Positive Life NSW

The Karumah Positive Live-In Workshop was recently held at Pacific Palms. This weekend allowed people with HIV and their carers to get away for some fun social activities and educational workshops. Here, two attendees share their personal experiences of this invaluable rural retreat.

A perfect Friday night, surrounded by friends, a cool pool and spa, a gentle sea breeze rustling through the palm trees and the rolling surf breaking on the sand ... it's great to be alive!

After a good meal, everyone settled into conversations as background music took the edge off and some good old-fashioned boot scootin' entertained the more adventurous (and co-ordinated); new friendships were forming and old ones were renewed.

The scenic lakes district has to be the best kept secret in Australia! A bit like sharing the secret of being HIV positive – shared with friends you can trust – and that was how the weekend began.

Saturday was down to some lively discussions and workshops with Hédimo from Positive Life NSW on looking to the future and what you want it to hold. We discussed the choices and steps we can take as longevity and ageing become the norm for positive minded ‘positive people'. We also had a wonderful session by the delicious Glen from ACON who walked us through some of his journey and shared the sweetness he found along the way. Truly motivating!

The afternoon saw us touching on ways/things that help improve our quality of life: music, loved ones, social activities, positive proactive actions regarding health, diet and exercise ... and, of course, massages (thanks soooo much!). This all led us into an afternoon enjoying the natural surroundings.

Smaller groups enjoyed bushwalks round the lake and on the beach, a game of volleyball and some just lazed round the pool.

In keeping with the themes of good eating and diet, our wonderful hosts, Robert and Troy, made every meal delicious. They were supported by the appreciative diners in doing the washing up and helping prepare the meals. Everyone pitched in and that is important, giving back, putting in and making an effort. You only get out what you put in and we all did, thanks to everyone.

The evening was rounded off with an infectious game of bingo with some fun prizes for those who could keep up with the numbers called, amid all the laughter. Being the last night to enjoy our surroundings, many enjoyed moonlit strolls by the lake and intimate conversations in the spa and pool, during which friendships were cemented. However, room 13 proved to be as unlucky as the number suggested; or that’s what its occupant complained!

On Sunday morning, we debriefed the weekend’s activities. Other debriefings were left to our imaginations and wicked senses of humour!

After changing the tyre on the bus, we all decided that it was an oversight not to have some helpful lesbians along, because it would have been done in half the time! Hehehe. But the goodbyes were heartfelt and the weekend was an enjoyable, informative and a positive experience for all.

My grandfather wisely once told me he preferred the prospect of ageing because the alternative was far less attractive, that truth holds good for everyone, so take everyday as a gift! So to those who didn't attend, and those who did, stay positive, stay well and make everyday count! Hope to see you all next year!
GG

GA’s diary

Thursday, 19 November
T-shirts, check. Shorts, check. Speedos, check. Sheets, check. Toiletries, check. Pills, of course, check. List ticked, all packed. Everything else will be covered by the boys who organise the annual retreat/workshop. God love those guys. Although this is the fifth year, they have a huge job looking after 25 guys’ needs and whims.

Friday, 20 November
Had a bit to do before leaving, had to dust off the board games that I had forgotten to pack, organise the pets, get dad’s shopping and drop it off. I’ll get to the centre about 11.30 to help pack the trailer, because the bus leaves at 12pm sharp.
When I arrived there were familiar faces and a couple of new ones, which was good to see.

All hands on deck to load the food and all the odds and ends we would need. We were on the road at 12pm, after deciding we weren’t going to wait for the late comer. It was 36 degrees outside – thank god for the air conditioning. There were nine of us on the bus. The three-hour drive was made shorter by conversation, making some new friends and lots of laughs. The sandwiches went down well.

We arrived at the resort just outside of Foster about 3.30pm (we had to stop for cold drinks).
A lot of the guys who decided to drive were already there. We unloaded all the supplies, had our rooms allocated, dumped our things and headed straight for the pool, because it was closer than the lake or the surf. We were at the same place last year and I’d forgotten how beautiful and quiet it is. It was great to see that some members of our group bought their children to enjoy the weekend with us.

Our organisers gave us an overview of the weekend and handed out our folders and name tags.

Before I knew it, it was dinner time and, as usual, plenty to eat. Too hot to be inside, so the terrace was the go and a perfect place for one from our group to share his boot scootin’ knowledge and some new routines. Later, some went to their rooms early, some stayed up and chatted, while some went for walks to the lake or beach.

Saturday, 21 November
I woke really early and I think I was the first up. I turned on the coffee urn, then sat and enjoyed the peace and quiet for a while. As more of us surfaced, we headed for the kitchen. We barbequed the bacon and scrambled the eggs. There was cereal, yogurt, toast – you name it.

The first of our workshops was “Steps to Change” presented by Positive Life NSW, followed by lunch. The second workshop, “Journeys”, was presented by ACON and this was followed by afternoon tea. We then had a couple of hours free time, so some hit the water, some sat and chatted, and others went for a nanna nap. Our final workshop was “Living Well and Healthy with HIV”, again facilitated by Positive Life. We had some more free time before another great dinner (certainly couldn’t complain about the catering).

After dinner we all played the most competitive game of bingo that I have ever been involved in … followed by lots of socialising.

Sunday, 22 November
Another big breakfast, then we all completed an evaluation form, thanked all those who organised and gave up their time to be there to help us, packed up, cleaned up, said our goodbyes and were on the road home by 12pm.

The trip home was quieter than the trip up and it was great to see our organisers finally relax.

For me, it was a chance to reflect on the past couple of days. I chose not to be involved in all the workshops. I used the weekend to take time to relax, re-establish friendships and make new ones. I hope I brought that home with me.

Photos by Hédimo Santana.