Parent-Child
Awe-inspiring outdoor adventures at pivotal times—where parents & adolescents journey together immersed in creation and guided to deeper connection through meaningful conversation & shared experiences
An experience you’ll never forget
What does it look like?
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We help you prepare by facilitating a pre-adventure online and recorded virtual meeting where we run through the What to bring list, itinerary, take a look at the forecast and answer any questions you might have.
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Grab some dinner on your way to Bendeela recreation area. Our friendly team will greet you for a 7pm start. Together with your child, pitch the provided tent - or if you think you might be arriving later we can take care of it. We’ll meet together around the campfire with a hot drink, enjoying the stars before settling in for the night.
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A cooked breakfast is part of the Menu and will help prepare you for the day - as will the all-important espresso! We distribute gear into waterproof barrels/bags ready for the day’s paddle.
Before we set off in our canoes, parents and their child will be given conversation starters to help turn quantity time into quality time.
From the Bendeela campground we ease our way down the Kangaroo River, gliding through fresh water and a rural landscape.
After a riverside lunch we’ll enter the Morton National Park.
An early arrival means we’ll have time to stretch our legs in the late afternoon with a walk, game of soccer or swim before cooking dinner on our Trangia stoves.
Expect to paddle 10.5km - depending on wind this will take about 5 hours.
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We begin the day with a short Bible devotion as we consider how God parented his son, Jesus.
Once we’re packed up and watertight we continue paddling towards Tallowa Dam, our exit point.
The cliffs on either side close in as we paddle; they provide an increasingly dramatic backdrop. As we go deeper into the landscape our conversations also tend to go deeper as we continue to build upon the connection that has been established.
Our last lunch stop is a great opportunity for another swim to cool off before the final paddling leg to Tallowa Dam. Our bus and canoe trailer will be waiting for us to shuttle us back to our cars at Bendeela.
Why Getaways?
Our guides are skilled in leading outdoor experiences that naturally foster opportunities for sharing faith
Experienced Leadership
We’re passionate about creating safe, well-organised adventures that are easy for families to enjoy together
High-Quality Experiences
Our experiences spark meaningful connections and create memories that last well beyond the moment.
Community Building
What are parents saying?
★★★★★
“I enjoyed the whole experience. I can’t think of anything that could be done better. Spending that amount of time with your kids is priceless. I highly recommend it especially how busy us dads are these days. Zac will remember this forever.”
★★★★★
“We enjoyed the whole trip. It was great, spending the weekend with just one child. The drive back was when the magic happened... we did not stop chatting and learning about each other.”
FAQs for
Parent-Child Adventure
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Parent-Child Adventures take place on weekends during term time. We don’t paddle during the cooler winter months of June - August.
Red Centre Getaways happen during the winter months to avoid the blistering heat.
Spring is the driest time to explore K’gari (Fraser Island).
And there is no better time to holiday on the waterfront of Port Hacking than between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day – when most of Australia is off work.
Our website will be updated with new events as they are organised.
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This is a 2-person canoe trip, so it’s unsuitable for a parent to bring more than 1 child.
Siblings on subsequent trips are entitled to a 10% discount.
We’re fully aware of the ‘logistical gymnastics’ a family goes through to free up 1 parent and 1 child for a whole weekend, but all of our parents tell us it was worth it!
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Yes.
If you can’t see the weekend that you want to book on our website - let us know.
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We believe our price represents exceptional value for money.
Equipment hire for an adventure weekend like this would typically be $250-$350 without factoring in meals, facilitation, satellite tracking and the worst part of camping… tent drying!
If you can find better value – let us know.
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Please get in touch with us to see what is possible. We’re keen to run adventures that are in-demand. We do have limitations as to where we can operate, however that shouldn’t stop you asking the question.
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A bit of rain might be what is required to make it memorable… having said that, if we deem the weather to be too challenging, we’ll cancel the weekend.
If we can’t arrange a new date, we’ll provide a refund. Look at our Booking Terms and Conditions if you want to read the fine print.
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If your fitness is half what your child’s is, you’ll be fine. We travel as slow as the slowest person.
Endurance is important.
Prep yourself to be joyfully exhausted by the end of each day.
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Not at all.
We’re delighted to welcome everyone to our Getaways. All of our team members involved in the running each Getaway are Christians.
We carefully craft the input and delivery to avoid ostracising or prompting a sense of guilt in someone who doesn’t call themselves a Christian.
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Not on this trip.
An alcoholic beverage at the end of a long day paddling sounds like a refreshingly good idea, but when you consider fitting it into your waterproof barrel, the lack of refrigeration, dehydration, etc.… the good idea comes undone.
We prioritise family time; in some circumstances we can do this by modelling measured alcohol consumption, but in others it will be more appropriate to abstain.
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Quantity time doesn’t always equal quality time… but rarely will quality time be arrived at without quantity time.
A shared challenge promotes a deeper relationship.
The outcomes will vary from pair to pair. If you have concerns or questions about the relational impact, we’re happy to discuss these with you over the phone - call us on (02) 8525 3142.
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We want you to be part of it too. We have 3 ways of supporting us:
1. Pray for us. That each weekend would be enriching for families as they spend time with each other while being in awe of Creation.
2. Volunteer. Giving your time will help keep our price competitive and the value high. We are looking for volunteers to help with logistics and facilitation – give us a call if you are keen to know more (02 8525 3142).
3. Financially. This could be done directly by buying a gift card for a family you know would appreciate this or if you want to make a donation towards this ministry please contact donations@youthworks.net
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If you have further questions, please contact us via email at getaways@youthworks.net or call 02 8525 3142.