Illara Waterhole Yoga Arts Retreat - Alice Springs Northern Territory

Monday 27th August - Saturday 8th September 2012 - 13 Days/12 Nights

$3990* Early Bird! Book by Apr 30 and Save $500; $4490 thereafter

Illara Waterhole is one of the most beautiful and remote camps in Central Australia. Located on the old Tempe Downs Station, 250kms southwest of Alice Springs, we are very fortunate to have special permission from the Traditional Luritja Owners to camp on this site of roughly 5,000 square kilometers. This privilege is ours alone for the duration of the retreat. Encompassing dramatic landscapes, flats, claypans, gorges and mysterious caves with extensive indigenous paintings and engravings, this retreat presents a truly unique opportunity to experience the deep heart of Central Australia through yoga in a place of ancient beauty and wonder.

We will set up our comfortable camp on the sandy banks beside the pristine Illara Waterhole, a turquoise oasis nestled in the ochre landscape. Chosen for its staggering beauty, Illara Waterhole is symbolic of the sanctum yoga offers in daily life. It is a direct life source, a pulse within barren land. Reconnect with the earth in this unique and spiritual place. Offer your yoga practice to a greater energy on Illara's bank as the sun rises. Spend time walking the earth and explore. Meditate beneath a billion stars.

Retreat is a time to immerse in yoga on many levels. Practice yoga daily at your choice of calm flowing sessions, deeply energizing sessions or do both. Explore yoga theory and philosophy in its many forms. Deepen your knowledge of yoga, an ancient practice, in this timeless place. Find creative expression in writing, art, naturopathy and food. Or simply Be. Do as much or as little as you like.

In addition to yoga, during the camp there will be opportunities to participate in raku clay sculpture and firing, natural dyeing from the local plants, barks and fungi that we will collect and felting with coloured wools and fibres. There will also be a demonstration of egg tempera, one of the oldest painting mediums in the world, which you may like to experiment with. Learn about bush tucker and bush medicine as well as the geology and natural history of the area with an expert. Read from the extensive 'on board' natural history library.

Getting there:

Illara Waterhole is approximately 250kms southwest of Alice Springs. It is a mixture of highway, gravel and 4WD travel to get there - approximately 5 hours travel. We have special permission from the Traditional Luritja Owners to stay in this culturally important and beautiful area. We will be the only people camping in this vast area and hopefully some of the Luritja family members will visit us during the camp.

The camp:

This will be a very comfortable bush camp. Tents, camp kitchen, shower trailer, toilets and supply truck will be set up for you on the sandy area adjacent to the pristine permanent waterhole. In the nearby areas there are mysterious rocky outcrops, expansive flats and claypans; a complex of caves and rock shelters with many paintings and the river course itself with magnificent river red gums. This is undoubtedly the most picturesque campsite in Central Australia.

Base camp is very comfortable and includes a purpose built camp kitchen, large shade shelter, tables and chairs for meals, solar lighting and refrigeration and soft-backed camp chairs for relaxing around the campfire. You will have a tent to yourself, which you can stand up in, a stretcher, mattress, sleeping bag, pillow, bed linen and tent light. There is a shower trailer for hot water showers and two flush assisted toilets. The camp is powered by solar energy and the vehicles have facilities for recharging your 240 volt appliances. Please bring your own charging units for your small appliances e.g. camera/video.

Meals on camp:

All meals are supplied. Your meals are prepared and served from the purpose built camp kitchen. Your healthy vegetarian camp cuisine is usually a varied continental breakfast and a cooked breakfast every few days. Lunches are freshly made salads or sandwiches. Your evening meal starts with drinks and nibbles followed by a two-course meal. A range of beverages, fruit and snacks are provided during the day.

Special medical dietary requirements can normally be met, but please discuss these when you make your booking.

What's included:

• Complimentary transfers to and from your hotel between Alice Springs and the Airport (at select times)
• Two nights accommodation^† in Alice Springs; one night preceding the retreat and one night post retreat with Continental breakfast included
• Welcome dinner on our first night in Alice Springs
• Return group transfers from Alice Springs to Illara Waterhole
• 11 day/10 night camp tent accommodation, including stretcher bed with mattress, sleeping bag, pillow, bed linen, and tent light
• Access to a shower trailer for hot water showers and two flush assisted toilets
• Twice daily yoga sessions, meditation and yoga workshops throughout
• A private yoga session exploring the needs of your individual practice
• Creative activities including raku clay sculpture and firing, natural dyeing from the local plants, barks and fungi that we will collect, and felting with coloured wools and fibres
• Bush tucker and bush medicine talks
• Use of the extensive 'on board' natural history library
• Explore the land, visit the rock paintings, swim in the waterhole
• If you need to be contacted when you are on retreat we have satellite phone access; it is the cost of a normal mobile phone call to call the satellite phone
• Plenty of time to relax - do as much or little as you like

What you need to organise independently:

• Flights to Alice Spring
• Personal medications & toiletries
• Travel Insurance - you should have our own travel insurance and be capable of undertaking the rigours of a retreat in this remote place

What to bring:

• A yoga mat, strap and block
• Sunscreen, bathers and a good book

Remember, all our retreats are about the exploration and learning of yoga, coupled with the fun of an adventure holiday, so if you're a yoga teacher or trainee teacher, we can help you apply for industry association Professional Development Points with a Retreat Journal documenting the learning outcomes of your retreat experience. Ask us how.

FULLY BOOKED