Wandering Rivers

06/03/2024

Hey travellers and relaxers, I need 2 more ladies on board to make this trip happen!

16/02/2024

South Coast Autumn Wander...
Wednesday 20th - Monday 25th March
Jerrinja Country, Murramurrang, Wandandian, Walbanja (Budawangs) - Tharawal and Yuin Nations
4 night/5 day exploration of the magnificent NSW south coastline then back through the Budawang mountains hinterland, camping at an oceanside bush camp for 2 nights then river-side forest camp for two nights.

Day 1, Wednesday.
Leave Wilberforce 9am.
11.30am-ish brunch at Kiama, gorgeous cafes!
3pm-ish arrive at North Head campground at the southern end of the Murramurang NP. This is one of my favourite National Parks in the state… amazing coastal rock formations alongside beautiful coastal eucalypt and rain forest.
This campground is fairly remote with no facilities other than non-flush long-drop toilets.
Day 2. Thursday… Day in camp. We’ll be right in the bush here with walking tracks to beaches, around headlands and through forests. Or, just sit and simply be. 🙂
Day 3. Friday… on the road again for an hour and a half - two hour drive (I'm renowned for long-cuts) 😉 away from the coast into the Budawang mountains to our next home; Long Gully campground, a grassy forest flat beside the Yadboro River.
Day 4. Saturday… Day in camp. The Budawang mountain area is a bushwalkers paradise, so if that's your groove come prepared with hiking boots etc. You may prefer to gently creekwalk or go swimming in the nearby Clyde river, or again, just sit and enjoy the peace and quiet, away from 'it all' in the bush.
Day 5, Tuesday… (About a 4 1/2 hr) roadtrip home. We’ll get out of camp mid-morning and stop for lunch at Braemar or Bowral, planning to be back at Wilberforce by 4pm-ish.

Take a break, make time for just yourself or bring a friend.
I'll pack the car, I have the gear, I'll do the food!
You can investigate rock pools, bushwalk or simply sit by the ocean under a beautiful tree!
Transport is Florence the Landcruiser so our crew will be nice and small as she seats myself and up to 5 guests.
Cost is $520pp all inclusive of; camp meals, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, bookings/campsites, transport from Wilberforce (with possible pickup points along the way) and use of all the camping gear you'll need including private (small) tent/sleeping bags/mattress/chair etc. all you need is yourself and a good book! The only thing not included will be stop-ins for meals/snacks or tourist sites/attractions along the way to/from and between camps.

Is this glamping? No, it's definitely camping, we will cook on fire and sleep on the Earth. Will there be a toilet? Yes, the drop-loo type. Will there be a shower? Sort of, if you want - in a pop-up cubicle with water heated on the fire. What will I sleep on? A good quality insulated inflatable hiking mattress - no sealy posturepedic but they go ok ;) What will we eat? Simple but good healthy camping meals such as camp oven veggie roasts, chilli pot stews and classic camp fare such as a cheese jaffles and pancakes!

My trips are not about 'extreme adventure' but rather a 'slow down and enjoy nature retreat'. The focus is on lady crews; connection with Country and empowerment - Sisterhood of the Travelling Troopy!

Simplicity and presence of camping, leave baggage behind and... Come With!

14/01/2024

Relax after January, refresh for the new year with nature and some good sisters on a Wandering Rivers trip

09/12/2023

Beautiful Gula - Colo River ❤️

11/10/2023

The actual question is;

“A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

Do you approve this proposed alteration?”

YES.
Yes I do!

It's a simple question.
I'm not buying in to it NOT being a simple question, or hidden agendas or ulterior motives, and if there are some it still comes down to the original question that I could not possibly begin to say no to.

YES ❤️💛🖤

As I walked in and out for my pre-poll YES vote I felt so certain and glad to have a say, full of emotion and deeply saddened that some white Australians think No.
The past 235 years have brought indescribable trauma to indigenous culture and people of this land.
It saddens me beyond words to think what a kick in the guts to First Nations people a No outcome would be.

Please vote YES. ❤️

03/10/2023

17/08/2023

I'm back - sort of/nearly 😁
Let's go camping ❤

Goolawah/Crescent Head (Dhanggati)

3 nights, Friday 8th - Monday 11th September
A short trip to spend three nights on the NSW mid north coast (south of Crescent Head) camped in the Goolawah Region.

This trip will be a beautiful relax, revive and re-yourself.
We will camp in a coastal campground, a short walk through the bush to the beach where changes of spring weather will be our backdrop to enjoy sitting in the sun, wildflower bushwalks or even a frigid dip for the more adventurous souls and still cold enough to really appreciate an evening and morning fire!
A three night trip is a perfect simple getaway that gives us two days driving there and back and two glorious days in camp to simply enjoy being.

Goolawah is a Dhanggatti word meaning ‘yesterday’ and the area is of great importance to the local Aboriginal People.
Goolawah is home to a wide range of coastal vegetation communities, some hardly found elsewhere! Let’s (carefully from designated tracks) check out some windswept headlands covered in endangered Themeda grasslands and littoral rainforest. We may be lucky enough to behold the flowering of broad-leaved paperbarks, coast banksias and swamp mahoganies, the fruits of which are not only a visual treat but vital food sources for wildlife, including the endangered swift parrot.
The NPWS website describes visiting Gollawah National Park as 'like stepping into an amazing nature documentary'.

My camping retreat trips are about women taking a break from everyday responsibilities and identities and honouring themselves. My camping guests don't have to pack the car or bring the gear or cook the food, just come and do whatever they feel like doing whether it's bushwalking, investigating rock pools or sitting on a chair under a beautiful tree. The focus for each woman is connection with Nature, empowerment, and sisterhood
Women are welcome to come solo or with a friend, I trust that the Wandering Rivers vision to facilitate connection to Mother Earth, self, and sisterhood will attract awesome women to come together, all ages welcome.

Cost is $435pp inclusive of; all camp meals, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, bookings/campsites, transport from Wilberforce (happy to arrange pickup points along the way) and use of all the camping gear you'll need including private hiking tent, sleeping bags/mattress/chair etc. All you need is yourself and a good book!
Transport is Florence the Troopy so our crew will be nice and small as she seats myself and up to 5 guests.

Is this glamping? No, definitely camping, we will cook on fire and sleep on the Earth. What will I sleep on? A good quality insulated inflatable hiking mattress - no sealy posturepedic but they go ok 😉 Will there be a toilet? Yes, depending on campground likely the drop-loo type. Will there be a shower? Sort of, if you want - in a pop-up cubicle with water heated on the fire. What will we eat? Simple and good healthy camping meals such as camp oven veggie roasts, chilli pot stews and classic camp fare such as a cheese jaffles and pancakes!
We will camp at Racecourse Campground, a small bush campground in the National Park with drop-dunnnies, cold showers and direct access to the beach.

My trips are not about 'extreme adventure' but rather a 'slow down and enjoy nature retreat'. The focus is on lady crews; connection with Country and empowerment - Sisterhood of the Travelling Troopy!

I love to share my passion for the simplicity and presence of camping, I welcome you to leave baggage behind and come with!

https://www.trybooking.com/1044575

21/05/2023

Hey... I won't be tripping to the centre as planned this July/August because this beautiful thing happened, I'm buying my heart home on the Colo River. ❤
It's happened quite fast, just the very right place came up for me and I acted on it.
Apologies for those that have expressed interest in the Red Centre trip/s, these will be re-scheduled, but working in with seasons probably not until next year.
For now closer to home trips going on as planned!

14/05/2023

Love to the mums XO

06/05/2023

For my birthday card my darling Cooper grandson drew 'the things Ahma loves'...
❤

02/05/2023

Mparntwe Alice Springs
A favourite place
'there's nuthin' out there' they said... :O

27/04/2023

Have a beautiful day!

25/04/2023

Expressions of interest for a Red Centre trip, ex-Mparntwe (Alice Springs).

The Red Heart of our land, home to Central, Eastern and Southern Arrernte, Western Arrernte/Aranda, Luritja, Pinup Luritja, Pitjanjatjara, Yankunjatjara, Anangu and Anmatyerr people is close to my heart. I love it. A good friend told me once ‘you need to get to the desert, you will love it’. I did, I do. Others said ‘there’s nuthin' out there’. They must have had their eyes shut.

It’s sparse and intricate, grand and vast, strong and spectacular. It’s so beautiful. The vegetation is unique and magical, the canyons and rock formations are ancient and incredible, the rivers the oldest in the world, the sky is blue like you have not experienced and the ground is red. So beautifully red.
The Red Centre has so much to offer.

Central Australia, vast and remote is a tourist mecca with hundreds of tour companies offering varieties of travel options and I encourage you to research what will suit you best. I travel slowly and thoroughly so as to really feel a place, I often choose the long way 'round and I prefer to camp away from the majority when possible...
If you haven’t made this pilgrimage or it’s been many years, and you're not sure where to start, if you would like a thorough and deep experience focusing on nature and Traditional Owner's culture I’d love to show you!

When I first started to travel I learned two important principles….; Go slower, take less. Every trip since I’ve ditched more stuff and taken a bit longer. There is so much to see in the Centre, I love all of it and I just did not know how I could not include everything so I’m offering four directions of Red Dirt! Each trip will allow time to walk, sit, swim and feel. Choose as many legs of this epic red journey as suit you!

These trips will all be ex-Mparntwe (Alice Springs), pick-up from airport or your hotel. I can arrange hotel or hostel accommodation if required. I will be staying in a very cool, very chilled Alice backpacker hostel in between camping trips so it won’t cost much for us per person to book out a dorm to share if you’d like to join me. Alice Springs is such a great place and there are some really fantastic things to see and do that I totally recommend; Museum of Central Australia, Alice Springs Desert Park, Araluen Arts Precinct, The Old Telegraph Station and local art galleries. I’ll definitely show you the cafe that makes the best jaffle in the country!

Trip 1; 21/7 - 2/8, 12 night ‘red run-around' tour with a little taste of east, west, south west and south of Alice Springs. This one will cover a lot of ground to visit Central Australian highlights; Tjoritja/Macdonnell Ranges east and west, Watarrka/Kings Canyon, Uluru/Katatjuta NP and Wurre/Rainbow Valley.

Trip 2; 6/8 - 11/8, 5 night ‘Magic Tjoritja’ East Macdonnell Ranges trip

Trip 3; 15/8 - 22/8, 7 night 'Grand Tjoritja' West Macdonnell Ranges trip

Trip 4; 26/8 - 4/9, 9 night tour 'the Iconics'; Mpulungkinya - Palm Valley, Watarrka - Kings Canyon, Uluru/Katatjuta and Urehne Pwetere/Owen Springs or Wurre/Rainbow Valley

Trip 5; 8/9 - 14/9, 6 nights off the beaten track will explore south east of Mparntwe as far as the Witjira Np in South Australia to experience the magical Witjira-Dalhousie Springs, Old Andado, Chambers Pillar and so much ‘incredibly amazing ’nuthin’ out there in between'.

All the camping gear you'll need is provided and camp meals too, just come along for the ride! Campsites will vary, there will be some bush camps with no facilities, lots of NP's campgrounds with limited facilities, a couple of privately-owned or commercial campgrounds and a couple of cabins.

Itineraries and more details of each trip coming shortly!

23/04/2023

I'm planning the Wandering Rivers 2023 Red Centre Adventure/s - who wants to come? Dates and itineraries coming shortly!
I met a really sexy guy there once, we hung out for a few days in Tjoritja, deep in the bush out the back of the ranges camped by a waterhole. He played it pretty cool but I know we had a thing ;)

21/04/2023

This is a link to my blog and interview - ummm, maybe just the interview - where my glasses are all glinty and I wish I could do it again after watching it but thankyou very much anyway Jo from Common Grounds Women's Business Network, a really inspiring and supportive space for women in business!

Meet Common Grounds Member Linda Collerson, who provides Camping Trips, 4WD Adventures & Roadtrip Retreats for Women.
I absolutely loved chatting with Linda, and her passion for the great outdoors.

Meet Common Grounds Member Linda Collerson from Wandering Rivers, who provides Camping Trips, 4WD Adventures & Roadtrip Retreats for Women.

19/04/2023

16/04/2023

Happy Sunday all, hope you're feeling better sorted than this 'lil guy! ;)