The Wollemi Seed Group and The Blue Mountains Seed Group are proud to host this Southern Hemisphere OBOD Assembly at the Glenrock Scout Camp in Awabakal Country of the Newcastle area. The Assembly will be held over four days, and will include opportunities for initiation into the OBOD grades of Bard, Ovate and Druid, meditations and rituals, an eisteddfod with the opportunity for our Bards to share their skills and talents, and a number of workshops for you to share and explore your Druidry practice further. The Glenrock Scout Camp is in an area of wonderful natural beauty that we can explore and enjoy together. This is an event for the OBOD community.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Southern Hemisphere OBOD Assembly acknowledges that this event is being held on Awabakal Country. Land that was never ceded. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and to any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people who might join us for the event. We also pay our respects to the long history and strong continuity of the stories, songs, dances, ceremonies and cultural traditions of the Awabakal people and this place.
Check in and Check out. We may arrive at the camp from midday on Friday 10th November, and must vacate the premises by no later than 12:00pm on Monday 13th November.
Attendees of the Southern Hemisphere 2023 Assembly need to be members of OBOD (The Order of Bard, Ovates and Druids). Membership is granted with application for the Bardic Grade of study. It is recommended that you complete at least the first ten gwersi (lessons) before attending. Those wanting a Bardic initiation will also need to have completed the self initiation ritual before attending. Find out more about OBOD at www.druidry.org
Family Non-OBOD family members can come to this event, however as the main focus of the event is the initiations, we would like to give preference to OBOD members. Our numbers are very limited so this may not be a possibility. Thank you for your understanding.
It will be in Newcastle, Awabakal Country, NSW:
Glenrock Scout Camp, 157 Scout Camp Rd,
Whitebridge NSW 2290
Glenrock Scout Camp is within the Glenrock State Conservation Area
Coming from far away?
If you are coming from overseas or interstate and need help getting bedding, let us know and we may be able to help find some you can borrow locally.
Driving Directions from Sydney - approx. 2 hours
Driving Directions from Brisbane - 8 Hours 4mins
Nearest Airport - Newcastle: https://www.newcastleairport.com.au/, Flights To/From this airport:
Accommodation and site access are charged at the same rate. Our ticket price of $260 includes accommodation and other costs, but if you would like to stay off site, this fee still applies for access. Catering is a separate charge of $115.
Accommodation options include dorms, camping (approximately 20m uneven walk from carpark), or bringing your own campervan that can be parked in the carpark area (please note all campervans to be parked at the far end of the car park). Unfortunately there is not enough room for caravans, but there are caravan parks nearby if needed. There is limited space for campers so please let us know if you are bringing one in advance.
Dorms are between three and six people per room. The dorms are fairly small so we will only be using the bottom bunks so that the top bunks can be used for your gear storage, the dorms have at least 1 power socket available. There are some single beds available in the cottage for those with mobility needs, please note this on your form if needed.
Dorms - There are a number of bunk bed dormitories that will sleep three to six people.
Cottage - The cottage is an extra area that has single beds, a workshop room, and the self-catering kitchen.
Dining Hall - The dining hall has a full kitchen for catering use only, a clean up room, tables and chairs for meals, a sunroom where we will have the market stalls, and two balconies. There is also a BBQ area outside.
Main Hall - the main hall is a beautiful wood floor room with views out over the grass and lagoon. It has ground level entry, but has a balcony looking out over the grass. It has seating and a projector screen.
Carpark - the carpark is level and can be used for campervans, but there is a limited space, so please let us know ahead of time so we can mark off an area for you to park.
Camping - the camping area is a 20m walk from the carpark down some stairs and an incline. It is a level grassy area with trees around it next to the dormitories and near the toilet block. There is plenty of space.
Accessibility
The buildings are all ground floor. There are some steps. The only flight of stairs are to the lower grassed areas and the camping area. There is a shared toilet block for both dorms and the cottage with a ramp to it. There is also a toilet 20m from the main hall. There are no ensuite bathrooms available. The carpark is very close to the buildings.
The rituals will be held outdoors behind the main hall if weather allows. It is level ground to this area from the buildings with some inclines but no steps.
The dorms have double bunks but no top bunks will be allocated so that these can be used for storing gear as the rooms are fairly small.
For those who may struggle with a lower bunk, there are a limited number of single beds in the cottage. Please let us know if you will need one of these.
The lower grass areas of the venue and the lagoon may be difficult for some people to get to as there is a steep inclined path. We are trying to prioritise accessibility at this event and will use this area for group activities as little as possible, though attendees are free to use it if they are able.
If you have any other questions please get in contact with your inquiry.
Ticket Prices:
Fully catered ticket: $375
Self-catering ticket: $260
This event is fully catered at a flat rate of $115 per person. We will be providing breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as snacks and drinks available through the day. Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free and allergy options will be available only if you mark this on your booking form. There are facilities for self-catering in the cottage with a small fridge, microwave, stove, sink etc. If you would like to self-cater, just purchase the Accommodation/Site access ticket without ticking the catering box.
Schedule
This schedule is subject to change. A more detailed schedule will be available when you arrive
Friday Night
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Initiations
Grade initiations will be available for Bards, Ovate and Druids. Please indicate your request for initiation in your booking form. More information about your initiation will be sent to you before the event.
Workshops and Talks
If you have a workshop or a talk you would like to share, we would love to hear from you. There are various spaces at the venue both indoors and outdoors. There is a lot of beautiful bushland nearby, grassy areas, a fire pit, and areas with picnic tables undercover outside that would make great areas for outdoor workshops. There is also a smaller room inside the cottage that would be good for craft activities or workshops around a table, and a large hall that has a projector screen and lots of seating. We have room for a few workshops, preferably between 30mins and 1hour long. Looking forward to hearing your ideas. Make sure you fill out that section in the booking form.
Bardic Circles and Eisteddfod
The bardic circles will be casual. Those wanting to share a song, story or poem etc, can do so without needing to book a place in advance. For the eisteddfod, please let us know what you plan to perform on the booking form including an estimated time.
Market Stalls
There is a lovely sunroom space next to the main dining hall where we will set up tables for market stalls. If you have something to share, you’re welcome to bring along your wares. We ask for a $50 donation (or 10% of your sales if that is less than $50) per market stall that will go towards putting on the next event. Market stalls can be there all weekend for participants to see. There won’t be a specified time for the markets but attendees should have time for a browse around meal times.
Coming from far away?
If you are coming from overseas or interstate and need help getting bedding, let us know and we may be able to help find some you can borrow locally.
What NOT to bring
This is an alcohol-free venue. Please respect the venue rules so that we might be able to use the venue again in the future. Perhaps consider it a spiritual fasting? Recreational drugs are also not allowed. Thank you for your understanding.
Note: deposits are non refundable after 1st September. Payments need to be finalised by 1st October.
What NOT to bring
This is an alcohol free venue. Please respect the venue rules so that we might be able to use the venue again in the future. Perhaps consider it a spiritual fasting? Recreational drugs are also not allowed. Thank you for your understanding.
NOTE: Whether you are using the dorm accommodation, camping, bringing a camper or staying off site, the compulsory "Accommodation" fee applies for site access. If you do not choose the catering option we will assume you are self catering. There is a kitchen available for those who are self catering separate to the kitchen for catering.
If you would like more information about the The 21st Southern Hemisphere OBOD Assembly , please submit the form below.
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