Yuin Retreat

Yuin Retreat  - Two Night- 40 Hour Experience 

Group sizes- Minimum two (2) - Maximum sixteen (16)

Solo Travelers-  Accepted once minimum numbers are met of Two (2) per retreat. Free reschedule to the next available retreat date if minimum numbers are not met. A solo traveler fee incurs a 30% surcharge (see extras to add this to a solo booking)

Booking Dates 

High Season - October - March - Friday to Sunday or Sunday to Tuesday

Low Season - April - June - Saturday- Monday 

** See the calendar for our scheduled departures and availability - Click the BOOK NOW button** 

Please contact us to check availability for other dates not listed.

The Yuin Retreat is available as a shared experience with other travellers or as a private experience. The private experience is an additional cost of 30% per person.

A private experience for your group with a tailored itinerary can also be arranged - price and inclusions on application. Please email us contact@ngaranaboriginalculture.com to enquire further. 

Yuin Country 

Many parts of the Narooma, Bega Valley and Bermagui region have held sacred significance for the Yuin Aboriginal community for tens of thousands of years yet the stories are not widely known. The traditional custodians of Yuin country Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness an Aboriginal owned and operated initiative invite you to come, walk and listen to a sacred dreaming of Djirringanj country heartland of the Yuin people. This experience will enlighten you to a traditional way of knowing and you will experience first hand ceremony and dreaming stories that have been passed down to connect to country. 

Itinerary Features 

Day one: 7pm

Traditional Welcome - The immersive experience begins with a welcome to Yuin country. This will include language, song and smoking ceremony followed by dinner, a tour briefing and traditional yarning circle.

Day two: 6.30am

Sunrise ceremony – The day begins with greeting one of the Yuin people’s elements in a traditional ceremony with spectacular ocean scenery. This is followed by a local 'Indigenous Twist' breakfast bundle.

On country experiences 

Option one (1) Gulaga National Park guided walk day tour – Starting at the historic Tilba Tilba you will begin your journey onto the sacred Gulaga Mountain. This involves a two hour ascent of walking and taking in all the surrounds of Gulaga National Park complemented by the tour guides knowledge and protocol sharing. This truly gives you the opportunity to look,listen and see what Gulaga has to offer and its importance to the Yuin people, from cultural knowledge handed down from generation to generation. This is the core aspect of the experience and takes most of the day, it is suitable for the more eager bushwalker, spiritual seeker or moderately fit visitor. A packed lunch with Indigenous twist will be provided.

Option two (2) Djirringanj dreaming experience drive and walk day tour- –This on country journey involves heading out seeing significant coastal and lake areas for the Yuin people following the Djirringanj Dreaming trail. Travelling via vehicle to several sites with some short moderate walks (1-2 km) to immerse and learn about traditional knowledge. This experience is suitable for the visitor who would like to take a more relaxed and bespoke day out learning on country. A packed lunch with Indigenous twist will be provided.      

* You may be required to use your own transportation for groups above 4. 

Note: In a shared retreat with guests choosing different on country experiences and we do not have capacity to offer both, the majority rule applies. To ensure you get the on country experience you want, you can book a private experience, a 30% surcharge per person (see extras) minimum group size of 10 people applies. We will inform you prior to the chosen date if you need to consider your option.

Chill out time - Arrival back to your accommodation is between 4-6pm, where a local cheese and fruit platter awaits you. Enjoy the freetime before dinner. 

Indigenous Twist Food Journey dining experience (Two nights)- Be taken on a unique high quality dining experience in our amazing nature eating space. Mirritya Mundya Indigenous Twist have worked with some of the best chefs in the country, so sit back and be ready for a remarkable immersion into the tradition of the oldest food culture in the world. 

Traditional Reflection Yarning Circle – Reflecting with each other on the days experience around the fire immersed in Mother Earth's elements with a nice warm Indigenous tea, is truly a grounding and connected way of finishing your special day on country. This time and space will leave you exhaustively content. 

Day three: 8 am

Wellness Healing Session  - A morning cultural wellness session including Indigenous modality and healing connection workshop, concludes the formal part of the itinerary. Check out is 9.30-10am. 

Note: This itinerary order and activities may change due to daylight saving and weather conditions. This is to enhance the visitor experience by responding and delivering our features to suit each group and time.

Also please be mindful that due to weather, safety, situational or access restrictions to the Gulaga National Park (option one), we may have to undertake the Djirringanj Dreaming (option two) trail as the alternate on country experience on Day two.  

Children 8-16 years

Children from 8-16 years are the recommended ages for this experience.   

Key Experiences

• Participate in and witness traditional Aboriginal wellness sessions, song and yarning circles 

• Meet, talk with and learn from knowledgeable Aboriginal guides – the traditional custodians and community from the Yuin nation with generational traditional interpretation  

• Walk and experience several significant sites on Yuin Country.    


• Learn about the Yuin people’s creation story and the Aboriginal Dreaming, history and culture.      


• Be part of a life-shifting unearthing traditional Aboriginal immersive experience.     

Accommodation

Accommodation is in the Narooma, Mystery Bay, Tilba and Bermagui region. We use a variety of accommodation options from belle or safari tents to private comfortable cabin or beach house locations. All with self- contained bathroom & kitchen. 

** Glamping Tents are currently under reconstruction and are unavailable until after June 20th 2024 **

* Glamping Tents are fitted with Queen Beds (no twin share)*

Accommodation allocations are mostly booked in 2-3 people per cottage/cabin per booking. This would include families of 2-4, twin share for 2 people and couples. 

Sole Use - Solo Travellers and Sole Use requests incur a 30% surcharge per person. 

Your accommodation location will be sent to you upon booking. This is due to availability on your chosen date of the experience.     

Check in: Day one 5.30pm- 7pm    Check out: Day three 9.30-10am                        

Note; Check in times are very strict for our experience, please let us know prior if you require an earlier check in time.

Accessibility

We cater for people with a disability. The Yuin Retreat includes several elements - touring, accommodation, and transport. These elements are flexible and change from retreat to retreat.  Please contact us to discuss your ability and needs and we can advise whether we have a suitable option or modification available.

For the touring component, the Djirringanj Dreaming tour can be modified to ensure it is accessible for guests with mobility restrictions. This includes accessible pathways to each of the cultural sites visited. Please note this tour visits 5+ cultural sites where guests are required to get in and out of their vehicle each time.

We utilise a range of accommodation options throughout the region. Several options include accessible rooms, as well as accessible bathrooms in the communal areas.

Transport for the Yuin Retreat is self-drive, requiring you to provide your own transport that meets your accessibility requirements. Accessible car parks are available at selected accommodation providers and we can modify the itinerary for the Djirringanj Dreaming tour to ensure accessible car parks are available at each site.

The Yuin Retreat can be adapted for guests who are Blind or have Low Vision, who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Depending on your needs and group size, you may be able to join a shared, scheduled Retreat or there is also the option to make a private booking where we are able to tailor the inclusions to meet your needs.

Inclusions

Day one:      Dinner, accommodation and activities as defined in the itinerary features.

Day two:      Breakfast, lunch, dinner, accommodation and activities as defined in the itinerary features.

Day three:    Breakfast and activities as defined in the itinerary features.

Mirritya Mundya Indigenous Twist Sample Menu 

Two x Dinners
Mains - Lilly Pilly Chicken, Lemon Myrtle Blackfish, Native Stuffed Ricotta Pepper, Sarsaparilla Cherry Beef 

Sides - Bush Tomato Cauliflower, Green Beans in Bush Dukkah, Warrigal Green Potatoes, Strawberry Gum Mac and Cheese

Two x Breakfasts- Self serve 
Homemade toasted wattleseed granola with yogurt and baked goods 

Indigenous jams, Fresh fruit, avocado and sourdough 

One x Lunch 
Saltbush Frittata w/salad and seasonal fruit 

One x Grazing Box- Self serve

Cheese Selection

Bodalla Dairy Shed- Bushies- Mix (Soft), Old Man- Saltbush, Campfire -Pepperberry

Shoalhaven Brie and Camembert

Served with local seasonal and native fruits 

Sobah Beers (non- alcoholic) 

Fingerlime Cerveza

Pepperberry IPA

Lemon Aspen Pilsner

Sodas for kids 8-16

Lemon Myrtle or Lilly Pilly

Dietary Requirements 

Accepted and required upon booking, we can cater for;

• Vegetarian
• Gluten Free
• Vegan
• Pescatarian
• Nut allergy
• Lactose free   

Physical capability 

The Gulaga Creation National Park walk day tour includes a 12km return gradual walk in the national park. A moderate to average level of fitness will ensure you enjoy the journey on Gulaga. A 4WD escort service is also available for the less mobile and physically fit. Please keep in mind approximately 1-2 km of steady gradual walking is required to be able to partake in the tour. This experience is for the outdoor adventurer, spiritual seeker and fitter visitor.     

The Djirringanj Dreaming tour is more forgiving and requires less physical energy and fitness. It involves around 1-2 km of gentle moderate walks along with traveling via car to the various locations. Definitely a more relaxed experience.  

What to bring

As this experience includes outdoor walking tours, we recommend guests wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a backpack, sunscreen, hat, and water bottle. If wet weather is predicted, it is recommended to pack wet weather gear and a change of light warm clothes for the day walk.

Location

Narooma and the neighboring Bega Valley region is located just over four hours and 30 minutes’ drive south of Sydney, three hours’ drive east of Canberra and eight hours’ drive north east of Melbourne.

Exclusive tailored groups  - Private Booking  

Midweek group bookings are available and are perfect for niche tourism groups, families, corporate and workplace team building and for cultural competency requirements. 

Please send us an email contact@ngaranaboriginalculture.com to enquire and get a costing on this option. 

NOTE 

*This experience is strictly a NON- Alcoholic experience 

** This experience is a sharing and caring retreat on country, we have strong ethics on group facilitation to ensure everyone has a great experience. We may politely ask you to refrain from over disclosure and instill safe wellbeing guidelines on confidentiality for all involved 

***All Ngaran Ngaran PTY LTD product terms and conditions apply to this experience 

                                                                                     
Terms & Conditions 

1. All prices quoted in AUD and are GST inclusive and are valid from 01 April 2023 – 31 March 2025.  

2. All bookings subject to availability. 

3. Shared standard bookings for our tours will be opened for other potential bookings to reach the capacity per tour. Exclusive experience options will guarantee privacy and chosen numbers.  

4. In the unlikely or rare event of a rescheduling or refund needing to occur due to unforeseen circumstances, NNCA will ensure agents are notified within 7 days of tour departure date (Please refer to the Cancellation Policy for alternative re-booking options).

5. Payment – on approval of credit application, payment due 14 days upon receipt of invoice. 

6. Pre-payment deposit of at least 50% is required to confirm group bookings; Payment in full is required 14 days prior to your tour date.

7. We reserve the right to stop any of our guests from continuing the tour if they breach our safety standards, or if the guest is behaving in an unacceptable manner or are affected by any substance, or if we have any concern about the guest’s safety or the safety of others, at our sole discretion

8. Refunds will not be provided for late arrivals, or no shows.

9. Notwithstanding anything else in these Terms and Conditions, and to the extent permitted by law, the aggregate liability of NNCA to the guest for all events giving rise to liability arising out of these terms and conditions, or the Gulaga Creation and Djirringanj Dreaming Tours whether in contract, tort (including negligence), indemnity or otherwise and including for personal injury, death or damage to property, will be limited to amounts paid by the guest to NNCA in respect of the guest’s attendance on the tour. In no event shall NNCA be liable for any indirect, consequential, special or economical lost, cost, liability, damage or expense howsoever arising. 

10. Please kindly note that no video footage is allowed to be taken on the tour, unless by prior application and approval of footage and use.

11. NNCA owned images can only be used with prior consent for marketing purposes.

12. As this experience involves an outdoor walking tour, we recommend guests wear comfortable walking shoes, backpack, sunscreen, hat, and water bottle. Wet weather gear will be necessary on rainy days and a change of light warm clothes is recommended.

 13. YR- Minimum 2- Maximum 16 persons per tour                                                                            

Cancellation Policy   

1. If a guest cancels a booked tour inside 90 days prior to departure, a 50% cancellation fee will be charged. 

2. If a guest cancels a booked tour within 30 days of departure a 100% cancellation fee will apply.  

3. Group Tailored Bookings- Require 50% deposit to secure booking on negotiated date. 100% of deposit forfeited if cancelation occurs from the clients choice or reasoning. Once only credits or group rescheduling may apply. Strictly no refunds.  

4. NNCA is an all-weather activity, however we reserve the right to change or alter the tour for safety reasons or in extreme weather conditions. Any amendment to the tour itinerary will not entitle a guest to a refund or reduction in price.   

5. We can, on request, offer a once only booking reschedule. The standard Terms and Conditions will apply.

Any rescheduled tour booking is subject to availability.  

6. International visitors who are subject to a postponed or rescheduled tour due to inclement weather, cancellation or unavailability from NNCA will receive a 100% refund. Strict conditions and circumstances apply in the event of this occurring. NNCA will advise and negotiate with ITO’s and international visitors at least 7 days prior to departure date or earlier if possible.