Lark in the Park

When

27 April 2024, 8.30am until approx. 2.45/3pm
Campers will stay overnight until 28 April 2024, 9am

Where

Lizard Log Ampitheatre, Western Sydney Parklands, 
The Horsley Dr &, Cowpasture Rd, Abbotsbury NSW 2176

Who

Pre-junior Guides, Junior Guides, Flexible Guides and friends* aged 5–10
Adult Leaders, Adult Helpers and Junior Leaders
*Friends cannot stay overnight.

Getting There

From the South

• Follow the M31 Hume motorway north and merge onto the M7, keeping left at the fork to continue on M7 following signs for Blacktown/Newcastle (Toll Road)
• Exit onto Cowpasture Rd towards Green Vly
• Follow Cowpasture Rd for 8km to Lizard Log 

From the North

• Follow the M1 motorway south and take the Northconnex exit, using the left 2 lanes to take the NORTHCONNEX exit towards Parramatta/Canberra/Sydney (Toll Road)
• Continue onto NorthConnex for 8km
• Merge onto M2 for 7.5km
• Continue onto M7 for 24km
• Take the The Horsley Dr exit towards Horsley Pk/Wetherill Pk/Fairfield
• Keep left at the fork and merge onto The Horsley Dr
• In about 2km Use the right lane to bear right to stay on The Horsley Dr
• In 250m, at the roundabout, take the 3rd exit, then a sharp right in 5m

From the West

• Follow the A32 to the Western Motorway/M4 to Horsley Park
• At the Light Horse junction, Use the left lane to follow signs for M7 towards Airport/Liverpool/Canberra (Toll Road)
• Take the The Horsley Dr exit towards Horsley Pk/Wetherill Pk/Fairfield
• Keep left at the fork and merge onto The Horsley Dr
• Follow The Horsley Dr for 2.5km to Lizard Log

 

Parking and drop-off
If you are dropping Guides off, there will be a kiss and drop zone in the West Car Park. 
To park and walk-in, there is parking on the road to Lizard Log between Novella on the Park and the West Car Park. There will also be limited spots available in the West Car Park. 

Public Transport
Visit Transport NSW to map your journey to Lizard Log. Bus routes 813 and 835 have stops nearby to Lizard Log:

Bus Stop	Approximate time to travel by foot
Lizard Log, Western Sydney Parklands	8 min walk
The Horsley Drive opp. Cowpasture Road	10 min walk
The Horsley Drive before Cowpasture Road	13 min walk
Newton Rd before Cowpasture Rd	15 min walk
1357 The Horsley Dr	15 min walk
Cowpasture Rd after Bossley Rd	16 min walk
Bossley Rd at Quarry Rd	17 min walk

The Park

If you feel like a short stroll, the 1.6km Pimelea Loop path circles around Lizard Log. For a longer walk or cycle take the Parklands Track, which connects Lizard Log to The Dairy, Calmsley Hill City Farm, Moonrise Lookout, Sugarloaf Ridge and Prospect Reservoir.

Hygiene
There is an amenity block with toilets adjacent to the Lizard Log amphitheatre.



Register Online  

Program

Day Ticket - 8.30am – 3pm Saturday

8.30–9.30 am Arrive, Register + Morning Activities

9.30 am Welcome/Opening Ceremony. Break into patrols (what native species will your patrol be?), and begin the day with the “snake game” where you will learn what to do if we meet a snake during the day.
9.45am–12pm Nature Play Activities*
12–12.30pm Lunch (BYO)
12:30–02:15 pm Nature Play Activities* followed by reflection
2.15–2.30 pm Closing

* Nature Play Activities
Run by the Parklands Trust's Park Rangers Guides will get to participate in a round robin of nature play activities throughout the day:

Make your own flag 
Girls will be introduced to different natural dying techniques and can create their own flag with Calico. 

Cordage making
Girls will use natural fibres to weave their own rope and then use that rope to make a keyring, friendship bracelet, or anything else they can think of.

Habitat exploration
Girl will explore the Cumberland Plains woodlands identifying the local wildlife's homes and the animals that live in them.

Plant a tree!
The girls will plant trees to restore the natural habitat of native animals with Landcare's Creating Canopies project. They will contribute to animal corridor creation in the Cumberland Plains Region.

Mud mapping
Girls will look at the importance of maps, create a map of lizard log, and then hide a treasure within their map for a friend to find.

Reflection time 
In the last 15 minutes of the day, we will encourage Guides to talk about their highlights of the day and create a communal mandala.

Overnight Ticket - 8:30am Saturday to 9am Sunday

3.30pm – 5pm Set up camp, afternoon tea and free play
5pm - 6pm Spotlight Prowl
6pm - 7pm Dinner (provided)
7pm - 8pm Campfire and Story time. (campfire snacks provided!)
8:30pm Bed time

Sunday 
7am - 8am Light Breakfast (provided)
8am - 9am Pack up
9am - 9:30am Pick-up

Registration Requirements

Girls must attend with their Unit Leader. Please check with your Unit Leader if you wish to bring a friend.
Friends cannot stay overnight.
Girls staying overnight must be 5 - 10 years and in either a Pre-Junior Guide, Junior Guide or Flexible Guide Unit as at 31 March 2024
Junior Leaders can also stay overnight.
All youth Members staying overnight must do so with their Unit Leader. Please check with your Leader before registering.
Bring a Friend & Adult Helper
If you are attending as a Bring a Friend or Adult Helper and have difficulty registering for the event
please contact [email protected]

What to Wear - Day Program

All Guides should wear Guide Uniform, a hat and closed shoes, a warm jacket, sunscreen and you may need sunglasses too! No need to wear your badge sash and badges.

What to Bring - Day Program

Water bottle, morning tea & lunch, and a raincoat. Please bring afternoon tea if you are staying overnight.

What to Pack - Campers

Unit Leaders will need to bring a tent for their girls and another tent for themselves. All tents need to have a floor. No bell tents.
We will provide a pitching crew to help set up your tents. 
Tent pegs should be no longer than 21- 22cm in length as there is underground irrigation in the camping area.
If you are having difficulty sourcing the tents you need from your District or Region please contact [email protected].

Download the Kit List

Forms

Unit Leaders should collect ADM.27 forms from their girls if they haven't already been provided for 2024. They should also be supplied again if there are any changes required.  All attendees should ensure that their health information, dietary requirements and emergency contact details are up to date on their record. Please login to the website to make any changes before Sunday 14th April.

Safety & Security

• Guides will be organised into patrols at the registration check-in desk.
• Park Rangers will lead activities and ensure that they are carried out safely.
• Sunscreen and water will be available throughout the day. Please remind all attendees to reapply sunscreen and refill their water bottles.
• Western Sydney Parklands will close their vehicle access gates to the public at 6pm. A Security Park Ranger will patrol the campground overnight for our event and be available to open the gates in case of an emergency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Who can attend Lark in the Park?
A. Youth Members in Pre-Junior & Junior Guide Units (ages 5–10)
Junior Leaders with their Pre-junior & Junior Guide Unit
Leaders, including interim, assistant, and qualified who are Child Safe Child Friendly (CSCF) compliant.
Adult Helpers – Male and Female during the day, registered as Ongoing or Casual Volunteers with Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT and who are CSCF compliant
Adult Helpers staying overnight must be female and registered Ongoing Volunteers and be CSCF Compliant.

Q. How do I register?
A. Log into your Member record, go to What's on, find the event and then scroll down and click on 'Register myself'. Select the correct ticket type, answer the questions and then pay the registration fee by credit card
New Adult Helpers can create an account here before registering.
Friends can create an account here before registering.
Problems logging in?
Call our Member Services Team on 1300 447 548, drop us an email to [email protected], or DM us 

Q. Can I attend Lark in the Park alone?
A. No, you must attend with your Unit Leader. If your Unit Leader isn't attending, please contact your Unit Leader and District Manager to see if they can buddy you up with a local Unit.

Q. Why is the cost higher than last year?
A. Last year we were lucky enough to have Western Sydney Parklands subsidise our event with their NSW Government grant in support of their outdoor education program. 

Q. Why are some activities similar to last year?
A. Some activities have now been updated, see above. The final program may change and is also subject to weather conditions. We also plan to keep a few favourite activities that we know are crowd pleasers. Please stay tuned and refer to this page for updates.

Q. Why is bed time so late?
A. We have revised the bed time. Please see above for details.

Q. How are we going to get the girls packed up and ready to leave by 9am?
A. The morning program is a simple breakfast and pack up. If leaving by 9am is an issue, please reach out.

Q. What do I need to do before I attend Lark in the Park?
A. Register online through Lark in the Park website page
2. Prepare your ADM 27 (Youth) or ADM 28 (Adult) 

Q. I want to bring adult helpers (or non-members, casual or ongoing volunteers) with me, how do I register them?
A. If you are bringing adult helpers to assist with your Guides, please register
them for the event by purchasing a Girl Guides Adult Registration. Registration is restricted to Members and Volunteer Helpers who have been screened as per CSCF, and have a login for our website.  You need to be logged in to our website with your Girl Guides NSW, ACT & NT Member ID to register.
 
Q. What if I can no longer attend? Can I get a refund? 
A. Refunds are available until the registration closing date. All refund requests must be made via email to [email protected].

Q. Is this event inclusive? 
A. All Members, and Volunteers are encouraged to attend including those with all abilities. Lizard Log Park has accessible restrooms. Please be aware that some of the areas being used for the event are on dirt, grass and uneven ground. If you require special assistance please email [email protected]

Q. Why do we need to bring our own tents? 
A. The cost of hiring marquees made the overnight component cost prohibitive. The Leadership Team felt that Districts/Leaders should be able to source tents to bring. If your District or Region cannot assist you please let us know so we can assist you.

Q. Who is on the pitching crew? How many people will be there? Will people be okay with having others pitch their tents?
A. The pitching crew will be provided by Cumberland Plains Olaves. The number of crew will depend on the number of attendees. Pitching crew are coming to help so that Leaders can enjoy the day program with their girls. If having the pitching crew pitch your tent is an issue, please let us know.

Q. Are we allowed to use screw pegs?
A. There are site restrictions for the pegs we can use. Pegs should be no longer than 21-22cm long and be of the thin variety. We will have a limited supply of suitable pegs should someone accidently bring pegs that are too long.