Wortelgat Outreach Trust

Wortelgat Outreach Trust runs an interdenominational Christian campsite and conference venue for churches, schools and other groups.

It is God's own place uniquely and picturesquely set in natural vegetation of limestone fynbos and ancient milkwood thickets on the banks of the Kleinrivier estuary with magnificent views of the Kleinrivier mountains. Situated 10kms from Stanford (near Hermanus) enjoy walks and hikes that meander through the fynbos, along the koppies and under the milkwoods along the lagoon edge. Hikes through the forests to waterfalls in the mountain add to the variety of flora and fauna as does the walk through the nature reserve to a long white sandy beach with magnificent views of whales and dolphins.

We also offer Adventure Holiday Camps, Gap Year Programmes, Team Building Events & Camps and much, much, more! Our programs are multifaceted and focus on leadership, team building, life-skills, adventure, and environmental awareness. The programs are used as tools to invest in peoples lives in order to enable them to respect the wonders of Gods creation.

Imagine a place that has been touched by God, a place where wild animals roam freely and where birds soar and call out endlessly. Imagine fynbos nestled close to your doorstep. Imagine cosy cottage accommodation or rustic bush camp rondawels nestled under Milkwood trees, lagoon water gently lapping along sandy, reed lined beaches. Imagine mountain views, magnificent sunsets, star laden skies and roaring seas over the distant dunes.

Imagine being able to breakaway from the stress of life, the busyness of the city, telephones & TV.

Imagine being able to hear nothing but God's voice.......

Now stop imagining and discover Wortelgat.

The History of Wortelgat

In his search for a campsite for the Students Christian Association in the Western Cape (now SCO) George Fehrsen found the Wortelgat property. Realising it to be beyond the reach of students, he with friends set about forming the See - Eike Trust (Pty) Ltd to take ownership of the Wortelgat and mountain properties, with the vision to establish a Christian camp and conference centre, where shareholders gave this their generous support and are good stewards of the natural beauty. Following the approval of subdivision of the Wortelgat property to enable shareholder and camp site ownership, the See - Eike Home Owners Association was formed to manage all the activities of the home owners and the remainder of the property.

The Wortelgat Outreach Trust formed in 1997 to enable to management focus on the implementation of the vision, to take ownership of the properties used for the camping activities and also to benefit from the tax provisions for Non Profit Organisations.

The first fulltime staff were appointed simultaneously and building development accelerated. Progressively a wide range of equipment was added and the introduction of well-trained fulltime programme facilitators pioneered.

Vision

To establish an interdenominational Christian facility where young and old from all sectors of the community will be encouraged to commit their lives to Jesus as their personal saviour and where they will be challenged to grow in their faith and service to Christ

To assist people to get to know and understand one another through shared experiences under Christian leadership
To be good stewards of God's creation through the restoration and maintenance of the natural beauty of Wortelgat

Purpose Statement

As stewards of God’s creation we will reflect His character through the management of our facilities and offering of experiences that are fun-filled and challenging so that hearts are joyfully turned to Jesus for transformation and growth in faith and service.

Declaration of Faith

The Holy Scriptures as originally given by God, divinely inspired, infallible, entirely trustworthy and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct; triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, His substitutionary atonement for sin, His bodily resurrection, and His personal, visible return to the earth to reign in righteousness and glory; The Person of the Holy Spirit and His work of conviction, regeneration and sanctification; Who indwells every believer equipping them with gifts for service and witness. The necessity of new birth, salvation by faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the importance of a life fully committed to the will of God in Christ; the church of Christ who is head, called to be God's redeemed people.

Wortelgat has 6 unique venues each offering a different experience. We are extremely flexible and can accommodate groups ranging from 2 people (couples) up to 150+ - don’t hesitate to contact us with your specific requirements. Lighting runs off solar power – there are plug points for cell phones and computers. We discourage the use of other electrical appliances such as radios, CD’s etc except when needed for worship or programme purposes. No heating appliances such as hairdryers, heaters, kettles or microwaves may be used.
All geysers use gas.

Gap Year Programme

Our Gap Year Programme offers young adults the opportunity to grow as individuals while having fun and serving at Wortelgat. Our main goal is the development of young individuals into tomorrow’s leaders. It is an exhilarating and extreme programme which offers them the opportunity to discover and develop their leadership potential.

We also prepare young minds for the challenges of adult life by facilitating leadership development, spiritual growth, improvement of physical fitness and self-awareness. It is a programme filled with vision, purpose, adventure and challenges – a once in a lifetime opportunity.

What makes us different from other camping venues in South Africa?

Simple

We invest into your life
We are passionate about everything that we do
We realise that this is more than just a “job” it’s about people and relationships – it’s about being a family

What do we offer?

Training – we are committed to ensuring that our staff are competent and trained
- Basic Wilderness First Aid Level 2
- MDT (SA Mountaineering Development & Training Trust) Top Rope Supervisor
- MDT Abseil Supervisor Level 1 (Venture Forth)
- MDT Basic Mountain Walking Leader (Venture Forth)
- Fire Prevention & Protection and Health and Safety Training (Wild Medix & Venture Forth)
- Basic Veldfire Training
- Generic Adventure Guide Training (Venture Forth)
- APA (African Paddle Association) Flatwater Guide Course
- Facilitation Training
  - Venture Forth
  - Playing Mantis
  - Extreme Life Adventure Based Learning Level 2
- General Water Safety
- Risk Management
- Crisis Management
- Safety Policies & Procedures
Accommodation
Unique location situated on the banks of the Klein River Estuary
Adventure & Fun
Life Skills
Spiritual input and leadership
Basic monthly stipend/income

Other Benefits!

Assistance with obtaining learners and drivers licences
Studying via correspondence
Limited financial assistance and help with selection and enrolment of preferred areas of study (eg – UNISA, BMT College, SATS and Hebron)

Want to find out more or how to become involved?