
TRUE WAY
RETREAT
SOUTHERN TIDES AND ANCIENT FOREST
SURF COAST, AUSTRALIA
Venture to the wild southern edge, where forest meets sea in timeless rhythm.
A place of rugged awe and abundance.
The epic Surf Coast of Victoria.
Wander along rugged cliffs, golden beaches and ancient forests carved by wind and water. Let the raw beauty and untamed spirit of this coastline stir your soul and awaken your senses.
Arrive to the prevailing hush of the southern swell and the scent of salt and eucalyptus carried on the morning breeze, an invitation to step gently into the rhythm of the coast and your own unfolding story.
Perched high where the forest meets the sky, our sanctuary for these four days is a light-filled architectural haven. Surrounded by the vibrant green of the Otway canopy, this is a place of Japanese-inspired serenity and deep stillness. In this elevated clearing, you are invited to set down the weight of the everyday, embrace the space, and look toward what you truly love.
Lead guide Matty will steer our journey through the outer landscape, weaving through rugged clifftops, ancient rainforest trails, and sandy beaches shaped by time and tide. As you navigate the wild terrain, Matty helps you translate the rhythm of the land into an internal map, ensuring that every step taken across the earth is a step closer to your own center. Here, the path isn’t just underfoot; it’s a mirror for the unfolding journey within.
Alongside this outer exploration, you will be guided through transformative breathwork and nervous system expansion with Kate Schmidt. By weaving together ancient breath and modern NLP, these sessions are designed to clear your internal path, expanding your capacity for joy, presence, and the unique expression of your true loves.
Our days will flow with a balance of movement and stillness, solitary and shared time. From the expansive sunset reflection deck to the meditative quiet of the traditional tea house, every space is designed to support your personal discovery. Reflective practices, storytelling, and time to simply wander among the moss-covered trees will be woven into the experience, all helping you reclaim the things that set your heart on fire.
Share the journey with an intimate community of fellow creators and wanderers, each contributing to a collective rhythm of discovery. These are companions to walk beside, share stories with, and encourage as you move toward your truest voice.
The journey culminates with space to integrate: time to gather the threads of your insights, the clarity of your path, and the connections made. Together, we’ll honour what’s been discovered and what’s ready to continue beyond the retreat.
This is more than a getaway. It’s a call back to your own nature through the land, through shared journey, and through the courage to embrace what you love.
Join us, and let the wild edge of the world bring you home to your unique gifts and expressions.



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YOUR EXPERIENCE
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4 day / 3 night day guided retreat along Victoria’s Surf Coast and Otway Regions.
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A guided journey to explore and embrace your true loves in life.
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Guided hikes throughout the Surf Coast and Otway Regions, weaving through rugged clifftops and ancient rainforest.
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Transformative breathwork and nervous system expansion with Kate Schmidt, weaving together ancient breath and modern NLP to expand your capacity for joy, presence, and unique expression.
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A light-filled architectural sanctuary accomodation perched high in the Otway canopy, where Japanese-inspired serenity meets the wild, ancient energy of the forest.
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Dedicated wellbeing spaces designed for forest bathing and digital detox, featuring a sunset reflection deck, a traditional tea house, and moss-covered trails for meditative wandering.
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Nourishing meals made from seasonal, locally sourced produce.
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Gatherings, storytelling and integration
opportunities in solitude and community.
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An intimate community of fellow creators sharing stories and meaningful moments along the way.
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Take-home tools and practices to stay creatively connected support for continuing the insights and momentum beyond the retreat.
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A bespoke journey journal.
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Are you ready to make the space to create and connect?
This retreat is for those who feel drawn to the edge of the land, of themselves, of what’s ready to be expressed. It’s a journey shared with like-minded souls, where the coastal and forest trails, open skies, and ever-changing sea become the backdrop for creative exploration and personal reflection.
A gentle yet powerful experience for those ready to listen, recieve and reconnect to your unique expressions, your true loves.
Days: 4
DATES: SEPTEMBER 2026
PLACES: 11 PLACES AVAILABLE
DESTINATION: SURF COAST, VICTORIA
VISUAL JOURNEY
THE PATHWAY
DAY 1
Welcome to the Surf Coast
Arrival to your eco lodge in the Lorne hinterland. Afternoon welcome and dinner with guides and fellow guests.
DAY 2
Journey One
Individual morning reflection. Experience details to follow. Community connection circle.
DAY 3
Journey Two
Individual morning reflection. Experience details to follow. Community connection circle.
DAY 4
Returning Home
Closing community connection. Departures.

*Includes; 3 nights accomodation, Meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner), Celebration Dinner Meal, True Nature Program, Tools and guidance, Guides, First Aid Support.
Single, Twin Share options.
*Excludes; Flights and transfers to Surf Coast, additional food and drinks, personal insurance, extra activities.
your guides

matty lawrence
FOUNDER & GUIDE
Matty is the creator, lead program facilitator and guide of More Than Happy Journeys. This offering is devoted to helping people reconnect with their essence, navigate transitions with depth, and create lives rooted in meaning, magic and love. A lover of nature, trails, journeys and what they inspire, Matty is a loyal student of words and what they reveal. He draws from the landscape around him as much as the one within, holding space for reflection, transformation and connection to something greater. Matty is a passionate advocate for the inner journey of life. He works at the fertile edge of expression, belonging and transformation — where service becomes medicine and truth becomes home. His approach is grounded in lived experience and formal training. He is a certified Gross National Happiness Practitioner, having studied with the GNH Centre in Bhutan and Schumacher College, and a trained Rites of Passage Facilitator through The Rites of Passage Institute in Australia. These frameworks deeply inform his work, blending ancient wisdom and contemporary relevance to support personal and collective growth. Matty believes we all have the opportunity to discover our true nature and embrace our true loves in life. Through More Than Happy Journeys, he invites others to step into sacred transitions, reimagine the stories they live by, and return to a deeper kind of being — one that honours the full spectrum and adventure of being human.


KATE SCHMIDT
GUIDE
Kate believes the breath is a doorway back to ourselves. As a certified NLP practitioner and breathwork facilitator, she creates a space where people can release, reset, and reconnect - finding clarity in the mind, freedom in the body, and peace in the heart. Trained as a Rites of Passage facilitator with Dr. Arne Rubenstein, and grounded in transformational coaching and psychological science, Kate guides others through life’s transitions with depth and care. Her work blends science with soul - weaving breath, ritual, and reflection into experiences that open the way for lasting change. She listens deeply, challenges with warmth, and creates spaces where change feels both safe and profound. Whether in moments of stillness or transformation, Kate invites people to come home to themselves and remember the strength and wisdom that’s already within.
our way
The More Than Happy Way doesn’t push or prescribe.
It flows and unfolds like a good story.
Through inspiring environments, thoughtful experiences, connected communities and transformative practices, what’s true begins to surface.
We create the container that allows the insights to be revealed.

WAYS WITH WORDS
Receive inspired insights, reflections and stories on the journey of true nature











