Winter Events at Hope Station: Crisp Air, Clear Minds

Winter in George is not what people from the north imagine. Mornings are cold and bright, the mountains put on snow for a week or two, the air is so clear you can count the folds in the Outeniqua from the lawn — and by eleven the sun on the stoep is warm enough for tea outside. It is, quietly, the best time of year to bring a group here.

Why winter works for thinking

Cold, bright mornings make sharp meetings. Nobody is drowsy, nobody is fanning themselves, and a room with the doors closed and the heaters on has a way of drawing people in toward each other. The break happens in the sun with a hot drink and a view of snow, and the conversation afterwards is different — closer, more honest — than the same conversation in February.

Winter mornings we love hosting

Planning days, where a team wants to look at the year ahead with a clear head. Wellness circles, which seem to go deeper when the weather asks people to come in and sit close. Small celebrations — a baby shower under blankets on the lawn, with the mountains white behind it, is a photograph people keep. And workshops of every kind, because a room that is warm and quiet on a cold morning is the easiest room in the world to concentrate in.

The practical side

The main room is heated. The garden is at its most dramatic. Winter is also the season when venues sit empty, which means dates are easy and we are flexible on timing. Bring your own hot drinks and something warm to eat, or ask us for a caterer who does winter well. Up to forty people, a boardroom for twenty, the equipment already set up.

If you have only ever seen the Garden Route in December, come and see what it looks like when the mountains have snow on them and the lawn is yours.

Facilitators and trainers can read about our workshop and training venue hire, and circles and small retreats have their own page on wellness mornings, circles and small retreats.