mmg.com.au

The Greater Murray YMCA plans to have a giant swing, flying fox, abseiling and climbing tower installed at Deniliquin Four Post Camp within several months.

flying fox, abseiling and climbing tower installed at Deniliquin Four Post Camp within several months.

The camp has also welcomed a new manager and trainee, and there are plans for a kayaking venture and $100,000 kitchen upgrade.

YMCA chief executive officer Nicole Dunn said the adventure equipment will be the biggest in NSW.

‘‘We hope to have all that work completed by just after Easter,’’ she said.

The equipment represents a $100,000 investment by YMCA.

The organisation took over Four Post in July 2011, with the camp previously run by a community committee.

‘‘In terms of the Y, we are very, very excited,’’ Ms Dunn said.

‘‘These are unique activities for this area.’’

Visitor numbers at the camp are already high, with at least 80 at the camp in the last fortnight.

‘‘This time of year, they (the previous managers) haven’t had these numbers before,’’ Ms Dunn said.

‘‘These are new bookings for the camp. We really need to get into our core business which is large groups and schools.

‘‘We think it’s got huge potential. We’ve got a five year business plan for the site.’’

After the adventure activities, the next challenge is finding funding to upgrade the camp’s kitchen.

‘‘The kitchen is a big one at the moment,’’ Ms Dunn said.

‘‘Unfortunately the state of the kitchen means we can’t offer any on-site catering through the kitchen.’’

Ms Dunn said food has been supplied through barbecues and the like, but ‘‘the situation is extremely difficult’’.

‘‘We replaced the floor because that was rotting away from underneath.

‘‘The next stage is to try and source some funding to try and replace the old equipment and old benches.’’

The upgrades are expected to cost more than $100,000.

A kayaking tourism venture known as the Edward River Adventure Program is also being planned.

‘‘It’s a new program that’s been developed as a result of some funding that we got through the regional development program.

‘‘We are in the very early stages of that,’’ Ms Dunn said.

The YMCA also plans to upgrade the accommodation blocks.