POSSUMSTICK Earthskills Gathering (5 days)

POSSUMSTICK EarthSkills Gathering 🔥

Years in the making, we are finally bringing the embers of this vision to life. A five day earthskills gathering weaving together earth based skills & the culture these skills stem from. A space centred around learning, sharing & connection to our humanity through hand skills & community.

A family friendly gathering for all walks of life to come & immerse within the living skills of our land based ancestors. Learning from a range of instructors & facilitators.

Possumstick Earthskills Gathering is a five-day, land-based immersion into earthskills, bushcraft, ancestral skills, and traditional living skills held on beautiful private property surrounded by bluegums & a pristine creek on Guringai country.

Inspired by Rabbitstick Primitive Skills Gathering in the United States — a renowned earthskills gathering that has been running for over 30 years — Possumstick seeks to bring this deeply relational and skills-based culture to Australia. It is an invitation to remember, practise, and pass on earth-based ways of living that are grounded in respect for land, people, and place.

This gathering is an opportunity to bring to life our land based ancestral origins. The living skills that have shaped us as humans & the skills that bring us into intimate relationship with the land & our intrinsic place within it. A space for people to be reminded of what it is to truly be human.

The Gathering Experience

Participants will camp together for five days, fully immersed in the natural environment. The gathering follows a simple daily rhythm.

Each day includes:

• Morning fire circle to reveal what's on offer 

• Two main workshop blocks — one in the morning and one in the afternoon

• Multiple workshops, talks, and live demonstrations running simultaneously 

• Freedom for participants to choose their own learning path, whether that means committing to a single skill or exploring a range of offerings

• Kids rewilding space: a space ran by rewilding mentors for kids to hang out at whilst parents are participating in workshops (9am-12pm)

• Catered dinners using traditional fire cooking methods. Dave our bush caterer has been cooking hearty meals on fires for large scale festivals like "the man from snowy river festival" in NSW and he is renowned for his simple rustic cooking methods using 100% fire. All dinners will be cooked on the coals, there will be a spit roast one night & camp oven meals. (vegetarian options available)

• Fireside activities and communal celebrations (trade blanket/craft market)

  
  

Workshops and sessions will cover a wide range of earthskills, bushcraft, ancestral technologies, and traditional living skills shared by experienced instructors and community knowledge-holders. Learning is hands-on, experiential, and rooted in real practice rather than theory alone.

Some of the skills already on offer are:

animal processing - fur skin tanning - flint knapping - atlatl making - natural cordage & rope - weaving - vine basketry - wild foods & medicines - primitive pottery - traps - friction fire - traditional archery - wool crafts (hand spinning, loom weaving) - spoon carving - bone tools - string bags - raw hide crafts - bush glue - shelter

Plus more to be announced...

There will also be workshops on tracking, nature connection, ancestral movement & bird language + plenty of talks.

Each workshop requires you to book in prior to attending (you can do this each morning at the morning circle, the process will be discussed in the intro circle) 

Some of these workshops will cost an additional fee. Hands-on workshops will be between $10-$50 per person per workshop depending on what it is. Please bring cash to secure your spots. There will also be free workshops. Some of the workshops will be limited to 10 participants and some of the workshops will have a minimum age requirement. 

This contribution goes toward the time, energy & materials the instructors have put in to the workshop. 

Community & Culture

The gathering creates space for relationships to form, for knowledge to be shared across generations and for a living culture of skills, care, and reciprocity to take root.

This is a place to:

• Learn practical, earth-based skills

• Connect deeply with nature

• Build friendships and community

• Share knowledge and experience 

• Enjoy being outdoors by the fire 

Possumstick Earthskills Gathering is an invitation to camp together, learn together, and remember what it means to live in relationship with the earth — and with one another.

As a species, we have evolved with and are a part of the natural environment, all of our senses and physiology are wired to be outdoors! So when we re-learn the ways of our land-based ancestors we unlock these old aspects of ourselves and the wild origins we have come from. 

These skills are innate within every human, we have just been placed out of context within this modern world that has been built away from nature.

This Gathering attempts to recreate communities & culture based around land-based living values. 

Amenities 

The land we will be gathered is an off-grid property nestled in a valley on the Central Coast. 25 minutes drive from the highway. There is a composting toilet and shower block, there will be additional portaloos.

Paddock camping, suitable for tents, swags, vans, etc. We ask that there is no generators in use as it will severely disrupt the night time fireside ambiance. 

Take your rubbish home

BYO water

There will be a communal tea station for you to fill up on a warm cuppa 

Families & Children

Possumstick is a family-friendly gathering. A dedicated Kids Rewilding Space is available for children aged toddlers through to 7 years old, offering nature-based play, exploration, and gentle skill-building in a safe and supportive environment. This allows parents to participate fully while children are meaningfully included in the rhythm of the gathering. Please note: Some workshops will have a minimum age-limit to participate.

Date: Sep 10-14 2026

Location: Ourimbah Central Coast

Length: 5 days

EARLY BIRD (ending on April 1st) $580 per adult 

Full Price registration $650 per adult from April 1st 

TEENS: aged 13-15 $300 per teen

CHILD: aged 6-12 $200 per child 

Children 5 and under FREE 

Cancellation policy: If you have to cancel your ticket, we will keep $100 of the ticket price and refund you the rest up until July 31st. Cancellations from July 31st will not be refundable. 

Once you have registered you will receive a more comprehensive email with the InfoPack and finer details, it is SO important you read through this thoroughly so you come prepared and know what to expect. You will also need to fill out a form telling us if your preference is meat or vego.

What your registration covers:

Camping at the beautiful location, 4 x dinners, free workshops from instructors, the whole amazing experience.

What your ticket does not cover: Paid workshops (these will range between $10-$50 per person, cash only)

Buying hand made crafts from the blanket market. Breakfast or lunch (BYO) 

⚠️ This is a drug and alcohol free gathering. 

🐕 No dogs, sorry!

We are grateful to be gathering within this beautiful valley and we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of these lands, waters & mountains. We pay our utmost respect to Indigenous Culture & People and welcome Indigenous Folk to share by the fire.