Camp Fairbridge Pemberton

Located 327km south of Perth, perfect for smaller groups looking for an immersive adventure or educational camp. Our facilities are surrounded by the Karri Forest, bordering onto the Pemberton Mountain Bike Park, Pemberton Forest Pool, Bibbulmun Track & Munda Biddi Trail. We use the surrounding national parks & state forests as the backdrop for facilitating fit-to-group experiential learning activities.

The camp is situated among the Karri Forest overlooking the Pemberton Pool, and backs onto the Mountain Bike Park. It is the perfect camp location for smaller leadership camps, and secondary Outdoor Recreation camps with mountain bike programs to suit beginners up to experts. Also popular is bushwalks, and canoeing and rafting at either the Pemberton Pool, or travel to Big Brook Dam for a full day of adventure.

Pemberton is our smallest camp, accommodating up to 48 students in 4 x 12-bed dorms, and up to 11 staff.

Activities at Camp Fairbridge Pemberton:

Day at Big Brook Dam

Visit the beautiful regrowth forest of Big Brook Dam – now 60 years old. It provides pure water, animal habitats, and timber and echoes and mirrors the grand backdrop which once appeared in the area prior to forestry. Participants travel to 10minutes by bus to the Dam for a day of raft building, canoeing, and bushwalking (4km sealed). Team/beach games can be added to facilitate a 4th rotation. A bushwalk to the dam from Pemberton camp school can also be arranged in place of a bus one way, but it’s approximately a 2-hour walk or 1.5 hours by bike which may need to be pushed uphill and not for novice riders. Stand-up paddleboarding is an option for older participants in place of canoeing.

Yeagarup Adventure

A 50-minute drive from Pemberton, the Yeagarup Dunes are the largest land-locked mobile dune system in the southern hemisphere. Participants will hike in from Lake Yeagarup followed by a support vehicle. They will run down the Dunes playing games and learning about the environment. This activity can accommodate multiple groups.(pre-book), then return on a bike back to camp.

Canoeing

Join us on the water for a combination of skill sessions and instructional games on 2 and 3-person canoes, followed by a paddle around the Pemberton Pool. Participants will gain water confidence, paddling, balance skills, and teamwork. Option for Big Brook Dam half-day paddle is available where bus transport is required. The Activity Coordinator will be in touch if undesirable weather plans to impact the sessions. to float with or without participants on top.

Mountain Biking

Learn the basic skills of mountain biking, then put theory into practice and experience the environment while traveling along the local tracks and trails of Pemberton camp school and its adjacent trails. Option to learn specific mountain bike skills on local pump tracks/trails is available upon discussion with Fairbridge Activity Co-ordinator as part of an ‘Advanced Biking Program’.

Shipwreck Challenge

• Beach Games: Participants work together in small groups to complete various land and water-themed tasks earning them points. • Raft Building: Participants are shown simple knot-tying skills by our friendly instructors. Then they’re allocated raft-building resources and tips on construction. It’s up to the team to design, build and test it to float with or without participants on top.

Challenge – Pemberton

A challenge designed to inspire, educate, and challenge all participants in a fun and engaging way: Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM). Participants will learn about the unique environment, local community, and its history on a town walk with their instructor. Then they will require their newfound knowledge to complete meaningful tasks to build personal growth and team unity. This activity does require participants to go walking offsite, supervised. The option to stay onsite within camp school grounds to complete this challenge is available with prior request.

Keep on Target

Archery: safe bow and arrow handling procedures, and how to hit targets in a controlled environment.

TEAM: Complete a series of team challenges to develop problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills. Then implement these new skills by completing a final task.

Bushwalking Skills

Bushwalking can occur in a diverse range of environment/natural areas, it can be a short family walk, a day walk, outdoor education expedition or as part of an overnight hike. During this activity participants will learn what to do when preparing yourself to bushwalk through Australia’s natural bush and coastlines. From packing a backpack, to snake bite preparedness, shelter builds or lighting a fire to keep warm, there are many new skills to learn from a half day with our lead instructors. Participants will also learn different ways to navigate themselves when out in remote locations. Overnight camping in a tent or cooking meals is an additional option available on request.

Campfire Activities

Learn how to make traditional bush damper in the fire pit like the traveling stockmen. Fire pit alternatives may be used between November to April due to burning restrictions.

Night Activity

1.5 hours of instructor-facilitated activities, available between 7.00 pm and 8.30 pm. Select one activity from these options: Quiz Night, Minute to Win It, or Firepit Games (seasonal).

Self-Directed

Scavenger Hunt: The scavenger hunt is designed to allow participants to navigate their way around the camp school grounds, find objects, and answer important questions about the site, including dorm rules, location of meals, and important safety notices.

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