Adventure holidays
Enjoying the great outdoors—and discovering places that are ‘off the beaten track'—is a benefit of being involved in an adventure holiday group based in south-east Queensland.
The Community Living Program (CLP) in Brisbane supports an adventure holiday group that includes about 20 members at any time and has been established by its members. The membership of the group is a mixture of people with an intellectual disability, community members and volunteers.
The CLP is overseen by the Community Living Association, which supports people with a learning difficulty, intellectual disability, or an intellectual disability and mental illness; as well as young people at risk of homelessness or early school leaving.
Members of the group participate in adventure holidays that appeal to them during the year.
Recent outings have included trips to Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island, kayaking at Coochiemudlo Island, bushwalking at O'Reillys in Lamington National Park and camping at Pottsville Beach and near Mount Warning in northern New South Wales.
What members say
Members of the group have enjoyed different aspects of the holidays.
One member, Carly, has participated in a few of the holidays, including the trips to Moreton Island and O'Reillys in Lamington National Park.
She saw dolphins when she went to Moreton Island, and managed to find a spot in the shade to relax and take in the scenery.
'It was my first time on an island,' she says.
'I loved it.'
Stephen, a community member, has visited lots of places with the group, including Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast.
Participating in the holidays has given Stephen a chance to practise his hobbies—including photography and playing the guitar.
On an earlier trip to Boonah, Stephen woke up early to capture the sunrise with his lens. He has also tested out the acoustics of his guitar at various locations.
'I'd like to adventure more and go off the beaten track more,' he says.
'It actually opens your mind up. That's the nice thing about it. It inspires you to go out and do more of these trips.'
Developing new skills
Members of the holiday group learn practical life skills as part of the program.
As part of a camp skills workshop, they have practised tasks including rolling sleeping bags, setting up a tent, tying fishing knots on a hook and making damper. They also learnt about fire safety and personal etiquette.
Stephen says balancing what members can and can't do is considered by the organisers.
'There is sometimes a practical issue of doing some of these things,' he says.
'There are (also) things that we can do ourselves.'
Alistair, another group member, participated in the trip to Pottsville Beach.
Alistair has epilepsy. He has strong memories of the trip, and still recalls how he felt after heavy rainfall set in.
'We were in the tents at the time,' he says.
Alistair also tried swimming at Pottsville Beach, even though he was cautious about going into the surf.
'I had to be really careful,' he says.
