|
|
Grampians Bush FItness Adventure
Australia 6 days ex Halls Gap
$1495 AUD
Our new Bush Retreat is a unique fitness vacation amongst the stunning flora and fauna of the Grampians National Park, just a 3 hour drive from
Melbourne.
You will take part in fitness testing, training goal setting and a mini triathlon, which we work around a fun week including sessions on deep
tissue massage, training posture, injury prevention, mechanics of running, diet and metabolism, and breathing. These sessions arranged
around exciting outdoor activities such as trail running, mountain biking, kayaking and swimming (both seasonal), boxing, flexibility, circuit
training and team exercises, where we use the great outdoors and local natural history around us for inspiration. Our program is designed to
educate you and your body and enjoy an ‘active rest’ in the outdoors and this beautiful setting.
The Grampians are a natural wonder - waterfalls, fascinating rock formations, spectacular lookouts, wildflowers, fern gullies and wetlands - the
beautiful environment makes it a wonderful place for an outdoor adventure. Halls Gap is a quaint village dwarfed on each side by sandstone
mountain walls rising steeply and sharply. This is the only town in the National park and it is a great base for our retreat.
.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Grampians National Park
The Grampians National Park is located 300 km west of Melbourne, and we will arrive in time for a lovely bush lunch at the log cabins at the foot
of the mountains we'll call home for the week. This area is an oasis of biodiversity and contains and large variety of plant, animal and bird
species. Learning how to incorporate the outdoors into a healthy life and training schedule is a major goal this week, and we start off by
learning more about the creatures that call this area home.
After arriving at the cabins and eating an energy-rich meal, we'l settle in and get acquainted with our lovely cabins and communal areas and
meet the team who will educate and support us through our week of fitness activities and education in this amazing area.
D’altons’ Log Cabins, the setting of our stay, will put a smile on everyone's faces. In the background, a steep escarpment rises above gum tree
bushes as kangaroos, blue tongue lizards and the occasional emu go about their daily business in close to us. The cabins have their own
kitchen, bathroom, veranda, BBQ area as well as lounge to relax in.
Over lunch we will chat about the week ahead and what to look forward to. Our group leaders for the week are fun loving and have a positive
attitude to life and the outdoor exercise that enhances it. Our leaders have a passion for the outdoors and are looking forward to sharing it with
all those who join the fitness retreat.
We will spending the afternoon with some fitness tests to help assess goals and fine tune plans for the week's workshops and activities.
A lovely light run through some of the National Park's flatter areas followed by a stretch and swim before our welcome dinner will help ease the
muscles and let you see first hand the great setting we have chosen for this retreat.
Days 2-4: Bush Fitness Retreat
A typical day will begin with an early morning low to moderate intensity session before a healthy breakfast. These pre-breakfast activities will be
comprised of swimming, running, boxing and stretching/flexibility sessions to raise a light sweat and get the blood pumping.
In the morning we will then trail run (with some interval training, speed training, running technique drills, hiking skills or cycling (both MTB
through the great bush paths amongst the gums and wildlife, and road riding with training, interval and speed drills). If we're having too much
fun we might just go trail running and cycling in the morning! All the time we are with our experienced guides and leaders along the trails and
tracks around the National Park and we stop from time to time to take time out to do some exploring and to learn more about the natural history,
the habits and habitats of the wildlife we can hear by not see. We'll learn about their natural movements and about ways we can mimic their
behaviour in these surroundings. One special morning will be an ‘active rest’ where we run through some more advanced swimming, running
and cycling training or take the time to enjoy the outdoors for all it is worth and take part in a morning of abseiling, rock climbing or kayaking.
Lunch is always at the cabins and everyone gets involved in the preparation so we can learn and experience first hand this underrated part of a
healthy lifestyle. The food has been designed especially for our program by a local nutritionist and dietitian. During this time we will conduct
workshops on topics such as metabolism when training, breathing, stretching, flexibility and relaxing, strength work out of the gym, overtraining,
deep tissue massage and injury prevention, running/cycling/swimming mechanics, posture and diet.
In the afternoon we will do a mix of diverse and shorter sessions including flexibility work, circuit training, kettlebell training, and strength
exercises spread through some rides and trail runs with maybe some relaxing swims to finish the days exercises.
Dinners are all back at cabins after showers and reflection on the days activities, training ideas and personal achievements and insights.
Evenings are free to enjoy each others company, as great friendships with like-minded people from diverse backgrounds are a motivating factor
for leading a healthy life. The outdoor fitness coaches are not just involved in leading each day's expeditions but will also enjoy time together with
you in this great setting. After dinner we will run some short sessions on various topics including effective training in everyday life with a guest
speaker. We will also go for a spotlighting night walk to see the forest come alive and learn more about its many inhabitants. The star-filled
night sky makes a great companion for our fire dinner settings. If it's a clear night – which it is most nights - we will enjoy a guided tour of the
heavenly bodies of the skies through a telescope. The lack of light pollution in the national park makes it possible to see the Southern
Hemisphere stars, planets and moon and learn about star clusters and constellations. These night views are almost totally lost in most urban
areas with major light pollution. We try to reconnect people with an old friend - the night sky - in a setting where frogs don’t confuse brightly lit
freeway noise with mating calls and so don't end up squashed on the busy roads. Here, birds don’t crash into buildings blazing with light.
Nocturnal mammals can forage as they always have here, since there's no manmade light forcing them to be extra cautious.
Day 5 Mini Triathlon
After some stretching and a final flexibility session we have one more breakfast together and spend the morning at some of the stunning and
inspirational sites of the area. After lunch we take part in a mini triathlon in the National Park to end our week and appreciate the results of all our
work and effort. At our final BBQ dinner, and maybe a well earned beer or wine, we'll conclude with some chats about how to apply what we've
learned to the urban surroundings that everyone returns to.
Day 6 Depart for Melbourne
Sadly, our Fitness Vacation draws to a close with everyone feeling fitter and healthier for it. You are free to return home at any time this morning.
Activity Highlights
Trail Running and Mountain Hiking
Each aerobic session will vary in intensity during the week as we strengthening your cardiovascular system and work your quadriceps, calves,
and hamstrings. Due to the scenery, the air, the climate, the setting and the silence of nature, these sessions are tremendously enjoyable and
physically stimulating for the mind, body and soul. You will not know what hit you back in the office! The day's running activities will be planned
around individual fitness levels and the pace and physicality can be set accordingly.
Aboriginal Art and Culture
The Grampians (or Geriwerd) are rich in Aboriginal culture. We will introduce you to some of that culture through our friends at Brambuk National
Park and Culture Center, through appreciating the rock art on our trails, and by learning about the natural history and flora and fauna that have
shared the area with the local Aboriginal people for 10,000 years. As part of our program, we offer the possibility of didgeridoo playing, traditional
painting, as well as an introduction to boomerang throwing.
Local Wildlife
If we can meet with some of Parks rangers we maybe lucky to learn about tracking the local mammals like the echidna or sugar glider for
population control and research. We always try to time trips with some tree planting in the nearby area to learn more about this draught effected
area and what can be done to help – it usually involves getting our hands dirty! We will also try to catch the local specialty – yabby – a tasty fresh
water version of a crayfish. There are as many ways to catch them as there are to cook them and we will learn a few over one of our lunches. A
beer or local wine would not be out of place at a yabby lunch….we are on holidays, remember!
Nutrition
We offer a diet carefully designed for us and what we are trying to achieve with the people we are bringing out of their urban comfort zones and
into the bush. The diet promises to help your body detoxify and will provide the nutrients that are necessary for a healthy and active week. The
diet focuses on your special needs and objectives, by providing you with enough power and energy to complete all of the activities of the program.
Your Team
Our Fitness Retreat was conceived by a group of friends and family who are devoted to fun discovery of the many physical benefits to the mind
and body of exercising outdoors in and around nature. They are lucky to live in and area this inspiring area and are exciting about giving you an
adventure you will talk about for a long time. With training and experience in team and individual sports, eco tourism, wilderness training,
adventure events, outdoor activities, cycling and trekking adventures in Australia and around the world, our team are a group of people fully
committed to help you going through this challenging week and ready to offer you an unforgettable life changing experience.
The philosophy is simple – do not be scared of this program. Fitness vacations are a new concept but we take the worry and uncertainty out of
what this week is about by letting you know it is something you can and should do as with a minimal level of fitness but a keenness to learn,
anyone can enjoy it.
Accommodation
Spacious log cabins (5 nts)
Meal Inclusions
All meals and snacks from Day 1 lunch to Day 5 dinner are included.
See the 'Nutrition' section above for diet and nutritional information.
Transport
Private Van transfer in and around Grampians National Park, Cycling.
Activities Included
This is a list of included activities on this trip. All other activities are optional and at your own expense. For a list of optional activities and
sightseeing available on this trip, see the optional activities section below. If you choose not to participate in the included activities on this
itinerary, the cost will not be refunded.
- 5 nights of lodging (arriving on Monday lunchtime and leaving on Saturday morning)
- Private room and bath with veranda, AC, a kitchen per cabin and BBQ
- All meals, juices, mineral water and snacks everyday (natural cuisine developed by nutritionist for us)
- Between 5 and 6 hours per day of supervised activities (see itinerary above)
Optional Activities
Abseiling, Rock climbing and kayaking – 50AUD per half day.
Aboriginal Culture Center Activities – boomerang throwing, traditional painting, Didgeridoo playing – 5 – 10AU
Interested in booking or finding out more? Click here
|
|
