School Camps & Group accommodation facilities in beautiful West Gippsland

Brian Harvey

PYV has enjoyed staying at Rawson on a bi-annual basis for many years now, and we are very happy with our choice of venue for a regional camp in winter & a state-wide Summer Camp. Rawson Village provides us with great value for money, which is very important for an organisation such as ours.

In terms of the facility itself, the flexibility and number of breakout/meeting rooms allow us to conduct a range of different activities. The large Function Room is a space for all participants to come together for worship sessions and other indoor activities, the Conference Room allows for a slightly more intimate space, and the Meeting room and Bar Area allow for smaller classroom sized groups to gather.

The food at Rawson is always delicious and plentiful, which is something our participants really appreciate and look forward to. Food is such an important factor when choosing a facility and we know that at Rawson dietary requirements are very well catered for, and the vegetarian meals are particularly good.

The accommodation is always very clean and comfortable, making everyone feel right at home. The flexibility of the accommodation, as well as the varied accommodation choices, is great to have and makes my life as the camp organiser much easier.

One of the best things about Rawson is the ability to secure the facility for the exclusive use of our group for our week-long Summer Camp (over 150 guests), providing us with a sense of security and privacy as we conduct our camp.

For religious groups such as ours, Rawson provides a great venue that is safe, clean, affordable, and welcoming in a beautiful area of Victoria.

Overall, our Rawson Village experience has been very enjoyable, and we look forward to working with the RV team into the future!

Chris Higgins - Coordinator of (CARE) Community and Religious Education Middle School Mentor

Carey Baptist Grammar School has based its Year 8 Rural Gippsland camp out of Rawson Village for several years and every time it exceeds our expectations.

The goal of our Rural camp is to learn about life, industry and agriculture in rural Victorian communities and Rawson Village is the ideal location for our week. We are able to easily travel to Walhalla to learn about mining, engage in a ghost tour and relish in the opportunity to participate in the Amazing Race around Walhalla, organised for us by the staff at Rawson. Moe, Morwell and Traralgon are a short trip away and the perfect setting to hear about the Power Industry in the La Trobe Valley and the changing nature of employment in the area.

The facilities at Rawson Village are excellent at meeting our needs and the overall purpose of the trip. The 20 bunk rooms available for students, comfortable motel rooms for staff, large recreation room and oval are ideal for our students and staff to play, relax and socialise. The dining hall, catering and kitchen staff are all fantastic. Every meal was served on time by friendly, smiling staff, was healthy and there was always plenty to go around.

I would recommend Rawson Village to any school group coming to visit and stay in the local area.

Mandy Hennesy - Director Exeat Week

Our school has recently returned to Rawson Village (RV) for our week-long year 6 camp.  It has been wonderful to return to see the positive changes that have occurred since Charles and Jacinta took over.

The program is wonderful, giving the students an opportunity to engage in physical activity, challenge themselves, and step outside their comfort zone.  All RV activities are run by professional, friendly and enthusiastic staff.

Our Walhalla visit enhances and adds a uniqueness to the program.  Our students get to learn about the interesting history of Walhalla through activities such as The Amazing Race, Long Tunnel Extended Mine Tours, Ghost Tours, and during free time when they walk around the town.  Walhalla is a truly spectacular place to visit.

We have the exclusive use of the RV facility and as a medium sized school group, we easily fit into the Ensuite Bunk Rooms.  We also have access to a large Meeting Room close to our accommodation.  Additionally, there are Motel Rooms for additional adults if required.

The food at RV is fresh, healthy and more than meets our needs and expectations. Special dietary requirements are no trouble and we are always met with a friendly smile at the servery.

The decision to move back to RV has proven to be very successful, and we look forward to many more years to come at Rawson Village.

Dee McDonald - Year 7 Camp Coordinator

Mazenod College has held its Year 7 Orientation camps at Rawson Village since 2009. Previously we had used a variety of smaller camps which we found unsatisfactory for the basic goal of having new students get to know their teachers and each other by spending some time ‘living’ in community. We searched for a place in a beautiful environment which might cater for larger numbers. Rawson Village satisfied our criteria.

Each year we conduct two camps over the course of the week with half of our Year seven cohort attending each camp with an ‘overlap’ day on Wednesday. In all, we have approximately 250 people catered for during our week long stay.

Our decision to move the camps to Rawson Village has proved to be an outstanding success. The programs offered by the owners and their staff – tailored to suit our needs – are varied and popular with our students. The facilities at Rawson are far more suited to our purpose than we had previously enjoyed. The catering at Rawson Village is admirable and the attention to the wide range of dietary needs required in the modern age is top class. Over the years we have had several of our disabled students attend camp and every accommodation possible has been made for their inclusion in the camp experience.

Possibly the greatest advantage offered by Rawson Village for us is the quality and spirit of co-operation on the part of the owners and staff in the successful operation of our camps. We have had reliable experts in charge of the all the adventure activities, pleasant and helpful kitchen and maintenance staff as well as wonderful office support in the planning phase for each year. We find that Rawson Village is sensitive to the Catholic ethos which Mazenod seeks to bring to its camp program.

We are delighted with Rawson Village. Charles and Jacinta should be very proud of what they have to offer.

Alan Lucas - SUMMIT Program Organiser

Rawson Village was extremely easy to work with and they were happy to answer any questions we had. The facilities were clean and well maintained. Our students thought that the camp food was to a higher standard, and even the options for students with food allergies were well catered for and tasted great.

The breakout spaces made it very easy for the students at our conference to split into manageable sizes which was essential to the way our conference operates.

Thanks a lot Rawson! We will be back next year!

Mark Hamilton - Football Director

The Rowville Football Club held our 2017 pre season camp here. A tremendous venue, with great facilities and helpful and friendly staff. Would highly recommend to any community group to consider this place for a great team building get away, special thanks to Charles who just made everything so easy for us and made us feel very welcome.

Laura Gerbing - Senior Program Manager

Vermont Secondary College has held its annual Year 12 Retreat/Study Camp at Rawson Village for many years now, and we are very satisfied with what RV has to offer.

One of the greatest benefits of using the Rawson Village facility is its ability to accommodate 250+ staff and students as our school continues to grow. The accommodation and facilities are always clean, safe and welcoming for both staff and students. Additionally, the number of breakout/meeting rooms available works very well with our retreat program and allows us to have more intimate sessions with the students. The surrounding environment is beautiful and means that the students can enjoy the outdoors in their free time.

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The food at Rawson is delicious and plentiful, always prepared and served by helpful and friendly staff. The new ‘healthy choices’ menu is a great addition as it means that we can choose from the traditional camp meals, along with some refreshing and healthy meals that were well received by both staff and students.

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In terms of organisation of the camp, communication with the owner/operators is fantastic, and they are always happy to help and answer any questions we may have. We also find that in terms of value for money, Rawson Village is very competitive and the owners are always going the extra mile to ensure that our experience at RV is enjoyable.

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Overall, we are very happy with our ongoing relationship with Rawson Village and look forward to many more years to come!