You may recall a story we shared in June 2017 mentioning our support for Weave Youth & Community Services. At that time, we donated a fully paid Gone Bush corporate team experience to Weave to auction-off at their annual Charity Gala dinner in Sydney.
Our goal was to help Weave raise much needed funds to continue their good work supporting vulnerable members of the indigenous community in Sydney's southern suburbs.
We were thrilled when our Gone Bush corporate team experience fetched $5,000 at Weave's Charity Gala, adding a good chunk of change towards Weave's community support projects.
One year later, we're happy to report the team experience auctioned at Weave's Charity Gala has now been officially delivered for Sydney-based award winning advertising agency, The Monkeys. We want to take a moment to acknowledge the generosity of The Monkeys for bidding on this experience last year at the auction and being fantastic companions on our bush adventure.
The trip itself was a Gone Bush Close & Wild full day team adventure, including transport to/from Sydney, guides, fresh food throughout the day and a team BBQ to conclude the trip.
The brief from The Monkeys was to keep it simple... deliver a fun, healthy full day adventure for the hard working studio team that would provide a meaningful shared experience for the team and well earned time out of the office.
Given The Monkeys are based on the south side of Sydney CBD, we couldn't look past the diversity and range epic walking routes in The Royal National Park when selecting the location for this Close & Wild adventure. The 1hr proximity to Sydney also meant that we could maximise our time in the bush and enjoy the full day out of the office and in a wonderful natural environment together.
Our walk took in a wide range of scenery as we traveled along ridge tops, through rain forests and across picturesque beaches. Led by local guide and conservationist, Paul Dickson, the group learned about the history and ecology of the park as the adventure unfolded.
The scenery was always changing even though we were traveling at a relatively slow pace and included stunning coastal views, a trademark of the Royal National Park. We stopped regularly to take rest, soak into our surroundings and learn more about the environment.
Along the walk, the group had plenty of time to catch up with each other and connect deeply - away from the pace and deadlines of every day working life. Bonds were strengthened and shared memories created.
Local wildlife was encountered along the way, including wallabies, lyrebirds and cockatoos which added to the excitement and provided magic moments.
We had clocked up 9 kilometers of walking when we completed the circuit and then headed for a nearby picnic area on the Hacking River to let the group unwind after the walk and enjoy some unstructured free time together.
After a long BBQ lunch at a picturesque picnic area, it was time to farewell the Royal National Park and make our way back to Sydney. Spirits were high on the journey back, knowing that a meaningful experience had been shared and the day thoroughly enjoyed together.
If you're ready to host an enriching gathering for your team or community - get in touch with us, we'd love to hear from you!