Frequently asked questions....

Tickets

Who is camp for?

Camp is for anyone who leads a team within their local parish or mission unit at the invitation of their parish leader. We are blessed with such a diversity of teams within in our Diocese that it's best for your mission unit leader to make the call about whether this is for you.

Pricing

We love camp, and the feedback and appreciation we get from putting it on is always amazing. For our leaders and their families, it is one of the highlights of the year. This year we have managed to keep our ticket prices the same as last year - even though camp fees have increased across the board - including for catering, accommodation, travel, and equipment, and this is all in the context of the Diocese facing a significant deficit of its own.

To help address this we are offering a true cost ticket option which reflects the actual cost per person to attend. If you are in a position to pay the full cost of this then we would be hugely appreciative. There is also an option to make a donation to bless others to attend camp. In order to keep ticket costs the same as last year, we have also made the decision to not provide lunch on Sunday - the cost of this would have been an additional $19.50 for adults and youth 13+, and $13.50 for children 4+.

(Please note that purchasing a true cost ticket does not give you preferential treatment when it comes to assigning accommodation!)

I am only visiting for the day - is there a discounted rate?

No. This is always a challenging question, so here is the honest reasoning:

Our hope is that you will commit to joining us for the full duration of camp, from Friday evening through to midday Sunday. The experience is built that way, and you really will miss out if you are only there for one day.
The cost of accommodation is a comparatively small portion of the overall event cost. Splitting the accommodation cost equitably across all tickets helps us keep the base price low for everyone.
Day visitors still use most of the same resources: catering, kids and youth programmes, venue hire, administration, facilities, and staffing - so a discounted rate does not reflect the true cost.

We genuinely encourage everyone to come for the whole weekend if at all possible.

Can I pay by invoice?

Yes - although our preference is for credit card payments to minimise administrative workload. Invoices must be paid by the due date shown, or by negotiation no later than the Friday prior to camp starting.

When you're buying tickets you'll see a a question asking if you'd like to pay by invoice. Select 'yes' then enter the email address you'd like it sent to. When you get to the payment screen please enter the code INVOICE in the "Gift certificate / Promotion code" box and press apply. This will make the total payable $0. Fill out any missing details and click 'purchase'. We will manually issue an invoice based on the tickets you have selected - this may take up to a week to issue.

Can I buy a gift certificate for someone else?

You sure can! Head to this page and choose how many tickets you want to buy. You’ll need to provide the recipient’s email address so they can receive the gift certificate.

They’ll be emailed a unique code. When they complete their own registration, they simply paste that code into the discount box, and it will deduct the full value of the gift certificate you purchased for them.

I would love to come, but this is more expensive than I can manage

We do not want the cost of camp to prevent anyone from enjoying being with our Movement whānau. Our highest value is that everyone invited to camp can come to camp - no matter what.

If the cost is too much:

Please contact your parish or mission unit first to see what support they can offer.
Then contact our Events Manager, Richard (richard@anglicanmovement.nz) - tell us what you can pay, and we will work something out.

Do I need to print my ticket?

No - just turn up at the registration desk. We will have your details.

I need to change something in my registration. What do I do?

Please email Richard: richard@anglicanmovement.nz.
The sooner the better, especially for dietary or accommodation changes.

Arrival, Departure and Schedule

What time can we arrive on Friday?

You are welcome to arrive from 4pm - this gives you time to unpack and settle before the evening session.

What time does the first session start?

The first main session starts at 7pm on Friday night. Please be seated in the hall no later than 6.50pm for our mihi whakatau.

When does camp finish?

Camp will finish late morning on Sunday. Lunch will not be provided this year - please plan accordingly. (This is a change from previous years.)

Accommodation

How is accommodation assigned?

The accommodation at El Rancho includes shared bunk rooms, twin and three share rooms (Elm), and larger family units (villas and lodges).

As a general rule we try to accommodate:

families with young children in Elm (sometimes across two adjacent rooms)
married couples in twin share rooms
families with primary, intermediate, or college aged children in bunk rooms, sometimes shared with other families
youth and young adults in bunk rooms

We always do our best to ensure couples and families have private accommodation, but this is not always possible. You may be required to share with another couple or family.

Larger family units are reserved for those with particular needs and are allocated at the discretion of the events manager.

Do I need to bring bedding and towels?

Yes. Everyone must bring their own bedding, pillows, towels, and toiletries.

Are bathrooms shared?

Most accommodation areas have shared bathrooms.

Do rooms have powerpoints?

Yes - most rooms have powerpoints suitable for charging phones and small devices.

Can I share a room with specific people?

Yes - you can make requests during registration. We will try our best, but cannot guarantee all requests.

What if I have medical or neurodiversity needs?

Please let us know during registration. We will do everything we can to support your needs and place you in accommodation that works well for you.

Can I lock my room?

Most likely, no - so please keep valuables with you, or leave them at home. In some instances we may be able to provide a key, but please be aware you will be charged $45 to replace it if it is not returned before you leave at the end of camp.

Do we need to clean before leaving?

Yes. Please leave your cabin or room, your bathrooms, and any shared spaces allocated to you clean and tidy on departure.
This honours the venue and keeps costs down. We reserve the right to invoice you for additional cleaning costs if required.

What if something gets damaged?

Damage caused through negligence or misuse may be charged to the individual or family responsible.

Kids, Youth and Supervision

Do I have to supervise my children?

Yes - parents and caregivers remain responsible for the supervision, safety, and behaviour of their children at all times, except when they are participating in an official MLFC preschool, children, or youth programme.

Parents must be contactable at all times while their children are in a programme. If, for any reason, the programme leader needs a child to be collected (including behaviour, illness, distress, safety concerns, or capacity issues), parents must be able to respond promptly. Leaders reserve the discretion to contact parents at any time.

Please be aware that if your child has learning, neurodiversity, physical, or mobility-related needs, we may request that you (or another trusted adult) are present to help ensure they can engage well with the programme.

What programmes are available for children and youth?

During the main sessions we will run:

a preschool programme
a children’s programme
a youth programme

These are led by trained leaders and are a core part of the weekend.

Food, Catering and Allergies

What dietary options are available?

El Rancho can cater for:

vegetarian
vegan
gluten free
dairy free

They do not cook with peanuts.

What if I have severe allergies?

Even if you fall outside the above categories, it is very important that we know about any severe allergies. This helps because:

El Rancho can advise which options are safe for your specific allergy.
They can assess risk for people with severe conditions such as Coeliac disease.
In some cases, people may be asked to self cater for safety reasons.
It is vital information for health and safety planning for children, youth, and the wider MLFC teams.
It helps us understand who will be self catering, which reduces catering costs.

Is fridge space available?

There is very limited fridge space.
We can only allocate it for medication or essential self catering for severe allergies. Please let us know if you need it.

Helping at Camp

Can I help serve at camp?

Absolutely. It is a blessing to the event team and the wider Diocesan whānau when people serve at camp. There are many roles needed - from registration, to setup and pack down, to morning tea, to workshop hosting, to children and youth ministry.

You can select as many roles as you like during registration. Please note that selecting a role does not guarantee it will be assigned - we will be in touch to confirm.

Will I have to do any jobs during camp?

Probably, yes. Part of being family is looking after each other. You may be assigned a small job such as serving a meal, cleaning a bathroom in your area, or helping with a meeting space.

If you are not able to do your assigned job, it is your responsibility to find someone to swap with. We do our best to ensure jobs are appropriate and manageable.

Other Practicalities

Is there WiFi?

Please do not expect there to be good WiFi coverage. Phone coverage varies depending on your provider.

Are pets allowed?

No pets are allowed, except registered service animals, which must be declared during registration.

Is there a quiet time?

Yes - 10pm in all accommodation areas.

Will there be iceblocks? (and will I need to queue for an hour to get one?)

It wouldn't be MLFC without an iceblock! We're looking at how we distribute them this year to make sure we speed things up....