Junior Bike Camp

Pete Oste | 0438 841 523 | [email protected]

Jodie Oste | 0410 456 343 | [email protected]

Pete and Jodie Oste

Pete and Jodie have been directing Bike Camp since 2010 and started Junior Bike Camp in 2014.

Jodie started out as a camper in Bike Camp back when bikes were made from steel and helmets were optional! She loved it so much she never left! Pete often jokes that he married into Bike Camp but has developed a real passion for camp and the kids that come each year.

Pete and Jodie live in Molong, in Central Western NSW, and are involved in various Children and Youth Ministries at Molong Baptist Church.

They have a deep love for Jesus, the great outdoors and seeing young lives changed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

To adhere to NSW Government guidelines, Scripture Union NSW has taken the following steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Campers and volunteers.

• Reduced number of participants, both campers and volunteers.
• All participants will be screened upon arrival at camp, including temperature checks. Anyone who has been unwell, or in a hotspot will be excluded.
• All participants' health will be monitored throughout camp.
• Strict plans in place should cold/ flu symptons be present, as per NSW schools. Parents will be notified of these plans ahead of camp.
• Sleeping and dining arrangements are adjusted to maintain appropriate social distancing between participants.
• Each Camp will have a dedicated COVID wardens overseeing cleaning and hygiene.
• No visitors will be allowed to enter camp sites.
• SUNSW will keep records for all participants to enable contract tracing in the event of a participant having a positive test within 14 days of camp.
• In the event of the camp needing to be cancelled due to COVID19 all participants will receive a full refund

Your butt will be grateful for the extra padding but you don't have to have cycling nicks. Some of us just ride in shorts and a T shirt. Cycling gloves, whilst not essential are strongly recommended. Make sure all your clothes are comfortable for riding. A tip from us: jeans are not comfortable riding gear!

You need to bring one spare inner tube that fits your bike. Other than that, we carry all the gear we need for minor repairs. It is handy to have a pump and puncture repair kit on your bike but not essential.

If you are a super-fit cyclist, have no fear, your need for speed will be satisfied! No one has ever gone home from Bike Camp saying we rode too slow or not far enough. Sometimes we send the faster riders on a detour so that they cover more kilometres and more challenging terrain. Sometimes we give the slower riders a big head start and the faster riders have to try and catch up before the end of the section. Usually by the end of camp everyone is riding together at a very similar pace.

You need to provide your own bike but there are back yards and garages all over Australia with bikes in them that are not being used! Try asking a neighbour or school friend if you can borrow their bike, but make sure it is the right size for you and that the seat is a guy's seat if you are a guy and a girl's seat if you are a girl. If you have no luck with friends or neighbours, you can hire a bike from some bike shops. Alternatively, contact the camp directors as we may be able to arrange a bike that we can lend to the right size people if you ask nicely!

No problem. If you have a tent of your own then bring it but if you don't, we have some extra tents or you can share with someone who does have a tent. Guys and girls pitch their tents separately and their areas are out of bounds to each other. If you have a swag you can bring it and sleep in that.

Yes. We can arrange for you to stay overnight at the home of one of the other camper's families in Sydney or Orange, the night before camp. Just let us know well in advance.

Good idea, you can meet us there. We are usually at the campsite for the first night between 7:30-8:30pm. Please let the camp directors know that you will be meeting us at the start rather than in Sydney or Orange because they need to know this for transport logistics. We will then let you know exactly when and where to meet us in that town.

Absolutely not. Many of the kids on camp come on their own and make friends on day one. Some people bring a friend with them but we're all friends by the end of camp. There have been friendships formed on Bike Camp that have lasted for decades!

We average about 10km per hour which isn't very fast and we make sure that everyone gets all the rest they need. We also plan the ride route so that it's not too hilly. If you have average fitness you will be fine. We take breaks every 5 to 7km and sometimes we hold the faster riders back so that you won't feel like you're coming last!

The format for the camp includes a Bible study each morning after breakfast, before we start peddling for our next destination. This is the only formal Christian element to the camp, other than saying grace before dinner! The leaders are willing to talk to you about how having a relationship with God makes their life so much better and are keen to share their personal stories with you when the opportunities arise.

This is your week away and we do not recommend that your parents pay you a visit. It kind of changes the mood of camp if we have parents dropping in. It is also a danger to the cyclists on the road to have extra cars following them.

• A torch and batteries
• Cycling gloves
• A puncture repair kit
• A lilo or roll mat
• A tent
• A little spending money - there is always plenty of food, but you may like to bring a few dollars for the odd icecream on the road
• Your bible
• A pen and a note book
• An instrument if you play one

You don't need anything fancy, but you will need a mountain bike with gears or good working brakes! You will not be able to make the distance on a BMX or a three-speed cruiser. This is a cycle camp and we cover a lot of kilometres. The ideal bike for Junior Bike Camp is a light weight 21-speed mountain bike or hybrid with a comfy seat. Whilst camp will include some off-road sections such as fire trails and MTB single-track a mountain with suspension is not essential.

• Your best threads - don´t bring any clothes that you wouldn´t want to get dirty
• iPods, radios or electronic games
• Anything expensive or fragile eg expensive camera, mobile phone

• Your bike!
• A helmet (you are required by law to wear a helmet)
• A water bottle preferably fitted to your bike - 1 litre bottle is best
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap
• Wet weather gear - something you can ride in
• Pillow and warm sleeping bag (extra blankets if you wish)
• Warm clothes for the evenings and to sleep in (it will be very cold at night)
• Lots of socks and underwear
• Clothes to ride in: shorts and T shirts (bright colours are good for visibility)
• Toiletries
• A towel
• A spare inner tube that fits your tyres
• A back pack to use as a day pack (you won't have access to you main luggage during the day)

Part of the camper registration process is to inform us of any medical conditions or requirements your child might have that could impact their time at camp. Our First Aid officers are equipped to administer medication as stipulated by you at registration. If the camp has any questions regarding the medical requirements they will contact you prior to the camp beginning.

All SUNSW Camps have Senior First Aid qualified leaders who will deliver first-response treatment in the event of an injury or illness. A decision is then made about whether further medical attention is needed and if the camper needs to visit a medical centre or hospital. Scripture Union NSW or the Camp Director will contact the emergency contact parent as soon as possible if outside medical attention is required and if there are any major incidents that occur.

Full-funding is available for all SU Camps, for anyone from drought and bushfire affected areas. Other discounts available for those in financial need. To apply, just fill in a registration form for any SU Camp – on the second page, under 'Have you made, or do you wish to make, an application for financial support?,' select 'Yes' from the dropdown menu, fill in the 'Kids to Camp' or 'Benevolent' application form and finish completing your registration form, and someone will be in touch with you shortly!

Each day of camp features a short, age-appropriate Bible presentation and small group time for campers to talk about issues in greater depth and ask questions about God, life and everything.

You will be expected to participate in all aspects of the camp to make it as enjoyable as possible for everybody. We will be helping each other to the best of our abilities including contributing to serving and packing away at mealtimes.

A team of energetic, committed, Christian Leaders look after the campers throughout camp. All leaders are reference-checked, trained in child protection procedures and have completed government child protection requirements. In addition to adult leaders, a number of Camps involve Junior Leaders who will get right alongside your child throughout the week.

SU NSW Camps and their volunteers hold a strong commitment to the well-being of everyone who participates in our camps. We operate under Scripture Union guidelines and strive to stay in line with and even ahead of the standards that are in place for the camping industry. Specific skill activities, such as abseiling and canoeing, are led by staff accredited under the relevant Australian authorities.