“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Mumatopia mums’ retreat in May 2011. It was a great opportunity to relax, meet some awesome women, be pampered, see a bit of countryside and just take time out from day-to-day life as a mother. Having space to think – away from housework and my relentless toddler – was one of the highlights for me! I also really enjoyed chatting with the other participants – getting to know everyone and sharing their diverse experiences of life and motherhood. Shared cooking, mealtimes and cleanup also provided plenty of opportunities for fun. Cas and Janette did a fantastic job organising the whole weekend. I arrived home refreshed and recharged – what more could a mum ask for?” Kelly W, who attended our May 2011 retreat.
Mumatopia, in conjunction with Precious Packages is pleased to offer weekend retreats for mums-to-be and mums on South East Queensland’s beautiful scenic rim, just 1 hour South West of Brisbane’s CBD. These retreats give mums from all over Australia a much needed break to rejuvenate, re-energise, connect with nature and connect with other mums so they can go back to their families or prepare for a new arrival refreshed and ready for anything! Our first retreat was held May 27th to 29th, 2011 at Mt Barney Lodge and was a big success!
Our next retreat will be May 25 to 27, 2012 at The Outlook, just 5 minutes drive from beautiful Boonah, in Queensland’s scenic rim.
Who can go along?
Any mum-to-be or mum can attend these retreats. You don’t have to be a new mum. At the last retreat, a grandmother came along with her daughter. It was so lovely to have mums of all ages and stages because we value the shared experiences of mums who are at different points in the parenting journey. So whether you have a preschooler or a teenager, if you need a break, this retreat is for you!
Our philosophy
This weekend retreat is about nurturing mums-to-be and mums. We aim to create a respectful space for mums to enjoy a relaxed weekend where they can set the pace for themselves while also enjoying shared activities such as cooking, craft, yoga, long talks on the deck, and walking.
We have a Retreat Facebook group that you are welcome to join. Prior to the retreat we will use this group to discuss plans, give you an opportunity to get to know the others going on the retreat and find out what you’d like to get out of the weekend and to make sure your unique needs are met. As a group, we will also set some priorities for the weekend. This is truly a unique experience that you will treasure forever! Our aim is to send you home feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and inspired.
Location
Situated at 5 minutes from the scenic country town of Boonah, within the Scenic Rim, The Outlook is an adventure and conference retreat run by the Queensland Government Department of Communities. The Outlook offers state-of-the art, modern, self contained accommodation for small to medium sized groups, and facilitated adventure activities for guests of all ages.This country retreat is only a one hour drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast and only half an hour from Ipswich.
Retreat inclusions
Registration
The Mum’s weekend retreat package includes two nights accommodation (2 mums sharing a room), goodie bags, communally prepared cooked breakfast, morning tea, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea over the course of the weekend, yoga, craft activities, a one hour aromatherapy or remedial massage with one of our two onsite massage therapists, Julie Williams from Live Organic Health or Anna Foley, from Aromatouch Massage, self care workshop and a movie night.
Accommodation
The Outlook’s brand new Unit 7 which we are renaming “Mumatopia HQ” for the weekend is a modern accommodation unit with 20 king single beds, a large indoor dining and common area with audio visual facilities for movie nights and presentations, and a large covered outdoor deck featuring mountain views and modern BBQ facilities. There is a large commercial kitchen, modern bathrooms and beautiful surrounding grounds. Outside the common area is a grassy courtyard, perfect for lounging around with a good book.
Transport
Transport is available for an additional $30 for a limited number of guests, from Ipswich CBD. If you are flying into Brisbane for the retreat, please let us know if you require pick up from the airport. An additional charge of $50 will apply for airport pickups. Another option is to get the train to Ipswich from the airport. We are more than happy to store luggage at Precious Packages if you get in early, so you can have a wander through the beautiful top of town district with its boutique shops and cafes or go across the bridge to Riverlink to get some last minute supplies. Guests are also welcome to drive themselves to the retreat.
Optional extras
Ropes Course
We have the opportunity to book a group into the Ropes course. We would need a minimum of 10 women to book into an activity for it to go ahead. The ropes course is a challenging course which will leave you feeling on top of the world as your soar down the flying fox to the finish. Price: $80 per person.
Dates and times
Dates and time for our next retreat are Friday 25 May at 12pm (unless being transported, in which case meet up at Precious Packages at 10am) to Sunday, 27 May at 2pm.
About the facilitators
- Janette Adams is a mum of one and owner of Ipswich boutique Precious Packages. Janette has a passion for bringing joy to people through creating and delivering specialised and unique gift hampers, through offering the opportunity to local artists to run workshops and through hosting beautiful baby showers for mums-to-be.
- Cas McCullough is a mum of three, a birth and postnatal doula and owner of Mumatopia, an online resource for mums-to-be and mums based in Ipswich, Queensland and Support a WAHP (work at home parent/person). Cas is passionate about connected parenting, nurturing mums, sustainable living and organic gardening.
- Julie Williams is a mum of two and qualified massage therapist. She runs a massage clinic and mobile massage service with a passion for pregnancy and postnatal care.
- Anna Foley is a mum of three and qualified aromatherapy massage therapist. She runs a mobile massage service within the Scenic Rim and Ipswich areas called Aromatouch Massage.
What to bring
Walking shoes, Comfy clothes…A full list of what to bring will be emailed or posted to you upon booking in for the retreat.
More information
Phone Cas on 0438 898 706 or Janette on 0419 011 921.
To book
Click here for the online registration form. Send registration forms by email to cas@mumatopia.com or post to “Mum’s Retreat” C/O PO Box 7193 Mount Crosby Qld, 4306. Payment for bookings can be made by Credit Card via paypal to cas@mumatopia.com or direct deposit. You have the choice to pay up front or pay in three instalments. Either way we retain a non-refundable $100 deposit and all payments must be finalised by May 10, 2012. After May 10, 2012, bookings are non-refundable.
Prices
Earlybird (for bookings before March 30th): $399 per person
Latebird (for bookings April 1st onwards): $499 per person
*Optional adventure activity (ropes course): $80 per person
*Optional transport from Ipswich $30 per person return (limit of 10)
*Optional airport transfers $80 per person return, including transport to and from retreat.
