Springbrook writing retreat

writers at work in paradise — Come and write with us!

Is your creative spirit crying out for a little TLC? Always wanted to write but don’t know where to start? Need to reboot your writing mojo and be inspired to tackle that project based on your life that you’ve been thinking about forever? Come along and regain your love of writing and life at the next Relax and Write Retreat From midday FRIDAY 10 April – 3 pm SUNDAY 12 April 2026 in glorious Springbrook, at the TS Rainforest Retreat Centre high above the Gold Coast hinterland, surrounded by tall trees and lush rainforest with friendly pademelons and wallabies to keep us company.

Join like-minded women (and non-binary) writers in a fun and supportive environment discovering just how much some deep relaxation can ignite your imagination and get you writing again. Relax and unwind with gentle morning yoga sessions and be inspired by innovative workshops to help move those stories out of your head and onto the page. Learn how to turn your life stories into powerful creative works, whether memoir, autobiographical fiction or personal essays.

Fun, friends, feasting and writing up a storm!

“I feel transformed, as a writer and as a human being.”

Bianca Millroy – writer and retreater

The program includes two yoga sessions, four workshops to get you writing, plus advice on submitting your work. Two nights comfortable single accommodation with bathrooms shared between two women, plus delicious vegetarian meals and a special readings night around the fire are included.

“The fully-catered retreat environment was comfortable and stress-free. An atmosphere that encourages, motivates and inspires.” Gay Liddington – writer and retreater

Connect with other creative types in a beautiful, peaceful location and remember your creative self. No more putting your dreams on hold. Treat yourself to this special weekend nurturing your writing spirit. Delicious home cooked meals, cosy corners to hide and write, the joyful companionship of fellow writers on the same path. Isn’t it time you put yourself and your creative dreams first. Let us nurture you for a change. You deserve it!

RETREAT PROGRAM All activities are optional

FRIDAY 10 April 2026

ARRIVAL from midday

4 pm – Meet and Greet

4:30 – 6:30 WORKSHOP 1– Your Stories

6:30 DINNER

SATURDAY 11 April

7:15 am – 8:30 – Gentle morning yoga and breathing

8:30 – BREAKFAST

10:00 am – 1 pm – WORKSHOP 2 – Writing Scenes and Characters in memoir/life writing

1 pm – LUNCH

1:30 – 4:00 – FREETIME and FEEDBACK SESSIONS

4 – 6:00 pm – WORKSHOP 3 – Writing from start to finish – developing a plan

6:00 pm – DINNER

6:45 – 7:30 pm – Readings around the fire

SUNDAY 12 April

7:15 – 8:30 – Gentle morning yoga and breathing

8:30 – BREAKFAST

10:00 – 1 pm– WORKSHOP 4 – Where and how to submit work, goal setting, questions and collage

1 pm – LUNCH

3 pm DEPARTURES

Editorial feedback sessions with Edwina available on request $75 extra for those needing professional advice on a project.

FEEDBACK DETAILS – email Edwina your first 10 pages, double spaced, plus your synopsis at least 2 weeks prior to retreat for full edit/advice plus 30 minutes meeting time.

Massages/Bodywork treatments with Monique DeGoey – a highly sought after Zen Thai Shiatsu practitioner will also be available.

COST for the weekend of writing, fun and feasting, including comfortable single room basic accommodation, with bathrooms shared between 2, all meals, 2 yoga sessions, 4 creative writing workshops and a readings night.

Transport not included.

Unwaged (finding it tough to make ends meet) $600.

Waged (I’m doing okay thanks) $750

Please only choose the unwaged option if genuinely struggling. If you’re doing okay, please help me support those writers who aren’t.

All inclusive! For single accommodation and all retreat activities and meals.

PAY YOUR DEPOSIT HERE

I’ve been running these retreats every year since 2017 and they’re always a joy. I love watching new writing friendships form and the ‘Aha!’ moments when a writer gets a flash of inspiration and finds the answer to a story issue. At these memoir retreats we do a lot of writing to prompts as well as learning about how to write in scenes and develop characters in memoir. Remember in memoir, YOU are the main character. You can’t leave the ‘me’ out of memoir. You’ll also learn how to shape your memoir/story to keep your reader hooked right from the first page.

We always have a wonderful time. You might like to check out the Memoir Retreat Rundown from the 2025 memoir retreat here. Plenty of testimonials HERE too.

I hope you can come! $200 deposit will secure your place. Always check with me that places are still available before you pay!

If you’re find money tough right now, just drop me a line and we can work something out.

Your story is important. You deserve to be heard. Come along and join the fun and find a community of like minds to inspire your creativity.

Lots of love

Edwina 🙂 xx

Our fabulous fun bunch of writers this retreat!

Last retreat of the year was a hoot! What a wonderful group of women. I know, I know, I say it every time, but it really is the people who come along on these retreats that make them so special. As we share stories, tears and laughter, we build strong connections to carry us through our writing lives, to encourage and support us. Encourage is one of my favourite words because when you break it down, it’s En – COURAGE. When writers come together we help each other build courage to continue, because writing isn’t always easy and sometimes we need a cheer squad to get us back on track again.

Some of the fabulous writing cheer squad this retreat!

The sun shone for us this glorious spring retreat, with morning swims on the menu for me, yoga, writing workshops, and lots of Gay’s delicious home cooking to warm our bellies and our hearts. The focus this time was memoir and life writing – how to turn the events of our lives into compelling and publishable narratives. The weather was so good we even held a workshop outside listening to the birds and the whispering of the tall trees that watched over us all. Stories from the heart flowed freely and words poured onto pages that were no longer blank but filled with ideas to bring our stories to life.

On Saturday night at our traditional readings we had some beautiful pieces and an hilarious song which had us all weeping with laughter, from Jacqui who was visiting all the way from Townsville where she’s a founding member of Sistas in Comedy . Laughter really is the best medicine!

Our wonderful Chief Cookie Gay Liddington (whose own inspiring memoir Will I Ever Be Who I Am is due for release in May 2025 – stay tuned) did her very best to fatten us all up like Christmas geese with her homemade cakes and biscuits as well as with the healthy vegetarian meals that kept our writing brains fuelled.

Monique DeGoey of Reconnect Holistic Bodywork provided a special movement class and expert nurturing treatments that had everyone floating around so relaxed they resembled forest jellyfish! Thank you to dear Gay and Monique and our special helpers this time, Kylie, Sharon and Tash. And thank you to all the special souls who came along and made this retreat so warm and enjoyable.

Yummy!

Workshops covered finding the heart of your story, the central quest or question and how to shape a story that may not have a lived ending yet. We wrote to prompts that brought out some beautiful pieces, unfiltered and powerful. Women of all ages connected through shared truths, learning from each other, growing not only as writers but as seekers and human beings. I am so honoured to be able to bring these incredible people together. A special magic happens on retreat. You have to be there to feel it!

All weekend the sun shone brightly for us, the pademelons barely glanced sideways as the writing women descended, birds sang their own stories to the tree tops, the creek babbling never-ending tales. The wisdom of the Kombumerri people of the land grounded deep in the earth, seeped into our stories, hushed whispers in our ears. As always the view was magnificent and humbling. How lucky are we to be alive to experience it all?

The next Springbrook Memoir retreat is April 4- 6, 2025. Places are already filling so BOOK YOUR PLACE SOON!

And if you’re ready for a GRAND ADVENTURE! Then come and join us in Heavenly Hoi An for our Vietnam Writing Retreat. SIX NIGHTS and SEVEN DAYS of writing workshops, excursions, yoga, breath work, tarot readings, one on one feedback, feasting and more fun than you can poke a stick at all in unique 4 star accomodation by the river, with an overwater yoga studio! Prices start at only $2750 ALL INCLUSIVE.

PLUS TAKE AN EXTRA 15% off – VIETNAM NOW ON SALE! Book soon to make sure you don’t miss out. Hoi An is delightfully balmy at this time of the year, everything has just been scrubbed clean for New Year and the gentle kindness of the locals will blow you away. Isn’t it time you treated yourself to a writing dream? Plenty of writing time (or shopping/exploring time) plus the benefit of two highly experienced writing coaches and published authors. I’d love to have you with us! ALL THE INFO HERE