If you’ve never heard your child come home talking about flying foxes, raft building or conquering an abseil tower for the first time, chances are you haven’t discovered The Great Aussie Bush Camp yet. Tucked into the bushland of Redland Bay, just 40 minutes from Brisbane and about an hour from the Gold Coast, the camp’s Queensland site — Kindilan — has quietly become one of the region’s favourite spots for school camps, sporting clubs, youth groups, and community gatherings seeking a genuine outdoor adventure.
Australia’s premier outdoor adventure destination
The Great Aussie Bush Camp isn’t a new player. With seven venues spread across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, the organisation welcomes around 110,000 children and teachers every year, making it one of the largest outdoor education providers in the country. Each site is nestled in striking bushland or waterfront scenery, and each is designed around a simple idea: get kids outside, out of their comfort zones, and into experiences they’ll remember long after the school bell rings.
Whether it’s a fully programmed school camp, a customised group adventure, or simply a change of scenery with access to top-notch facilities, the camps are built to flex around what a group actually needs. Underpinning it all is a philosophy called “challenge by choice” — every activity is designed so participants can push themselves at a level that feels right for them, rather than being forced into a one-size-fits-all adventure.
Children rafting at The Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kindilan
Meet Kindilan: The Queensland site
Kindilan sits on 220 acres of conservation bushland at Redland Bay, an easy drive from anywhere in Southeast Queensland. Formerly run by PGL Adventure Camps before The Great Aussie Bush Camp took over in late 2025, it’s the same beloved bush camp experience, just under a new banner.
What makes Kindilan special is how the adventure is woven right through the landscape. Activities are spread across the bush and around the camp’s lake, so groups might spend a morning soaring across the water on the flying fox, then head to the abseil tower to test their nerve, before finishing the day with some friendly competition on the archery range. With 34 activities available on site — including canoeing, raft building, climbing and team challenges — there’s genuinely something for every interest and confidence level.
Accommodation is part of the charm too. Families and groups can choose from cosy roundhouses and lodges, dorm-style cabins, or platform tent villages for those who want to fall asleep to the sounds of the bush. Every site also has its own dining hall, kitchen and recreational spaces, so when the adventuring is done for the day, there’s plenty of room to relax, refuel and reconnect.
Aerial view of the Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kindilan
More than a school camp
While Kindilan is a firm favourite for school outdoor education programs, it’s not just for students. In Queensland and Victoria, The Great Aussie Bush Camp builds highly personalised programs in partnership with schools and group leaders, guided by what they call the REACH framework — Relationships, Experiences, Achievement, Character and Health and Wellbeing. The idea is to create the kind of breakthrough moments that simply can’t happen in a classroom: a nervous student finding their footing on the low ropes course, a hesitant climber reaching the top of the rock wall, or a group learning to trust each other halfway up Jacob’s Ladder, a suspended ladder that spreads wider and wobblier with every rung.
Beyond schools, Kindilan is increasingly popular with sporting clubs, community organisations and families looking to mark the end of a season or make the most of the school holidays. Groups of 20 or more can book their own bush camp adventure, complete with accommodation, meals and a full activity program. It’s worth noting that GABC doesn’t take individual holiday bookings — but sporting clubs winding up their season, community groups planning a getaway, or several families keen to holiday together can absolutely pull together a group and book the whole experience.
A group of campers sit around the campfire at The Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kindilan
For a footy or netball club looking to celebrate the end of the season with something more memorable than a pizza night, or a group of families wanting a school holiday adventure without the stress of planning every detail themselves, Kindilan offers an easy, ready-made solution. The team handles the logistics — accommodation, catering, activities — so the only job left for the adults is to sit back and watch the kids have the time of their lives.
Building confidence, one challenge at a time
What really sets these programs apart is the emphasis on personal growth alongside pure fun. Challenges at Kindilan range from high-energy team tasks, like crate stacking, where groups problem-solve their way to new heights, to individual tests of courage such as rock climbing and abseiling. Low ropes activities build concentration and control, while the more physically demanding options, like the giant swing and possum glider, deliver the adrenaline rush that keeps kids talking about camp for months afterwards.
It’s this combination — genuine adventure, thoughtful program design, and a stunning natural setting so close to home — that has made Kindilan a standout not just for schools, but for the wider South East Queensland community.
Girl abseiling at The Great Aussie Bush Camp, Kindilan
Choose your own adventure
Whether you’re a teacher planning next year’s school camp, a club looking to celebrate the season, or simply a group of families wanting to make the most of the upcoming school holidays, Kindilan is well worth a look. With its blend of bushland, lakeside adventure and flexible accommodation, it offers exactly the kind of unplugged, confidence-building experience that’s becoming harder to find — and increasingly precious to give our kids.
To find out more about booking a group experience at Kindilan, visit The Great Aussie Bush Camp’s website for details on group sizes, programs and availability.
