At Corinna Wilderness Village, the landscape invites you to slow down and consider the road ahead. Photo / Supplied
If your children are flying the nest, it may be time to celebrate the end of an intense parenting season with a solo wilderness retreat, writes Danielle Norton.
The house is tranquil at 7am on a weekday. There is no toast popping, coffee machine gurgling, or children opening and shutting doors searching for a school tie or a sports shirt. The exams are over, the end-of-year celebrations have tapered off, and, at this hour, the kids are sound asleep.
Ours has been a house filled with fierce love, good food, big emotions and lots of noise. Now, my young adults are ready to trade home for university halls without a backwards glance (if I’ve done my job well).
Instead of immediately filling the void, I decide to pause and take some time to acknowledge the intensity of my parenting journey and reflect on the lessons I’ve learnt. I know that a retreat from the busy world will help me consider what comes next.
This is how I end up at Corinna Wilderness Village; a remote, off-grid eco-village on the Pieman River in northwest Tasmania. With no Wi-Fi and no distractions, it’s a return to the holidays I had before I had children – savouring nature, tramping, hearty food and quiet time to read and think.
Being without internet access is anxiety-inducing at first. What if the kids need me? What if something goes wrong? How will they contact me? Yet, over the following days, I realise this is a baptism of sorts; not for them but for me.
My boots squelch in the mud as I pick my way up the path, stopping to watch the Yellow Wattlebirds darting from branch to branch; their calls ringing out in the hushed, forest. Moss flourishes on damp rocks, orange fungi bloom across fallen logs and wisps of cool Tasmanian air whisper encouragement. My eyes sweep the forest floor as I slowly march along the riverside track, my thoughts and fears quieting among the trees.
Set on 4ha of temperate rainforest, the Corinna Wilderness Village consists of 18 self-contained miner-style cottages, family cabins, pub rooms, tent and motorhome sites, with options for every style of traveller.
While here, many guests book the 4.5-hour Pieman River cruise on the Arcadia II, one of the last Huon pine vessels in operation in Tasmania. Constructed in 1939 for private use and requisitioned during WWII as a supply ship, it was then decommissioned to be used for tourism.
The riverbanks here in this ancient rainforest are replete with Huon pine, celery top pine, myrtle beech and sassafras trees, a throwback to a time before settlers cleared the land here, and the journey is yet another way to immerse myself in the environment.
Captain Matthew Morgan points out a male Huon pine, aged 1500 years, and tells stories of the region. He is as passionate about the century-old history as he is about the recent bushfire rescues, citizen science and the wildlife of the river.
“Spot a white-breasted sea eagle today and you get a sugarless breath mint. Spot a wedge-tailed eagle and you get two,” he tells the group. For a Tasmanian azure kingfisher, “a flash of blue flying at a squillion miles an hour”, the reward is three.
Above the river grass, in the low-lying branches, welcome swallows dance through the sky. I see a white-breasted sea eagle at the mouth of the Savage River, perched on the branch of a stark, dead eucalypt, his white chest puffed, surveying the waterway below. Much like the retreat itself, this boat tour is another opportunity for mindfulness and connection, with others and our natural surrounds.
Later, standing at the rear of the Arcadia II, watching the vessel’s wake, I realise I need to turn around and look towards my future.
Spending four hours on a boat watching the forest drift by, looking for birdlife, learning about trees and hearing the stories of nature rejuvenating itself after intense weather events, is a pleasure and a luxury that parents rarely have – especially solo parents or those juggling big jobs or big mortgages. In fact, this is the first time in years that I’ve done something without being interrupted by phone alerts or work emails, questions from home or reminders I need to send the kids (like feeding the dog).
I am truly present, enjoying the thrill of inhabiting a world beyond school runs, packed lunches and teenage dramas.
Parenting adults looks like it’s going to be calmer, more mindful, more deliberately gentle, and more profound than before; the way fresh green leaves creep up and grow around a burnt gum tree, their vitality springing from the ashes of a past life, a new existence, a new look. My parenting will be the same but different.
A solo getaway after becoming an empty nester isn’t just a mental pause, but a practical one; case in point, enjoying delicious meals I didn’t have to plan, shop for or prepare at Corinna’s Tannin Restaurant. The fish (pink ling) comes with a nutritious serving of vegetables. A fresh Tasmanian scallop entree is served with a corn puree, salsa salad and zesty lime. The chickpea curry dish is robust, flavoursome but not spicy, and comes with rice, a pappadum, fried potatoes and salad. Ossobuco is melt-in-your-mouth bliss. The visitors to this little village are hikers, bike riders and miners. They need hearty food to give them the energy to persevere, to reach the tops of mountains, the ends of gravel roads, and the physical requirements of their jobs.
Being at this eco village for a few days has clarified my emotions and energised me for the next stage. It’s one I want to spend holidaying with friends, tending to relationships that may have taken a backseat, and watching my children tackle adulthood.
Taking time out in a remote destination has helped me reset for the future. I highly recommend a solo sabbatical in nature to quieten your mind and get down to basics. And if you can’t get to a place like Corinna Wilderness Village, you can always switch off your phone, pull on your boots, and head out into nature for the day.
How to create your own mini retreat in Aotearoa:
Harbour Cone Sanctuary | Stay at a self-contained eco retreat near Dunedin. harbourconesanctuary.co.nz
Wai Iriki | A luxury Māori wellness centre for deep relaxation and quiet contemplation in Rotorua. wai-ariki.co.nz
The Herb Farm Cottage | An idyllic cottage on a herb farm in Akaroa. @theherbfarmcottage
Prices start from AU$269 at Corinna Wilderness Village. The river cruise is an additional AU$131.
The writer stayed courtesy of Corinna Wilderness Village.