Thursday 9th - 13th July 2026

This retreat is fully silent
Thursday 9th of July (arrive any time after 4pm) through to 2pm Monday 13th of July
(Friday 10th of July is a public holiday for Matariki)

Cost: $516
A four day, silent, directed retreat in a peaceful homely rural setting in Long Bush, Wairarapa. Each day includes morning reflection, evening prayer, a daily spiritual direction session, and plenty of space for your own reflection, including the use of various art materials – paint, clay, and collage. Everyone has a single room to themselves, with two communal areas and a big garden area.
This retreat is silent from after evening prayer on Thursday evening until Monday lunchtime, excluding spiritual direction. Also there may be the option of responsive opportunities during group prayer times. There will also be some opportunities to deepen your retreat experience with some guided creative exercises.

Venue: Gilead

Gilead - set in the country in Longbush, Wairarapa. It is an hour and a half from Wellington and 2 hours from Palmerston North. 
Gilead offers a peaceful, private getaway amongst spacious surroundings, including a vineyard, pond, garden, sunny decks, shady verandas and abundant birdlife. It has a large country home with 7 bedrooms and two bathrooms. 
Only one room is downstairs. There are two sets of stairs and both of them are steep, meaning accommodation is limited to those with mobility Issues. 
You will need to provide your own linen, and assist with some cleaning up at the end of the retreat.
Typically each day will offer:
  • Morning Prayer and optional other resources for the day
  • Evening Prayer to close each day
  • Daily spiritual direction session (about 30 mins)
  • Plenty of space for your own reflection
  • This retreat is fully silent from Thursday late evening to Monday lunch time
  • Art materials available

Retreat Team: Helen Tripp and Alice Wood
Queries contact: E-mail Helen Tripp or call (027) 234 9966
Registration contact: Jo or call (04)3844991
Please register your interest with this form. We will e-mail you with a more detailed form. Your registration for the retreat is not confirmed until the deposit is paid and the form is returned.
Registration closes on 26th June 2026 unless the retreat become full beforehand.

We are very grateful for a grant from Longview Trust, that enables us to offer this retreat at a significant discount this year. 
If you are in financial hardship and would like to apply for a grant from the Wallis Trust for your retreat, please contact SGM here.
We are grateful to Wallis Trust who offer a grant of up to a maximum of $200 per retreatant every two years, you will need to apply for the grant two months before the retreat starts to allow time for the application process. For further details email us at SGM.
The deadline for applying for a grant for this retreat is 15th May 2026.

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