Join us for three nights at beautiful Noonaweena on the Central Coast, created for women who want to step away from everyday life and spend a few days doing more of what they love - reading or writing.
📚 The Reading Retreat
Come with a stack of books and very few plans.
Expect uninterrupted reading time, poolside afternoons, bookish activities, relaxed social time and plenty of opportunities to simply find a beautiful spot and read.
Everything is optional — join in when you feel like it, or spend the entire afternoon with your book.
✍️ The Writers’ House
Stay in our dedicated Writers’ House with author Courtney Peppernell and a small group of fellow writers.
You’ll have dedicated writing time, writing sprints, a private photography session for your author pic, creative workshops with Courtney and plenty of space to focus on whatever you’re working on.
You don’t need to be published, have a finished manuscript or even call yourself a writer. If you’re curious about writing, you belong here too.
Whichever experience you choose, we’ll come together throughout the weekend for beautiful meals, summer drinks, the pool party and plenty of relaxed social time.
Coming solo? You’ll be in good company. Most of our guests arrive on their own, and we’ll make the introductions so you can settle in from the moment you arrive.
You don't need to spend the whole weekend reading or writing.
Come because you love books. Come because you want time to write. Or come because three nights away with good food, cocktails, pools, a spa, a sauna and a beautiful property sounds pretty good.
Secure your place with a $400 deposit
Choose your retreat experience and room type below, then pay just $400 today to secure your place. After booking, we’ll email you a short guest form and an invoice for the remaining balance.
Got a discount code? Use it when booking your deposit and we’ll make sure your discount is applied to your remaining balance invoice too.
Whether you’re joining us to read or write, you’ll enjoy the full Bound & Co retreat experience.
🏡 Three nights’ accommodation
Stay on the beautiful Noonaweena property from Thursday to Sunday.
🍽️ All scheduled meals
Breakfasts, lunches and dinners throughout your stay, shared with readers and writers from across the retreat.
🥂 Drinks throughout the weekend
Welcome drinks and nibbles, bottomless wine golden hour, and our pool party cocktail, with non-alcoholic options available.
☀️ Retreat Day Party
A summer afternoon by the pool with cocktails, music, swimming, snacks and plenty of time to relax.
🎁 Bound & Co goodie bag
Books and treats from some of our favourite publishing and brand partners.
📚 Book club + book sent to you before the retreat
Thanks to Allen & Unwin you will receive an advanced copy of Leesa Ronalds upcoming release Match Fit, with a few extra goodies included.
🎨 Activities & downtime
Crafts, games, trivia, movie time and plenty of quiet moments to spend however you like.
💛 A genuinely solo-friendly experience
Most guests arrive on their own. We’ll make the introductions and create plenty of natural opportunities to connect - without forced mingling.
Everything is optional. Join in, skip something, take yourself off with a book or spend a few hours working on your writing. This weekend is yours.
If you choose the Reading Retreat
📖 Optional reading sprints
🌿 Dedicated reading spaces and plenty of uninterrupted reading time
✨ Bookish activities throughout the weekend
If you choose the Writers’ Retreat
🏠 Stay in our dedicated Writers’ House at Gymea House
📚 Creative writing workshops with Courtney Peppernell
📸 A dedicated session with a professional photographer for your author picture
✍️ Optional writing sprints and dedicated writing time
🌿 Inspiring spaces to work independently on your writing
💬 The opportunity to connect and create alongside fellow writers
Two experiences, one retreat. We’ll come together for meals, drinks and social activities, with plenty of dedicated time and space to read or write.
Noonaweena is yours to enjoy throughout the weekend, with plenty to do when you feel like putting the book or laptop down.
Take a bushwalk through the property
Head out for a walk, explore the surrounds and get some fresh air between chapters (or paragraphs).
Swim, soak or switch off
Make the most of Noonaweena’s multiple pools and spa's, or spend some time in the sauna.
Get creative
Our craft table will be set up throughout the weekend, so you can make something, try something new or just keep your hands busy while chatting.
Play something
There’ll be games, trivia and plenty of opportunities for a little friendly competition.
Find a quiet corner
Read by the pool, write outside, have a nap, wander the property or simply do absolutely nothing for a while.
Join the group when you feel like it
Come along to yoga, bookswap, trivia, wine golden hour, reading/writing sprints, nighttime dips, movie time, the pool party, meals and evening activities - or skip something when you’d rather have time to yourself.
You don’t need to convince a friend to come with you. Most of our guests arrive on their own, and we’ve designed the retreat with that in mind.
We’ll make the introductions, help you settle in and create plenty of natural opportunities to get to know the other readers and writers over meals, drinks and activities.
There’s no pressure to be social all weekend, either. Join the group when you feel like it, then take your book or laptop somewhere quiet when you want some time to yourself.
Come on your own. You won’t feel like you’re on your own once you’re here.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin as part of the Retreat, you’ll receive an advance reader copy of Match Fit by Leesa Ronald with some extra bookish and self-care goodies, sent to you before the weekend so you have plenty of time to read it before we arrive at Noonaweena (if you want to).
We’ll come together during the retreat for a relaxed book club discussion, sharing our thoughts, favourite moments and all the things we’ve been dying to talk about while reading.
And because you’ll be reading it before its official release, it’s a little extra special - an early look at one of 2026’s upcoming Australian releases.
Your ARC is included in your retreat ticket and will be posted to you ahead of the weekend.
Bestselling author Courtney Peppernell will be joining our writers at Gymea House, bringing her experience across both traditional and independent publishing to the weekend. With millions of copies sold across her fiction and poetry, Courtney has built a career on both sides of the publishing world - and she’ll be sharing what she’s learned along the way.
As part of the Writers’ Retreat, Courtney will lead two dedicated workshops:
✍️ From Manuscript to Pitch
A creative writing and traditional publishing workshop covering how to develop and pitch your book, approaching the publishing process, and Courtney’s own experience navigating traditional publishing.
📚 The Self-Publishing Path
A practical look at independently publishing your work - how self-publishing works, what you need to consider, and the steps involved in taking your writing from manuscript to published book.
And it won’t just be two workshops and goodbye. Courtney will be staying at Gymea House alongside our writers, creating a relaxed environment to write, connect and spend the weekend surrounded by people who understand the urge to create. Throughout the weekend, there’ll also be opportunities for one-on-one time with Courtney, including personalised feedback and manuscript reviews for writers who’d like them.
Whether you’re working on your first manuscript, already deep into a project, or simply want to explore where your writing could take you, you don’t need to arrive with a finished book or publishing plan.
The retreat takes place across two beautiful houses on the Noonaweena property - Biram Lodge, our main retreat house, and Gymea House, home to our dedicated writers’ experience. The two houses are just a short walk from one another, with everyone coming together throughout the weekend for meals, drinks and shared activities.
Biram Lodge is home to our readers and offers Solo, Twin Share and Triple Share rooms.
Gymea House is home to our writers and offers Solo or Twin Share, giving you a dedicated space to stay, write and create alongside Courtney Peppernell and your fellow writers.
Every bedroom across both houses has its own private bathroom, so no matter which room type you choose, you’ll have your own bathroom within your room.
And then there’s Rodney, Noonaweena’s resident peacock, who has a habit of wandering around the property like he owns the place. Consider him your slightly dramatic third retreat host. 🦚
Reader or writer? Solo or sharing? You choose how you’d like to spend the weekend.
Select your retreat experience and room type when booking below. A $400 deposit secures your place, and we’ll email you after booking with your guest form and an invoice for the remaining balance.
Bound & Co acknowledges the Darkinjung people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather at Noonaweena. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples joining us.
Noonaweena is an Aboriginal word meaning “resting place in the bush”, a name that beautifully reflects the place we are fortunate to spend this weekend — slowing down, connecting and finding space to rest and create.
We recognise the enduring connection of the Darkinjung people to Country, and acknowledge that this land has been cared for, lived on and connected to culture for generations.
We are grateful to gather, read, write and connect on Darkinjung Country.
