About Earth Lodge

retreat

Earth Lodge Australia

Imagine deepening your connection with loved ones as well as making new friends amidst the breathtaking beauty of Australia’s pristine wilderness.  At Earth Lodge Australia we invite you to embark on an unforgettable journey of personal growth, adventure, and bonding like never before.

Each day will be a new adventure, starting with a story dedicated to the children but providing inspiration for everyone. Then each age group moves on to activities, teachings and ceremonies specific to them.

For the youngest, the camp revolves around adventure, play, creativity and discovering nature as a teacher. The teenagers celebrate their journey towards adulthood and learn how to build significant relationships with each other. Whilst the adults are offered time tested tools to navigate these complex times and imbue your life with a deeper sense of purpose and connection.

retreat

Connection with Spirit

What Will You Gain?

At Earth Lodge Australia, you will relax into a beautiful oasis of inspiration, personal growth, and connection. Discover ancient wisdom that will support you to navigate the intricate challenges of modern life. Learn simple, effective tools for relating, communicating and letting go. 

You will have the opportunity to take part in a transformative rite of passage ceremony specifically crafted to assist in your precise moment in life. These ceremonies help to deepen our understanding of ourselves and equip us to embrace the unique phase of life we are entering into.

Our programmes are designed to reconnect you to nature, promote mental clarity, physical wellness, and emotional balance.

Teachers & Staff

The Earth Lodge Australia Association has been inspired by our experiences with Earth Lodges held in Italy and Germany. These European camps have been running for over 25 years and provide a beautiful model that we are delighted to be bringing to Australia

The Association consists of a passionate group of people responsible for strategic planning, programming, communication and organisation throughout the year. 

At the event they are joined by other enthusiastic volunteers. The leaders of the teams that work with the children and the teens all have specific experience and passion for working with these age groups.

Our Senior Earth Lodge facilitator and ceremonialist, Janneke Koole, is a certified  teacher on the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path. She  has completed an extremely selective and demanding training.

During Earth Lodge Australia you will be offered the best experience possible, thanks to the continuous effort and care of the camp coordinators, the camp care team, the kitchen crew and the teaching team. ELA are dedicated to make this a wonderful experience for all.

A path with heart

The teachings at Earth Lodge are inspired by the Sweet Medicine SunDance  (SMSD) Tradition  which is cared for by the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine society. The SMSD teachings support spiritual evolution, encouraging self-growth towards beauty and wisdom that is honest, integrous, and benevolent toward self, life and others.

Our mission is to seed future generations with beauty, power, knowledge, and freedom and to fight against ignorance, slavery, bigotry, racism, war, disease and dogma.

Through its worldwide network of teachers, lodges, study groups, and affiliated organisations, SMSD is dedicated to sharing knowledge that works to anyone who seeks understanding, healing, spiritual self-development, and physical mastery.

Event details

Earth Lodge details

$ Earth Lodge Australia dates 29th September - 4th October 2025
  • Earth Lodge is held in a magical bush setting nestled amongst the spectacular Conondale Ranges in the Sunshine Coast hinterland of QLD, Australia.
  • Registration fees include the full 5 day event with all meals and a rich programme of activities.
  • There is no cost to camp if you bring your own gear. Please ask our registration team if you would like to hire camping equipment or accomodation in our geodesic domes.
Earth Lodge location

Frequently Asked Questions

Your registration fee includes:
~  A rich daily program of teachings, activities and ceremonies for all participants
~  Your camp site and shower and toilet facilities for 5 nights (6 days)
~  Three delicious meals for each full day of the camp plus lunch and dinner on the first day and breakfast  on the final day 

~ Transport to and from the venue is not included. You will need to arrange your own transport to and from the event site or to Nambour train station. We will be organising transport options back and forth to Nambour train station. Please speak to us about these. For those travelling interstate or internationally we can support you to organise travel from Brisbane airport.

~ Camping gear such as tents, sleeping bags, bedding etc. are not included. Please ask our team if you would like to hire camping equipment.

If payment of your registration payments by the due dates will be a challenge, please talk to our enrolment people about what payment plan options are available 

Participant Cancellations:
Cancellations made more than 60 days before the retreat start date will receive a refund of the amount paid, minus the non-refundable deposit.
Cancellations made 30-60 days before the retreat start date will receive a 50% refund of the amount paid, minus the non-refundable deposit.
Cancellations made less than 30 days before the retreat start date are non-refundable.

Organizer Cancellations:
In the unlikely event that the retreat is cancelled by the organisers, participants will receive a full refund of all payments made, including the deposit.

Yes, tents are available for hire. Please inquire with our registration people on hire costs and tent sizes available. Linen is also available for hire. Talk to us about what you need.

~ Early Bird Registration closes on the 30th April 2025

~ Swift Fox Registration closes on the 31st July 2025

~ Children 4 and under require a full time carer and are free to attend. 

~ The cut-off age for each camp lodge can vary slightly depending on the participant. If you are unsure which camp group will be appropriate for you or someone in your group, please talk with us, and we will help you find clarity.

~ For the purposes of fees, a child is considered 5–12, a teen is 13-17  and adults are aged 18+

~ Participants will arrive in the morning Monday 29th September 2025. Once checked in and registered, time will be available to set up your camping area. Lunch will be provided on the arrival day and the camp programme will start at 2.30 with an opening circle for all.

~ The camp activities will complete with a closing circle in the morning of Saturday 4th October 2025 

~ Management will be doing regular trips back and forth to Nambour train station. Traveling parties should check in to see if a pickup is possible

Yes. There is a designated area for campers & RV’s. Power hook ups are not available except in cases of special needs.

Dormitory style, shared accomodation is available in the onsite geodesic domes. A limited number of double rooms are available 1o minutes walk from the main camp hub. Speak to our registration team for more details.

Yes.

Participants are kindly requested to refrain from bringing or using alcohol or drugs at Earth Lodge.  This is crucial for staying mentally sharp and physically alert, enabling us to fully benefit from the wisdom offered during teachings and the insights gained in the ceremonies.

Information Pack

For more information on the Earth Lodge Australia event, simply download our Information Pack for all of the details.