Over 250 Guides from across Victoria had a HUGE night of fun sleeping under the stars at Snoozefest 2023 on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September!
Snoozefest is our annual mega sleepover for Guides aged 10-17. This year, our Guides threw on their limited edition Snoozefest backpacks and headed to Gumbuya World in Tynong North.
While this wasn’t our first time at Gumbuya World — Snoozefest 2022 was also held there — many new memories were made, and many Guides attended Snoozefest for the very first time.
To say that our Guides made the most of the rides on offer is an understatement!
Once Gumbuya World opened their theme park rides, our Guides came out in full force. Many of our members enjoyed the bumper cars, rollercoasters, roving tour trains and plenty more not once, not twice, but numerous times!
The bumper cars were particularly popular, along with the spine-tingling Rebel ride, which swung our older members high into the air two ways at once.
What made Snoozefest 2023 extra special was two additional things — firstly, all the wildlife our Guides got to meet and learn about. Some particularly brave Guides even got to meet (and HOLD!) a python.
Others got to watch Rangers feed Tasmanian Devils along the Wildlife Trail, and learned all about the native Tasmanian marsupial’s nocturnal eating habits and carnivorous dietary preferences.
The second thing that made Snoozefest so special — that makes our annual sleepover under the stars so special every year, in fact — is the way it brought the Victorian Guiding community together in one single location.
Our Guides, Volunteers and Unit Leaders are situated all across Victoria. Beyond their local Units and Districts, they don’t always get the chance to attend events and catch up with each other.
Snoozefest bridges the physical gap between our many Guides and Volunteers, and serves as a (mega fun!) reminder of what Guiding is all about — community, connection and friendship.
At Girl Guides Victoria, we’re proud to provide a platform for Guides and volunteers to connect with their peers, and engage with people who they may not have otherwise met, had it not been for their presence within the Guiding community.
Events like Snoozefest — with all the laughter, campfires, games and connection they bring — enable us to bring our members together each and every year.
A big thank you to all the volunteers who made the event such a success, to Gumbuya World for hosting us — and to all the Guides who made Snoozefest 2023 such a blast!
Our overnight state event for Guides aged 5-10, Snoozerella, will be taking place in early 2024. Stay tuned for information on dates, location and registration.
