Picture this. A  festival site situated next to Marion Bay Tasmania, Australia.  Your day is filled with discussions on everything from the environment, social justice, nutrition, mindfulness, to even business entrepreneurship. Meals are all plant-based and cafeteria style where you can sit and converse with a new person every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you want to have a mid-day swim its just a 10-minute walk from the site. Oh, and did I mention its completely zero waste, off-grid, drug, and alcohol-free?

Festival is the wrong name. It’s more than that. A master class week of environmental activism and social change workshops. Speakers coming from all over Australia and the world to inspire more change in individual communities to help the planet.

I had heard about the festival from Kate Nelson, (PlasticFreeMermaid) remember we went to Hawaii together?! And since I was flying to Australia the SAME DAY as the festival I knew I couldn’t pass the opportunity to go; I had to share this experience with all of you.

Our itinerary ran just like any music festival. Attendees could choose different stages to listen to different speakers and everything is voluntary so each person can truly have a personal experience.

This post is sponsored on behalf of Newkind Festival. All opinions are 100% my own.

Where to Stay?

All attendees stay in tents on the campsite.

Travel tip** You can bring your own tent or opt for a ready-made one and there are different price options here.

Excited to get started, I dropped my things and made my way up to the information desk to get a schedule for the week. The land is home to indigenous Australian people so it was a privilege to have the conference here.  Throughout the site, they have various stages where the workshops and discussions are held each day.

Opening Ceremony

The land we hold space in for the festival is not ours to occupy so to open our week up to the conference we watched and participated in a traditional Welcoming to Country and smoking ceremony lead by the Palawa people. It was very special to be a part of this as I once called Australia home. Finally, we heard the Uluru Statement of the Heart which for those that don’t know is a statement that references changes to the Constitution of Australia to include Indigenous Australians. It is very moving.

The Festival

• The whole festival is run off-grid with solars panels situated throughout the site.
• Vegan meals are made every day fresh by staff and a handful of volunteers.
• The showers run on-demand so if you want a hot shower, I recommend to wait until the mid-afternoon, or dip in the ocean as I did :p
• Toilets are compostable all over the site and I have to say, there is no horrible smell like a Port-A-Potty; brilliant. All festivals should consider this option in the US.
• Everyone brings their own reusable cutlery, cup, and dishware so no single-use plastic is used whatsoever.
• Dishes are washed each time the meal is finished at a soaking station. They are then stored in your bag for the next meal.

Day-to-Day

Each morning we wake up with the option to participate in yoga, go for a bush walk, try out primordial play, or sleep in. I choose yoga because I like to have the morning stretch and meditation before beginning the day. All our meals are announced by a man on bagpipes and we would fill our bodies with nourishing food.

It’s so thrilling to hear everyone’s stories and their excitement to attend the festival.  Not to mention each speaker has something different to say and I took notes so I could refer back and use this knowledge later on. Some speakers range from entrepreneurs, activist, people in policy, those wanting to be a part of something to help this planet. A whole list of the festival’s speakers’ is here.

It’s not just a conference on discussions and workshops. When the sun goes down, the arts take over. Poetry slams, comedy shows, documentaries, dancing, DJs, discussions by the fire are all available every night while you take in the days’ learnings.  I loved listening to poetry, comedy and attending the concerts from our very own Newkind attendees. A great way to decompress before heading to sleep each night.

Each day holds more information and conversations with other attendees. Now discussions about who are our favorite speakers, or who else we are excited to see before the festival wraps up. It is even nice being able to sit with the speakers at lunch or by the coffee and dive deeper into what was said. That is how close-knit this festival feels.

Key Takeaways

• By the end of the festival, I have about 100 new friends or more, honestly, it was a privilege to be able to meet so many legends from all over the world, I know I will connect with again.
• Ideas are flourishing and taking notes helps to be able to reference them once the festival ends.
• Plant-based food is the way to live; I’ve never felt better each day.
• Waking to the sunrise is the best feeling
• We can all save the planet together; our actions really do have an impact.

I want to go back next year, will you come with me?  Let’s share this passion for saving the planet, after-all its the only one we have.

What are some ways you can reduce your impact on the planet? This page has some great tips.