PARENT & SON - WILDERNESS WEEKEND
A curated campout based around a four-day, three-night wilderness weekend almost anywhere in NSW, for a parent and a son.
Think – camping weekend without all the hassle and the hard work, just the good times, good memories and time – for whatever comes up.
Can you picture the two of you out there?
Take Two Wilderness Weekends have been specifically designed for a parent and a son to make time together, getting back to a simpler way of being. Open space, a wilderness setting, stories, ideas, visions for the future, an open fire, fresh air, thoughts about ancestral origins – all of this, away from reception, from siblings, life's complexities, screens and digital devices.
Perhaps most importantly – away from expectations of how anything should be.
You pick the dates, tell me what you like and what he doesn't. I hatch a plan, the two of you review it and approve it, or we make changes. From there I take care of all the logistics, the food, the equipment, the destination, the set-up, the packdown – and you just get to turn up and enjoy it.
Don't get me wrong – it's not a plug-and-play weekend where you have everything done for you. That's not what this is about. It's about giving you back the time to spend together, away from the stress of making sure you have everything, didn't forget the head torches and aren't setting it all up in the dark yourself. Don't have the gear? Don't stress – whatever we need is supplied. And you and your son will have plenty of opportunities to get involved, get your hands dirty and learn all the skills needed for future camping trips and wilderness weekends of your own.
The goal of the weekend is simple: to reduce or remove moments of friction or frustration, creating time for you both to unwind from everyday life, reset your ingrained patterns of being together, and relax into finding common ground in activities, experiences and moments, side by side.
These weekends are intentionally separate from other parents or siblings. They give you both space to discover new ways of being together, or to rediscover old ones.
I'm there as guide, instructor and facilitator as needed, a buffer if it comes to that – one with generous authority and a capacity to listen and hold space as required. I'm not there to judge, or fix, or get in the way with unsolicited advice. Together we build the container, make space for conversation and possibilities for meaningful moments.
I'm interested, I'd like to talk this opportunity through.
Instigation, inspiration and intention.
My family and I camped a lot. We created great times together, and some of my fondest childhood memories are from weekends camped up on the escarpments of the Warrumbungles or in the forests around Pigeon House Mountain.
I have come to wonder whether us kids had a better time than Mum and Dad. They had to take care of everything – the food, the set-up, the grazed knees, the arguments and their own exhaustion.
Across the years as I grew up, my Dad and I talked a lot about going away for weekends, just the two of us – making the time to just shoot the shit, watch the fire, cook, laugh a little or a lot and share stories and ideas. But for one reason or another, those times never eventuated. They worried about my brother or sister feeling left out, and Dad was busy running a business, building a life for us all, house repairs and the rest. Then, as I grew older, my own life got busy, and I never caught on that time was going by.
Let me show you.
What does a weekend entail?
That's totally up to us.
We might wake way before sunrise, walk out to a distant rocky point and cast baits for snapper well before dawn.
We might head to a NSW NPWS 'Dark Park', stay up all night and share the intricacies of astrophotography.
Or hike into the Kosciuszko backcountry, set up a remote camp and fly fish for wild brown and rainbow trout.
The options are endless, and it all comes down to what floats your boat.
Already know what you would both love to do? Send me a message and let's start planning your weekend.
What I can tell you is how the weekend is structured.
It's always four days and three nights. Two nights with me by your side, ready as a guide, and on the third night I step aside and leave the two of you to it – a small taste of standing on your own. I won't be far, but I won't be there. If you need me, just radio and I'll be over in an instant.
I'm based between Sydney and Byron Bay, and I'm happy to travel to get us to an epic destination you think you'll love. I'm happy to drive six to eight hours if I need to, to take you where you want to go. We go where we want to, based on hobbies, interests, seasons and how far you'd like to drive.
I usually go ahead, select the best campsite and get everything set up, so the two of you can arrive at a time that suits your schedule. A few hours before sunset is best; earlier is great too.
For these weekends I do all the shopping before I leave. If we catch or forage food to eat, that's a bonus we enjoy together. The menu changes with the seasons. In winter I either cook a pot roast over the coals, if the days we plan allow the time, or slow-cook casseroles and stews days before and bring them for dinner on night one. Whatever we eat is healthy and nourishing, and there's always plenty to go around. If you like, I can explain what we're eating and why. If not, we just enjoy the flavours, the meal and the moments.
So, what's next? Every enquiry comes straight to me, and I'll write back personally.
Everything you share here stays between us.
