ACTIVITIES WEEK
HORSE RIDING HIGH COUNTRY CAMP 2025
ACTIVITIES WEEK CAMP
18-22 AUGUST 2025
HORSE RIDING HIGH COUNTRY CAMP
July 2025
Dear Student and Parents/Guardians,
Welcome to the ride of a lifetime!
The Horse Riding High Country Camp is run by the McCormack family, one of the first families to settle in the Merrijig area in 1886 and who have run cattle in the King Valley since 1900. Bruce and Debra take us on a ride through the magnificent Victorian High Country, sharing with us their expert knowledge and experiences. You will learn about horse care and be given riding tuition along the way. The pace is gentle, and the safety of the students and horses is always the first consideration. The McCormacks are the most wonderful, welcoming people and go out of their way to make sure that the camp will leave you with life-long memories.
We camp at the McCormacks’ 360-acre property in the Buttercup Valley, just outside Merrijig, for the whole week (Monday 18 - Friday 22 August 2025). There are two very basic huts for cooking and shelter and an excellent under cover living area with an open fire. Students will be sleeping in bunkrooms. There are also water tanks and flushing toilets. The only electricity is powered via a generator in the evenings. Parents/Guardians, please respond to the Operoo eForm and ensure that your child’s medical information is up to date.
In this booklet you will find further information regarding the camp so please read through this carefully.
If there are any further queries you may have, please do not hesitate to contact me. We look forward to a fun and rewarding week!
Yours sincerely,
Ms Cathy Holt
Horse Riding High Country Camp Coordinator
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Our camp is being held on the lands of the Taungurung and Yowong-Illam-Balluk people and we wish to acknowledge them as Traditional Owners. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We are grateful to be visiting their land and we recognise their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this land.
POLICY RELATING TO STUDENTS WITHDRAWING FROM ACTIVITIES WEEK CAMP/ABSENTEE CHARGEBACK POST CAMP
Activities Week Camp is a compulsory part of the school curriculum and all students are expected to participate. Bookings and arrangements are made on this expectation.
In the event that a student withdraws from the camp due to medical reasons, the school requires prior written notice accompanied by a valid medical certificate. In such cases, families will be responsible for all non-refundable costs incurred, including but not limited to flights, accommodation, and other pre-paid expenses.
For cancellations due to a change of mind or any non-medical reasons, families will be charged the full camp fee.
SUNSMART POLICY
In keeping with the school’s “SunSmart” approach to outdoor activities, students are required to bring sunscreen, a protective hat (with a wide brim) and to wear tops which adequately cover the skin of the shoulders and back. In the event of swimming activities, students will need “rashies” or t-shirts. Sunscreen is an additional protection - it does not take the place of clothing or shade.
NUT POLICY
On Camp, we request that parents/students avoid bringing food products that contain nuts of any kind. In order to minimise the risk to students with severe allergies.
The school cannot guarantee that the camp environment will be 100% allergen free, hence students with allergies need to remain vigilant in their decisions around any food that they ingest.
EMERGENCY SCHOOL CONTACT
In the event of an emergency, or if you need to urgently contact your child, please do not ring the camp (or your child) directly but rather contact the school during office hours on (03) 5971 6100 or contact after hours on mobile 0482 888 022
RESPOND TO OPEROO EFORM
To enable staff to fulfil their duty of care to students, we need accurate and up-to-date information about medical and personal issues for all students. Please respond to the Operoo eForm and ensure that your child’s medical information is up to date. Any last-minute changes should be communicated directly to the leader of the camp as well as updated on Operoo. We do rely on this information, and parents do have a duty of disclosure, to ensure all relevant information is known.
INFORMATION COLLECTION POLICY
Confidential medical and other sensitive information collected and used for the running of these camps will be handled in line with the School’s Privacy Policy.
POLICY RELATING TO STUDENTS SENT HOME FROM CAMP
Where a student does need to be sent home, for medical, personal, or discipline reasons, they will need to be collected from the camp by their parent/guardian (at their own expense) - they cannot travel unaccompanied. In all cases, arrangements must be made with school and special arrangements may need to be in place for remote camps, i.e. 3 or more hours from school.
EXTREME WEATHER POLICY
We will modify our program based on weather forecasts - we will be in contact with Woodleigh School to review the week’s weather as it unfolds. In the event of a day being forecast to be Extreme (under the CFA Fire Danger Rating system) the program will be modified at the least, to ensure safety in the heat, and evacuation plans in readiness. In the event of a day being forecast to be Code Red (Catastrophic), the program will be cancelled in advance and students evacuated the day before. The School will use SMS and email to communicate with parents in such cases.
HORSE RIDING HIGH COUNTRY CAMP INFORMATION
CAMP DATES
Monday 18 August - Friday 22 August 2025.
MEDICATION ON CAMP
Any students taking prescription medication on camp will need to provide all medication (in original packaging) to school by no later than Tuesday 12 August 2025. You can drop off the medication to reception or the First Aid Centre anytime between 8am-4.30pm. Before handing in your child's prescription medication, you are required to answer all the questions within the Operoo e-Form.
COST
The cost of this Activities Week Camp is approximately $1,000 (covering transport, tuition and evening meals), which will be charged to student accounts.
TRANSPORT
Students will be travelling in a 25-seater bus (with trailer) driven by Woodleigh staff.
Departure Meet at 8:30am on Monday 18 August, to pack the mini-bus and trailer for a 9am bus departure from Woodleigh. Please refer to the bus location map at the end of this booklet. You need to wear your riding gear and bring onto the bus: lunch, a water bottle, drizabone & helmet (if bringing your own), toilet paper/tissues, hand sanitising gel/wipes, sunscreen and your bag of clean clothing/shoes for the return trip. You will pack your main bag into the trailer, where it will stay until the evening. Make sure you have everything you need for your afternoon ride on the bus with you. The clean clothes will be left on the bus at the farmhouse.
Return Arriving Friday 22 August approximately 4pm at Woodleigh.
LOCATION
This camp will be based in the Buttercup Valley, just outside Merrijig.
ACCOMMODATION
We will camp at the McCormack's 360-acre property in the Buttercup Valley, just outside Merrijig, for the whole week. There are two very basic huts for cooking and shelter with an excellent under cover living area with an open fire. Students will be sleeping in bunkrooms. There are also water tanks and flushing toilets. The only electricity is powered via a generator in the evenings.
MEALS
The McCormack's provide delicious hot home cooked evening meals (with dessert!). Bring your own plate, bowl, cup, knife, fork and spoon (clearly named) in a pillowcase or drawstring bag. The McCormack's provide hot soapy water for you to wash up with. Please let us know if you have any special food requirements. Breakfast and lunch are not provided.
Breakfast (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday)
We will not be cooking breakfast, so please bring healthy cereals and fruit and milk powder or small long-life milk packets.
Riding Lunch (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)
You will need to select a non-perishable, lightweight, nutritious and portable diet, which you must bring pre-packed to camp (you will carry it in the saddle bags). Food suggestions: tinned tuna, flat bread, dried biscuits, salami, cheese, dried fruit, juice. Include a tetra pack-sized fruit juice each day as well as a 600ml water bottle that can be refilled when empty. Make sure the water bottles are not too wide because they need to fit in the water bottle holders that hang off the saddle. It is advisable to have each day’s lunch pre-packed into a zip-lock bag.
Bus Lunch (Monday) and Shop Stop (Friday)
Bring your lunch for Monday (it will be eaten when we arrive at Merrijig) & bring money for our lunch stop in Yea on Friday ($20 should be enough).
Snacks
You may like to bring some nutritious snack food to keep you going in between finishing riding and dinner time each day. Avoid junk food please.
CLOTHING/EQUIPMENT
Be prepared for all weather conditions. Try to pack all your gear into one soft bag if possible, as we will have limited space. No suitcases, as they are difficult to pack into the trailer.
Long Oilskin Coat
A full length ‘Driza-Bone’ type coat is compulsory. Waterproof over-pants are not suitable as they are slippery and dangerous to ride in. A limited number of oilskin coats will be available to borrow from the McCormacks. Please let Ms Holt know if you will be using one provided by the McCormacks. There is no need to purchase one.
Sleeping Bag, Sheet & Pillow
Your sleeping bag must be a high quality and a warm one because it will get very cold at night. A liner inside the bag is a good idea for extra warmth. The sheet is to put over the mattresses in the huts as they are very ‘rustic’ to say the least. Pillows are not provided, so you need to bring your own. You are welcome to bring an extra blanket if you feel the cold. Also, a TORCH (plus extra batteries) is a must!
Footwear
Riding boots with a heel or narrow gumboots with a heel (this stops the foot slipping through the stirrup). Allow room in the boots for thick explorer socks. You may choose to change into comfortable, warm, dry shoes or ‘Ugg Boots’ for around the camp in the evening. Foot warmers to attach to your socks are also a great addition to your riding boots on this camp.
Clothing
The weather will be very cold, so come prepared. Be prepared to wear the same clothes for most of the week. It is best to wear layers, starting with a thermal layer closest to your skin.
• Comfortable trousers or jodhpurs for riding in (2 pairs).
• Multiple underwear & warm woollen socks (no cotton socks as feet get very cold).
• 2 pairs of thermal tops & bottoms (thermal bottoms under jodhpurs are useful as they help to prevent chafing – as well as keep you warm).
• 2 warm woollen jumpers/polar fleece tops.
• Warm tracksuit to sleep in.
• A warm jacket for the afternoon/evening around camp.
• 2 shirts (with a collar is a good idea as you can warm up while riding).
• Riding gloves with grip on palm side. Also, consider buying Merino Base layer gloves at a Kathmandu sale to wear inside the riding gloves, as hands get very cold while riding.
• A non-bulky (short) waterproof jacket to wear under the driza-bone can be useful in heavy rain to assist with staying dry!
• Gloves, beanie & scarf for nights.
• A clean set of clothing and shoes in a separate bag is to be left on the bus to travel home in.
Towel & Toiletries
Depending on the amount of water in the McCormack’s water tanks, we occasionally have the luxury of a shower during the week, so it’s a good idea to pack some soap, shampoo etc. and a towel for a shower just in case.
Essential items to be carried in the saddle bag
Purse packs of tissues (or portions of toilet paper), small bottle of hand sanitising gel or sanitising hand wipes, sunscreen, lunch, snacks and water bottle.
The saddle bags are not particularly waterproof, therefore it is advisable to bring several larger zip lock bags to place items in such as cameras, tissues and an extra-large plastic bag for a spare polar fleece or thermal top.
Optional
Dencorub (as your muscles can get sore), cards or other games to play around the campfire and camera. Guitarists are welcome to bring an acoustic guitar. Knitters can bring wool and needles.
DO NOT BRING
Valuables or any articles that you wouldn't want to lose or break, an excessive amount of money, lollies, or any electronic/digital devices.
MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phones should be left at home and not brought on camp. They will not be required.
RISK
There are elements of risk involved in this camp and whilst safety ratios and requirements will be adhered to, we believe it is important to make you aware of potential risks. These risks include but are not limited to:
• Exposure to cold weather and extreme temperatures.
• Soft tissue injuries.
• Getting lost.
• Injury due to falling from a horse
• Injury due to being bitten or kicked by a horse
In order to mitigate these risks:
• Students will be required to have the appropriate safety clothing and equipment (list provided).
• The professional instructors at the various facilities visited are well regarded for their safety record, professionalism, and knowledge of the locations.
• Horses matched to student level of competence
• Daily assessment of weather and track conditions will dictate locations we ride to each day. In the event that weather conditions are unsuitable for riding, alternative activities will be undertaken. This may also include being transported to and from Buttercup Farm by bus on the first and last days, rather than on horseback.
• Staff will carry first aid kits and have first aid training.
BEHAVIOURAL EXPECTATIONS
• As a participant in the Activities Week Camps program, there is a high level of responsibility and expectation with respect to behaviour. All normal school policies apply, in particular:
• Involvement with sex, drugs, smoking, vaping or alcohol is prohibited.
• A preparedness to participate wherever appropriate.
• Safety of all participants is paramount.
Infringement of these policies may result in the student being sent home, at your own expense.
• It is a courtesy to be respectful and positive at all events, even those you personally find less interesting. A good night’s sleep will be essential - being tired will not only affect you but also others on camp.
• Never leave the campsite without the permission of a staff member.
• Each student is responsible for the immediate environment and must keep it tidy and not damage any of the surroundings.
Students will be placed into groups to help with organisation which will include such things as washing up. There are also room and cleaning duties which will be performed every day during the camp along with maintaining individual equipment. Students will have some free time to rest, read and socialise at Buttercup Farm. We encourage every student to bring a board game or cards etc. to play with their peers during these down times.
Students are not permitted to eat or hang out in the bunkroom. The rooms are only for sleeping and dressing in. The days will be long and tiring and therefore some students may wish to go to sleep earlier; we are living in a close group with peers and staff. Respecting each other’s privacy and being quiet around the camp is of the upmost importance.
HRHC CAMP PROGRAM
DAY PROGRAM
8:30am – Meet next to Cruden Oval where we pack the trailer of the mini bus. You need to wear your riding gear and bring onto the bus: lunch, water bottle, drizabone & helmet (if bringing your own), toilet paper/tissues, hand sanitising gel/wipes, sunscreen and your bag of clean clothing/ shoes for the return trip. You will pack your main bag into the trailer, where it will stay until the evening. Make sure you have everything you need for your afternoon ride on the bus with you. The clean clothes will be left on the bus at the farm house.
9:00am – Depart Woodleigh
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Approximately 11:30am – 15-minute toilet stop at Yea 12:45pm – Arrive Merrijig, unpack bus, eat lunch. Leave a bag of clean clothes to change into (and lunch money) on the bus ready for Friday’s bus departure.
We meet our hosts Debra and Bruce McCormack, then riders are matched with horses. After a briefing, outlining safe handling of horses on the ground and in the saddle, you will be given some basic riding instruction in the yards. From here we ride at a slow, steady pace, in single file towards to beautiful Buttercup Valley. As you ride you may well recognise the views from the Man from Snowy River films. On the way we take in views of Mt Buller and Mt Stirling as we head further into the natural bush. By late afternoon we will reach the McCormack’s 360-acre property, which will be our base camp for the week. Once the horses have been washed down and released into the paddock, you will be allocated to bunk houses and there will be time to settle in and explore your home for the week.
After breakfast and a safety briefing, you will be given a full demonstration of how to saddle up your horse. We will then spend the morning familiarizing ourselves with the bushland around the McCormack’s property on horseback. We will return to Buttercup for lunch and a rest, then head back out to ride along Buttercup Creek and through the beautiful bush at the back of our base camp. After the horses are unsaddled and brushed down you will have time to relax by the campfire and engage in some fun group games and activities.
After breakfast and a safety briefing, you will saddle up under the instructor’s guidance, then ride out to the lookout with views over the Delatite Valley. We will then make our way down to the Carters Mill picnic area beside the beautiful Delatite River where will have our pack saddle lunch. After lunch we make our way back along the banks of Plain Creek back to our base camp where we relax for the evening.
Thursday
Friday
Once again, after breakfast and a safety briefing, we saddle up for a day on the trail. We will ride along Carters Road, putting our riding skills into practice and making our way up to Plain Creek for lunch (as usual, pre-packed and carried in your saddle bag). After lunch we will follow the ridges along old logging and cattle tracks back to Buttercup.
Our last day. An early start – we pack up all our gear and saddle our horses for the last trek home, arriving back at Merrijig at approximately 11:00am.
A quick change into our clean travel clothing and sadly we leave our much-loved horses and our new friends.
We stop at Yea for lunch at round 12:30pm on the way home and then on to Woodleigh where we arrive at approximately 4:00pm. (Bring money for lunch).
BARRETTS ROAD
BUS LOCATION - DEPART/RETURN
2025 ACTIVITIES WEEK CAMP BUS LOCATIONS
WOODLEIGH SCHOOL SENIOR CAMPUS
Please make sure you refer to your camp booklet for departure and return dates and times.
Parents, please park in designated parking areas when dropping off/collecting your child to avoid congestion around the buses on Monday departures and Friday returns.
MY CAMP CHECKLIST
Things to purchase / Things to take
