Within you lies a gem, a pearl, a talent—a unique gift.
Perhaps it feels hidden, like a grain of sand securely locked in its shell but deep down, you know the truth:
It’s time to uncover it. To let it shine. To carry it forward.
Welcome to The Pearl Women’s Retreat.
A Rite of Passage for the woman ready to become the radiant force she dreams of being.
The first gift you’ll reclaim is your own radiance—your magic, your authentic voice.
Join us as we gather to:
- Gently peel back the layers and uncover the beauty and wisdom you already hold.
- Remember that anything is possible.
- Answer the call to be held, supported, and nourished.
- Be wrapped in love that defies reason.
- Experience the deepest joy and wildest aliveness.
- Share songs, stories, tears, and uncontrollable laughter.
- Awaken your potential to make ripples—and create waves.
“The magnitude of what we did is indescribable.”
Luisa M, 2025 participant
Is it time to uncover your pearl?
To touch the gem, the star, the essence of who you truly are?
This retreat is for you if you've caught yourself feeling...
- Time-poor, caught in the hamster wheel of endless tasks or overwhelmed with life’s demands.
- Disconnected—from yourself, from others, and the magic of the world around you.
- Like you're craving a moment to prioritise yourself and to be witnessed, heard and held by a group like-minded women.
- Ready to answer the calling for something greater: a transformational, perspective-changing experience.
- A deep desire to create a richer life full of meaning and purpose.
It’s time to turn the grit into a pearl.
To reclaim your lust for life. And take up your rightful role in the world as a woman who is not afraid to shine her light.
What Others
Have Experienced
BE INSPIRED
"Life felt heavy. I was mentally and physically exhausted and completely disconnected from myself. By the final day, I felt lighter — like a weight I’d been carrying had fallen away. I came back to my truth and my authenticity. It was one of the most profound experiences of my life."
Kate S
"I am so incredibly humbled by the rite of passage you created — it brought me so much further than what I hungered for. I discovered I am so much more than I could have previously imagined. It was life-changing. And I know this will keep unravelling with time"
Aditya HM
"The Pearl has changed my life. I have found my thread. You guided us so gently and allowed us to uncover our own knowing. I know this experience will be alive in me for a long time still. I couldn't thank you enough."
Tina S
"There are no words kind or large enough to express the gratitude for the delight that was the Pearl. Thank you for leading us all to the shore."
Nicola L
Are you ready to divide your life into 'Before' and 'After'
Join us as we embark on a 4-day women's rite of passage that will change your life forever
Guess what… everything is about to change
Do you have the courage to say yes?
Most women feel the deep longing to uncover the gem within—to answer the call of a true rite of passage. But not many do.
Our culture has forgotten how to honour life’s most important thresholds.
It doesn’t teach us how to step boldly into the next chapter of our lives.
It leaves us feeling empty, disconnected—from ourselves, each other, and the world.
But here’s the truth: the journey is not supposed to be walked alone.
Together, Nele Vandersmissen and her team bring over 20 years of combined experience in creating powerful, transformational spaces for women ready to step into their sovereign power.
THIS IS THE PEARL.
THIS IS YOUR TIME.
Are you in?
Sign Up Today
Hi! I'm Nele.
I will be designing and facilitating this weekend
I’m Nele Vandersmissen—founder of Wondr and a devoted facilitator of transformation. For over a decade, I’ve led personal and group development experiences around the world, guiding thousands of people through retreats, circles, and trainings that awaken their essence and ignite their gifts.
I’m a Transformational Facilitator and Leadership trainer—but my greatest passion lies in facilitating powerful rites of passage experiences for women.
My work is rooted in the art of facilitation: creating brave, sacred, and beautiful spaces where people can remember who they truly are. I’ve studied rites of passage, storytelling, somatic wisdom, and systems change with some of the best teachers across cultures, and I weave those threads into everything I do.
As your guide for The Pearl, I’m here to help you cross a meaningful threshold—one that brings you closer to your truth, your wildness, and your magic. I believe in depth and joy, in mystery and structure. I trust in the healing power of nature, and the exquisite alchemy that unfolds when women gather with intention.
Get ready to be held, seen, and transformed.
This is the work of becoming—and I can’t wait to walk it with you.
Additional Testimonials
AFTER ONLY 4 DAYS
THIS COULD BE YOU
"I CANNOT thank you enough for every moment of the weekend. I am trying to summarise the impact succinctly, but I think it would be an injustice. The most important thing is how you made me feel. It is like being taken home and yet reborn at the same time. A masterpiece."
Karen J
"It’s hard to believe that in one weekend you can experience such deep and life-long transformation. The magnitude of what we did is indescribable. And the impact will last forever"
Luisa M
"This was a coming home to myself. Time to really be with my dreams, my fears — all of it. It’s not a ‘put your feet up’ kind of retreat. It’s deep work. Brave work. But I found immense freedom at the other end of it. I always leave Nele’s retreats feeling like a fresher, shinier version of myself. I know myself more deeply. The Pearl was no different — incredibly transformative, with so much magic sprinkled throughout."
Sabrina K
"To see each woman on the last day and how different they looked was magical The retreat made me feel so alive. It made time slow down in a way that everyday life doesn’t allow. I returned home with a completely new perspective — what an immeasurable gift"
Sara C
It’s time.
Time to dive deep and claim ALL of your magic.
This land is full of wonder and magic
—a sacred space where thresholds are crossed, and power is reclaimed.
Our retreat home is a hidden oasis along the Colo River, just 1.5 hours from Sydney. Nestled in the heart of wild nature, this private homestead offers the perfect setting for your journey of renewal.
With its fire pit, bathhouse, hammock bay, cozy library, and a private swimming spot in the river, every inch of this space invites you to pause, explore, and reconnect.
We’re here to pause, unwind, and descend beneath the surface. To a place where there is no definitive map—only the longing to uncover the true gem within you.
It’s an ancient truth: what you seek is also seeking you.
And the light you’re searching for? It’s already within reach.
Your pearl is unlike any other in the entire world. A masterpiece of unique brilliance, shaped by your life, your stories, your soul.
Let’s unearth it together. Let’s give it the space to shine.
Sign Up Today
"Expect the unexpected"
What will these days look like?
This is no ordinary retreat; it’s a journey of transformation, a sacred rite of passage where you’ll leave behind the familiar and step boldly into the radiant woman you are becoming.
Through rituals and practices steeped in intention, we will guide you to peel back the layers, confront the grit, and uncover the pearl of your truest self. This is a space to release what no longer serves you and embrace the wisdom, beauty, and power that has been waiting to emerge.
Together, we’ll:
- Honour Your Journey: Share stories and immerse yourself in rituals that acknowledge and celebrate the thresholds of your life.
- Awaken Your Soul: with deep imagination practices, sound baths, ceremony and ancient myth we invite you to ignite your inner fire and realign with your essence.
- Connect to the Wonders of the Natural World: Wander through the wild beauty of the land, float down the river, letting them ground and guide you.
- Shed and Reclaim: Dive into the depths to unearth the wisdom you already carry.
- Celebrate Being Alive: Dance under the stars, sing by the fire, and feel the profound joy of being fully ALIVE in your body.
- Create a New Groove: After we let go of the old, it's time to start a new chapter. With verve and joy and radiant aliveness.
Reserve Your Spot Today
This rite of passage retreat is a sacred ceremony asking you to claim your full power as a woman.
Nothing will ever be the same again.
Throughout the weekend, you’ll be held by practices that support your transformation:
- Breathwork, Deep Imagination and Somatic Movement Practices to heal through the body
- Ceremony, Ritual and Ritual Theatre to mark this sacred transition.
- Delicious meals and nourishing rest to care for your body as you transform.
Choose your preferred accommodation and payment option below.
We have 4 accomodation options
OPTION 1: CAMPING
OPTION 2: Private Room
OPTION 3: Twin-Share Room
OPTION 4: Queen Swag (our version of glamping!)
What makes this retreat unique?
Get ready to be wowed.
This isn’t just about relaxation; it’s about metamorphosis. A rites of passage is just that; a marking of a transition from one life phase to the next.
Each moment is an invitation to step into a deeper relationship with yourself, reclaim your inner magic, and remember that you are both the pearl and the ocean.
You’ll leave not only reconnected to your light but also infused with the courage and clarity to create ripples of transformation in your life and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED HERE
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Terms and Conditions
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