News + Events
PWV Annual Women’s Wellbeing Retreat 2026 – Expressions of Interest
24/09/2025
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST for the 2026 PWV Annual Women’s Wellbeing Retreat are open. Close Friday, 19 December 2025.
RETREAT DATE: Friday, 27 February to Sunday, 1 March 2026
RETREAT VENUE: Whitehall Guesthouse, Queenscliff, Victoria
We encourage all PWV members to apply to attend the PWV annual Women’s Wellbeing Retreat and preference will be given to those women who have not attended before or did not attend the 2025 Retreat. However, there are places for up to 30 women and no one has missed out due as there are always cancellations.
The 2026 Retreat will again be held at the historic Whitehall Guesthouse in the seaside town of Queenscliff.
After discovering Whitehall for our 2024 Retreat, we returned in 2025 to this fabulous 1927 circa two story guesthouse. With its spacious 30 rooms (everyone gets their own private room), comfy lounge, enormous dining room and commercial kitchen, it is the ideal venue for us all to connect and reconnect from Friday afternoon to Sunday mid-morning.
PWV staff Bernie, Emily and Heather are now planning an exciting schedule of wellbeing activities as well as plenty of time to share stories and support each other, relax and have fun. We are also a short walk from the beach to soak in the surf and sun. Included will be all the activities that make our annual retreat so special such as: Yarning Circle, Bernie’s Bus Tour, Retreat Dinner and Free Time.
As we have the entire guesthouse to ourselves, we are undisturbed by others. And with the large commercial kitchen, we can prepare our own delicious healthy meals. Plus there is a special Retreat dinner on Saturday at a restaurant with a private space just for us.
At every PWV Women’s Wellbeing Retreat we offer private counselling sessions with a qualified counsellor experienced is supporting people with HIV. If you’ve never had counselling before, this is a great opportunity to see what it is all about.
During our debriefing and farewell at the 2025 Retreat, many of the women advised it was the best ever and YES lets come back to Queenscliff for 2026!
We hope to see you at the 2026 Retreat
If you didn’t join us last year we hope you’ll register to attend in 2026. The PWV Annual Women’s Wellbeing Retreat has been running every year since 1994 and is often the one time each year many of the women (some of whom live in the shadows and often in fear of stigma), can connect with other women living with HIV. Each year, we all leave the weekend refreshed, inspired and filled with confidence as the Retreat is vital for our wellbeing as women living with HIV.
Volunteers needed
To make the Retreat run smoothly, we are asking for your help to give a few hours over the Retreat weekend. This might be helping with catering, facilitating or helping to run an activity. Last year some of our volunteers ran an art therapy sessions, bead bracelet workshop, line dancing workshop, bingo and early morning beach swims.
If you’re interested in volunteering or sharing your ideas for Retreat activities, please contact us.
Email: info@positivewomen.org.au
Phone: (03) 9863 8747
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO ATTEND THE 2026 RETREAT CLOSE:
Friday, 19 December 2025
Email: info@positivewomen.org.au or phone: (03) 9863 8747
