Bam and Sue, and all the wonderful mentors for this winter's one week of camp.

Big love,
Gina (Camp Mama) 0412 181 943

Bluegum Bushcraft runs rewilding programmes on the NSW South Coast. We acknowledge the Traditional custodians and owners of this whole area, the Dharawal, Jerrinja and Yuin people. We acknowledge traditional custodians of the entire continent. We ask permission from these custodians to help people, in the ways that we can, to deepen into their relationships with the living earth and walk with respect and deep listening to the wisdom of the country and all its inhabitants and protectors. Our camps are on Budawang land.

We walk on stolen land and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.