FAMILY RETREATS

Camp Quality Family Retreats give the gift of precious family time together to those dealing with the stresses of cancer. They provide our kids and families with the opportunity to go away on holiday together, relax and make positive new memories – often for the first time since a diagnosis.

Family Retreats are designed for any Camp Quality family needing a breather from the intensity of the cancer experience. They are particularly helpful for families in the stages of remission, post-treatment, palliative care, or in the devastating case of bereavement.

These Family Retreats are safe spaces to spend time together in stunning, natural environments that help you all unwind and take a much-needed break from the trauma of cancer.

Currently, our Retreats are located at:

Coffs Harbour (NSW)
NRMA Merimbula Beach Holiday Resort (NSW)
Salamander Bay (NSW)
Darwin Free Spirit Resort (NT)
NRMA Airlie Beach Holiday Park (Qld)
NRMA Treasure Island Holiday Resort  (Qld)
NRMA Victor Harbor Holiday Park (SA)
West Beach Caravan Park (SA)
NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park (Tas.)
NRMA Phillip Island Beachfront Holiday Park (Vic.)
Warrnambool (Vic.)
Discovery Parks Woodman Point (WA)

We had the best time, it was so hard to leave... I left Melbourne feeling broken and unable to go on and returned feeling like I was completely refreshed and ready to go again.

Melinda
Camp Quality parent

Although there are limited places available for Family Retreats, we always do our best to ensure families in need get this important opportunity. Family respite is provided at no cost to eligible parents who have a child impacted by cancer (on active or palliative treatment), and recently bereaved families.

At Camp Quality we understand that parents of sick children are often near breaking point. Our Retreats not only offer respite to these parents, they allow the whole family to reconnect as a unit and make happy new memories. Such was the case for the Northey family, whose heartfelt story you can hear below.

Video transcript

Jen: Eli was born at 38 weeks. When he was born, he never took that first breath and he needed to be resuscitated and transferred up to the Royal Hospital for Women at Randwick.

Peter: Dr. Lau came and spoke to us again and formally diagnosed that he had neuroblastoma.

Peter: I was breaking down. Poor Jen was breaking down. I reached out to Camp Quality just to let them know how much we’re suffering because we weren’t coping at all. We were falling apart as a family unit.

Jen: We were just at our wit’s end. My husband, Peter, reached out and we were lucky enough to go to a retreat for a week where it was a beautiful house on the water. It had everything that we needed and it provided us with some family time.

Jen: It was life-changing in the sense that we got rest. We got activities. We got to see the kids happy. We played. It was wonderful.

Jen: Fun is so important for kids that have faced cancer because they’ve missed out on opportunities that, if they had a normal sibling, or if they were well, that they would’ve received anyway. They’ve been through the hard slog and they deserve just to have some fun and enjoy themselves.

Peter: Hi. Hi. Come to dad. Hi darling. To have my little boy there with me, it’s just going to be the most special time in the world. Yes, darling. I do love you. Cuddle me.

Register as a family today

If you believe you could benefit from a Camp Quality Retreat, please call us on 1300 662 267 or email our Family Support team on [email protected] to find out more or register as a family today.