Bathurst 2010 Retreat Announcement

This is what the Retreatrees at Adelaide are being told this morning-

Hi everyone. I'm Heather Hanneman and this is Christine Colley and Lorraine Sorensen, and we're three of the organisers of the 2010 Retreat which will be held in Bathurst NSW from Friday 7th May to Sunday 9th May 2010. Bathurst is in NSW, 3 hours west of Sydney over the Blue Mountains, and is Australia's oldest inland settlement.
Mindful of the economic downturn, we decided to organise a modest retreat based on the original idea of getting together, bonding within our group, sharing ideas, and having fun. Indeed we are hoping that some of the Scquilters in remote farming communities might feel able to attend their first ever retreat. We have deliberately chosen a weekend out of school holidays when airfares and other charges are lower. With our registration fee around $200, and accommodation on site starting at as little as $30 a night, we hope to benefit some of our disadvantaged sisters.
Our theme is the bush. We are planning a rustic weekend of fun and festivities that will be a whole new experience for many of you. BUT.......
....if you're hoping to wear evening gowns and high heeled shoes, don't come!
....if you're expecting spa baths, don't come!
....if your holiday is not complete without room service, don't come!
However, if you would like to share the companionship of 149 other fun loving quilters, to step back to our roots and explore a little history, to breath fresh high-country air, enjoy country cooking, sit around wood fires, or wonder at the silence and glory of a star-strewn sky - then come to the Bathurst Goldfields.
Pack your jeans - fancy clothes and jewellery are forbidden (apart from tiaras of course). There are 2 types of accommodation at the Goldfields. There is motel style accommodation, each room with a king bed that unzips to 2 singles, plus 2 more singles. Two of these rooms are for disabled guests. Currently these rooms are $120/night including continental breakfast.
Then there are various cabins with bunkhouse accommodation and shared bathrooms. No one will be expected to use a top bunk (unless they prefer to). Currently these are $30 per bed including continental breakfast.These details are being posted onto Scquilters today so they will be available for everyone at once. There are of course lots of other hotels and motels in Bathurst if you really can't do without your free shower cap or breakfast in bed.
Due to ever changing prices, the venue will not give us final quotes on food and accommodation until the beginning of September. Therefore, we will be calling for Expressions of Interest in August and we anticipate opening for registration in September. Please don't try to book accommodation at the Goldfields until then as we are still negotiating the prices and we will have a special system on line for choosing rooms.
But if any of you would like to get started on Sig. Scquares, then we are returning to the original concept of a cream 6 1/2" signature square plus a 6 1/2" square of fabric in country patterns and colours.
The Major Challenge for both attendees and non-attendees will be to create a quilt no smaller than 4' by 4' using recycled used check flannelette shirts, and the reason I am telling you this now is that they are considered winter wear and therefore now is the time to look for them in the charity stores.
The second Major Challenge, which will be for attendees only, is a return of the apparel challenge. Swaggies were a common sight on country roads early last century, looking for work, food, or a hand-out. How would a Quilting Swaggie dress and what would she/he carry? Your challenge is to design, make and model this outfit.
We will also have all the traditional fun and games such as Fat Quarter Draws, Show and Tell, Angel/ Mortal Reveals, a Shop Hop and a Thursday night dinner.
So remember:
Lock up the kids
Toss out the men,
We're goin' bush in Bathurst
In 2 thousand and 10 !!!