Earlier this week, delegates from across the global essential oils industry arrived at Main Camp in Northern New South Wales as part of the IFEAT Australia Study Tour.
The visit offered a rare opportunity to see how tea tree oil is produced at scale, following the journey from the earliest stages of plant development through to harvesting, distillation, packaging and international shipment. For many participants, it was their first time visiting a tea tree plantation and distillery of this scale.
Main Camp Natural Extracts operates the largest tea tree plantation and distillation operation in the world and supplies tea tree oil to customers across a wide range of industries globally.
The visit began in the nursery, where delegates were shown how tea tree plants are grown from seed and carefully managed through their early stages before being planted in the field. The progression from seed to seedlings illustrates the careful planning required to establish and maintain a large-scale tea tree plantation.
From there, the group moved through the plantation to observe field operations and discuss the agronomic management of the crop. Harvesting operations and machinery were demonstrated, providing a clear picture of the scale involved and the logistics required to move freshly cut biomass efficiently from the plantation to the distillery.
At the distillery, delegates saw firsthand how freshly harvested material is processed to produce tea tree oil. The tour highlighted the role of Main Camp’s state-of-the-art distillation facilities in ensuring consistent quality and efficient processing during the harvest period.
The visit also included a look at the different packaging formats used to ship oil around the world, as well as an introduction to Main Camp’s in-house logistics team, who coordinate the preparation, packaging and export of oil to customers across international markets.
To capture the atmosphere of the visit, we have also put together a short video highlighting the different stages of the day — from the nursery and plantation through to distillation and packaging.
The day concluded with lunch at the homestead, offering a relaxed setting for discussion and an opportunity for delegates and the Main Camp team to connect with colleagues from across the global essential oils community.
Main Camp Natural Extracts was delighted to host the group and share a closer look at the work, expertise and infrastructure behind large-scale tea tree oil production in Australia.
