The Gathering - Country is Calling

THE GATHERING - CAMP OUT

February 16th-18th, 2024 UKI, NSW (45mins north of Byron Bay) 

Country is calling, Return to Bundjalung Land to Share, Learn, Explore and Relate. 

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and pay our respects to all custodian past, present and future. 

The Returning Indigenous Corporation is a 100% Aboriginal women-led not-for-profit organisation, governed by an all women, majority Aboriginal, Board of Directors. 

Our mission is to bring people back into right relationship with the planet and offer a host of programs for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. We believe that returning to Indigenous ways of relationality, reciprocity, care, connection and interdependence are necessary for individual and collective healing and wellbeing, for our planet, and for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. We are known and trusted for delivering high-quality, trauma-informed and culturally-safe programs in our local communities on Bundjalung Country (Northern NSW). 
We prioritise scholarships for mothers and mob for accessibility to our programs.   

The Gathering offers full scholarships for Indigenous women and single mothers because wellness, education, community and organic meals should not be a privilege, it should be a right. 

Apply for you Scholarship here
https://www.thereturning.com.a...

In 2024 we are bringing you our Country is Calling Gathering.

Inviting you back into deep relationship with Country, Community and Self. 

We have changed sites in the past two years, so please check the location as we are not in the same site where we started the event.

The Returning is a weekend event, empowering femmes through health and wellness, knowledge sharing and creating skills that we can then take back into our community, integrate back into our lives and support us to become more healthy and in turn have happy lives. 

This Camp out is themed around Country is Calling, a return back to deep relationship with out lands. 

The weekend themes will explore how to be in right relationship with country, holistic healing, educational resources on pregnancy, birth and beyond, Caring for self and Caring for country, Slow and Sustainable Arts, Music, Dance, Ceremony and Ritual and community connection. 

Discover what true magic feels like when women gather with intention. 

You are invited to return to wholeness, to nature, to knowledge, to ourselves and to one another.

We pride ourselves on being cultural sensitive to all peoples.

We have 50% of our facilitators are Indigenous women. 

It is a weaving of women from all over the globe. 

A global conference of maidens, mothers, queens and crones.

Please note: That boys under the age of 4 can attend the event, ages older are not permitted due to protocol. 

Food

There will be food available as a part of your ticket price. We provide meals made with love from organic and local produce from farms from our region. All meals are vegan and GF 

Included in your ticket price will be 

Friday night Dinner meal

Saturday lunch meal

Saturday night meal

Sunday Lunch meals

Please note Breakfast will not be included so please bring snacks, fruit and your own meals for breakfast

BYO Plate, Cutlery and Cup as we do not provide to limit waste on site. 

Accomodation Options

CAMPING, VAN OR CAR CAMPING

Beautiful old-fashioned campsite is in a beautiful natural setting intersected by a small meandering  creek where you can sit around listening to the night sounds and gazing at the brilliant  stars with the sound of water flowing around you.  

No powered sites.

There are plenty of shady sites and extra space for you to spread out and enjoy some privacy.  

Facilities include septic toilets and hot showers. Large sites have fireplaces, use of which are subject  to fire bans. 

Midginbil Eco Resort enjoys spectacular scenery as it is located under the escarpment of the Nightcap  World Heritage Rainforest National Park.  

BELLE TENTS

There is 10 bell tents (tipi style tents) located in our campground. They are 5 meters in diameter, and  furnished with thick queen size mattress, fresh crisp linen, warm duvets and duvet covers, blankets, queen size bed, LED lights, side tables, rugs and other decorative touches.  

Guests are required to use the campground  amenities, with toilets & showers.  

BUNKHOUSE  

Our traditional style bunkhouse – Rooms accommodate 6 women - 1 x double bed and 2 x bunk beds  

Each room has its own brand new en suite. All rooms open out onto a huge verandah which overlooks the peaceful park-like setting with  views out over the rainforest.  

Please bring your own own pillows, linen, toiletries & towels.

Scholarships 

(please head to our website to fill out a form)

50% of our participants are on scholarship and exchange tickets to the event.

Under resourced Single Mothers and Indigenous women are invited to apply for scholarships.

Scholarship tickets can camp or be in a bunk room with other women

Glamping is not an option for ScholarshIps 

Volunteers

(please head to our website to fill out a form)

Low socio economic women can apply to volunteer as trade for their ticket. If you are pregnant, injured or unable to lift please do not fill out a form, we need able bodied women for these support roles. 

Families

We have a kids corner operating during the days, so that all mothers, especially our single mother scholarships, can bring along their children and have free child care available to them, allowing them to enjoy their weekend experience. 

Parking

Parking is included in your ticket but parking is limited and you will need to ride share 

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~Country is Calling~

The Gathering: Country is Calling event to be held on Bundjalung Country in February 2024. 

The Gathering program consists of 20 workshops held over three days and two nights. For this special Country is Calling edition of the event, we will focus a large portion of our workshop programming on workshops, panels and talks that educate, inspire and empower women to become caretakers and leaders for the protection of land, waters and community. 

We believe in the power of women’s leadership and as we step into Grandmother Time (a prophesied power shift from the patriarchy to the matriarchy) the power of women gathering together to learn and reconnect is ever more potent. 

The Gathering program includes over 20 workshops covering; sustainable living, connection, de-colonisation, ceremony, earth-based skills, embodiment practices, activism, health and wellness, community building and the reclamation of our magic.

We want to focus the theme of our February 2024 Gathering on Country, Climate and Change-making, inspiring and activating our attendees to step into their leadership power for the planet.

Women, across all cultures, have always been the carers in communities. Our Indigenous women were carers not only for their children and families, but also for all plant and animal kin on their Country. 

They tended to the earth with deep wisdom and a gentle touch, knowing which plants they could forage and harvest when, and how to live in alignment with the rhythms of Mother Nature. 

Colonisation and capitalism have destroyed much of this knowledge and these strong ties – for all people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. The Gathering reconnects women to their deep ancestral relationship to this planet and to nature, sparking within them an awareness of their power and role as protectors of these lands and waters.

This is a drug & alcohol free wellbeing based event. 

A weekend event for female identifying woman located in the lush nature surroundings of our great Wollumbin. 

This all ages event is curated for women, by women.

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The Land

The event will be run on Bundjalung land in UKI, with our Matriarch Aboriginal female elder leading us in a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country.

The Gathering has moved from its original location and now will be held at Midginbil Eco Resort is south west of Murwillumbah just off the Kyogle Road, and about 12km due  south of Mt Warning. 

The gathering is about an hours drive from Coolangatta Airport, and the gorgeous  beaches of the NSW North Coast such as Kingscliff, Byron Bay and Ballina range from 40 minutes to one hour. 

From our elevated property you can clearly see the Lamington National Park in southern  Queensland and indeed 8 other National Parks in the area. 

Be surrounded by the spectacular rainforest and rivers of the Northern NSW.

There is a general store at Uki, about 10 minutes drive away that you can get last minute supplies

We have a leave no trace policy and hope that you enjoy our land and leave no trace.

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What to bring

This is a WASTE FREE event.

Please plan & pack accordingly as there will be no bins!

Be sure to wear comfortable clothing that you can move in and warmer clothes for the evening.

Small Babies in arms welcome and all children. We offer a full kids village at the event which always has volunteers to look after your children while attend workshops.

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The event is a cultural experience, you are invited to come with respect in your heart

One that looks at deepening connection to the Earth, ourselves, and each other.

Limited tickets.