**Trip opens Friday 27th January for members - please see the facebook group for reminders. Please add yourself to the waitlist to receive an email once the trip has opened (note this does not guarantee your spot)***
Come and explore the pristine wilderness along the Bochara/Glenelg River by canoe.
This wide and slow-moving river hosts abundant wildlife living on its banks, wake up to bird song and witness the glorious colors of a sunrise on the river.
Learn to paddle a canoe with instruction and support from experienced guides, carrying all we need for our journey in our canoes. Travel slowly, soaking in the beautiful surroundings with regular rest stops. Maybe jump in the cool water for a midday swim. Be a part of this traveling community, with time to connect with yourself and with the other women on the journey. Sit around the campfire in the evening reflecting on the day together and sharing a delicious meal.
Participate in gentle practices to deepen our connection with Nature.
Be a part of this soulful adventure. Finish the journey feeling strong, alive and empowered!
And this is all alongside others who are there for the slow paced, judgement free, body positive adventures! This adventure is a partnership between EYCZ and Laura from Wilderness Within, with both Laura and Celeste from EYCZ as your guides.
WHAT IS ESCAPING YOUR COMFORT ZONE BODY POSITIVE ADVENTURES?
This is a body positive, slow paced trip, hosted by Celeste at Escaping Your Comfort Zone.
Escaping Your Comfort Zone is Body Positive Adventures for women and non-binary crew. The outdoors don't care about your size, your speed or your fitness, and neither do we! 100% body positive, no focus on weightloss. Just having fun in the outdoors, cause we can! As always, we walk at the pace of the slowest person, and no one is left behind.
WHAT IS WILDERNESS WITHIN?
Laura is an experienced outdoors guide, and in her own words:
I am deeply passionate about remembering, reclaiming and empowering the wild and sacred feminine within all of us, remembering our place as a part of nature, creating community and supporting sisterhood.
I have spent many years working in the outdoors as a nature guide where I have been blessed to explore some of the most beautiful, remote and wild places in nature.
Now I am in a place of weaving all of my passions together to create my current offerings. I offer from a place of deep love. If you attend any of my offerings you will be received with an open heart and warm presence. So come, sit by the fire with me, let us have a cup of tea, share stories and learn from one another.
WHY THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EYCZ AND WILDERNESS WITHIN?
Richelle met Laura at a 4 day intensive Wilderness First Aid course, and was instantly drawn to her warmth, her passion, and their shared goal of opening the outdoors up as a slower, more holistic journey, and using adventure as the vehicle for self growth. After doing this canoe trip independently in 2019, Richelle has always wanted to organise it for the group, but hadn't got around to it. The meeting with Laura was serendipitous, as Laura organises these trips now, and has all the logistics in place. On top of this, Richelle recognised that her led adventures are usually more "practical", and less immersive, and that many of the EYCZ members will appreciate the deep connection with nature, with Laura's guidance, on this trip.
PARTICIPANT ZOOM CATCHUP
We will have a zoom catchup 3-4 weeks before the journey, to answer any questions you have, and to connect with everyone else coming on the trip!
ABILITY LEVEL
In terms of fitness, you need the ability to get in and out of a canoe, and setup, and sleep in a tent. Please also consider your shoulder and back mobility, whilst we will not be paddling fast, it will be 2 days of paddling that your body may not be used to.
EYCZ Members receive 5% off this trip, please use the discount code provided to you in the Member's (Be the First to Know) section of the EYCZ FB Group. Want to become a member? Click here for membership.
To hold your place, you must pay your deposit amount of $100 via CC when you sign up for this journey, to secure your spot. This will include a small CC fee of approx $2.50.
Ongoing payments can be made using WeTravel, with a CC fee of 2.5%. Also as our payment processor is not in Australia, your bank may apply an international conversion fee (from experience many banks don't, but just in case).
Alternatively you can avoid these fees, and pay your installments (or full amount) directly into the EYCZ bank account, please email us at hello@escapingyourcomfortzone.com for bank details.
If you cancel 4+ weeks before journey - full refund available
If you cancel 2-4 weeks before journey - credit available for combined EYCZ/WW or WW only journey next year
If you cancel less than 3 weeks before journey - credit available for combined EYCZ/WW or WW only journey next year, less $300 deposit amount
You can transfer your spot to another person at anytime.
Escaping Your Comfort Zone (EYCZ) is a community of body positive adventurers. We welcome women and non-binary people. No weight loss focus, slow paced and non-judgemental. Purely for fun. This group is for making new friends, and finding like minded people to get outdoors with. We are a not for profit bushwalking club, as part of Bushwalking Victoria.
Please ensure you read this first before joining any of our trips or walks.
* A note on packing… There is no need for you to go out & spend hundreds of dollars on new camping gear. I encourage you to borrow gear from friends & family, post in the EYCZ Facebook Group, and you can also rent/hire certain things - if you need it we can provide some cheap suggestions for things you might need to buy.*
We will be putting all of your gear into 1 barrel each that will keep your belongings dry in the canoe, please keep this in mind when packing. Pack minimally, pack light, try & fit all of your things into one medium sized backpack/duffel bag.
~ Sleeping bag (at least rated to -0 or below) *I have a few sleeping bags available to borrow if you need.
~ Hiking mattress (blue foam Mat from Anaconda will do and cost around $15)
~ Small inflatable hiking pillow or pillow case (stuff your clothes in to make pillow)
~ Towel (lightweight or microfiber is great)
~ Sunhat
~ Sunscreen
~ Sunglasses
~ Waterproof jacket/Raincoat (Gortex material is the best - contact us if you are uncertain about what you have)
~ Rainpants (if you have them)
~ Water shoes (e.g. river sandals, crocs or old runners)
~ Walking/ camp shoes (e.g. runners, boots)
~ 3x socks
~ 4x underwear
~ 2x shorts or quick dry pants
~ 3x T Shirts
~ 1x collared shirt (sun protection)
~ 1x comfy camp pants (e.g leggings)
~ 1x set of thermals
~ 1x Wool jumper, fleece jumper or down jacket
~ 1x Beanie
~ something to swim in (that may be shorts and tshirt, or your underwear!)
~ Head torch + spare batteries
~ Water bottle (1 litre)
~ Hot water bottle (for night time) - suggested
~ Bowl, plate, cup, fork & spoon
~ Wet wipes or face washer
~ Journal & pen
~ Personal medication (including any antihistamines or asthma medication, event if you haven't had an attack in a while) & personal first aid kit
-earplugs in case you are sharing with a snorer
* You can wear a set of comfy clothes on our trip down which you can leave in the van to also wear on our trip home :)
Pick up from South Geelong train station and road trip our way to Paestens canoe hire, stopping along the way for a delicious picnic by a billabong. This will take up around 4.5hrs with stops. Pack our personal gear into our waterproof barrels. Have a nourishing meal and sit together around the campfire. Sleeping in dorm room accommodation.