FAQ – Registration
How do I register?
All registrations are online. Either here on the website or via the EC App.
If you don’t have access to internet or a credit card/direct deposit access, talk to your youth leader – they’ll be able to help you out.
If you’re requiring sponsorship, talk to your youth leader about this, they have access to the required paperwork.
How much does it cost?
There are three levels for fees this year:
Early Tickets Discount – $189 per person between 23 January and 5pm 24 February 2023
Standard Fee – $199 per person between 24 February and 5pm 24 March 2023
Late Fee – $219 per person between 24 March and 5pm 31 March 2023
No registrations will be accepted after 5pm 31 March 2023
Is there a family discount?
Unfortunately, no family discounts. If money is an issue for you – contact your youth leader about sponsorship.
What's the age limit for Eastercamp?
You need to be in Year 9 or above in 2023. If you’re younger than this – be patient, your time is coming.
If you’re older than Year 13, come as a leader or volunteer as a crew member!
If you don’t know how old you are, we can’t help you… we have our limits, sorry.
How do I contact my young person during camp?
Cellphone coverage at camp is patchy, but you may be able to get hold of people.
If you have an emergency, and need us to get a message to a camper, please telephone (03) 354 2181 or message us from this website (we’re always checking emails at camp).
If phoning, leave a clear message with your name, phone number, and the name and youth group of the camper. We will clear the office messages several times a day during camp, and the camper will be able to use the office telephone to get back in touch with you if necessary.
Please understand that with an event this size, and depending on what is happening in the programme at the time we get your message, it can take a while to track your young person down.
If there is a serious emergency reason you need to get hold of your child (e.g. family illness etc.) then the quickest way is to come out to camp and speak to the Safety Team at the front gate.
I want to come and visit my child at Eastercamp. How do I arrange this?
Sorry, but we don’t allow day visitors.
Visitors often unknowingly disrupt the programme of the event and cause havoc for our already overworked cooks. If you want to see what’s going on then sign up as a Youth Group Parent through your child’s youth group or come as a Camp Volunteer.
Do you postpone EC for bad weather?
We’re tough and we know you are too, so we try to run EC rain or shine!
When you’ve got over 3000 people showing up for camp it’s hard to cancel/postpone anything with clear communication, so we don’t cancel camp unless the conditions provide any immediate serious danger to property or person.
It is important you bring gear and equipment for all situations/weather, as it can get pretty cold at night, hot during the day, windy when it’s windy, and wet when it rains (obviously).
If you have any doubts about what to bring, it’s always best to check with your youth group leader first.
Our official Facebook page is the best place to find up to date cancellation and/or emergency information.
I have a pre-existing medical condition/allergy. What do I do?
Make sure you let us know when you register and state it on your registration form.
We pass all medical information to our team of medical professionals. This remains confidential within our medical team.
Make sure you bring all the medication you require to camp. If you have a particularly serious condition that requires some special attention, please contact us prior to camp to advise us and talk to your group’s Key Leader.
When do the gates open?
The gates open for campers at 2pm on Thursday 6 April 2023. From that time you can check-in and set up your accommodation area as directed. Follow the instructions of the Safety Team at all times. Please note, non-registered campers (including parents) are not permitted onsite to help set up.
Youth Leaders and Youth Group Parents can set up at other times. Please check the Leaders’ Guide for dates and times.
I’ve registered for camp, but now I can’t come. Can I get a refund?
Of course! Think twice about not coming though. You seriously don’t wanna miss out.
If you cancel before 5pm 31 March 2023, contact us to explain via the web form or by phone. If you leave an answer phone message, please be sure to state clearly your camp ID number, name, address and contact phone.
Where possible your credit card or internet banking transaction will be reversed, less the $50 non-refundable portion.
After 5pm, 31 March 2023, you need to notify CYS by phone with details as above and supply a medical certificate if you require a refund. Campers must phone their Youth Leader to let them know also.
What about late registrations?
They don’t exist.
Why? Imagine you are cooking a meal for 3500 people! Then at the last minute, the person who asked you to cook the meal said “Oh bro, can you cook another 200 servings?”
Stress-fest! So, please register on time, get your mates to register on time and think about the cooks and admin team.
Oranga Tamariki/MSD will be paying my fees. How do I register?
Good question.
You need to contact your Youth Leader, as Canterbury Youth Services cannot sign the form as being directly responsible for the camper during the weekend.
The Youth Leader, or a Youth Group Parent who knows the camper and will be responsible for his/her wellbeing, needs to sign as a carer, and full fees be paid to CYS. Most of the time Oranga Tamariki require an invoice from us, please contact the office to talk to one of our admin team about setting this up from you. We will need a purchase order number from Oranga Tamariki and the email address of your social worker to make it happen.
Boom.
How do I know my registration has been accepted?
Ok folks, listen up! Be patient… we don’t have robots processing registrations, we have humans! And sometimes it can take a little while for us to get your rego processed, especially when we have 3000 of them coming in.
However, within a few working days of your registration being processed, a confirmation email will be sent to the address you supplied when you registered.
Sometimes this email can end up in your junk mail folder, or if you made a typo, you might not receive an email.
If you are not on email, and are not sure if you are registered, ask your youth leader. They’ll also have a confirmation pack for you.
I can’t afford the camp fees. Can I still come?
Don’t be ridiculous; of course you should still come.
No one should miss out on camp because they can’t afford it. Talk to your youth leader about sponsorship options. They may have some church sponsorship available.
CYS also has a sponsorship fund available kindly donated from generous individuals who think EC is pretty sweet, but you must apply to this through your youth leader. We require a contribution of half the fee from the camper.
Can I come as a day visitor to Eastercamp?
Always a heartbreaking one to answer…
Sorry, but day visitors are not allowed. People who attend selected parts of the programme often unknowingly disrupt the community atmosphere of camp. Visitors also create headaches for our Safety and Admin team members who are responsible for the integrity of the site and the wellbeing of a very large number of young people. Let’s not even start on the headaches it causes the cooks.
This includes adults who are just coming to “have a look”. If you are keen to be involved with camp, there are plenty of ways you can volunteer to help: Youth Group Parents, safety team, site team, activities supervisors, admin, marquee set-up and pack down.
No, you cannot buy a “day pass” so please don’t ask.
What about people with non-food special needs?
If you have other special needs, e.g. wheelchair access to facilities, please state them clearly on your registration form.
Wheelchair access to toilets and showers is available.
We welcome everyone who wants to come to camp. If you need to speak to someone about your needs before registering, contact us. We’ll see what we can do!