50 kids aged 7 – 15 years.
A 12-hour bus ride.
One weekend a year to imagine what’s possible.
Bush to Beach brings up to 50 young people, plus carers, from Brewarrina, Goodooga, Bourke and surrounding communities in far north west NSW to Sydney’s Northern Beaches for a three-day camp each year.
The trip away provides the young people with a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore new places, while learning valuable skills. For some of the program participants, this will be the first time they’ve seen the ocean or even a traffic light.
The educational component of the trip teaches the kids water safety, CPR and basic first aid while making new friends among families from the Northern Beaches community.
The program has grown over the years to also include surf lessons, football with the local Manly team, Taekwondo lessons and a disco.
Over 1,000 healthy meals and countless pieces of fresh fruit are served over the weekend.
“It’s now that everybody wants their child to come. If I find out there is a kid who hasn’t been going to school or doing the right thing then I say to them ‘You can’t come with us until you start going to school.”
Aunty Joyce Doole, Aboriginal Elder of the Brewarrina community
The program is offered as a reward to kids who have demonstrated good school attendance and behaviour throughout the year. We work with the local communities around Brewarrina to encourage young people to stay engaged in the education system.