Next retreat dates: 13-15 November 2026
Weekend retreat
Escape to a peaceful place where we focus on cultivating and revitalising our creative practice.
What’s it about?
In this residential masterclass we’ll focus on:
- Creating and maintaining a writing practice that suits you
- Taking your writing project to the next stage
- Techniques and strategies to support your creativity
- Taking time to enjoy deep rest and rejuvenation
- Getting words down on the page
- How to establish and embed sustainable writing habits
- Tips and tools for the craft of writing
- Celebration and relaxation.
Who’s it for?
- This retreat is designed specifically for women and nonbinary writers at any stage of your career, and in any genre.
- You may feel you need more knowledge and in-depth craft focus
- Or you may be an experienced writer and want a recharge, a reboot, and some solid writing time away from your daily routine.
What will happen?
Your writing retreat experience will be:
- Fuelled by delicious food and fresh country air, in a delightful heritage guesthouse, surrounded by bush and lovely gardens.
- Supportive, responsive, guided, welcoming, fun, and practical
- Informed by years of industry experience and teaching expertise
- Thoughtfully structured with craft masterclasses, writing sprints, well-being sessions, generative exercises, and time to write – alone and together
- Shared with other writers across genres
- Supported by online and print materials and resources
- In a small class size to allow us to focus on your needs.
This retreat will focus on supporting creativity generally, and writing skills for writers of fiction and creative nonfiction.
Next retreat: Bookings open now
13 to 15 November 2026
Hepburn Springs, Victoria
Your retreat leader: Dr Kelly Gardiner, acclaimed author, editor, and creative writing teacher. Local specialist teachers will lead yoga sessions, and the hammam sessions are led by a steam therapist.
If you’d like more information, to express interest in participating, or to be notified of future dates, get in touch.
Previous retreats booked out months in advance, so don’t miss out.
What do I need to know?
This intensive retreat for women and nonbinary writers is fully residential at Continental House, a heritage guesthouse in beautiful Hepburn Springs, Victoria.
Each day features two writing craft and creativity masterclasses, including writing exercises, activities, and discussion. This retreat also offers:
- Welcome gathering
- A yoga class each morning
- Sessions in the Continental’s gorgeous Turkish steam bath
- A guided meditation focused on creativity
- Evening salon around the fire pit
- A guided walking/writing exercise.
We will have our own writing time including shared writing sprints, testing out proven techniques for creative focus.
You have the chance to read your work aloud at our evening salon around the fire pit, if you wish.
This weekend is about writing and also about deep rest techniques. You’ll be actively learning, writing, listening, talking and thinking about writing, and putting in place practical strategies to power your creativity. During your free moments you can walk in the bush, spot wildlife, book a massage or facial, have a nap, or write/read on the deck or in the library. Relax!
The welcome session is on Friday evening before dinner, and the retreat runs through to late afternoon Sunday.
Accommodation & meals
I want you to feel a bit spoiled. You deserve it.
- Every participant has their own bedroom and a private en-suite with shower.
- Each bedroom features luxury linen, aromatherapy toiletries, ceiling fan and split-system air-con/heating.
- One room with an accessible bathroom is available (two single beds), but the property itself is a 1920s guesthouse and there are stairs or a sloping path between the bedrooms and the dining/learning space. If you specifically want to request this room, let me know.
- The bedrooms offer either a queen, two singles, two king singles or a double and single bed. The rooms will be allocated randomly, unless people have specifically requested a twin-share room.
- We can accommodate most significant food allergies and dietary requirements if we know in advance.
Book with a friend or partner:
- If you wish to share a room with a friend or partner who is also attending, we can arrange that too, at a lower rate per person. Please contact me.
Next retreat dates: 13-15 November, 2026.
Payment plan
You can pay a deposit to secure a place, and pay the balance closer to the date.
Deposit: $150.
Fee: $1340, including expert tuition, two nights’ accommodation, activities, Hammam spa session, yoga classes, refreshments and all meals.
What’s included?
On this weekend, you don’t need to think about anything but your writing. The fee for the full weekend includes:
- Two nights’ comfortable accommodation
- Intensive tuition in writing masterclasses on Saturday and Sunday
- Slow walk and write-in-place activity in nearby bush
- A gentle morning yoga class each day, to get your body moving and relaxed, with a local yoga teacher (suitable for those who’ve never tried it before)
- A luxurious Hammam steam bathing experience in the heated marble Turkish Steam room, with aromatherapy steam, gentle water pouring, French clay face mask, body exfoliation, soft mud soap bubbles, and soothing head and neck massage, guided by an expert steam therapist
- A guided meditation to support your creativity
- Delicious locally-sourced organic lunches and dinners from award-winning caterers
- Plentiful freshly cooked breakfasts
- Morning and afternoon tea
- A range of teas, plunger or espresso coffee, and fruit – all day
- Course materials, handouts, activities and exercises
- Goody bag on arrival
- Cheese platters and refreshments in welcome gathering
- Chocolate, obviously.
You’ll also receive an invitation to our private online writing community to keep in touch with each other, access a range of resources, and stay up-to-date on writing and publishing opportunities.
Our space
Continental House is a much-loved, recently restored 1920s guest house where modern comforts, lush spa experiences, a quirky character are combined with a rich history and colourful past. During our weekend there, you’ll enjoy the run of the house, including:
- Free wifi throughout the building
- Games and sports equipment for use on the lawns
- Fully equipped yoga room
- Luxurious hammam steam bath
- Exclusive use of ample lounge areas, decks, and beautiful gardens for relaxing or writing
- Glimpses of kangaroos, rosellas, parrots and other delightful visitors can’t be guaranteed but are pretty common.
(Activities like yoga, walking, meditation and hammam steam bathing are all included and designed to support your creativity and deep rest, but are optional – if you don’t feel like participating in any of those, no pressure.)
A participant’s review of Cultivating Creativity 2025:
“Kelly has the most beautiful delivery in these masterclasses – she has the ability to be relatable and explain things in practical ways, drawing from her extensive experience.
It is not easy to use humour and Kelly does this masterfully, making you feel comfortable from the beginning. In this session Kelly draws from a wide range of writers and brings an array of examples of genres so you can identify and find some inspiration to draw from. Kelly’s approach is holistic, not only looking at the writing, but the habits that create good practices and the importance of rest.“
What’s not included?
- Transport to and from the venue
- Alcohol (wine and soft drink will be served on Friday night, and you can BYO for other meals if you wish)
- There aren’t desks in every bedroom, but there are tables and many sofas in the lounge areas and library for informal writing time.
- You can book massages or facials at extra cost – please get in touch or add as an extra when you register.
Next retreat dates: 13-15 November, 2026. Reserve your place here.
Got questions? Check the Weekend retreat FAQs.
If you’d like more information, get in touch.
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
— Anne Lamott, 12 truths I learned from life and writing, 2017.
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