Our values
Here are our values and some of the ways we try to integrate them. This is a work in progress.
Fosterton retreat is to be a place of:
Connection
We believe connection is important: connection to people and place. Each year we hold an Open Day where people can come & enjoy/experience Fosterton Retreat for free. Booking the accommodation provide opportunities for friends, families & groups to spend time together. Team building & retreats are intentional times of connection: with nature, each other, ourselves and the mysterious Other. Both Max & Bronwyn are involved in the wider Dungog shire community through work, community building & art.
Re-creation &
Restoration
We provide a gentle, comfortable setting to physically unwind & detox from a busy life. Not just in a beautiful place but also as a place for the deeper parts of ourselves to be nurtured through reflection & understanding-a soul connection, with various retreats, workshops & connections to nature. When other people want to run a retreat we work with them to see that they too will be providing opportunities/ exercises for people to be creative.
Creativity
Art is intentionally on display at Fosterton Retreat via sculptures, decor & 2D works, because we believe it is an important part of life that goes deeper than the decor. As well as these there are many ways anyone can be creative; retreats & workshops incorporate creative exercises designed to enable all people to create ( we believe everyone is creative in some way).
Transformation via nature
Nature nurtures us & teaches us, so our property is set up to encourage visitors to explore, relax in & reflect on nature. Our retreats & other activities all have components so participants are intentionally learning from & connecting to nature. When other people want to run a retreat we work with them to see that they too will be providing opportunities/exercises for people to intentionally connect with nature around them.
Thinking globally, acting locally
We want to make a difference in the lives of visitors, each other, those around us locally and across the world. We do this by being involved at the local level, keeping our carbon footprint smaller wherever possible- we use less, re-use resources & recycle or upcycle as much as possible. We also support local, national and international environmental, health & humanitarian projects, through: Habitat for Humanity, Opportunity International, TEAR fund, World Vision, Australian Conservation Fund and some others. THANKYOU because by visiting us or coming to a retreat you have helped provide housing, a global village with education, health, children with education, some microfinance projects, provided water and supported children receiving Christmas presents and Cystic Fibrosis Community Care, to name a few.
Acknowledgement
We, Max & Bronwyn, acknowledge that this is sacred land
once under the care of the Worimi, Wonnarua,
Gringai and Biripi people.
We recognize the care & connection they have with country
and respectfully acknowledge their past, present & emerging leaders.
Our role is both a privilege & responsibility to care for this land
in a respectful way that gives credence to its origins and
the knowledge & wisdom of the first peoples.
We commit to being open and humble,
to actively respect the knowledge&
wisdom of the first peoples of this land,
working towards a future of
shared mutual respect & partnership
with Indigenous peoples
of this country and the world.
To find out whose sacred land you live/work on, visit this map from The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).
If you want to understand more about acknowledgement of country Reconciliation Australia can help.
ABOUT US
We are privileged to have taken over this lovely property- a thirty year dream finally happening! Every week we discover more things. Walks have been set out on the property and Bronwyn is compiling a list of native Australian flora and fauna with the aim of making a small filed guide for visitors. It was three years in before we sighted (with much excitement) our first koala and see them more regularly now- although Max sees them the most. It has occurred to us that from a distance he might be mistaken for a koala.
We are also hoping to discover more about the history of this land, stories from Indigenous people and those who settled it after them. You might meet us when you stay & don't be scared because while Max looks like a pirate he's really quite lovely. If you are considering coming to a retreat it is only fair you know a little more about us:
We are both practicing artists with decades of experience in creativity. Through our interests, passions and work we also have experience in developing creative and interactive practices which feed your soul, with the aims of facilitating spiritual and personal growth. We are parents and grandparents and have both been community workers, pastors, and counsellors. We like to help people in their quest to find a greater depth, meaning, peace and enjoyment in life. We also like to facilitate opportunities to deepen people's self-awareness and sense of being by nurturing their soul, strengthening their connections with nature and the divine.
Max has training in: Choice Theory, Spiritual Direction, Labyrinth Facilitation and years in Welfare,
Bronwyn has training in Choice Theory, The Enneagram, a Bachelor of Natural History Illustration and is currently a PhD candidate & in Spiritual Direction formation.
We look forward to meeting you one day,
Max & Bronwyn Greive
We hope you enjoy your time at Fosterton Retreat, after your visit please go to our Feedback page to get a discount on your next booking (conditions apply).