Adventure FOR BOYS & MOTHERS
Emerging Men Mother-Son Retreat
An adventure that reconnects mothers and sons aged 11-18 through rewilding, ceremony, and heart.
Because he’s growing up faster than you imagined… and you don’t want to miss the moments that matter.
UPCOMING DATES
7-9 October 2026
Mandurah, WA
LIVE A LIFE BY DESIGN
What you and your son will experience
Set in a stunning natural environment, this three-day adventure invites you to step away from routine and share real, unforgettable moments together.
🔥 Fire & storytelling
Gather around the flames for fire-making, bush cooking, and sharing damper and kangaroo stew under the stars.
🌾 Bushcraft & survival skills
Learn outdoor skills side by side - from fire-lighting and spear making to archery and navigating the bush.
💪 Team challenges
Work together on playful challenges that build trust, communication, and courage.
🎭 Play & improv
Let go of perfection and rediscover joy through creative, laughter-filled games that reconnect you both.
🧘♀️ Embodied connection
Breathwork, play, qi gong, comedy improvisation, ball sports - actions that awaken and surprise.
🌳 Rewilding adventures
Explore the land, craft with your hands, and remember what it feels like to belong in nature.
💬 Sharing & learning
Gentle guided conversations about growing up, identity, and the bond between mother and son.
💗 Rite of passage
Rituals and intentional moments to mark your son’s step toward confident young manhood - and your evolution as his mother.
What’s Included
In a beautiful natural setting, you’ll spend 3 days immersed in meaningful, memory-making experiences:
Games that deepen trust and spark joy
Bush adventures that build confidence, teamwork, and wonder
Rituals of passage that honour this threshold stage of boyhood
Hands-on creative sessions for storytelling, symbolism, and shared pride
Separate mothers’ and boys’ spaces, each held with warmth and intention
Peaceful moments and wildly fun moments, because both are sacred
You don’t need to be outdoorsy. You don’t need to be spiritual. You just need to show up, as you are, and say yes to connection.
This is for you if…
You work hard and love hard, but sometimes feel stretched thin and emotionally distant.
You want to raise a son who’s emotionally intelligent, grounded, and kind, but don’t always know how.
You’re watching your boy change, and you want to honour that shift instead of letting it pass by.
You’ve done personal growth work, and you’re ready to apply it to your parenting in a soulful, embodied way.
You’re craving quality time without screens, pressure, or distraction.
This isn’t a parenting workshop or a lecture. It’s a shared experience...crafted to help you both come home to yourselves and each other.
What You’ll Take Home
A stronger, more open bond with your son - beyond the “fine” and one-word answers.
Tools for calmer communication (and fewer arguments) as he grows more independent.
Experiences that spark inner change - making the everyday challenges of screens, school, and routines feel lighter
A shared adventure that builds confidence, courage, and real memories you’ll both treasure.
A reset for your own nervous system - less reactivity, more calm confidence in the hard moments.
A deep sense of knowing: I showed up for this - and it mattered.
The cuddles come less often
The conversations are shorter. You catch glimpses of the man he’s becoming ... and sometimes, it takes your breath away.
But between work deadlines, school runs, and the endless to-do list, the connection you both crave can quietly slip through the cracks.
This retreat is your circuit-breaker.
A weekend carved out of the rush… to come home to each other.
You’re not here to “fix” your son
You’re here to meet him again…in the space between childhood and adolescence. To see him with fresh eyes. To be seen, not just as Mum, the organiser, the driver, or the disciplinarian, but as his safe place. His steady base. His home.
This retreat is designed for mothers and their sons aged 10-18, offering a rare opportunity: a deeply nurturing, yet lightly structured space where connection, courage, and presence can flourish.
The Emerging Men Mother-Son Retreat is a three-day adventure in nature to hit pause on busy life and spend real, quality time together – no phones, no pressure, just adventure, stories, and fun. It’s a space to reconnect, understand each other more deeply, and strengthen the bond that will carry you both into the next chapter.
PICTURE GALLERY
Play, firelight, nature, and connection… everything childhood is meant to be
Because you can’t pour from an empty cup… and yours deserves a refill.
HELLO FROM US
Meet your hosts
Jo O'Dell
Jo is a father, men’s work facilitator, and space-holder devoted to reconnecting men and families with the sacred roots of life. As the founder of The Warrior’s Heart and Father-Hood, Jo creates transformational spaces for men and boys to reclaim emotional expression, grounded presence, and heart-led strength.
Having worked with hundreds of men across Australia, Jo brings a deeply embodied approach to rites of passage, combining somatic release, cultural reverence, and sacred play. He has trained in ceremony, trauma-informed practice, and firekeeping, and was adopted into a Yolŋu family during his own spiritual pilgrimage — an experience that deepened his connection to land, lineage, and fatherhood.
Daniela Englmayr
A mum of four (including three teen!), Daniela brings warmth, depth, and grounded joy to every retreat.
Over the past decade, she has guided dozens of families and hosted close to a dozen retreats, helping parents and young people reconnect in ways that last long after the weekend ends.
Daniela is a trauma-informed counsellor, somatic coach and lifelong adventurer. Her work blends movement, storytelling, and psychology to create experiences where genuine connection and transformation happen naturally. Beyond her retreat work, Daniela has mentored dozens of women and men in both corporate and community settings, supporting them to find balance, purpose, and self-trust. She has worked alongside women and children in crisis, including refugees, survivors of family and domestic violence, and as a counsellor for teenagers struggling within mainstream schooling.
Drawing from her own journey - from stressed and anxious to deeply grounded, playful, and (mostly!) present - Daniela now helps others rediscover what it means to live with presence, pleasure, and purpose.
Kali Balint
A father of three adult children (two sons!) and lifelong adventurer, Kali brings a rare blend of heart, humor, and grounded wisdom.
With more than 25 years of experience working alongside Aboriginal communities across Australia, Kali is known for his innovative and empowering approach to creating long-term change. His work focuses on helping people design and lead strategies that strengthen connection, purpose, and community from the inside out.
When he’s not consulting, you’ll find Kali outdoors - hiking, building, inventing, and sharing his love of nature, practical skills, and meaningful conversation.
At each retreat, Kali brings these same qualities to create an environment where boys and their mothers can rediscover what it means to belong - to the land, to each other, and to themselves.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION
Set into 15 acres of bush just an hour south of Perth...
A hidden pocket of nature close enough to reach easily… yet far enough to feel like a true escape. Where the city noise disappears and the bush wraps around you like a deep exhale. Wake to birdsong, soft morning light, and the kind of stillness your nervous system has been craving.
Testimonials
What our clients say
According to survey results, a whopping 100% of our retreat participants have rated their experience as ‘AMAZING’. Here is what some of our participants have had to say:
"Seeing the transformation in my daughter was amazing. The support both she and I received during the retreat was incredible, and I cannot recommend the experience enough if you’re interested in connecting with your daughter more, and see her blossom in a loving supportive environment, while you are yourself lovingly challenged to look deep within and release things that may be holding you back."
"What a weekend! So much connection, fun, suport and amazing information that I have immediately put into practice. I can’t stop telling every mum about it. I look forward to continuing my connections with my daughter and sharing our new found bond and information we have learnt together. I would highly recommend this experience to any mum and daughter. We did not want the experience to end. The accommodation was fabulous, the activities were super fun and engaging and the food!!! Omg!! Having your own private chef was a real treat but the quality and variation and taste was amazing! The whole experience was priceless."
"The retreat gave my daughter and I a deeper shared understanding of each other and has opened up a space for greater communication. Since coming home the strategies we learnt have made a difference to us both and the rest of the family."
"Seeing the transformation in my daughter was amazing. The support both she and I received during the retreat was incredible, and I cannot recommend the experience enough if you’re interested in connecting with your daughter more, and see her blossom in a loving supportive environment, while you are yourself lovingly challenged to look deep within and release things that may be holding you back."
"What a weekend! So much connection, fun, suport and amazing information that I have immediately put into practice. I can’t stop telling every mum about it. I look forward to continuing my connections with my daughter and sharing our new found bond and information we have learnt together. I would highly recommend this experience to any mum and daughter. We did not want the experience to end. The accommodation was fabulous, the activities were super fun and engaging and the food!!! Omg!! Having your own private chef was a real treat but the quality and variation and taste was amazing! The whole experience was priceless."
"The retreat gave my daughter and I a deeper shared understanding of each other and has opened up a space for greater communication. Since coming home the strategies we learnt have made a difference to us both and the rest of the family."
"Seeing the transformation in my daughter was amazing. The support both she and I received during the retreat was incredible, and I cannot recommend the experience enough if you’re interested in connecting with your daughter more, and see her blossom in a loving supportive environment, while you are yourself lovingly challenged to look deep within and release things that may be holding you back."
Book YOUR RETREAT
Extremely limited places - book now
Early Bird Pricing: Save $300! Our Western Australian retreats have all sold out. Get in quickly to secure your spot.
$2,290
Full Investment
(Early Bird Price. Regular price is $2,590)
$350
Payment Plan
$350 deposit + 12 fortnightly payments of $162
LEARN MORE
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faqs
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a refund after I register?
We do not provide refunds if you decide not to come or cannot make it after you register. You may transfer registration to another family, provided they pass our application process. Please consider this risk and commitment before registering. By booking, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions.
Can I take more than one child to a retreat?
We recommend attending with one child at a time to allow for deeper connection and more focused bonding. If you’re interested in bringing more than one child, please contact us to discuss options.
Can a mother figure take my child?
Yes. Absolutely! We think of Mother as a Verb, not a noun.
What if I come after arrival time or leave early? Is there flexibility to come and go?
Sorry, but no. You’re in for the whole deal. Once we’re on retreat, we’re there to stay – unless there’s some unforeseen emergency. Leaving disrupts the experience for you and others.
What do I need to bring?
Once you’re signed up, we’ll send you a full list. But the short version is: toiletries and clothes.
Is it true? No mobile phones?
Very true. And even if it sounds painful, it’s probably going to become a huge gift. We will have staff with cameras and promise to share the pictures. Just grab them and ask to have a picture taken.
What age range are the children?
We welcome tweens and teens aged 10–18. The retreat content and groupings are designed to support this important transitional stage into adolescence. The children are separated into two groups for parts of the retreat if there are varying needs/interests/requirements.
Is this a spiritual retreat?
No specific faith or belief system is promoted. Our approach is grounded, heart-centered, and inclusive – drawing on mindfulness, ritual and modern psychology. The tone is gentle, respectful, and appropriate for a wide range of beliefs.
What if my child is nervous or shy?
That’s completely okay – and very common! Our facilitators create a safe, welcoming environment where every participant can move at their own pace. Many children leave feeling more confident and connected than they ever imagined.
What happens after the retreat?
You’ll leave with practical tools and shared language to continue the connection and growth at home. So far all of our groups have organised to stay in touch and support each other beyond the retreat – we encourage this! We also offer ongoing mentoring and programs to support you beyond your retreat experience.
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