New South Wales · 3 days
The Sanctuary sits in Port Stephens, about 25 minutes from Newcastle Airport, 40 minutes from Newcastle CBD and two hours from Sydney. The setting is quiet and private, with natural space around it, which is the point: it gives women separation from everyday pressure without being hard to reach from across NSW and Aust…
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New South Wales · 3 days
The Sanctuary sits in Port Stephens, about 25 minutes from Newcastle Airport, 40 minutes from Newcastle CBD and two hours from Sydney. The setting is quiet and private, with natural space around it, which is the point: it gives women separation from everyday pressure without being hard to reach from across NSW and Australia.
Stays come in three pathways. Individual rest and recovery stays are for women who want time to pause at their own pace. Women's weekends and group retreats bring women together for shared time in the same restorative setting. Angel Stays are funded places for women who may not otherwise be able to come.
The events calendar shows what a programmed weekend looks like. Pause & Pamper Weekend runs 13–15 November 2026: two nights for women with meals, a restorative pamper experience and time to slow down. Women's Wellness Weekend runs 12–14 March 2027, also two nights, with meditation, art, yoga and healing sessions. There is also a free monthly Women's Circle Morning Tea that includes a 45-minute wellness session.
The organisation was founded by women who understand how much women carry, several of them drawing on their own experience of loss and exhaustion. That shows in how the place is run rather than in anything on the schedule: you are not asked to explain why you are there before you are allowed in.
The Sanctuary has been running for five years. Alongside retreats it has shaped a breast cancer recovery retreat by asking women affected by breast cancer what they needed from it, and it publishes gentle reflections and guidance through its Reading Room journal.
- On-site accommodation for the length of the booked stay (two nights for the programmed weekends) - Nourishing meals during the stay - Restorative activities and workshops as listed for the specific retreat - A restorative pamper experience (Pause & Pamper Weekend) - Meditation, art, yoga and healing sessions (Women's Wellness Weekend) - Time and space to rest at your own pace
- Travel to and from Port Stephens - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Treatments or sessions not listed for your specific stay