The Collaroy Centre
The Collaroy Centre
If Long Point Conference Centre isn’t available on the dates required by your group, then The Collaroy Centre is one of several alternative venues which may be available.
The Collaroy Centre is located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, and is owned and run by the Salvation Army. It is set on 10 hectares of native bushland only a few minutes’ walk from Collaroy Beach. The Collaroy Centre hosts many different types of events including school camps, corporate events, retreats, birthday parties, and expeditions for the Duke of Edinburgh award.
Which Groups Use the Collaroy Centre?
The Collaroy Centre is experienced in running school camps for a range of ages. These camps can be fully programmed by the venue staff, liaising with school teachers to design a program most suitable for the students.
The Collaroy Centre also hosts corporate events such as conferences and seminars. As well as having meeting and conference facilities, it also offers outdoor sports and activities for team building and as a break from the office routine.
Another type of event run at The Collaroy Centre is the retreat, and many different groups stay here including church groups, youth groups, bands, sporting clubs and family reunions. The Centre also hosts birthday parties.
The Collaroy Centre is involved with the Adventurous Journey section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The staff are experienced in training young people for expeditions and then taking them on both Practice and Qualifying Expeditions for their award.
Below is some more detailed information about The Collaroy Centre, to help you decide whether this would be the ideal venue for your group event.
Accommodation to Suit Your Needs
The Collaroy Centre has a combination of cabin blocks and hotel rooms, which in total can accommodate up to 440 people. There is no minimum number for bookings. However, exclusive use of the venue is not guaranteed as more than one event can be run concurrently. Accommodation units can be booked individually or in combination. The accommodation is wheelchair accessible.
There are 5 cabin blocks, each of which has 10 rooms with bunk beds sleeping 6 to 8 people, as well as triple share Deluxe Rooms. The cabin blocks have 2 en suite bathrooms for the bunk bedrooms, and the Deluxe Rooms each have their own en suite. Pillows and doonas are provided in the bunk bedrooms. Guests in these rooms need to bring their own linen and towels; however, this can also be hired from the venue. Full linen service is provided in the Deluxe Rooms. The cabin blocks have air conditioning and heating.
Each cabin block also has two common rooms which can be used for meetings, activities or relaxation. One of these rooms in each cabin has a TV, Blu-ray player and tea and coffee making facilities.
In addition to the cabin blocks, The Collaroy Centre also has 30 twin share hotel rooms. The hotel rooms are spacious and all have an en suite. Full linen service is provided for these rooms, including towels and toiletries. The hotel rooms include an LCD TV/DVD player, air conditioning, a balcony, fridge, and tea and coffee facilities. Some have ocean views.
Conference and Meeting Rooms
The Collaroy Centre is well equipped with facilities for conferences and meetings, suitable for corporate events and other functions. All meeting spaces have a variety of set ups and can be customised to the needs of the group. For example, all except the lecture theatre can be set up with tables if desired.
The auditorium seats up to 400 people and is fully equipped with audio-visual equipment including DVD/Blu-ray player, projector and screen as well as other equipment such as a whiteboard. The auditorium also has a stage.
There is a conference room which seats 270 people, a chapel seating 180 people and a lecture theatre seating 138 people. These also have full AV equipment. The lecture theatre has a 3D projector and can be used as a 3D cinema.
In addition, there are three smaller seminar rooms and the Garden Room. There is also an outdoor amphitheatre, and a “Bush Chapel” which is another outdoor meeting space suitable for small groups and retreats.
Other facilities are also available in the meeting rooms. For example, all except one seminar room have a piano. A table showing all the facilities available in each meeting room can be found here.
Adventure, Sport and Recreation Facilities
The Collaroy Centre is located on native bushland close to the beach and offers a wide variety of activities both on-site and in the immediate vicinity, suitable for a range of ages, abilities and preferences. School camps can be fully programmed by venue staff, and activities can also be included as part of retreats, corporate functions and other events, by prior arrangement. Activities are all supervised by qualified instructors.
The Collaroy Centre has the facilities for a number of high-adrenaline, adventure activities including abseiling, high ropes course, drop pole, dual flying fox, rock climbing, giant swing and team laser tag.
Team building and educational activities available include a 5 part challenge course, Eco challenge adventure race, and a 5 part initiative course. The mobile initiative course is a 4 part course which can be completed indoors.
Sporting facilities available include an oval for ball sports, tennis and basketball courts, and archery. Sporting equipment is available for guests to use. There is also a 30 metre “slip n slide” water slide.
Activities that may be done off-site at the nearby beach area include raft building, surf lessons and rock platform studies.
A complete list and description of activities offered, including the lower age limit for children where applicable, can be found here.
All Events Fully Catered
At The Collaroy Centre, all events are fully catered – self-catering is not an option. Food may not be brought to the venue. The exception to this is for people with anaphylaxis or other similar health conditions, who may bring food that is safe for them to eat by prior arrangement. The Collaroy Centre is Allergy Aware but not Nut Free. This means that all care is taken to reduce the risk of food allergies. However, food cannot be guaranteed to be free from traces of nuts or other allergens.
The meals provided are breakfast, morning and afternoon tea, lunch, dinner and supper. Multiple groups may share the dining room at mealtimes. There are three full-time qualified chefs on site who aim to provide a variety of tasty and nutritious meals. Enhanced and Formal Dining menus are available by prior arrangement, at extra cost.
Distance from Sydney
The Collaroy Centre is located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, 22 kilometres north of the Sydney CBD or up to 45 minutes’ drive. To get there, get on the Bradfield Highway/Western Distributor (A4) and follow it to merge onto the M1 and then the A8. Drive along the A8 for 19.9 kilometres until you reach Homestead Ave. Turn left onto Homestead Ave. The Collaroy Centre is at the end of this street. Enhanced and Formal Dining menus are available by prior arrangement, at extra cost.
Comparison between The Collaroy Centre and Long Point Conference Centre
| The Collaroy Centre | Long Point Conference Centre | |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | Up to 440 guests | Up to 150 guests Exclusive use bookings only |
| On-site Facilities | 400 seat auditorium 350 seat dining room Other meeting rooms Slip n slide Oval Other sport and recreation facilities Instructor led activities | 200 seat auditorium 160 seat dining area Café Swimming pool Sauna Children’s playground Sports field with flood lights Other sport and recreation facilities |
| Catering | Fully catered only | Fully catered or self-catered |
| Distance from Sydney | Up to 45 minutes | Up to 1 hour |
Local Places to Visit and Attractions in Sydney
There are several attractions within a short distance of The Collaroy Centre that cater for a variety of interests and age groups. Some of these are listed below.
The Collaroy Centre is a short walk away from Collaroy Beach, a patrolled sand beach with a 50 metre rock pool.
The beach forms part of an “accessibility precinct” which includes an enclosed all-abilities playground, and access to a FreeWheeler which allows wheelchair access to the sand and water. Collaroy Beach generally has good conditions for beginner surfers as well as windsurfing.
Other facilities include showers and toilets and a picnic area.
As mentioned, The Collaroy Centre is about 45 minutes’ drive from the Sydney CBD.
A day excursion to the city can be included as part of your event.
If you wish, this can be fully programmed by venue staff, to such famous places as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Taronga Zoo, the Sydney Tower and many more.