For 25 years, Cathie Sharp has been the beating heart of the Mylor Adventure Camp kitchen – a place where food is far more than nourishment; it’s connection, comfort, and care.

Her days were a whirlwind of menu planning, food preparation, administration, housekeeping, and on one memorable occasion, rounding up sheep while wearing open‑toe shoes and a skirt.

Over the years, she served more than a million meals, nourishing thousands of guests from school groups, churches, and communities across South Australia – all with kindness, a can‑do attitude, and a smile on her face.

Cathie’s journey at Mylor Adventure Camp began almost by chance. After moving to Coromandel Valley, she was looking for work and her sister suggested there might be a role going. A conversation, a meeting, and a familiar face later, Cathie found herself stepping into what she thought would be a weekend kitchen job. “I guess I walked in and had a job,” she laughs. What she didn’t realise at the time was that she was stepping into a career that would span decades.

Cooking had always been part of Cathie’s life. From the age of 18, she had been catering for churches and camps, feeding people in all sorts of settings. But at Mylor, something deeper took root. “It’s only really hit me in the last few weeks that it wasn’t just a job, it was a career,” she reflects.

The scope of what Cathie has undertaken over the years is extraordinary. She guided the kitchen team through enormous growth, from catering for one group on site to sometimes six at once, while also coordinating off-site food packing for The Rite Journey expeditions. Through every change, she brought the same energy and determination.

“I love to push myself and to challenge myself, so I would challenge the team,” she says. “But I’ve worked with some amazing people over the years – people who supported and encouraged me.”

Among Cathie’s most treasured memories are the camps where she cooked for children who had suffered serious burns. “They were really special,” she says. “You got to see kids who just enjoyed the experience of being at camp when life had been pretty tough for some of them.”

It’s moments like these that have defined Cathie’s time at Mylor.

“Never, ever, ever underestimate what we do here and the impact it has on people. Each one of us has a different role and our own journey,” she says.
“The amount of people I’ve met over the years who say, ‘I came here as a child, I remember this.’ Amazing things happen. And sometimes we don’t know the impact we’ve had, we may never know but just believe that we do.”

After 25 years of care, good humour, and leadership, thank you, Cathie. We wish you all the very best in your retirement. What you built at Mylor Adventure Camp will continue to nourish the community in more ways than one.